Tha, tha, that's all folks

 May 10, 2025

Kind of ironic that I would find an image of Porky Pig on the day of my son's graduation from The Rochester Institute of Technology. Earlier that morning, before the ceremonies, I headed out on a ride to sample some of the Rail Trails around Henrietta, NY from the Air BnB I was staying at.

RAW: Rail Trail and Dirt Roads

 July 1, 2024

Ann got back after her shift at the hospital and was feeling restless and wanted to go for a ride. 

D&H Rail Trail and Gravel Loop

 June 30, 2024

Ann and I headed over to Castleton to ride the D&H Rail Trail Saturday morning. It was a warm summer day and I was happy to be on the bike with someone equally as happy to be riding with me. 

Hopewell Junction on the Maybrook Rail Trail

Stephan and I met Saturday to ride the Empire State Trail, aka the Maybrook Rail Trail, from Brewster to Hopewell JCT and back.  I don't bust his balls too much because he is riding an eBike, except when he smokes me on climbs. He's rehabbing after heart surgery and needs the assist right now but he plans to transition back to his Specialized Diverge once he is up to it.

Veteran's Day, Part I in the Gunks

I reached out to some friends about doing a gravel ride on Veterans Day and Steve suggested that we ride in the Gunks. I invited my Brother-in-law, Will, and took the day off from work.  Since we were meeting at 9 AM, Will suggested we pre-game and found a route that used the rail trail that went past the parking lot where we would be meeting Steve and his friends. 

Dante's Inferno

Having just gotten back from vacation and wanting to ride something different Mike suggested we do section of a ride that a friend of his did the previous weekend.  The friend rode 130+ miles but Mike only wanted to ride around half that distance and then go back to his house to cool off in the pool and drink some beers since it was going to be a scorcher of a day.  The route that he picked had us leaving from his house and heading up to Millerton, NY and then coming back on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and then back roads back to his house.

Of course, as most of my cycling friends know, when I see an intended route I am liable to make changes to it and of course I couldn't help but change this one. I modified the route so that we would go north of Millerton, ride up to Boston Corners and come back on the new section of the HVRT that just opened this spring (Millerton to Boston Corners). I always have a cycling agenda.  

On the way up to Sharon we met up with Steve, on the right, who told us he lives on Westwoods Road No 1. If you have ever ridden this road you will recall that it's brutal, dirt road climb up the backside of Skiff Mountain. Steve told us that he usually drives down the hill and parks at the bottom so that he doesn't have to climb back up after big ride. That's pretty smart.  Steve was meeting a friend in Sharon who was going to ride Deep Hollow into Millbrook.  We parted with Steve and Mike and I continued north.

Northern Rail Trail - fka B&M Northern Line

The Northern Recreational Rail Trail, also known as the Northern Rail Trail, is a 58-mile multi-use rail trail in western New Hampshire, USA, running from Lebanon to Boscawen. It uses the right-of-way of the Boston and Maine Railroad's former Northern Line, which was acquired by the State of New Hampshire in 1996. - Wikipedia

My goal for this ride was to ride the entire length of the trail from Boscawen to Lebanon and back. I decided to go with 5 water bottles for this trip because in my reconnoiter of the route I didn't see many places to stop near the trail and didn't want to be caught short. The weather report wasn't looking good either, there was 60% chance of rain today so I was glad for the fenders and I brought a rain jacket, too.

2020, the Year of the Toilet Paper Roll

I drove over to Cheshire after work on Wednesday to buy a used single speed mountain bike frame that I wanted to build up with all the extra parts that I have laying around. I planned out a route before hand that I wanted to ride afterwards that included a new section of the Farmington Canal Trail, Mountain Road in Cheshire and the ridge that the ski area Mount Southington is on.

Given all the hoarding that initially took place with the Pandemic I found it amusing to see someone making fun of the situation with a congratulatory lawn sign for someone moving up in the world. This will also go down in history as a lost year for graduations, too.

Pandemic Rail Trail Ride to Black Hog Brewery

It seems that after every big ride the prior day I make big plans to follow up with another one but I rarely execute on it. Today's ride wasn't the exception but had some roots. I wanted to do loop consisting of the Larkin Bridle Trail, Hop Brook singletrack, Middlebury Trolley Trail, Flanders Nature Center Trails, Trolley Singletrack and then ride dirt roads back to the car.  The consolation prize of that grandiose plan was to ride to Black Hog, get some beer, drink some beer and ride back to the car.

Looks like proximity to the Rail Trail has gotten popular for Black Hog Brewery because now there is the Hog Path. I was here maybe two or three years ago (from the rail trail) and we bush whacked through here and the singletrack just to the east of the brewery looked like a rake and ride trail right through a stream.

Play the Price is Right Loser music! 

I should have checked the website.

Riding the rail trail was interesting because there were more people out walking, since that is about all you can do right now with everything else closed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. When I rode by these people, some would move off the trail and others would not.

Fallsburg Rails to Trails

Gavin and I signed up for the Maple City Metric Gravel Grinder, taking place on Sunday, September, 22nd.  Since the ride started about 45 minutes from his cabin in Smallwood, NY, we headed up there on Saturday and then headed over to Hurleyville to check out the rail trail.

We headed east down the paved rail trail thinking that we could ride it some distance. Unfortunately, we the paved part of the trail ended abruptly and then we were riding on an old rail road bed. Fortunately, we had our gravel bikes but I figured that we would be riding a paved trail I decided to not bring my gear back or pump. 

We didn't find this map until we were almost in Fallsburg so we weren't really sure how far we would be actually riding.

In Fallsburg, the trail evaporated. We went riding on some roads to see if we could find it again but didn't, unfortunately.

We found a road called Tunnel Road but never found the actual tunnel. Turns out it was right under our nose.

Once back in Hurleyville we set off in the other direction and found more paved trail that we road until it stopped and then turned around. We were still able to get a few miles in and Gavin found a new place he could ride with this wife.

Roubaix to Brew: Norbrook Farm Brewery

Do you what the best part of starting a ride from a brewery is? 

The end of the ride!

I have been waiting all summer for the Norbrook Farm Brewery to open. Last spring, I was updating my Roubaix to Brew map and adding more Connecticut Breweries to it when I saw Norbrook Farms come up in the results. Finally a brewery in the Northwestern part of Connecticut that is just south of some of the best dirt road riding around. Now that the brewery is open, it was time to plan a ride. While it was a little chilly in the morning you could not have asked for a more beautiful day to ride.

Captain Lawrence Singlespeed Metric Century

After last week's True to Brew ride I got the bug to ride to another nearby brewery, the Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford, NY.  Being located near the southern terminus of the North County Trailway I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. Ride to another brewery and pedal down the entire length of the North Country on a singlespeed. No one from the LunArtics were available but Karl from True Cyclery was definitely interested so we planned to meet at the trail head in Southeast, NY and ride the Putnam Trail (the Old Put line) to the North Country and then to the brewery!

Our start got delayed because I should have done a better job posting the parking lot location for Karl and then right before leaving I realized I lost my pedal magnet and we went searching for it but to no avail. Despite the windy conditions it was a perfect day for cycling.

Riding on the old railroad bridge over the New Croton Reservoir was cool








Next time I do this ride I think I want to try riding it fixed!



9 miles from the Brewery was when the first mishap occurred



Karl got a flat! It would appear that a very sharp piece of acorn cap must have punctured his tire.



I went and checked the vicinity where it popped and all I found were pieces of acorns.
Karl lined is tire with a ten dollar bill and then we took off.

Further down the trail it got really leafy and the next thing I new I was off the trail and riding in the gravel. I tried to pull back onto the trail when the leaves caused me to slide and I went down on the deck. Getting up my right hip hurt and figured I was going to have case of road rash by the looks of abrasions on my best tights.  My right knee hurt from the impact as well, along with my right elbow and hand. What hurt the most, however, was my left thumb. Somehow I jammed it and that could be a problem as I learned later while trying to climb on the hoods to the brewery. Otherwise, I felt pretty good. 

Upon arrival at the address we wandered around till we realized the brewery was in the back of the building. While I came prepared with a bike lock I was pleasantly surprised to find ample and secure bike parking. In fact, we weren't the only cyclists there. There seemed to be two or three groups there as well.

Captain Lawrence doesn't sell flights, rather you buy a sampling glass and then poker chips. One chip for sampling beers 6.5% ABV and below and 2 for anything above.  That's a great system.  Karl and I split a 10 pack of chips.

I sampled the following beers:
Freshchester Pale Ale
Hop Commader IPA
Centenary IPA
Effortless Session IPA
Brown Bird Brown Ale

Karl had:
Effortless Grapefruit IPA
Liquid Gold Belgian Gold Ale
Effortless Session IPA
Double Fisted Double IPA (7.5% ABV)



We also had the Bacon Truffle Mac and Cheese and it was UFB!

I bought a 32 oz growler of the Freshchester and it fit perfectly in my Banjo Brothers Trunk Bag. In fact, it looked so roomy in there that when I got home later I tried putting in a full size growler and it fit perfectly so you know what I will be doing on the next brewery ride!  Karl got a 22 oz bomber of the Apricot Sour and it fit perfectly in his back pouch. Something to remember for the next time as well if I don't bring a bag to hold a bottle.

Being a railfan, I had to stop on the way back and take some pictures of these tracks.

We were 9 miles from the end of the ride when Karl got another flat on the same hole.  What ever got him this time went right through the bill and got him again.  Fortunately I had a spare tube (I always bring two) and we were shortly on our way.

Despite the flats, crash, and the brutal head winds, it turned out to be a great day of riding and sampling beer. Where to next?

Tandeming the Junction and Breakwater Trail

Elliot and went exploring on Tuesday on the Tandem.  We rode from the vacation house over to the Junction and Breakwater Rail Trail, which is atop, in some places an old railroad bed that served Rehoboth Beach until 1928.  The straight sections you knew you were on the actual railroad bed and then there were some go arounds where the property had been developed and a Greenway was used to connect the dots.

Elliot rides the Old Put

Elliot and I headed over to Carmel, NY to ride the Old Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad, what was called the Old Put back, way back, in the day.  It's now a 50+ mile rail trail that runs from Southeast, NY to past Whiteplains.

Connecitcut East Coast Greenway Ride: Simsbury to Southwick, MA

The final stretch into Mass is really long and mostly uninterrupted

At the end of the line we gathered for some pictures and a few cold ones before getting on a bus and driving back to New Haven.  

We rode 57 miles and it was a blast.  I want to do this again, only ride to Southwick and then back doing the Collinsville extension, too!

Muddy Monstercross

CT NEMBA was supposed to have a ride and meeting Wednesday night but the ride got canceled due to the rain and no one could make the meeting.  I met Glenn, CT NEMBA's Treasurer, in Newtown and headed over to the Housatonic Rail Trail in Monroe figuring it would be a lot less impact than riding singletrack after the rain storm we just got.  There were still some soggy sections and we both got decent skunk stripes.

We rode the entire length of the trail, parking at the Pepper Street lot and heading south to the trail terminus in Trumbull.  Turning around we rode back, past the parking lot to the Newtown Town Line.  The Newtown section, the 1600 foot rail trail to nowhere, was way too wet to ride.  Turning around at the town line we rode back to the lot.  Total trip was 19.4 miles in about an hour and thirty minutes.

   

Glenn is seen above ripping by one on of the side trails

It was the inaugural ride for the redone Qball Monstercross and what a fun bike to ride.  The only big changes this time around besides going back to being a 2x8 is new bar tape and tires but for some reason it felt really different and much better to ride.  I think it was due to the hawt, orange bar tape.

Newtown Town Line and the 1600' Rail Trail to nowhere.

The Newtown section of the rail trail ends 1600 feet from the town line because the old rail bed then cuts across the Batchelder Property, which is an old Aluminum Smelter plant, long since closed.  The place is a Superfund cleanup site stuck in Bankruptcy and probably will never get cleaned up.  

While the trail goes through to Swamp Road, technically you would be trespassing.  There is also some old guy that lives next to the trail who will sometimes come out and yell at you for crossing through.  Even if the trail were to go through to Swamp road it's still a big let down because it hits the active line of the Housatonic Rail Road.  It would be awesome to have a path on the side of the tracks that could go all the way to Danbury, Brewster, and points north.

As you can see, it was still pretty sloppy and there was some major bike washing when I got home!