GPS trail of the course

On Saturday, Sept 8th, the PhDs participated in the 11th annual Cycle for Life, sponsored by the Tufts - New England Medical Center; specifically the floating Hospital Pediatric Cancer Center.
Tom & I traveled from the South Shore to Devereaux Beach in Marblehead, the ride's starting & end point.    Matt & Bob arrived within an hour. Dave was unable to attend. This was the 2nd appearance of the PhDs, as a group.
This was also the maiden voyage for a new street bike that I had recently purchased.

We registered at the volunteer tables being set up, and received the obligatory t-shirt and number placard.   At first it seemed like there would be more volunteers than bikers, but that ratio changed as more participants arrived.
We attended to the preparation and maintainence of our vehicles; then enjoyed the remaining time by watching the interesting characters at the event; like the Man from Maine. There were numerous other photo-ops of a more attractive nature.

At 8:00, the ride began. The route took us up rt 114 through the densely populated downtown Salem. At first, we were in tight clumps, but, with the intervention of traffic and lights, we were soon separated into smaller groups.
The confusion of intersecting roads in the city was alleviated by volunteer spotters at critical intersections who directed us along the correct routes.
Continuing north, we crossed the Essex Bridge, a difficult climb and rapid descent, and entered Beverly.

Here, the direction diverted to route 127, which paralleled the coastline, and was generally more scenic and less dangerous.  I had joined up with a group of 6 riders, all of whom were younger and faster than me. It was quite an effort to stay with them, and I found myself hoping for red lights or traffic to catch my breath.

Beyond the halfway point, we came across Endicott College, and the terrain was more hilly along the coast, and had much less traffic.
As my speedy group proceeded along, we encountered the only cheering section along the entire length of the ride.  Tom's aunt & uncle were stationed at the roadside holding a supportive banner. I was told of their presence before the race, and welcomed an excuse to let the rest of my group zoom on without me. It was also a chance to reconsolidate the PhDs, now greatly dispersed over the last 8 miles. I stopped and chatted with them. It was nearly 10 minutes before Tom & Matt arrived; and another 15 minutes before we saw Borb.
Saying goodbye to our only 2 fans, we continued the ride. The day was becoming hotter. Route 127 took us through Manchester, and at that point the 50 milers diverted to their own route, while the rest of us arrived at the halfway point.   Hydration and salt replacement was provided.  We took a walk to the adjacent beach, which is alleged to have strange sonic properties. We savored the view briefly, then prepared for the 13 mile return journey.

The ride back was not easy.  There were no ocean breezes, and the temperature was a record 93F.  Tom & I both experienced minor cramping episodes. Gatorade proved to be a helpful deterrent. The last few miles through the city was especially painful with the fatigue and the traffic.
Once back at the starting point, we were cheered past the finish line by the throng of volunteers, and were fed and refreshed.  The new bike performed well, even though I missed the more comfortable saddle from my previous bike.
We stayed for a short while, then packed up & left.   The ride was a worthwhile charity, and we agreed to include it in PhD activities for the future years.