So, did you know that Mary had a little lamb? No, seriously. That there once was an actual girl, named Mary, who kept a diminutive pet sheep? The girl in question(Mary Sawyer, to be precise)lived in Sterling Massachusetts in the 1800s. And according to historical scholars, some time in 1830 she brought her pet lamb to school - an act that caused such mirth among the other children, that a local poet was inspired to immortalise it in verse. On the Sterling Town Green, astatue now standscommemorating the event.
This statue also marks the halfway point and only control stop of theNew England Randonneurs Populaire - a timed 107 km ride that heralds the official start of the local brevet season.
"But at least take a picture next to the Lamb!" someone exclaimed when I mentioned there would be no pictures on this ride. A kindly volunteer did the honors. My few lucid memories of the Populaire revolve around the stone rendering of the famous Victorian pet.
Having already done two "Permanents"earlier this month (this one and this one), I hoped the official Populaire would not be anti-climactic. I needn't have worried.
Some notes, while it's all still fresh and I am too tired to feel self-conscious:
I must remember that rides with similar overall elevation gain can be very different. The climbing on this one was intense and draining, even though the elevation gain (3813ft over 68 miles) was the same as in the previous (easier!) 100Ks I did this year.
But perhaps much of that had to do with
howI did this ride. Straight through, minimal stopping, really pushing myself to get it done. Particularly on the return leg, I just basically raced through the course, inasmuch as I am capable of such a thing. I do not know what possessed me to do it this way; I certainly did not have to as there was plenty of time left before the cutoff. But it felt in the spirit of the event: Everyone seemed focused on making good time. I finished well (for me), certainly better than expected. But it was tough. At some point,everything was a blur, attempts at conversations became babbling nonsense.
For some of the time I rode in a group.This proveda novel experience compared to previous group riding.While the group's average speed was similar to my own, their rhythm did not match mine - a situation I found extremely difficult to deal with. I tried a few times to cycle ahead of the group, so as to go at my own pace. This did not work, as they'd always catch me. Falling behind did not work either, as I'd eventually catch up, yet again be unable to pass them. I seemed destined to ride in this group and adapt to its rhythm; it was as if a magnetic field held us together!
The start of the Boston brevets is in a middle-of-nowhere location - an airforce base some distance from my house. By the time I got home, I had ridden 105 miles, and felt every single one of them. A Century is not quite a casual distance for me, yet. This is disappointing.
Because of the Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath, the Populaire took place one week later than initially planned. The 200K brevet is next Saturday, not leaving much time for further training. Considering how I feel after this ride, I am not sure it is a good idea to embark on the 200K so soon. But I will see how I feel mid-week.
Finally... Despite this depriving me of photo opportunities, it felt good to put in an effort and try to make decent time. By mid day it was all over, and afterward I felt oddly over-emotional. I wasn't happy, or sad, or proud or frustrated exactly. Rather, it was as if so many miles and so much intensity packed in a fairly short time was too much for my system to cope with. But in a good way... I think.
My thanks to the New England Randonneurs for putting on this event, and to the wonderful volunteers who made it happen. I hope to see you again this summer.
Having a special bicycle is not about following the latest chic trend. It is not about hunting down a frame made of famous tubing. It is not about obsessing about period-correct components. And it is not about trying to evoke a specific country of origin.It's really about focusing on your preferences and your needs. Only you can make your bicycle uniquely yours.
My fellow Bostonian C.P. - or "cycler" on Biking in Heels - has done an impressive job in this regard. Her bicycle, Gilbert, is completely and utterly hers - and very special. CP comes from a family of cyclists and has ridden a bike for as long as she can remember. But it was not until she lived in Italy as a young adult, that her love of city bicycles with step-through frames was ignited. Upon returning to the US, she brought a vintage Italian city bike with her, and the rest is history. An architect by profession and a DIY enthusiast by nature, C.P. enjoys wrenching on her own bikes and now owns a modest stable of vintage ladies' models from the 1930s through the 1970s.
As her ultimate bicycle for transportation, C.P. wanted something that handled like her favourite vintage bikes, yet was as clean and reliable as a new bike. And so her project began. She rescued a 1970s Raleigh Lady's Sports frame and fork, and had them repainted a colour she loved. She bought a suitable chaincase and had it painted to match, along with the fenders. She built modern wheels with alloy rims around a Shimano 8-speed hub in the rear and a Shimano dynamo hub in the front.
Gilbert's set-up includes handsome and effective lighting,
cushy cream tires,
front and rear racks for maximum hauling capacity,
Nitto "Albatross" handlebars with city brake levers and a classic bell,
a wheel stabiliser,
and, last but not least, this fantastic fishing creel basket, made of wicker with leather accents. For the holidays, the basket is decorated with battery-operated Christmas lights.Eccentric? Delightfully so! I imagine this style of basket is quite useful for storing small to medium objects within reach, secured by the closed lid. One thing that never fails to impress me about Biking in Heels, is the amount of stuff "cycler" is able to carry on that bike. This has included: a stack of shipping parcels, large plants, household appliances, and building supplies - most of these, of course, on the rear rack and not in the creel basket. While the Raleigh Lady's Sports was not specifically designed as a utility bike, it seems that Gilbert cab haul pretty much anything. 
Given the way Gilbert came into existence, it is difficult to categorise him. The bicycle is no longer a vintage Raleigh 3-speed, yet it certainly isn't a modern bike either. But why categorise him at all? You will not find another like him in any catalogue or bicycle blog.Gilbert is C.P.'s personal bicycle, and he is unique. Visit them both at Biking in Heels.
Dianne graciously hosted a Happy Hour for Austin and Charlotte's birthday. I was going to try to do a surprise party for him at the tournament we were going to. Dianne asked him if his Mom was doing anything for his birthday and he said no...so she offered to do the party. I filled her in on the surprise party plan and she was going to help me out with that. Then he asked her about the Happy Hour, so at the last minute she pulled of this one. Thank goodness she is great at these and just rolled with it. Thanks, Dianne!
This is the 
I did not get a clear photo of the gear shifters, but they are plastic indexed thumb shifters (located on the handlebars); not sure of the manufacturer. Cane Creek headset. Some of the cables are internally routed, which is a nice touch.
Rear brake; internal cable routing. As you can see, the seat cluster is unusual; I am not even certain the term "seat cluster" applies here? The top tube sort of flows past the seat tube and diverges into the rear stays.
As the name of this bicycle suggests, its main purpose is to haul things. Therefore its most noticeable feature is the elaborate wood-topped rack that is built into the frame itself. The rack is rated for a 50kg (112lb) load.
Here is a better look at how the rack is integrated into the frame.
The idea is pretty neat and from a distance it looks nice. But those welding marks really don't do it for me - which should come as no surprise to those familiar with my tastes. I understand that this is a matter of personal choice though, and that some people like them.
Straigh unicrown fork; 700C wheels; fenders; caliper brakes. The tires are cream Specialized Nimbus 700C x 35mm. They felt great until we had to ride on a stretch of the road that was all cobblestones. That felt aweful - but I am not certain whether to blame the tires alone, or whether the aluminum frame also plays a role. I am curious what the experts think.
Front view. The handlebars are swept back, North Road style. There is a small bell, and an LED light is cleverly integrated into the handlebar setup.
Close-up of the headlight. A neat, utilitarian look that is in keeping with the rest of the bike's design, I think.
Globe brown rubber grips, which match the Specialized brown pleather saddle. I did not get a close-up of the saddle, but what surprised me about it is that it is pretty narrow for an upright bike and is more like a roadbike saddle.
Here is another shot of the rear rack, whichI think is the 
I rode the 
I've been gifted a stack of olderBicycle Quarterlyissues (thanks, A!) and a few of them are redundant with the ones I already have. So, if anybody wants them, I have the following three to give away:
