I'm riding this for the first time. Any advice for the newbie? I rode the course a couple of times this morning. Heywood Rd is in pretty rough shape on the right side. Are both lanes closed to traffic?
Thanks,
Matt
Sterling
Re: Sterling
You only get both lanes on Meeting House Road as you climb towards and just past the start/finish line, otherwise the yellow line rule prevails. This makes it rather bumpy on parts of Heywood. I think your bigger worry is not how smooth a line YOU are on but how squirrely the others around you might be over this stretch of road. Keep a cool head and be ready to react... NOT OVERREACT. 
I rode the course last week and Heywood, while bumpy in places, is totally rideable. I'm heading there tomorrow (Monday) morning again with John Raguin and will look more closely for anything that could cause a flat, though I don't remember anything from the last time there.
When you are on Rte 12, you get the breakdown lane PLUS the whole right side travel lane (I can't remember if you get the left-hand, passing lane as well). Watch out for loose gravel/sand in the breakdown lane and ESPECIALLY stay off the white line if it's even slightly wet out: super slippery.
** Also note that at the end of your race, you cannot reverse course and ride back down Meeting House Road, you must continue on, past Old Parish Lane (dead end) and take the second right hand turn which is a continuation of Meeting House Road (the racecourse goes left onto Rowley) THEN go right on Laurelwood. This will dump you quickly back onto Rte 12 (watch out for competitors on the course) to allow you to then go right and back to the school. (map)
I rode the course last week and Heywood, while bumpy in places, is totally rideable. I'm heading there tomorrow (Monday) morning again with John Raguin and will look more closely for anything that could cause a flat, though I don't remember anything from the last time there.
When you are on Rte 12, you get the breakdown lane PLUS the whole right side travel lane (I can't remember if you get the left-hand, passing lane as well). Watch out for loose gravel/sand in the breakdown lane and ESPECIALLY stay off the white line if it's even slightly wet out: super slippery.
** Also note that at the end of your race, you cannot reverse course and ride back down Meeting House Road, you must continue on, past Old Parish Lane (dead end) and take the second right hand turn which is a continuation of Meeting House Road (the racecourse goes left onto Rowley) THEN go right on Laurelwood. This will dump you quickly back onto Rte 12 (watch out for competitors on the course) to allow you to then go right and back to the school. (map)
Re: Sterling
Thanks, that's helpful. One other question - just before turning up Meetinghouse Hill, do we take the short cutthrough in front of the police station (?) or does it pass that and then take the sharper right hand turn? All the maps I've seen show the sharper right hand turn.
Matt
Matt
Re: Sterling
Takes the short cut-through. don't get pinned on the right side at that turn, though, as it's steeeep.
Re: Sterling
It's not just steep: there is a little not-quite pothole there, so if you are coming in fast, it pays to swing a bit wider as you turn on to MHH road.
John R and I just returned from riding one lap there and you definitely don't want to be on the far right 1/3 of Heywood if you can help it, but it's not a disaster if you end up there: I rode it on purpose today. But there IS one flat-producing pothole on Heywood about 1/2 way to North Row. It's in that right 1/3 of the lane we'll be racing in. Unless the weather is as crappy as last year, by the time we get there, the pack should be loosened up enough where you can avoid it with ease.
John R and I just returned from riding one lap there and you definitely don't want to be on the far right 1/3 of Heywood if you can help it, but it's not a disaster if you end up there: I rode it on purpose today. But there IS one flat-producing pothole on Heywood about 1/2 way to North Row. It's in that right 1/3 of the lane we'll be racing in. Unless the weather is as crappy as last year, by the time we get there, the pack should be loosened up enough where you can avoid it with ease.