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Thu Dec 3 16:17:04 EST 2009
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Velo Pilot on MV!</font></font><br>
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<div class=3D"gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
From: <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">David Whitmon</b> <span dir=3D"ltr">&l=
t;<a href=3D"mailto:whitmon at vineyard.net">whitmon at vineyard.net</a>></sp=
an><br>
Date: Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 8:41 AM<br>
Subject: Last Sundays Ride<br>
To: shelly <<a href=3D"mailto:Shelly.UrMo1 at gmail.com">Shelly.UrMo1 at gmai=
l.com</a>>, Lucinda Chandler <<a href=3D"mailto:lucinda at pinktrike.co=
m">lucinda at pinktrike.com</a>>, Jonathan Revere <<a href=3D"mailto:sh=
ambles at gis.net">shambles at gis.net</a>>, John Stevenson <<a href=3D"m=
ailto:johncwmv at gis.net">johncwmv at gis.net</a>><br>
<br>
<br>
Jonathan knows all about my mad cap adventure but for those who don't.<br>
<br>
In a nut shell.......<br>
<br>
I caught the first ferry last Sunday and though I got lost a few times in=
my<br>
meanderings up Cape Cod, when I got to the Southern end of the Cape<br>
Cod Rail Trail, I was pulled over by a Dennis Police cruiser. He wanted to=
<br>
know what I was driving and then told me that for my own I shouldn't=
ride on Rt 134 and<br>
should be on the bike path that runs along side of the main road.<br>
The bike path he mentioned was a 3' wide rough paved asphalt side walk.<br=
>
I told him that his bike path didn't meet any state of federal design of=
safety<br>
guidelines nor does it look like it's up to requirements of the American=
Disabilities Act.<br>
He said that he didn't know about that and I told him that I did.<br>
He shrugged his shoulders and left.<br>
<br>
I then rode to the Northern end of the CCRT, 23 mile one way.<br>
<br>
At that point I turned around and headed south on the CCRT. I exited=
the CCRT just after<br>
Nickerson State Park and took to the roads again. The 38 some odd mi=
les I had<br>
ridden on the CCRT had knocked my average speed down to 15 mph from=
16.9 I<br>
had been running the first 45 miles into my ride. The CCRT is full=
of road crossings<br>
and stop signs at each and everyone.<br>
<br>
After the CCRT I rode on a number of secondary roads for about 10 miles an=
d then<br>
about 20 more on Rt 6A until I was stopped again.<br>
<br>
The was pulled over a second time in the town of Sandwich with lights a tw=
irling and<br>
sirens blowing at about 112 miles into my ride.<br>
He starts by telling me that I can't ride on Rt 6A. I tell him, "Yes I can=
."<br>
He says I should be riding else where. I tell him that, "I am riding from=
point A to<br>
point B and this is the best route for me to do so. He tells me that I am=
delaying traffic.<br>
I told him "Not when I'm doing the speed limit."<br>
<br>
He says that they had gotten a complaint and he had been told by the Chief=
to go out<br>
and find me as he was waiting to exit the Police Station parking lot I fle=
w on by.<br>
<br>
I asked him how fast I was going when I passed him. He figured 25 to 30 mp=
h. That was<br>
on level ground. I told him I had ridden the same road through Sandwich tw=
o weeks prior<br>
with a Sandwich Police Cruiser on my tail for 2 to 3 miles and there=
was no problem then.<br>
<br>
He then asks for my license and registration. I told him, "This is a bicyc=
le and requires neither."<br>
He then asks for my license. I tell him, "I am not required to show you my=
license." He then asks<br>
for my I D. I told him, "I am not required to show you any I D but am requ=
ired to provide you with<br>
my pertinent information you may ask for. He then asks me my name an=
d address and date of birth.<br>
He comes back and I spell my last name to him and he goes off again. He th=
en comes back<br>
and asks me if there any "wants of warrants" out for me which makes me won=
der about the<br>
Sandwich Police Department.<br>
<br>
He finally says that I am in danger of being hit. I asked him if he had an=
y trouble with seeing me.<br>
He responds with, "I'm glad I have sunglasses on." I have 800 lumens=
off the front and a 400<br>
lumen flasher off the rear.<br>
As I was stopped there I was also running the 4 way amber flashers on my=
"bike."<br>
<br>
I had been on been on public roads for about 30 miles since the CCRT and=
if I had made it to the<br>
next corner I would have left the road to get onto the Cape Cod Canal path=
.<br>
<br>
He asked if he could take my picture. I closed the top so you couldn=
't see my<br>
face and he took a couple of shots.<br>
<br>
I thanked him for his concern with my well being I went on my way.<b=
r>
<br>
He was pretty cool but it was clear to me that he would have walked all ov=
er me<br>
if I didn't know what is what and what he should be doing.<br>
<br>
He shouldn't have opened up with me not being allowed to ride on the road=
way.<br>
<br>
I then blasted across the Cape Cod Canal Bike Path avoiding people best I=
could.<br>
I stopped at the end of the canal path to eat more food and drink more cof=
fee and<br>
proceeded to get mobbed. One guy who wanted to save my soul and the rest=
wanting<br>
to look at the Quest.<br>
<br>
That was about 120 miles into my ride and I was becoming less verbal as I=
went along.<br>
<br>
I blasted the 6-7 miles of roads until I got to the Shining Sea Rail Trail=
and romped that<br>
trail also, though with the stopping at crossings and the people here and=
there, my average<br>
was 16.6 mph by the time I pulled into Woods Hole, just missing the=
6:15 ferry.<br>
<br>
I was the last vehicle off the boat and was ready to be home. I hit=
39 mph on the<br>
Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Rd and made it all safe and sound.<br>
<br>
<br>
My rolling time for the day was 8 hours and 36 minutes with an average spe=
ed of 16.5, a max of 39 mph and a trip distance of 142.13 miles, 229 kilom=
eters.<br>
<br>
I don't think I will have much problems with the 100 kilometer MS Tour Of=
The Vineyard.<br>
<br>
Anyone want to sponsor me for the MS ride May 1, 2010?<br>
<font color=3D"#888888">
<br>
David<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</font></div>
<br>
<br clear=3D"all"><br>
-- <br>
Shelly Mossey,<br>
Urban Mobility Project<br>
917 295 1954<br>
<a target=3D"_blank" href=3D"http://urbanmobilityproject.blogspot.com/">ht=
tp://urbanmobilityproject.blogspot.com/</a><br>
<br>
</div>
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