Search results matching tag 'bicycling'

Windham, Salem trail areas ripe for recreation and development, say proponents

Salem Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 19:21:00 GMT

BY DERRICK PERKINS

When Kay and Jon Normington turned an old Victorian home not far from the long since abandoned Manchester and Lawrence Railroad line into a country store five years ago, they had no idea what would be coming down the tracks.

Since then, much of the former railroad line, which at one time brought passengers, mail and freight loads into Windham, has been put to a new use – a 4.1-mile paved bicycling and pedestrian path that will someday link Salem with Derry.

Though folks using the path were already stopping by for a bite to eat, the Normingtons said plans to rehabilitate the exterior of the town’s two decaying depot buildings and turn the area just around the corner from their Kitchen at Windham Junction into a trailhead have got them excited.

“It used to be the heartbeat of the town,” Normington said, standing beside a collection of photographs and postcards from a time when the now quiet intersection just around the bend from the railroad station was home to a sawmill, cider press, post office and general store.

“(With the buildings repaired) this will become a destination again. It’s an asset to the rail trail. This brings business to the rail trail just as they bring customers to us. It works both ways,” she said. “This is a jewel in our town. It’s different and unique, and we’re lucky to have it.”

Using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Mark Samsel, chairman of Windham’s Depot Advisory Committee and a member of the Windham Rail Trail Alliance, expects stabilization work on the exterior to begin sometime late fall or early next spring. That will include removing several additions put onto the buildings in the 1960s, doing some electrical work and putting on a new coat of paint. Samsel envisions the Windham Depot and the railroad line returning to a transportation connection with commuters, tourists and residents flowing back and forth from Derry through Windham and into Salem.

“It was an asset that I don’t think many people in town realized was there. They weren’t aware of it,” he said. “When the trail was developed, the trailhead (was) where people parked and that’s where we draw people to now, they’re recognizing the buildings ... Now it’s gained importance and awareness. There is a lot more interest in that area.”

Spreading to Salem The project in Windham to revitalize the railroad line and the depot buildings has been successful enough to spur on similar efforts in neighboring Salem. Standing outside the once deteriorating Salem Depot building, nestled between a restaurant and a strip mall on the busy corner of Main Street and Route 28, Beverly Glynn points to the Normingtons’ store as an example of what she would like to see develop around the train station once Salem’s section of the rail trail is complete.

“With the help of the rail trail, I think the depot will revitalize some of the businesses here. We’re hoping people will stop by for an ice cream cone and do a little shopping or go to Sal’s for a pizza,” she said. “This was the focal point of Salem at one time, and we’re hoping it will revitalize this area and bring more people into town.”

To date, the town’s Historic Commission has raised about $170,000 of what is estimated to be a $210,000 restoration project, largely through private donations, contributions from local businesses and charity groups and games of chance at the Rockingham Park race track, according to Henry LaBranche, spokesman.

The group is hoping to raise a further $70,000 from local businesses in the next six months through a state tax credit program.

LaBranche hopes the twoyear long project will be done this fall, but said that the work was completely dependent upon donations. When finished, the depot will house a transportation museum highlighting the town’s history, space for a second tenant and a public restroom for the bikeped corridor.

While the intersection still retains the “depot” name associated with the railroad – which once took hundreds of spectators to the races at Rockingham Park – the rail line stopped carrying passengers in 1953 after more than 100 years of operation.

All that remains now are a few feet of partially buried trolley car tracks and rusted nails, but the depot intersection retains notoriety as one of the most highly trafficked roadways in town.

Supporters of Salem’s Bike-Ped Corridor believe – as do their counterparts in Windham – that the paved path along the railroad will eventually serve as a transportation conduit through the region, replacing the old railway while taking cars off of the road. To that end, the group has partnered with Windham and Derry rail trail advocates to apply for a state transportation enhancement grant that would fund a 10-mile path connecting the three towns and running right through the Windham and Salem depots.

“We’ll have a very nice transportation corridor tying two major park and ride locations at Exit 2 in Salem and Exit 5 in Derry, and a lot of people could commute short distances by bike,” said David Topham, spokesman for the Salem group. “If this was developed from Salem to Derry and then on to Manchester, this becomes a tourist-type destination and money comes into the state and the town. People will travel to ride a bicycle on a rail trail because they feel a lot safer there than on the road and with that comes money – they have to eat.”

Oddly enough, Topham said most of the opposition to the bike-ped corridor plan has come from “railroad buffs,” people who want to see the trains running from Lawrence to Manchester once again and are concerned the project could derail any attempts to bring the railroad back. He believes that the bikeway – which runs parallel to Interstate 93 – will preserve the once vital railroad bed for any future use.

“There are the railroad buffs out there who say the only use for an old rail corridor is to put trains on it again ... By using the corridor for bike-ped use, the corridor is being kept in (condition),” he said. “If trains came back, it is right there.”

Jeannie Benton rides cross country

Bedford Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:56:00 GMT

By JILLIAN JORGENSEN

A Bedford woman is on the journey of a lifetime, taking a 3,629-mile bicycle tour across the country to raise money for charity.

Jeannie Benton, 51, began the trip in Astoria, Ore., on June 21. She plans to arrive in Portsmouth 11 states and 50 days later, on Aug. 10. The ride will not only give her a chance to pass through cities and towns from Casper, Wyo., to Niagara Falls, N.Y., but will also help raise money for Operation Life Transformed, a nonprofit that provides access to educational and career training opportunities for military spouses and caregivers of those wounded in war.

“It is an honor and privilege in life to take one’s strength and passion and put it to good use for the benefit of a greater cause. I’ve had a dream for over 12 years, and the time has finally come to see it come true!” Benton wrote in a fundraising letter circulated to friends, family and coworkers.

Benton will ride with an “America By Bicycle” tour with 60 other riders, across the northern tier of the United States. The trip will average 75 miles a day, with five rest days.

“While this is a great challenge for me, I have trained with this goal in mind for a long time and embraced the thought of a ‘greater victory’ in helping my fellow Americans in some significant way,” Ben ton wrote.

A long-time cycling enthusiast, Benton has long wanted to ride across the country, and was looking for the right charity with which to partner, said Kristina Saul, outreach program manager at Operation Life Transformed.

“This is something she’s been wanting to do for quite some time,” Saul said.

Benton, who has lived in town for 32 years, is a paraprofessional at Bedford High School, where other staff and students have been aware of her training efforts.

“I think they really are excited for her to have the opportunity to do this cross-country bike trip,” said George Edwards, principal of Bedford High School. “At the same time, they really admire the fact that she’s worked so hard and trained so hard to be able to do it. That’s a long way.”

He said the school community is also thankful she used the opportunity to raise money for a “very noble cause.”

“I think people are very thankful to see that she’s taken the opportunity to raise money for servicemen and women,” he said.

People can follow along with Benton’s journey online, at www.operationlifetrans formed.org/ra.html and http://twitter.com/LifeTransformed, where her daily mileage is posted, or on the organization’s Twitter account. Donations can be made in her name on the Web site, and gifts are available for various levels of funds donated.

Benton will make a stop in Manchester in August before reaching the coast.

“They’ve got to be psyched when they dip their tires in the Pacific, and then they’ll have the opportunity to dip their tires in the Atlantic when they get here,” Edwards said.

Bedford cyclist finds homespun success on national stage

Bedford Editor — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:41:00 GMT

BY RYAN O’CONNOR

Elizabeth White has been playing catch-up most of her young life.

Now, others are trying to catch up with her.

The 13-year-old Lurgio Middle School student won her first national championship in cyclocross last month, traveling to Kansas City, Kan., and enduring some of the harshest weather conditions she’s ever faced.

“A cold front and ice storms had just come in,” said White. “It was so cold and muddy and icy.”

In fact, the thermometer struggled to reach 25 degrees during the race.

Still, winning the Junior Women 13- and 14-year-old age group in inclement weather was less of a challenge than she usually faces.

Elizabeth’s father, Jerry White, said the entire family took up cycling when “Libby’s” older sister, Stephanie, decided she didn’t like tennis.

“We wanted to do something we could all do together, so we chose cycling and started doing little rides on the railroad bed and things of that nature,” said the elder White.

But he soon picked up competitive racing, as did the rest of the family.

“Libby … started riding when she was 5, and the fact is she’s always been trying to keep up with adults and her big sister,” said her father.

Stephanie White, now 18 and attending the University of New Hampshire, has had her own successes. In addition to national titles, she came in second place this year in the collegiate division – with a flat tire.

Elizabeth, watching her older sister and parents race, started her cycling career by participating in short, children’s races before she jumped on a tandem bicycle with her father.

As her passion for the sport bloomed, she soon picked up mountain biking and eventually cyclocross, among other events.

“You really have to have a lot of dedication and love for the sport,” she said. “If you don’t, you’ll just give up. I’ve seen it happen so many times before when a junior cyclist comes in because their parents made them, and they just get discouraged and quit.”

Racing with Northeast Bicycle Club-Cycle Loft, Elizabeth usually competes against older women, often in their late teens and 20s, and sometimes older.

With her father’s tutelage, she beats them. But winning never gets tedious for her. “There’s always somebody faster,” said Libby’s father. “She’s already picked out the person she wants to try to beat next year when she gets to nationals. Unless you’re the world champ, there’s always somebody faster, and even though she has a smile on her face whether she wins or loses, it’s really about the competition for Libby.”

The elder White said it isn’t unusual for cyclists his daughter’s age to be coached by a parent.

“It’s only later on, when they get into their late teens and go off to college, that they usually hook up with another coach,” he said. “… We learn from each other’s mistakes as far as technical aspects of riding are concerned. I just help her with the right things to eat and how to train … Most of it comes from reading, watching videos and talking to other people. It’s really just been a family thing.”

There is no specific distance in a race, said Jerry White. Cyclocross is a timed event in which competitors attempt to outlast each other.

“Cyclocross works unlike a lot of other events in that you race for 40 minutes, which doesn’t seem that long, but it’s 40 minutes of going just as hard as you can and going way above comfort level,” he said. “Your whole body is telling you to stop, and it’s just who can hold out the longest.”

Elizabeth and her family aren’t alone in their affinity for the grueling sport. Six years ago, the last time the cyclocross championships took place in Kansas, 600 riders entered. This year, the event welcomed 2,045 participants, up from 1,940 riders in Providence, R.I., last year.

Boy on bike collides with car

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:21:00 GMT

BY JENNIFER MCDOWELL

Police responded to a call regarding a collision between a vehicle and and a 10-year-old boy at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Catamount Hills Drive at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23.

Lt. Paul Paquette of the Allenstown Police Department said the boy suffered multiple injuries, but could not comment on the nature of those injuries or the current condition of the boy, who was transported by ambulance to Dartmouth Medical Center.

According to WMUR-TV news, the boy suffered several injuries to his head and legs and a broken collarbone. According to reports, he was wearing a helmet at the time of the incident.

The news station also reported the boy was racing on his bike with friends when he entered the intersection and collided with the vehicle. The driver, according to reports, did not have time to react.

Police have not filed charges against the vehicle’s driver, and all reports indicate that none will be filed in the future.

Paquette said the names of the boy and the vehicle operator will not be released until the investigation is complete, and that he could not comment on the investigation’s progress.

Iron will – Bow triathlete perseveres, reaches Hawaii and world championships

Bow Editor — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:52:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Rob Ricard was 8 years old when he made the decision.

Twenty-two years later, Ricard made good on it.

On July 22, the Bow native completed his first full Ironman triathlon, earning himself a chance to travel to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Ironman World Triathlon championship.

“If anyone knows anything about the Ironman triathlons, it’s some memory of seeing the competitors in Hawaii,”
said Ricard with a laugh. “I was 8, and I remember seeing the triathlon on TV and thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to be in Hawaii someday, doing that.’ It’s funny because folks, including me, tend to identify Ironman with those images of Hawaii.”

Traveling to Lake Placid for the triathlon, Ricard placed 38th overall among approximately 2,200 participants, finishing the event in 10 hours, 9 minutes and 54 seconds; Ricard finished the 2.4-mile swim in 1:05.39, the 112-mile bike ride in 5:33.06 and the 26.2-mile run in 3:23.18.

After competing on the track team at Concord High, Ricard ran for the University of New Hampshire. In 2002, he completed his first Boston Marathon, an endurance test that challenged the mid-distance runner who specialized in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run in high school and college.

Admittedly “burned out on running,” after his second Boston Marathon in 2003, Ricard took up swimming. He then added biking as part of his training after signing up for his first triathlon, a shorter triathlon in Branbury, Vt., three years ago.

Gearing up for his first Ironman appearance in 2006, an injury sidelined Ricard from running in the triathlon, forcing him to compete in the aqua-bike division that year.

“It was tough because running was my strength all those years,” said Ricard. “Training for a triathlon was so different. I wasn’t used to it. It’s a lot slower, and the hard part is doing it for so long. The swimming and biking were great because it was two new sports I hadn’t been doing for 20 years.

“I had no concept of distance, training or what it would take to qualify for something like that,” he continued. “I was 8 and just thought it looked cool to be in Hawaii. I knew that day in Lake Placid, if the day went just right, it would be possible to get there. Not only did the day go great, the way it all worked out … I just hope Hawaii is that way.”

Pedal mettle – Bedford mountain biker enjoys ups and downs

Bedford Editor — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:23:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Flying down the side of a mountain, reaching speeds of 50 mph, Erik Gosselin welcomes a bad fall every now and then.

Indeed, the Bedford High sophomore looks at each fall off his mountain bike as a learning experience, rather than a reason to give up the sport.

“I’ve had some pretty bad spills,” said Gosselin with a laugh. “I just go into it thinking it’s a part of the sport. It’s the only way to really learn how to handle the rough terrain and what it throws at you. My mom is definitely more nervous when I’m mountain biking than when I did motocross.”

Despite his mother’s nerves, Gosselin recently earned a first-place finish in the 16- to 17-year-old division at this year’s Dual Slalom USA Cycling Mountain Bike National championships. Gosselin, sponsored by Team Drop, also placed third in the Downhill, following the first-place winner by seven-tenths of a seconds.

The tournament took place at Mount Snow in Vermont, from July 18 to 22. It was the first national competition for Gosselin, who began biking around the house at age 4. After racing motocross until he was 14, Gosselin was introduced to mountain biking by his friend Evan Fineblit, also of Bedford.

“It’s the same as motocross except there’s no motor on the bikes,” said Gosselin. “But mountains are a lot steeper and the terrain is a lot more challenging with it being so rocky and rough. I eventually want to make a career out of this, either in racing or designing bikes, so I know I have to push myself to get there.”

Later this summer, Gosselin puts the finishing touches on his second custom-designed bike. Teaming up with a friend from Laconia, Gosselin decided to create a personalized bike after a free ride at Highland Mountain.

“His dad has a machine shop in the backyard, and one day after a ride at Highland, I realized I wanted a specific kind of bike that would handle trails with lots of dirt,” said Gosselin. “So that’s how we got the idea to design our own bikes. We haven’t got a name picked out yet, but someday, hopefully, we’ll have our own line of bikes out, and I’ll be racing them.”

Ironing it out – Bedford triathlete overcomes water worries to reach world championship

Bedford Editor — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:24:00 GMT

BY SAPNA PATHAK

Mike Lavery remembers the moment well – wading in Mirror Lake, surrounded by thousands of swimmers, the Bedford native faced his toughest mental challenge to date.

One year later, he did it all again.

After a taxing introduction in 2006, Lavery signed up for his second Ford Ironman USA triathlon, once again heading to Lake Placid for the competition on July 22.

“The swim, especially the first half of it, (is the most difficult aspect),” said Lavery. “Swimming was definitely my weakness, and I’m not the most confident swimmer. There were like 2,300 swimmers all around you. You’re being kicked in the face.

Someone’s grabbing your ankles … It was definitely a shocker. The first half was the most stressful because you don’t even want to swim, you’re just thinking, ‘Get me out of here.’”

Despite his doubts about the 2.4-mile swim, Lavery finished this year’s triathlon eighth overall among men and first in the 18- to 24-year-old men’s age division.

The Derryfield School graduate, already a runner and cyclist, added swimming to his repertoire when a fellow college student pointed Lavery toward triathlons in fall 2004.

“I’d just finished a marathon and ran into Dan (Arlandson),” said Lavery. “And he said I should swim so I could do triathlons. In high school, I would bike and run to train to ski, but it turns out I was better at running and biking than ski racing.”

Lavery completed the triathlon’s 112-mile bike race in 5 hours, 19.40 minutes, the swim in 1:00:28 and the 26.2-mile run in 3:19:35.

Joining Lavery at Lake Placid was Bedford athlete Molly Zahr, who placed 19th overall among women and second in the 24- to 29-year-old women’s division.

The final results qualified both Zahr and Lavery to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii later this year.

Training at least twice daily, Lavery spends up to eight hours each day compiling mileage on his bike or in the pool.

And he does this while balancing a full schedule studying at the University of Notre Dame.

“Ironman is pretty much about endurance and not really how fast you go,” said Lavery. “It gets a little crazy with school and the training. I still do two workouts a day, at least, when there’s a long time before a triathlon. I never knew what to expect until you actually get there. The swim was rough my first time, but this time I was a little more relaxed because I knew I just had to get through that first part."

Couple supports cancer research with 200-mile ride

Bow Editor — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 21:31:00 GMT

BY KEVIN SHALVEY

Nancy and Howard Roever came to speed-biking at different times -- he before their marriage and she when the couple started riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, an annual bike tour to raise money for cancer research.

“He’s always biked. Since the Pan-Mass Challenge, I just got involved and I love it. But, I’m no Lance Armstrong,” said Nancy.

This year, the Bow couple will undertake the two-day, 200-mile bike ride to honor Sammy, an 8-year-old Bow girl who has bone cancer.

Sammy was diagnosed with cancer in July 2006 and, in January 2007, had one of her legs amputated above the knee.

“I have two kids of my own, and I just couldn’t imagine that,” said Howard, who will trek the Pan-Mass Challenge on Aug. 4 and 5.

The two will ride as part of a team for the Aug. 3 and 4 ride from Wellesley, Mass., to Provincetown, Mass., a route for which each participant must raise at least $3,600.

The Roevers started participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge through Nancy’s work at a pharmaceutical sales company.

The company was planning to sponsor the race in some way -- maybe supporting a rest stop -- but Nancy had a different idea.

“There were a lot of people in our district who were athletic, so I said, ‘Let’s ride,’” Nancy said.

And there’s a rest stop on the course dedicated to children with cancer, Nancy said.

“It’s sad because when you’re riding in they have these huge photos on the lawn,” she said.

“It’s a pretty neat ride. It can be tough at times but it’s pretty scenic, especially as you get near the end on the Cape,” said Roever.

Biking isn’t new for Howard Roever, so the 200-mile ride should be no sweat, although it is graded as “more difficult” on www.pmc.org.

“When I was younger, I used to do a lot of touring,” he said.

Now that he’s married with two children, Roever doesn’t get onto the bike as much as he used to. Along with the Pan-Mass Challenges, though, he did participate in a six-day ride across Montana in 2001.

The Roevers ask that anyone who wants to donate to the Pan-Mass Challenge for Sammy do so before Sept. 1. Donors should write a check payable to the Pan-Mass Challenge and mail it to Nancy Roever at 9 Kelso Drive, Bow, NH 03304.

“If everybody in town could give $5, just think of how much we could raise,” Howard said.

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Each year, about 900 Americans of all ages are diagnosed with it. Of those, about 400 are younger than 20 years old.

For more information about the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.