Diverged & Digression Ride Beneficiary 2017: MassBike

MassBike is familiar to most of the Overland Base Camp community.  Dedicated to making Massachusetts a more bicycle friendly Commonwealth and increasing bicycle ridership, their collective voice of over 3000 members looks to create solutions for the traffic, health, and environmental challenges that face our community.  We wholeheartedly believe in the work of MassBike and are donating half of the proceeds from both the Diverged Ride and Digression Ride to support their efforts.

MassBike educates cyclists.  From bicycling basics for beginners to instruction for aspiring racers.

MassBike works with communities on bicycling initiatives.  Harnessing the energy of local cycling communities and providing planning assistance to municipalities that are interested in a bicycle project.

MassBike provides bikeability assessment services.  Working with local cyclists to advocate for better conditions in their community.

MassBike advocates.  In partnership with other organizations such as the Vision Zero Coalition, Livable Streets, WalkBoston and the Boston Cyclists Union, MassBike crafted an omnibus traffic safety bill to make our roadways safer for the bicycling community, as well as other roadway users.  Some of the topics included in An Act to reduce traffic fatalities (Senate Docket #1545, House Docket #3006) include:

• Requiring state owned and state contracted trucks to be equipped with side guards between their front and rear wheels to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from falling underneath the chassis if impacted. Also requiring convex and crossover mirrors. 
• Lowering default speed limit on state highways and parkways in thickly settled or business districts from 30mph to 25mph.
• Prohibiting usage of mobile devices, except those in hands-free mode, while operating a motor vehicle.
• Requiring bicyclists to use both a rear red light and red reflector when riding at night. 
• Requiring motor vehicles to pass cyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users at a distance of at least three feet when traveling at 30mph or less, with an additional foot of clearance for every 10 mph above 30mph. Allowing motor vehicles to cross a double yellow line into an adjacent travel lane, when it is safe to do so if needed, to achieve a safe passing distance.
• Allowing cities and towns to operate limited automatic road safety camera systems. 
• Allowing bicyclists to continue straight through an intersection upon a leading pedestrian interval (a walk signal followed by a green light three to seven seconds later), allowing bicyclists to treat a red light signal as a stop sign if there is no road to the right, and allowing bicyclists to proceed through a red light signal if it proves unresponsive after two minutes. 
• Requiring the state to issue new guidelines for signage for bicycle, pedestrian, and other non-motorized routes. 
• Establishing that a motor vehicle must yield to a bicyclist at an intersection of a bicycle path and a road, so long as the crossing is marked.
• Requiring the state to develop a curriculum for elementary school students emphasizing safe bicycling, pedestrian, and motor vehicle practices.

This bill package still has a very long way to go before it gets placed before the Governor to be signed. MassBike will be calling upon a member to make calls and attend hearings to show support for the bill. 

MassBike valets.  Encouraging cycling to events, they offer fully staffed and secure bike parking for events and venues of all sizes.

MassBike rides.  Organizing rides to increase bicycle ridership in Massachusetts.

Check the MassBike site for updates on active legislation and to become a member.

Thank you to all of the staff and volunteers at MassBike – the work you do is so important.  We're excited about the funds we're raising from the Diverged Ride and Digression Ride; in 2016 we raised more than $1,000 for MassBike.
 

Diverged and Digression: Which is Which?

Sure, both rides sound kind of the same.  They're both mixed-terrain rides, too.  And, both rides raise funds for good causes:  Protecting our trails and keeping our roads safe. But that's where the similarities end and the divergent adventure begins.

Riding one "D" doesn't mean you should skip the other.  It's not D vs. D, it's D & D.  Both rides are very different.  At their most basic:

Diverged is one thousand swooping turns on neighborhood trails and roads. 

Digression is hidden primordial trails and seldom traveled roads.

Join us and find out what this means -- and why both rides are awesome!

"I think we're lost again."  -- Bobbie V.

In addition to great rides, this year we're offering a limited edition OBC Outdoor Ally t-shirt.  It's only available for purchase by registrants of either Diverged or Digression.  The shirt is more than cool and more than worth the price.  OF course, all proceeds from the shirts go to the groups indicated below.

Here's an overview of the key differences between the rides.  Questions?  Give us a call, (617) 991-0640, or email.

Event	Diverged Ride	Digression Ride
Ride date	Saturday, 22 April 2017	Saturday, 29 April 2017
Event details	Read all about it: Diverged Ride. OBC's funnest ride of the season.	Read all about it: Digression Ride. OBC's most primordial ride of the season.
Registration fee -- 100% of which goes to protecting our riding spaces	Indy Rider: $25 Guided Group Participant: $25 each Team Member: $20 each
Where do I sign up?	Diverged Ride Registration	Digression Ride Registration
Where does my registration fee go?	100% of your registration fee goes directly to Lexington Conservation Stewards and MassBike.	100% of your registration fee goes directly to Sherborn Forest and Trail Association and MassBike.
Ride type	Mixed-terrain: About 60% trails and 40% pavement. Well worn trails that snake around and around. 1,000 turns. Never far from the start.	Mixed-terrain: About 50% pavement and 50% trails. Some primitive trails seldom used. Very few hikers along the way. We own the trails.
How challenging is this ride?	We rate the Diverged routes as a 4 on a technical scale of 1-10 -- 10 being the most difficult. The trails are well worn with lots of turns. About 60 feet of climbing per mile.	We rate the Digression routes as a 5 on a technical scale of 1-10. Overall, Digression is slightly more technical than Diverged. The trails are more primitive and with more obstacles. About 60 feet of climbing per mile but the Digression routes tend to feel hillier than the Diverged routes.
Ideal bike	A mixed-terrain or cyclocross bike that fits between 33c and 40c tires. Compact gearing will be appreciated. Drop bars recommended. Clip in pedals and shoes required.
Distance & duration	Three distances: 16, 38, & 46 miles. Multiple pace options for each ride. Ride duration: Between 2 and 6 hours depending on the pace of the group you choose.	Two distances: 22 & 38 miles. Multiple pace options for each ride. Duration: Between 2.5 and 5 hours depending on the pace of the group you choose.
Ride category options	Indy Rider: Roll-out when you want; ride at the pace you prefer. Guided Group Member: Choose a predetermined start time; stay with the group. Team Member: You choose and register as a team; We'll provide you a start time.
Requirements to participate	A proper bike -- indicated above A proper tool kit -- A comprehensive list is here A good attitude and sense of adventure For Indy or Team riders: A GPS unit and knowledge of how to use it on trails.
Commemorative offering	Diverged Outdoor Ally T-Shirt. Limited Edition -- available for registrants only. $30 price; all proceeds go to the trail fund.	Digression Outdoor Ally T-Shirt. Limited Edition -- available for registrants only. $30 price; all proceeds go to the trail fund.
Food & drink	After the ride: Light lunch, treats, and drinks served -- included with registration fee.

Join us for Diverged or Digression.  Or, rightfully, both!  We hope to see you smiling on the trails we all protect and respect.

Wintertide 2017 Wrap-Up

We woke up to see about a foot of snow blanketing the trails.  By sundown it was knee deep.

That was one week to go until Wintertide.  Then it rained for 12 hours a few days before the ride.  As seems to be the case with every Wintertide, the weather conditions made the ride memorable, challenging, and confusing.  Confusing to prepare for:  Should we recommend participants ride fat bikes?  Would it be possible to ride with a mixed-terrain 40c studded tire bike?  Would the snow stay fun and fluffy?  Would the roads be three feet wide and treacherous for bike and cars alike?

These are dilemmas for which the Overland crew lives.  The original route we designed, back in October, was impassable because of the deep snow.  So we designed a fat bike friendly route, but then the freezing rain made that route impossible on any bike -- studded, fat -- or even walking.  We had worked on a pavé -- pavement with some harsh-weather friendly dirt -- version in October, too; OBC always has a backup plan.  Those three routes -- 45, 60, and 90 miles -- were the right rides for this Wintertide.

This year was also unique because we designed the road route to intertwine with the mixed-terrain route so, in theory, you could do some really challenging snow trail sectors and then ride the mixed-pavé route for a while, and go back and forth between the two. Smartly, everyone chose the pavé route this year.

Saturday morning came over the horizon very quickly.  The first bleary-eyed riders were greeted by the smell of OBC's special pancakes -- the recipe is secret -- and a hot homemade breakfast banquet.  Two warm fires greeted participants on a chilly subfreezing morning.  A couple cups of coffee and a few plates of food later and the sun was high on the horizon and barely any clouds were in the sky.  The temperature quickly rose to above 40 degrees and everyone seemed eager to be riding.

By the time of the first pre-ride meeting, our base camp home was packed with riders of every stripe.

The roads were impressively dry and clear -- except for the parts that weren't supposed to be.

As riders meandered on the road and path to the Summer Home -- the lunch stop -- everyone could see the fire and smell the chili waiting.  The cozy cottage was packed elbow to elbow.  Fortunately, by about noon, the temperature was above 50 degrees so we could hang out at the fire pit or go visit the friendly old horse in the pasture behind the cottage.

After too much chili, mac and cheese, and cookies, reluctant riders slowly gathered their helmets, gloves, and custom made Wintertide Winter Collars and prepared for the final 30-miles back to Home Base.

Back at home, dinner was ready for everyone:  A catered meal featuring lentil strudel and too many other amazing foods to list.  As Matt Roy astutely pointed out OBC events seem to be "50% food, 50% riding."

Then it was time for relaxing and digesting in front of the fire, while sharing tales from the pavé.

We still have windburned faces from the ride.  We're replaying some of the strange back roads and dirt paths we rode.  We'll be heading back there soon.

Thank you to all who joined us for this special season opening ride.  We really appreciate that you took a chance with us.  We hope it was worthwhile for you -- it definitely was for us!

We're already thinking about next year's Wintertide.  We hope to see you there -- whatever dame nature brings our way.

Wintertide As All About Warm Fires

Reason number nine to join us on the Wintertide Ride:  Campfires!  A warm fire on a cold day's ride is a moment of perfection.  Add hot chocolate to that, and we might never leave the fire pit.

Depending on the route distance you choose for Wintertide you'll have two, three, or four fire pits throughout the day.  Yes, multiple fires!

Fire pits on rides serve many purposes:  As a homing beacon, providing reflective meditative minutes, drying clothes and shoes, warming your body, mind, and spirit, sometimes cooking food, and maybe even making a s'more or two at the end of the ride.

This year the fires are likely to be more important than ever.

Get ready for the first big ride of the season.  Join the Wintertide Ride next Saturday, February 18.  Register on Bikereg.

Wintertide Conditions Predictions -- One Week To Go

Looks like a lot of snow for Wintertide this year.  It's about time!  At the moment it looks like we're going to have about 6" to 12" of snow on Saturday, February 18.

First, it's always impossible to properly predict the weather a week from now.  However, there are a few conditions we can be fairly certain of; therefore, here are our recommendations on how to approach the Wintertide Ride.

Second, a fat bike isn't a cure-all.  If you don't have a fat bike, no worries -- join us on your mixed-terrain bike.

Given these two truths, following is what we recommend for bikes and route choosing.

Routes:  Because of the recent -- and pending -- snow, we're providing six options:

• Three pavé route options of 45-miles, 60-miles, and 90-miles.  Pavé means this route is about 90% to 99% pavement with the remaining being snowbound trails.  The percentage will be determined by the true amount of snow on Friday.
• Three mixed-terrain route options of 45-miles, 60-miles, and 90-miles.  Mixed-terrain means the route is about 50% trails and 50% pavement.  Because of all the snow, the some trails will be pristine when you arrive at the trailhead -- meaning you're going to have a slog in a foot or more of snow.  Some trails will be well trodden by bikers and hikers and therefore reasonably rideable.  It's impossible to tell how many of the trails will be reasonable rideable for Saturday.  We're erring on the side of caution.
• "Mixed-pavé" hybrid options:  At the moment we're thinking that loading both the mixed-terrain and pavé route distance you want to do, and then switching between them as you ride, could be a great sweet spot for this coming Saturday.  The pavé routes track the mixed-terrain routes fairly well.  If you want to switch, in most places you're no more than a mile from one route to the other.  This will allow you to ride challenging trails when you want and switch to cool pavé when you're tired or want to cover more ground faster.

Ideal Bike

• For the pavé version:  A mixed-terrain bike with about 40c studded tires.  A fat bike will work really well, too because we think that a lot of the side roads will still have a fair amount of snow on them.
• For the mixed-terrain routes:  A fat bike with 4"+ tires.  Studded tires will be the smart choice.  Given how deep the snow is, at the moment it's about 15" deep, getting through that on a fat bike is going to be super challenging.  Regardless of what some believe, a fat bike can't roll through all snow conditions.

Bike Requirements for These Conditions

• Studded tires:  We're rolling out in subfreezing conditions so there's going to be ice all over the place.  The day will warm up to about 40 or so but ice is the watchword for the day.  Be ready for icy conditions; ride studs.
• Taillight:  You have to ride with a blinking taillight or steady taillight throughout the entire ride.
• A well tuned bike that's ready for 90 miles of snow, ice, and wet.  Brake pads in great conditions.  Gears tuned properly.  Tires in good shape.

Likely Conditions

Temperature

• At the beginning of ride:  25 - 30 degrees.  It's very likely to be below freezing so we expect icy conditions where the roads are plowed and the trails have been 'groomed' or ridden previously.
• High temperature for the day:  Looks like it might get up to 40 degrees.  It's supposed to be sunny so it will be a great day to ride!  So, melting conditions and some wet areas.
• As the sun goes down:  It's likely to get back down to freezing or below as you head back to the finish line.  We expect to start seeing black ice.

Snow

It's snowing on Sunday and Monday.  Then a bit of snow and rain on Wednesday.  The rest of the week will be a bit above freezing during the day and below freezing at night.  By the end of the snow on Monday we're likely to have about 14" of snow on the trails.  We'll lose some of that from melt and because of the sleet on Wednesday.

Trails

We're expecting about 8" to 12" of dense snow.  Many of the trails will be virgin snow, not groomed or packed by fat bike riders and hikers.  It's going to be slow going on the trails.

Roads

We're riding as many back roads as possible so they're be fun, messy, and quiet. Of course, there will be some yellow line roads and a few town centers; we will see cars so be prepared.

Forget about each detail, look at theme - pick GFS, GFS Ensemble, European (see images), they ALL show big ski/snowmobile snow next 7 days pic.twitter.com/LrOL9eqfK8

— Matt Noyes (@MattNBCBoston) February 10, 2017