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Pedal pumpers find adventure on road
By ARLEEN SHOWALTER © St. Petersburg Times, published January 21, 2001 I knew I was in trouble when my husband came home wheeling two bicycles. Here I was, a fiftysomething woman, presented with the prospect of learning to ride a bike. For the record, I did ride a bike when I was 8, but training wheels look awfully silly on a 10-speed. But when we married, my husband enthusiastically embraced my love of tennis and skiing, so I felt the least I could do was give the bike a try. I bumped and tripped through the first summer. By the second year, I was ready to hit the road: a bike weekend in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Bike Riders Tours, a Boston-based tour company, promised first-class accommodations and meals -- a perfect combination for me -- and a maximum group size of 16, led by two experienced guides. Early in September we set off for Woods Hole, the ferry point on Cape Cod for Martha's Vineyard. While hybrid bikes are available from Bike Riders at $60 for the weekend, we opted to bring our own; as a new rider I felt more comfortable with familiar equipment. We wheeled our bikes onto the cargo ramp of the Vineyard Haven-bound boat. Cozy and dry, we watched the rain pelt the sea. Forty-five minutes later the rain had slowed to a misty drizzle as we were met dockside by Brad and Norm, our two guides for the weekend. Norm hoisted our bikes and luggage into the back of a van, while Brad joined us and other cyclists in a taxi to the Point Way Inn in Edgartown. The Point Way was built in the 1850s as a sea captain's home and had a total renovation in 1998. Situated in the heart of historic Edgartown, the inn was surrounded by beautiful seagrass and sculpture gardens. When we were shown to our room, we found our luggage there already, with a welcome packet featuring a map of route options and basic itinerary. Our guest room was true Cape Cod style, chintz and wicker, and the fireplace was set and awaiting our match. As we gathered for our orientation meeting, I was grateful not to be surrounded by a group of serious, Spandex-clad bikers. Rather, our group was composed of casual weekend bikers from across the country. Ages ranged from 20s to 60s, and there were couples and singles alike. A celebration, then a rideWith rain pinging against the roof, the group decided to forego the warm-up ride of 8 miles along the coast to Katama Beach that afternoon and instead agreed to meet later for dinner. Because this trip had been a birthday present to my husband, I had mentioned this to Bike Riders when making our reservation. Sure enough, his dessert came complete with candle and singing waiters. The next morning, sun spilled in through the skylights as we filled our plates with carbohydrates. As the other cyclists were fitted to their rented bikes, we studied the route map and options -- 23, 37 or, for the really ambitious, 51 miles. We opted for the middle route, which would still be the longest I ever had ridden in one day, but I was definitely pumped. Our plan was to loop the island, stopping at the farmer's market in Chilmark, and to be in Menemsha, a fishing village at the western tip of the island, in time for a seafood lunch. We were not on the street very long before we hit the paved bike route that brought us past rolling farms and wild grape bushes. Legend has it that an early settler, Bartholemew Gosnold, named the island after his daughter, Martha, and the abundance of these wild grapes. Since each cyclist rode his or her route choice at a different pace, our guide Brad cycled the various routes throughout the day checking on not only our welfare but our progress. Norm, with a van full of snacks and drinks, did the same, ready to transport a weary biker and the bike back to the inn. We stopped briefly to visit the Chilmark Cemetery, final resting place of John Belushi and Lillian Hellman. Then we pedaled on toward the farmer's market. Pumping over the crest of the hill, we spied Norm, ready to refill our water bottles. At the market, we poked into the booths offering homemade jams, fresh lemonade and honey straight from the hive. On this first morning, I learned that what may be "rolling hills" to one set of eyes can be steep to a beginner's legs. So I hopped off my bike and walked up the overwhelming hills. I kept thinking of the couple we had met earlier in the day, who had cycled throughout Ireland. Ireland? Just get me through the rest of today! What is good about hills is that what goes up, goes down, and we felt the wind at our back as we swept into seaside Menemsha. Gray and weathered, tiny shops and restaurants dotted the irregular coastline. The wind whipped the sheets of the sailboats moored at the marina, as we ate a seafood lunch at an outdoor table. On the road againRefreshed and ready to tackle the last third of the trip, we set off for Oak Bluffs. We decided to skip the hour-long optional tour of the Chicama Vineyards. (When we returned to our room we discovered that Brad and Norm had sent a bottle of Chicama's wine to our room as a birthday gift to my husband.) We did, however, make time to stop at the famous Black Dog Bakery for the obligatory T-shirts. Oak Bluffs proved to be an older town dotted with gingerbread homes. We cycled past a myriad of shops but missed the star attraction, the 1876 flying horses carousel, because a wrong turn brought us to a parallel street. We watched the shadows get longer, and felt our legs get heavier, as we slowly pedaled back to our inn. I wondered if our legs would even carry us for the short walk to the Seafood Shanty in downtown Edgartown. They did, and dinner was fresh, well-prepared seafood. Our second and last day, all the cyclists gathered early and reported feeling well-rested. The air hung in a misty light as we cycled to the ferry to Chappaquiddick, for our prebreakfast ride. The basic trip ran 7 miles, but we missed a dirt-path turnoff and added several enjoyable miles down sleepy country lanes. Back at the inn, we shared our goodbye breakfast with our fellow cyclists and vowed to keep in touch. Loading our bikes and luggage on the ferry, we joined our new friends on the open-air top deck. As the ferry chugged back to Woods Hole, I smiled into the wind: I had cycled almost 50 miles around the entire island. Next year, Ireland? * * * Freelance writer Arleen Showalter lives in Norwalk, Conn. If you goTOUR OPERATOR: Bike Riders Tours offers a menu of trips ranging from weeklong European and Canadian tours to New England weekends. Our three-day/two-night, Martha's Vineyard trip cost $390 per person, which included accommodations, breakfasts and dinners. Bike rental is another $60. Contact the company at Bike Rider Tours Inc., P.O. Box 130254, Boston, MA 02113; call (800) 473-7040; e-mail to info@bikeriderstours.com; the Web site is http://www.bikeriderstours.com. ACCOMMODATIONS: The Point Way Inn is at Main Street & Pease's Point Way, Edgartown, MA 02539; call (888) 711-6633, e-mail to pointwayinn@vineyard.net; the Web site is http://www.pointway.com
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