PORTSMOUTH BIKE RACE

The fastest event in Portsmouth history will return on September 18. Downtown becomes a race track as expert cyclists vie for cash prizes. We were there for the last "Crit" back in 2000. Seems like a good time to pull out those pix and inspire young riders to train for the next big race. (Click for photos)

SEACOAST CYCLING

No cheesy or weird bikes here. The author offers quick tips for the serious recreational rider who is out shopping for the best value. Spend like you’re serious about riding, says the Great Balkini. Time to put the three-speed in the shed.

Boston Harbor, MA
Built 1905, tower 113 feet tall
Light is 98 feet above water

Austere Graves Light, flashing twice every 12 seconds in the outer limits of Boston Harbor, looks to the average observer like a more ancient lighthouse than its neighbor, venerable Boston Light. But Graves is one of the youngest lighthouses in the state.

Jeremy’s Lighthouse Guide #44

Narragansett, RI
Est 1810, present tower built 1857
51 feet; light is 65 feet above sea

Point Judith extends more than a mile from the Rhode Island coast, marking the entrance to the Narragansett Bay to the north and Block Island Sound to the south. The grounds, but not the lighthouse, are available to the public.

SEACOAST CYCLING

Anyone who takes on gender issues these days is cruising for a lawsuit. But the Great Balkini pedals where others fear to tread. His theory is, not only that women are naturally better recreational riders, but that they have the opportunity to kickstart a renaissance on wheels.

Nantucket, MA
Est. 1746, present light built 1901
26 feet high

This is America's second oldest lighthouse station (after Boston Light, 1716) and the tower has been moved and rebuilt more times than any other.

SEACOAST CYCLING #4

Who said cyclists never plan? The Great Balkini does, and in this installment he tells you how to ride smarter, not harder. Sure you like to just hop on and ride into the great blue yonder, but think about it. Could you, perhaps, get more out of that trip with a few special tips?

Fairfield, CT
35 feet high; 51 feet above water.

Attention lighthouse lovers: Word has just gone out that this lighthouse will soon be transferred to the most suitable new owner under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The Fairfield Historical Society has expressed interest in working to preserve the structure.

Jeremy’s Lighthouse Guide #41

SEACOAST CYCLING #3

You’re not a kid anymore, but the weather is calling you back to your bicycle. Before you ride – read. The Great Balkini offers these very basic biking bits of wisdom for recreational cyclists.

SCENIC SEACOAST WALKS
York Harbor, Maine

You've either discovered this one yourself, or it is a total surprise. One great way to "discover" the bridge is to start your walk from York Village and bear right as the road bears left to hug the coast. Betteryet, walk from Old York Village down the side street to the Marshall Store. Slip into the woody area just before the store and you'll find the bridge on the other side.