BLOGS BY MIKE AND BEN

This morning, Mike Rogers and I, the Director of Photography/support guy and the support guy/support guy – woke up early, and worked out in the gym. This, we believe evens out, temporarily, the moral high-ground that all-day excercise usually affords by Meghan, Gillian, and the other riders.

We pulled out of the luscious Marriott Spa and began what would be a fairly long hot ride from Mystic CT. For the riders. I went through the entire Clash album London Calling in air-conditioning. Mike went with the radio, and working on his laptop in between stops.

A support guy has several important responsibilities. First, keeping ice in the cooler, keeping drinks cool, and luna-bars handy. Second we have to generally be near the riders; should something happen, we can be heroes.

But Mike and I have a second set of secret personalities where I am Robin and Mike is Batman, and it is my favorite. I play the driver and Mike is the maverick camera man, shooting out the back of the van on his custom-built, self-designed camera mount; out of the side of the van; standing through the sunroof; hiding in the bushes; lying belly-down on bridges catching the biking team coming over the crest in the morning sun; We have a joke – instead of “Where’s Waldo?”, the riders play “Where’s Mike (and Robin)?” as we may be hiding in any bush, tree or creek around the next bend. The only thing that creeps me out in our maverick/xtreme-camera-and-driver real-life fantasy game is that the driver is always the one that seems to get killed in some far-away place in the world. (Blog by Ben)

Good day sir. I have always said that Robin was funny, it was just that Batman was always so selfish he never got his chance in the limelight. However, on this trip both Batman and Robin understand the importance of teamwork. Afterall, there’s no “I” in team!

So on the fifth day, here’s some highlights in the form of bullets.

1. Mike and Ben and Peter save the day by changing Gillians’ tire.

2. Mike and Ben save the day by providing ice cold beverages at the riders beck and call.

3. Mike and Ben (Batman and Robin) arrived safely to their destination barely escaping the army of sasquaches of Madison. Yes, support guys rule once again!!! (blog portion by Mike Rogers)

Today was our most challenging day yet- we rode the farthest (38 miles), spent 30 of those miles soaked to the bone, and it was the hilliest.

Jenn left us this morning on an early morning flight back to DC. She joined us for the first 3 days of Back in Bloomers, and we hope she had a great time, because we certainly loved having her ride with us! Although, Jenn if you’re reading this, you picked a good day to leave- weatherwise!

So we left the house of Sally and Diedre, after they filled us with delicious coffee and homemade coffee cake! The ride started out beautifully. We went nearly 8 miles without seeing any cars (save for our TWO support vehicles flanking us the entire time! What devoted boyfriends we have!), we saw deer scamper across the street, and we could really imagine what it must have been like for Annie to whiz down hills and only hear the chirping of birds and the sound of her own excited breath.

Team Londonderry at the CT/RI border

At around mile 8, the sky started to darken, the drops started to fall, and Team Londonderry proceeded to get very, very wet. For those of you who know me, you probably know that I hate water (drinking it, getting wet, whatever), so let’s just say that cycling 30 miles in the cold rain was a character-building experience! But Meghan, Gary, Peter and I did our best to keep a sunny disposition, despite the cloudy sky. In fact, by the time we reached Mystic. I determined that riding in the rain can be an almost meditative experience, in that you are concentrating so hard on the road ahead, that the voices in your head are silenced and you find yourself completely in the moment… a cold, wet moment, but a moment nevertheless….namaste.

So we reached Mystic in search of the Mystic Marriott, and discovered that the Mystic Marriott is indeed not in Mystic, but rather in Groton, so we rode an additional very hilly 8 miles to our hotel. Gary had to walk up a few of the hills, but he made up time by free-wheeling like a parachute down the steep declines. The moment we caught sight of the Marriott, Meg and I were practically throwing down our bikes and ripping off our wet clothes to get to the hot tub. Like the feeling you have after a long day of skiing, we were ready to bake in the over-chlorined, bubbly hot tub! Fortunately, the skies cleared while we swam and dined and, by the time we needed to turn around and return to downtown Mystic for “our event”, the day had become a rather nice one! Better late than never, I suppose!

Gary entertains a crowd in Mystic (L); Ben and Mike Emceeing (2nd L); Spokeswomen (2nd R); Gary teaches girl to ride (R)

Our original plan was to “set up” in Mystic River Park from 3-5, hawk our wares, give out some Luna Bars, and passively hand out some press kits to interested people. Within no time, we had turned our little event into a full-out dog & pony show. Ben and Mike set up the mic in the middle of the park, and as Ben started to sing, and Gary set up his bike, a crowd of dozens gathered around. Ben introduced the Spokeswomen, and we gave a little introduction to Annie and Back in Bloomers, and then segued to Gary who, on a wireless mic, gave a very gentlemanly demonstration on how to ride his high wheel. Mike piped in afterwards as the emcee, with a mini quiz show about the Victorian era and antique bikes. And then….we did this on a loop for about two hours, entertaining the masses as they came and went. We were quite a spectacle, we all had a great time, and we even raised a few bucks!

Team Londonderry outside Mystic Pizza (left); Meghan very happy (2nd left); Wayne from video store (2nd right); Weird looking at (right)

We dined at the historic Mystic Pizza in downtown Mystic, and brainstormed about more historic trivia to add to our quiz show. In fact, we were so inspired by the pizza that we went to the movie rental store to rent the film, and ended up having an interesting chat with the man who worked there. Wayne, a fellow film enthusiast, told us that when he worked on the set of Amistad as an art director, someone was actually hired to remove the black fish eyes from cooked fish, and replace them with fresh fish eyes. Gross!

BLOG BY MEGHAN SHEA

There is something about traveling behind a large high wheel bike that is transportive. It’s a gentleman’s ride that paces itself in step with the human body and not by the hopes of packing in a good work out or breaking 25 mph. The ride is Victorian and so is the pacing. We cruise down back roads and highways with a speed that allows us to wave to the excited passersby, hear their exclamations of shock, joy, and curiosity. Gary, ever the patient and dignified ambassador of the bike, answers them all with equal enthusiasm and careful explanation.

Riding the high wheel is a feat of athleticism and grace. Mounting and dismounting are akin to a ritualized dance. One foot up, hop, step, glide up to the top, and then land perched 6 feet above the ground while the bike continues to roll along. Watching Gary’s arms tightly gripping the handles, steering masterfully, managing the directions, the cars and the group of cyclists following him like ducklings is a sight to behold. Riding behind Gary gives us a taste of what Annie must have felt. We are a novelty, a curiosity that most people haven’t seen and can’t help but be drawn to. The angry horns of motorists usually brought on by groups of cyclists have transformed into friendly toots and smiles. Gary calls it the ‘fun machine’ and I unequivocally agree. The high wheel draws people out. It unearths curiosity and wonder from passing cars, and makes people smile. What a noble way to ride. In fact, I really don’t know how I will travel without a higher leader!!

Today was day #2 of BIB, although in many ways it felt like the first “real” day of the ride. Yesterday was such an adrenaline-filled, event-packed day, so the level of fanfare was definitely higher than we expect for the rest of the trip. But today was equally fantastic! Seeing as our biggest problem was a brief moment of not being able to find the keys to the support vehicle, we think we’re been in pretty good shape.

We began our ride in Walpole at around 10:45 am, after a great breakfast buffet at the Shea’s. Before we mounted our bikes Kathy Shea read us an Irish blessing that went something like this: May the road rise to meet you; May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your fields; And until we meet again; May God hold you in the palm of his hand.”

The Shea Family: Phil, Meghan, Kathy and Matt

Shot by Ben through the rearview mirror, Mike films out the back of the SUV

Wherever Annie went, she caused quite a stir in the local press. It was an entirely novel sight for 19th century eyes to see a woman unaccompanied by a gentleman, touring the countryside. But for Annie to be a’wheel and in bloomers no less caused ripples in the small Victorian New England towns that she rode through. As we enter towns, I can’t help but imagine the oohs, aahs, and boohs that she must have received as she rolled down main street.

In a sense, having Gary with us allows us to witness the same reactions that Annie elicited during her 1894 journey. Because Gary is riding such a retro bike, which most people have never seen or heard of, we have the privilege of watching passersby and drivers react to the circus-like quality of the bike. In the same way that Annie shocked towns in the 1890s, we are shocking people as we ride through. We’ve seen drivers do double-takes, and children running alongside us, and we can pretend that they are reacting not to the super-sized bicycle, but rather to the fantastic bloomers that Meghan and I are wearing.

One town in particular, Pawtucket, RI, gave us a particularly warm welcome, and I couldn’t help thinking that this must have been how Annie was received all the time. The town has a very large Dominican population, and many people were sitting on their balconies and stoops. At first we only noticed a few people sitting outdoors, but as we progressed down the main drag, we noticed more and more people opening their curtains, or coming out on their balconies to view the spectacle of Back in Bloomers. Our little conspiracy theory was that people were calling their neighbors down the street and telling them to keep a look out for us! We even heard one woman calling her son to the window saying “Mira, la bicycletta!”

We’ve gotten so used to being specially treated when we’re on our bikes, that we sometimes forget that when we’re plain clothed, walking on foot, that we can’t just smile and wave at lines of cars and expect them to stop for us. Can’t they just sense that Gary rides a fantastic bike?

So we arrived in Providence far ahead of schedule, and even ahead of our equipment van, and we relished in an afternoon of free time. The Providence Marriot (with the enormous help of Daniel Reinkopf) generously donated four rooms to Team Londonderry, so can confidently say that we are traveling in style! We have taken full use of the amenities, from the pool and hot tubs to the, ahem, wireless internet in the lobby. After vegging for a bit, we walked to the Brown University area and ate dinner on Thayer Street. Meghan and Peter’s families both joined us, and Peter treated us all to a wonderful meal at Paragon.

Mike, Gary, Meghan, Peter, Noah, jen, Ben, Judy, and Danny in Providence

Stay tuned for more adventures!

BLOG BY PETER ZHEUTLIN

The day began with Gary taking a few spins on his high wheeler around the lobby of the Providence, R.I. Marriott, to the delight of the guests and the consternation of management. After breakfast we hit the road under clear blue skies and warm temperatures; our luck with the weather still holding.

We met this filmmaking family while packing up at the Providence Marriott. Each plays a role in the making of short films, and they took home first prize in the Providence Film Festival….we lost their business card, otherwise we’d add their names (left); Gary riding around the lobby of the Providence Marriott

Downtown Providence has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years, and it is filled with parks and beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings. One Providence skyscraper was used in the 1950s Superman TV show as the exterior of the Daily Planet!

The road out of Providence was industrial and under heavy construction, making for some unpleasant riding at first. But, just a few miles out the industrial outskirts gave way to pleasant roads that offered views of the ever-wider Providence River flowing towards the sea.

Mike acting as bike mechanic during a rest stop (left); Jenn and Meghan viewed through our Luna Bat Easter Basket (middle); Mike sports Honest Tea (right)

We did get lost briefly before finding Highway 1, the old Boston Post Road. It was a dirt road for the most part when Annie rode through 112 years ago; today it’s a busy four-lane highway lined with strip malls. Despite the traffic, almost every driver gave us a wide berth and slowed to allow us to maneuver when we needed to change lanes, no doubt in deference to Gary on his high-wheeler, a sight so out of the ordinary that most drivers seem both perplexed and delighted. If we didn’t have Gary the rest of us would probably be road kill by now.

By 2 pm we reached our destination, the cute town of Wickford on Narragansett Bay. After a French-style lunch al fresco, we headed for the town beach to set up our exhibit. There were only a handful of people there, but all wanted to see Gary ride his bike.

The bloomer clothes line (left); Gary demonstrates his high wheel skills to some lifeguards at the Wickford Town Beach (right)

My Needham neighbors – Mary Kate, Mark and Sheila – drove up from their beach cottage on the Rhode Island shore to meet us, and Mark delighted in sitting 6 feet off the ground in Gary’s saddle as Gary walked him around the park. A reporter from the Wickford Standard Times interviewed Gillian and Meghan at the park.

Gary teaches Mark the skills of the high wheel cyclist. Mark is a quick learner!

We met our hosts for the evening – Deidre Robinson and Sally Weedon – through an e-mail we sent to the Narragansett Wheelman, a local cycling club. They took a chance and offered 7 sweaty strangers a wonderful dinner, comfortable beds and showers in their beautiful Exeter, R.I. home.

Diedre (left) and Sally (right) pose with their photo of an early Tour De France, during which the riders smoked cigarettes to get more oxygen. HA!

In the small world department, Peter and Sally discovered that Peter and Sally’s ex-husband were classmates at Amherst College in the 1970s! After dinner we watched some of Mike’s film footage of the ride and Gillian and Meghan exulted in the news, that arrived by e-mail, that the Boston Bicycle Film Festival has invited them to show a preview of The New Woman, at the festival this October! The news was a surprise because they hadn’t applied, the festival organizers had read about the film amidst all the publicity being generated by the Back in Bloomers Ride!

Tomorrow we have a more rural ride through western Rhode Island and into Connecticut. Destination: the historic seaport of Mystic with plans to have dinner at the famed Mystic Pizza, featured in the movie of the same name with Julia Roberts.

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