By John Allen

This month’s Safety Corner is a follow-up on last month’s, in which I showed how I ride eastbound through the Winter Street Oval and across the bridge over Route 128 in Waltham. CRW has used that challenging route, and I wanted to show how to do it safely.

And as it turned out, Waltham’s local community riding group, Bike Together Waltham, was going to use the same route. I was a bit surprised, as this is a motley crew of riders, but I saw an opportunity.  A group ride can show how it is not only possible, but reasonably safe, to take on challenges.

So I reached out to Saul Blumenthal, a leader in Bike Together Waltham, and invited him to ride with me so he could later coach the group. He took up my invitation.

Here is video which Saul and I recorded of our ride.  

Three days after the demo ride, the group rode Winter Street as part of an evening ride at dusk.  Saul gave appropriate instructions at the start and during the ride. The group understood my unusual lane choice, was well-equipped with lights, rode double file when controlling the travel lane, and mostly held together. All in all, I think that the ride went well.

It can’t be expected that an informal community group ride will display the order and discipline of a French randonneuring ride or CyclingSavvy urban riding practice. But it is in the nature of the learning experience that not everything is perfect. I am suitably impressed with how this random group of riders handled the challenge of Winter Street.

Saul shot video of the group ride. As you watch it, I’d like you to note what you think went well and what might have gone better. I have some debriefing comments following the video, which you may compare with your observations.

OK, A few things might have worked better. I shared the following notes on the group’s chat after the ride and got a positive reception:

• One boy (yellow shirt, gray helmet) who appeared to be about 10 years old had good bike handling skills and endurance, but no lights. "Frog lights" which are powered by button batteries and attach with rubber straps cost only a couple of dollars each. 
  
  
  I rode for decades in Boston-area traffic with small battery and generator lights with incandescent bulbs, no brighter than these. My lights, aimed level, worked fine to alert other road users when riding under streetlights and urban light pollution. The frog lights are at least as bright. My friend Pam Murray rents these lights before evening rides which she organizes, and refunds the rental if the lights are returned at the end of the ride. I suggested that Bike Together Waltham adopt the same strategy for riders who arrive without lights and donated a few of them to the group.
  

• On the other hand, too bright: one rider had very bright headlight in flash mode and aimed upward, a glare hazard. You can see it in Saul’s rear view in the video and then see the headlight’s beam reflecting off the back of a rider ahead.
  
  
• A couple riders stayed close to the right-side lane line when we were in the leftmost lane. Being a bit farther into the lane would have placed them farther from high-speed motor traffic. The lane was plenty wide to allow riding double-file without crowding the right edge. I am wondering whether the ingrained habit of edge riding had gotten to these riders to the extent that they didn’t realize that the edge in this case was on the left!
  
  
• The group merged from the front rather than using the "got your back" technique for lane changes, where the sweep starts to change lanes first. Making this work requires more preparation so everyone knows to do this. It wasn’t a problem in this case, but a more compact and orderly lane change looks better.
  
  
• It could have worked better to split the group into two in advance of the climb in this segment, given the number of riders and that a group of three (including me) was slower than others and formed a second group.

No bike ride is completely without risk, or goes perfectly as planned. Taking on challenges is the way to expand horizons.  I have seen a significant uptick in the challenges which Bike Together Waltham will take on, and in meeting them.  My ride with Bike Together Waltham was a learning experience, for the group, and for me.

The club's Annual Meeting took place on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM on Google Meet. There were 13 CRW members present.

Randolph Williams presented information on the club that included Financial Information, Rides, Membership, Volunteering, etc. See the Slides from the presentation HERE.

Board members in attendance responded to the following comments/questions from members:

• Recurring Rides - how are they determined?

39 unique named rides have been done more than once this season. This includes rides with the same title in the past year, and this includes “tags” associated with rides. 

More clarification about recurring rides was requested by a member: ideally anything that happens weekly or monthly should be included as a recurring ride.

• Whatever happened to the weekly rides from Cutler Park?

The Needham, Dover and Beyond with 3 routes now goes once a year. It would be great to do again, but it needs someone to take the lead.

• Are there plans for a special edition jersey for the CRW 60th anniversary?  

Yes! That is in the plan!

• Regarding Board and Grants activity - in the past, standards were developed for grants to be made; is that information available to the current Board?

That information will be relayed to the current Grants Committee by the member.

• What general grants were distributed in FY 2024? 

- Mass Bike
- The Bike Connector
- Worcester Earn A Bike

• Century grants

Grants are provided to non-profit organizations who provide volunteers/support to the Century rides. In 2024 these included:

- National MS Society
- Bikes Not Bombs
- New England Classic Charity Bike Tour
- Friends of Mattapoisset Bikeway
- Eastover Reservation Trustees
- Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality
- Stow Bike for the Woods

• Where can financial information be found for the club?

It is filed with the State. The Board will provide links and information.

• Members expressed appreciation for all the work that is done including newsletters, rides, etc.

• It has been nice to see that “no-drop” rides are increasing the number of participants.

• It would be helpful to expand locations where weekend rides are held.

By Nina Siegel and Harold Hatch

This ride series is meant to highlight some of the “best of the best” routes that have been created by CRW Route Developers/Ride Leaders over the club’s nearly 60-year history. Familiar to long-time club members, some routes have been running annually since 2010 while others haven’t been offered recently. This season we focused on rides that featured 3 or more routes. With beautiful roads, multiple speed and distance options, including a welcoming 10-12 mph pace, these routes offer something for everyone in CRW, new and long-time members alike.

We have featured in WheelPeople articles the Route Developer and/or Ride Leader and what it is about their ride that makes it special to the club. You’ll find notifications in Chain Link and club social media channels when the rides are posted on the Events Calendar. Please join us as we celebrate what our Club has to offer in its long history of riding.

AND NOW – OUR FOURTH CLASSIC FEATURE!

Meet Melinda Lyon

Melinda Lyon is leading Bagel and a Witch Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 10 AM out of Boxford, MA.

Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a local, grew up in Acton, attended Acton-Boxborough Regional High School then onto BU for a physiology degree. Robye Lahlum is from Valley City, North Dakota and we met at an AMC Pinkham Notch bike repair workshop. We eventually found our way to Boxford , where we have lived for nearly 40 years. We both commute to work, though in opposite directions.

Cycling right out our front door is our favorite way to start a ride. Long rides and lunch with friends is my fun way to ride. I found I always got stronger the longer the ride, so I realized that was my calling. I have been involved with Randonneuring since 1990 which was perfect training for Paris-Brest-Paris and I rode in six PBP’s and was Premier Randonneuse in two. I spent years with very long training days in the saddle and have been in other rides as well.

I ride differently now. I no longer do brevets or ride more than 4 or 5 hours at a time as I’ve had my share of repaired parts in recent years: ankle, knee, humerus – the usual jumble of an athletes’ life. I lead a number of rides annually both road and gravel. My weekends are typically split with 1 day as my long ride 4-5 hours on my own and the other in my garden. Our garden has expanded in the past few years and we now grow enough produce to feed ourselves for about 6 months of the year. Occasionally a friend will ask if they can scoop some bounty. My usual response is along the line of “if they didn’t work the land no bounty”. I probably couldn’t go back to all that time spent on the bike now…

How long have you been riding with CRW?

We first read about a CRW ride in The Boston Globe being run out of Winchester in 1984. Jacek Rudowski asked about our cycling credentials when we showed up! And from then on it was all about riding as many weekend rides, weekend tours, and the Tour of New England and being out all day with friends, having lunch and sometimes dinner. You called 325-BIKE to get the upcoming weekend rides outside of the newsletter back then. I created the North to New Hampshire ride which has since transformed into the current Spring Century.

What kind of rides do you enjoy the most?

I like long rides with friends, a solid pace out to enjoy lunch, a PB&J in my pannier on Littleton Common or beer and crabs at Woodman’s in Essex, have fun and then a nice ride back. Sharing interests about ‘NHF’ Not Having Fun? Stop. Get rest. Ride tomorrow. What keeps the blood pressure down better than that?

Back when I started this route – when everyone was riding from their homes and sharing their rides with everyone – it was “I have this ride and I love it. I’ll set it up”. And yes, I do like lunch so we stop for bagels on the ride usually at Abrahams in downtown Newburyport. Zumi’s in Topsfield for the short route  is the cycling hangout. The route is basically the same as it was from the beginning. Some people show up in costume and its fun. The long route can be windy as it goes out onto Plum Island but it is beautiful. I ride these roads all the time so I have altered the routes as necessary to accommodate how the area has grown and some roads have changed over the years. 

What makes it special so that you want to continue to lead the Bagel and a Witch?

It’s a beautiful area in my neighborhood. I love that all three distances give riders an opportunity to experience such charm and it just never gets old. 

Nina adds: I found a quote of Melinda’s from an article on the Seven Cycles website, undated, which strikes me as a true picture of Melinda: “First and foremost, randonneurs are always polite; you can ride hard, but your speed remains secondary to consideration for everyone, whether it’s another rider, a course volunteer, a motorist, a citizen with no affiliation with the event, or your own safety. In races, other riders try to drop you; in randonnees, your company is a welcome part of the journey. The course itself is the daunting competitor.”

REGISTER FOR BAGEL AND A WITCH

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We hope you  have enjoyed CRW's Classics Ride series in meeting and riding along again or anew with some superb CRW ride developers and ride leaders. 

2025's Classics were:

• April 19: Hills Are Your Friends
• June 1: Brake for Beavers
  
• July 6: Blue Moon
• Oct 26: Bagel and a Witch

It was wonderful fun. Keep seeking out your own Classic. 

Let’s Ride!

Looking ahead to next season: If you would like to have one of your routes featured as a CRW Classic in the future, please reach out to Nina (ninasiegel7@gmail.com) or Harold (haroldhatch@yahoo.com).

Saturday, October 11, 2025 | 9:00 AM  | Lincoln, MA

The Northeast Bicycle Club is happy to provide instruction on paceline riding for CRW members.  This is a CRW members only event. Those who have always wanted to ride a paceline will be shown how to do this safely and effectively within small groups of about 5 each.  Speed is NOT the objective for this instruction session, rather we want to get people feeling comfortable riding more closely together, get everyone to ride safely and predictably, and how to exchange the lead rider for each paceline.

Hone Your Skills Before the Century!

The very next day is the Cranberry Harvest Century. Groups of riders will be riding pacelines. Have the confidence to join a well-organized, efficient paceline!

Why Cyclists Ride in Pacelines

The reason is, as any cyclist knows, riding into a headwind is harder than riding in no wind.  Riding in a draft (e.g., behind a truck or school bus or another rider) makes riding easy.  So, if five riders wanted to ride faster and more efficiently, they should share the load of breaking the wind for the group.  Each rider should take turns riding at the front doing most of the work, then drop back and spend the rest of the time in the draft taking it easy.  Once you experience this, you'll have an "Aha!" moment.  (By the way, we're not advocating drafting trucks or school busses.)

Session Description

It is assumed that participants have little or no previous experience riding in a paceline.  We will break into small groups and assign an NEBC instructor for each group.  In the parking lot, we will start with a lecture on the responsibility of the lead rider, expectations for rider predictably, the importance of group communication, and how the group should behave on trafficked roads.  We will demonstrate how (and when) the lead rider exchange is to be performed.  Then each group will ride to a mile-long stretch of road nearby to practice this technique, including the exchange of lead riders.  The instructor will accompany the group, providing tips, critiques, etc.  At each end of the road we'll stop to turn around and discuss how to improve the group's performance.

Note that the road session will not be fast, so you may not feel the full advantage of pacelining.  But with practice, as you and your fellow riders gain more experience and speed, you'll have your "Aha!" moment.

Limited Attendance!

Only 10 riders are allowed to be part of this clinic. Sign up today!

REGISTER HERE

***SHARE YOUR RIDE PHOTOS WITH CRW!***
Email them to: media-share@crw.org

Tour of Martha's Vineyard, September 20.

By Ken Schwarz

CRW debuted a new seaside route on Saturday, August 23 with the North Shore Lobster Loop, a figure-eight ride through Essex, Gloucester, and Rockport. Starting and ending at Woodman’s of Essex—the mother of all lobster shacks—the ride delivered everything it promised: ocean views, rolling hills, and a proper lobster-roll finish.

We set out at 9 AM, intent to make it back just in time for that well-earned lunch. The loop covered 44 miles with 2,300 feet of climbing. No single climb was high (the tallest peak just 130 feet), but the route packed in plenty of short, punchy rollers that kept riders honest. At mile 20.5, the adventurous took the unpaved spur to a hidden beach, while others stayed on the main road to rejoin the loop a mile later.

Midway through Rockport, the group paused in town at The Ice Cream Store and the Bean & Leaf Café, a well-timed chance to recharge and tempt riders into spoiling their appetites for lunch! (Nobody succumbed.)

Back at Woodman’s, riders dug into mountains of seafood. Katie seemed worried that she may have ordered too much fried food but fortunately Ken and Matt were sitting nearby and able to help her out. 

The day couldn’t have been more spectacular. Clear skies, dramatic seas, and great CRW company made the miles fly by. Hopefully we can turn this ride into an annual CRW summer tradition.

Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?

Metuchen, NJ / Newton, MA.

How long have you been cycling, and what initially got you interested in the sport?

Since the early 1990s when I moved to Boston. Initial interest? Wanting to explore the area, seeing a lot of cyclists riding, and the memory of my first bike as a kid— pink-and-purple with tassles on the bar ends.

How long have you been a CRW member?

I rode with CRW for a few years in the early 1990s, then rejoined in 2017.

How many miles do you typically ride per year?

1500-2000. But my real metric is, “Whoever has the most fun, wins.”

What is your greatest cycling accomplishment?

I’ve biked all over the world—Vietnam, Cuba, many parts of Europe and the US (Death Valley was one of my favorites). That’s not an accomplishment per se, but biking vacations are my love language.

What is your favorite route to ride?

Rides that start around Carlisle/Concord; it’s like being back in the 18th century with the farmland and small towns.

What is your favorite post-ride food or drink?

Anything that lists “sugar” or “caffeine” as ingredients.

What is your best advice for a new club member?

The club has changed a lot over the years to encompass a wider range of cyclists. Find your level, find your people.

In what capacities have you volunteer(ed) for the club, and for how long?

• Ride leader since 2017
• Board member 2019 to 2021
• Century volunteer several times
• VP of Volunteers (2021)
• Communications committee lead (2020)
• I co-founded the CRW diversity group in 2020 with Randolph Williams, which turned into the New England Cycling Coalition for Diversity.

What led to you becoming a Ride Leader?

I thought it would be nice to have more rides leaving from closer into Boston.

What ride(s) do you lead? Can you tell us a bit about that ride?

The “Donut” rides that leave from Newton: Newton-Weston and Newton-Dover. Each has 3 lengths from 20+ miles to 50+ miles. There’s an option to join the social time prior to the ride at the Dunkin next to the ride start (free donuts!).

Are you planning any new ride(s) this year?

Always open to new routes, but nothing specific.

Anything else you want to share about yourself or cycling journey?

Yum, donuts.

Sunday, October 12, 2025  | 7:00 AM  | College Pond, Myles Standish State Forest, Plymouth MA

It’s almost fall, which means it’s almost time for CRW's annual Cranberry Harvest Century! Starting at Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth and traveling past the cranberry bogs in Rochester, Wareham, Carver and Acushnet, the Cranberry Harvest Century is a fully-supported event offering 35, 53, 65, and 100-mile routes.

Newsflash: We are hoping to add a gravel route. Stay tuned!

REGISTER FOR THE CRANBERRY HARVEST CENTURY

Calling all CRW Ride Leaders!

We are looking for ride leaders for a variety of pace groups, for distances between 35 and 100 miles. Pace groups offer a fun, social way for riders to push themselves and go faster. Help make this century our best yet and lead a group! Pick a route, a pace, and a start time, and be a part of the action!

Two years ago we had eight ride leaders. Last year we had twelve! Can we beat that number this year?

Bonus: If you haven't led a ride yet this year, opting to lead a paced group will earn you the code to register for FREE, AND you will be invited to our end of year volunteer/ride leader thank you party!

If you have any questions or want to lead a pace, or volunteer in any other capacity, contact century@crw.org

By John Allen

A couple of years ago, the CRW Ride Leader ride started and finished at the Craft Food Hall in Waltham. The ride had to cross Route 95/128 to get out to those scenic country roads, and the nearest crossing is the bridge on Winter Street in Waltham, with three lanes westbound,  four eastbound, and ramps to the highway. Just west of the highway is the Winter Street Oval, with five lanes westbound and six eastbound over much of its length. 

This can sound intimidating! But it doesn’t have to be. I had the pleasure of leading the Ride Leader group out, showing how traffic signals make it possible to time entry to the bridge so there is only light traffic, and I have written about that.

Have you been waiting for the other shoe to drop? Okay, I now have (finally) gotten around to editing my raw video of the return ride through the Oval and over the bridge:

https://vimeo.com/1108489609/f27cccd7ab?share=copy

As the video shows, the strategy which works here is highly counterintuitive. Bicyclists tend to think that staying to the right is best, but that works poorly here because of the large number of entrances and exits, including high-speed highway ramps. Previewing the route in Google Maps satellite view and Street View can be very helpful (you need to do this on a computer screen, or at least a large tablet, to see detail).

The Google Maps exercise will show you the lane configuration and the arrangement of traffic signals. Stepping ahead in Street View, you can often even discern the traffic-signal sequence: the Google camera car was moving as the signals advanced. I performed this for the Oval and the bridge, and you may review it too using the Google Maps link near the start of this article.

As the video shows, traffic signals keep most traffic from entering when you are proceeding through the Oval. Also, another lane besides the one you are using is always available for motorists to go in the same direction. On the bridge, as is often the case on a street with a median, the lane next to the median is the quietest one. It is a left-turn lane onto a rather small two-lane street, and it is long enough that motorists can pass you before merging into it–until you are nearly at the end, and then they can slow and follow you.

But then, what are you doing in a left-turn lane if you want to turn right? Traffic signals hold the key to this. The one before the bridge creates long gaps in the traffic crossing the bridge, so you can merge across to the right, and the traffic signal after the bridge slows down traffic so you can change lanes to the one you need to use (unless, of course, you will be turning left yourself).

If you are riding in a group, it works best here to go double file, and use the “got your back” tactic when changing lanes–the sweep moves out first, so a car won’t break up the group. I have reviewed the Winter Street route with a member of the local Ride Together Waltham group, and ridden it with the group, which mostly did as I had suggested. We got across without any problem.

Winter Street offers one example of how some strategic planning can tame a seemingly intimidating challenge. I should add that I don’t seek out challenges like this for the fun of it. I take pride in being able to manage the challenges, but the point of taking them on, after all, is to have reasonable safety and comfort in getting out to those scenic country roads, and back to the Craft Food Hall for the post-ride refreshments!

Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM  | Mattapoisett, Rochester, Carver MA

Get ready for the flattest, fastest 50 miles you’ll ever see! Ride Leader Edward Cheng is offering an 18-19 average mph paceline, with other groups for lower paces and the shorter 30-mile route. Come break your records, ride past the lovely Mattapoissett Harbor, and get ready for the fall centuries!

Start: 9:30 AM, Commuter parking lot, right off Rt. I-195 (Exit 31A), Mattapoisett, across the street from Uncle Jon's Coffee

Finish: 3:00 PM

REGISTER FOR THE MATTAPOISETT 50