The best ride of the year

My first blog... Wow. I have thought about writing a blog for sometime, but have never pulled the trigger. Why now? Well... I am a very lucky person. I get to be the President of the Best Bicycle Company in the World. Some of the perks of my position are that I get to meet a lot of very interesting people, I get to travel all over the world, I get to see a lot of really cool products, many before they hit the market—and most importantly, I get to ride my bicycle. And so, on this inaugural posting of JB’s blog, we will kick it off with my story of the year.

Boston, this past September, I’m spending a few days visiting bicycle retailers. I love Boston. I went to high school in Boston junior year while my Dad got his MBA at MIT, and I ended up going to college at BU. I used to love to ride my bike around Boston, so on this trip I asked the Trek rep to have a bike for me at the hotel. I don’t care what model it is, I just want to ride in the morning before we hit the road. I fly into Boston and we spend the day visiting retailers and end up having dinner with a retailer in Natick. After dinner the manager invited us to go for a few beers at a bar in Brookline. A good time was had by all!! Bill Hand, the rep, drives me to my hotel, the Doubletree in Cambridge, right next to the Charles River. Strategically picked so that I can ride my bike in the morning.

I arrive at the Doubletree just before midnight and am greeted with a hearty Welcome to the Doubletree! Thank you, I reply. My name is John Burke and I have a room here. I’m sorry, Mr. Burke, we are sold out, and we have a cab waiting to take you to a hotel on the other side of Cambridge. You must be mistaken, I have a reservation here. We know, Mr. Burke, but we oversold the hotel and we don’t have any rooms. To which I reply, there must be a mistake, I have a RESERVATION here. Mr. Burke, there are no rooms. We are now in the taste great/less filling part of the conversation, and this is going nowhere. Do you have my bicycle? Yes we do. OK, if you could get my bicycle, I’ll find a hotel on my own.

My bicycle appears, a very nice 7.3 FX. I take my helmet out of my backpack, strap it on, put my backpack on, and sling my night bag over my shoulder. I head out the door at just past midnight. Destination: the Cambridge Hyatt on the Charles. I have stayed there in the past, and my Dad and I ran a race that ended at the Hyatt. The path isn’t lit and it is a little dark out, but there is a great moon high in the sky making up for the lack of a light. The Hyatt is further than I thought, but I make it there and wheel my bicycle into the lobby and to the registration area. Do you have a room? No, we do not. Surely you have one room. We are completely sold out. Any recommendations, then? None. Back on my bike, out the door, and I head for the Charles River Hotel further down the Charles. I get to the Hotel and ask for a room. Sold out, nothing available. Any recommendations? On the bike again and no luck at the Royal Sonesta. Maybe in Boston. It is now past 1 a.m. as I get back on the bike. I look across the river and I see in bright lights: WESTIN. I smile. My Dad and I ran in the Boston Marathon three times, and we always stayed at the Westin. FATE.

I ride my bike up the river and across the Mass Ave Bridge. It really is a beautiful night. I get to the Westin and up the escalator I go with my bike—not the easiest trick in the world after a few beers. I approach the registration area and ask for a room. Sold out. Are you kidding me? No. Just one room? Completely sold out. Any recommendations? You should try Cambridge. Already been there. I leave the Westin and I am now in my cost-is-no-object zone. I just need a room. I go across the street to the Copley Plaza. Nothing. We are now past 2 a.m. and I don’t know where to go, when I remember there is a hotel down by the Boston Common. I ride my bike towards the Boston Common and see the Boston Park Plaza on my right. I enter at 2:20 a.m. I walk up to registration and ask for a room. Sold out, says Theo. To which I reply, Theo, I really need you on this one. Let me check, Theo says. He returns with a key to a room on the 16th floor. At 2:30 my odyssey to find a room in Boston ends. It was one of my best bike rides of the year.

As we begin this blog journey, you just never know what will come next. Ride your bike.

Jb

P.S. If you’ve got a favorite ride, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.

Comments

[steve]

It was a long time ago, but Going to the Sun Highway through Glacier Park in Montana is amazing. I've done it three times with a bunch of other bikers. West to East is more difficult, but still not terrible.

The most amazing ride was an organized night ride with a nearly full moon and a cloudless sky.

Highly recommended!

[cam landell]

My favorite ride was a round trip on Surveyer's Ridge near Mount Hood Oregon with fantastic views of the mountain on fun rolling ridge sinle-track. I rode it pretty fast too after I found cougar track in the powdery dust of the trail.

[Rudy Thibaudeau]

One of my most memorable rides is in July 2006. I had sold my bike in 2001 when I got out of the Marines. I met some riders at work who convinced me to get another bicycle in July of 2006. My first ride in 5 yrs was gonna be an easy paced 35 miles. The ride started on Cave Creek road and Loop 101 in Phoenix, AZ. We turned on Scottsdale Rd. At this point my ride partners pulled far ahead. Since I figured it was gonna be an easy pace I did not get the ride route. I was not aware that they turned onto Pinnacle Peak Rd and looped back to Cave Creek Rd. I continued straight into Scottsdale. Well AZ is famous for dead end roads and loops. I did a lot of back tracking and finally got back to the start point. One of my ride partners kept calling to see if I wanted to get picked up. I told him to go home I will make it. My 35 mile trip turned out to be 54 miles. What a way to kickstart my riding again. Been on the bike since. Live in Kailua HI now. Much better scenery. I ride a 2001 Trek carbon(USPS version) ALOHA.

[Sandra Dion]

I have commuted several times by bike to work 25 miles round trip. The best part about it. approaching the beach as the sun rises. I always stop and just soak in the day. It makes a busy day so much easier to approach after riding in. I have ridden my Trek Madone. But I just picked up a 7.2FX for my commute I intend to ride as many days as possible. No excuses not too. . Ride Safe Be Happy

[jon helbing]

i was just up in La Crosse and rode up on the bluffs on easter weekend. i know they are not mountains but it is as close as i will come. They also have a great place to mountain bike, the human powered trails.