Harbor to the Bay

H2B End-of-Training Ride – Saturday September 9, 2023

Valentina Rosa — Sun, 03 Sep 2023 15:29:37 +0000

All H2B riders are welcome!

This is a great ride for people who think Cleveland Circle is in Western Massachusetts. It is also
a route that will help riders prepare and feel confident for H2B.

We’ll start (and end) at Cold Spring Park in Newton and ride to Lincoln on a very scenic, quirky
and rural route. This is a fun ride in the countryside, passing farms and Ponyhenge, crossing a
wooden bridge over the Sudbury River (great Zen spot), riding through the sculpture garden at
the DeCordova Museum, and going through a National Wildlife Preserve. The ride ends with
brunch at Club Café.

The full ride is a 39-mile roundtrip from Cold Spring Park. There are multiple options for
shortcuts along the way, so you can do a ride of 37 miles, 35 miles, or as short as 30 miles.
Riders with gps-enabled cycle computers and cellphones will be able to download the route
from ridewithgps.

There will be a rest stop at Verrill Farm (farm stand food and drinks, and bathrooms).
Depending on the number of riders and skill levels, we may split into two groups. The casual
pace group will average approx 15mph and no one will be left behind. If there are enough
faster riders, there are several places where they can add a few more miles (and hills) and then
reconnect with the group. The faster group will probably be in the 16 to 18 mph range, with
fewer regroupings.

Brunch is generously provided by Club Cafe (alcoholic beverages not included).
PRE-RIDE TO GET TO THE START: Meet at 8:00 AM at the Boathouse in Jamaica Plain – 6.5 mile ride to Cold Spring Park

START (9:00 AM): Cold Spring Park, 1094 Beacon Street, Newton. There are a lot of free parking options at and near Cold Spring Park

END (target time: 12:30 PM) at Cold Spring Park
POST-RIDE BRUNCH: Club Café (8 miles from Cold Spring Park)

Helmets required.

Please RSVP to Valentina Rosa at rosetina808@gmail.com.com if you are planning to join so we can get a headcount for brunch.

Thank you,

Valentina Rosa & Warren Green

Jerome waves us on

Ron Bona Hatem — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 19:20:42 +0000

Bike Shop Discounts

H2B News — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:59:37 +0000

Community Bike Supply 496 Tremont Street, Boston, MA is offering 10% off accessories for H2B Riders

Back Bay Bicycle 362 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02115 is offering 10% off accessories for H2B Riders

Quad Cycle 1043 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA offering 10% off parts and accessories for H2B Riders

SAG Crew Summer Prep for Ride Day!

Michael Lavender — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 13:46:46 +0000

As the Riders take to the road to build their endurance for Harbor to the Bay’s journey from Boston to Provincetown, some may envision Crew Members lounging by the pool or listening to the waves at the beach, sipping Planter’s Punches on the deck of the Boatslip, or wandering back to a guest house to sleep after that last slice at Spiritus- but nothing could be farther from the truth! As this years Apps Dude my activities get underway early in the Summer, when the On-route SAG Lead Andy texts “Hey, remember me? Ready to Crew H2B 17?” After my enthusiastic “Yes!”, I get cracking, checking out the apps from last year’s ride, making sure they are good for this years ride. I write up the instructions (trying to have video and web based instructions this year as well), and check them out. To make sure the instructions work for others, I work with experienced and inexperienced crew to test the procedures.

Prep doesn’t end once the app instructions are put to bed. Andy is hard at work crafting the emails for different stages of SAG Crew on-route prep, sharing these to get feedback. At the same time Andy is reaching out to SAG Crew old and new, checking who is coming back for Ride 17, and organizing them into teams along with M.A.. About a week before the ride the teams are (almost) complete and lists are sent to me. I set up the accounts for each team, and finalize the install instructions so each team can install and sign in to their apps successfully. After one last review from Andy and M.A., the Apps email is sent the Tuesday before the ride. If Crew have questions, Andy and I are at Club Cafe the Wednesday before the ride from 6PM-8:30PM to answer them and help install the apps (and maybe have an Adult Beverage or two). And if you need apps help and can’t make it to Club, the Apps email will include my phone number. I’m happy to walk you thru the install, or to help you do before the ride starts Saturday morning.

Our goal as Crew is to make sure Riders have a safe and enjoyable ride, and to help them cycle as much of the route as possible. If we think you need a hand, we will stop and check. We have water and Gatorade to keep you hydrated, snacks to keep your energy up, a bike rack for your bike when that repair might be done more quickly by a Tech at a Pit Stop, or just to give you a lift over that last, nasty hill after Pit Stop 9 (foreshadowing here). We guarantee you friendly conversation when you are in the car with us- some folk last year were surprised how my fun my Crew Partner Todd and I were having! That said- we hope for a boring ride because that means a great ride for you.

Looking forward to Ride Day, and working with SAG Crew 17 to provide a safe, fun journey for our Cyclists!

Hugs,

Myke

Welcome to Fenway Health Teams!

Fenway Health — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 19:53:31 +0000

The following is an email that was send to all Fenway-affiliated riders and crew on 3/25:

Hello,

Thank you so much for choosing to ride/crew for Fenway Health in this year’s Harbor to the Bay! Fenway has immensely appreciated our partnership with Harbor to the Bay (H2B) not only for the incredible experience it brings to participants every September but also because we depend upon H2B to sustain critical HIV/AIDS services. With over 2,100 HIV-positive patients, Fenway remains the premier provider of HIV and AIDS medical care in New England. We were there to diagnose the first cases in the early 1980s, and now your commitment to ride will get us one step closer to a cure.

Please see below for a few important notes and announcements regarding Fenway and Harbor to the Bay:

Fundraising
Our fundraising goal for 2019 is $175,000, and with nearly 35 registered riders and 9 registered crew members as of 3/25 we are off to a great start of working towards that goal. You still have a few more days until the March 31st deadline to raise $750 in order to receive a special Harbor to the Bay fleece jacket so get on that fundraising grind!

Though our suggested fundraising minimum for this year’s riders is $500 we still hope that our riders will work to raise as close to $1000+ as possible. Attached is a fundraising toolkit to assist you in getting to $500 and beyond! If you have friends and family who are interested in riding, this year is a great time to get started with the lower suggested minimum!

Please note that while fundraising you should NOT use the Facebook fundraising/donation option. Harbor to the Bay purposely does not use the Facebook fundraising/donation option because it is impossible to know how much money is raised by each participant/team, it can take several months for the funds to arrive to the charity, and Facebook charges a 5% processing fee. Please use your customizable personal Harbor to the Bay donation page for all fundraising.

Fenway Teams & Captains

We are excited to announce that we have three distinguished Fenway teams this year – Team Fenway, Team YLC, and our newly created Team Fenway Institute! Our teams will be headed by captains Dana and Cei for Team Fenway Institute, captains Steve, DJ, and Julian for Team YLC, and captain Jeff for Team Fenway. We’re still searching for one more captain for Team Fenway and would ideally like someone of a gender identity other than male to fill this role. If you are interested or know someone who would make a great captain please reach out ASAP!

If you are riding with one of our Fenway teams, make sure to join the corresponding Facebook group (linked above) to stay up to date on announcements from your team captains, upcoming training rides, and more. Feel free to make your own posts about fundraising tips, questions, and any other H2B-related items there! Make sure to like the official Harbor to the Bay page as well.

Additional Harbor to the Bay announcements and details will be coming in the official Harbor to the Bay Ride On newsletter, but until then here’s your H2B To Do List!

Recruit 3 friends to ride – get them registered!
Save the Date – H2B Kick-Off Party @ Club Café April 17 – Prizes and Fun!
Watch the Safety Videos (and do it again September 13!)
Read the H2B Ride On Newsletter – coming regularly to you via email
- Events, Training Rides, Fundraising Tips and more!

Thank you again for choosing to participate with Fenway Health on September 14th!

Happy cycling,

Clarice Johnson, Fenway Health Harbor to the Bay Coordinator

Looking 4 ride from PTown Saturday morning 9/15 to Sagmore Bridge – 1 rider and his bike. :0)

Robert Lynch — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 19:39:58 +0000

Hi – I’m camping in P-Town and participating in the HTTB as a rider, number 180.

If anyone is going to the Sagamore Bridge event Saturday morning before the ride out at 9:30 and you have room for one more person and a bike, please send me a message at miatamadd@yahoo.com. I’d gladly pay [ … Read More →]

Through rain, through snow, through dark of night…

The Postal Service — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 19:03:05 +0000

Hello colleagues, friends, and family near and far!

Through rain, through snow, through dark of night, through heat advisories and flash floods– as well as beautiful, sunny days with cool breezes!– Jenny & Maric have been training for Harbor to the Bay 2018.

Harbor to the Bay is a one-day, 125-mile AIDS-benefit bike ride which happens every September. It is 100% volunteer-run, with 100% of the money raised going directly to charity, which makes it unique in the landscape of many other charity rides.

We are riding to support four different nonprofit organizations who represent New England’s recognized leaders in HIV/AIDS care:

Community Research Initiative has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research since 1989, contributing to FDA approval of almost all of the currently available HIV treatments. CRI also administers the Massachusetts HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP), which has provided access to medications and health insurance to 8,703 clients in need.
AIDS Action Committee is New England’s first and largest AIDS organization, and provides vital services– such as housing assistance and mental health counseling– to people living with HIV/AIDS in the region. It also works to prevent new infections, educate the public, and advocate for fair and effective policy at the city, state, and federal levels. AAC is now in partnership with Fenway Health.
Fenway Health is the largest outpatient HIV/AIDS medical provider in New England, and is dedicated to enhancing the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community and all people in its Boston neighborhoods by providing access to high-quality health care, education, research, and advocacy. Since 1985, the Fenway Institute has been on the cutting edge of HIV/AIDS research, providing critical support to the use of PrEP to prevent transmission of HIV.
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod has been providing support and care to those affected by HIV/AIDS in Cape and Island communities since 1983. Its HIV, Hep C, and STI prevention and screening services reach over 1,000 residents and visitors each year. ASGCC also provides harm reduction services to address the opioid epidemic.

We know that you are all bombarded with requests like this every day. We are asking you to support our efforts with whatever you can afford. Harbor to the Bay doesn’t take any overhead, because it runs completely on donations and volunteer labor; this means that 100% of your donation goes directly to the agencies that provide quality health care, medications, support, as well as HIV/AIDS prevention education.

Our combined goal is to raise in excess of $2,000.00 this year. Please join us in making a difference by making a contribution in any amount– every dollar counts!

With gratitude,

Jenny & Maric

Why We Ride

Healey/Oliveira — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 20:20:19 +0000

Jeff Healey

John Oliveira

As Captain, Ted Higginson, of the Healy/Oliveira Team, I would like to mention why we ride. I was diagnosed with HIV in 1990. I am considered a “Long Term Survivor”. Dealing with and managing the disease has been a challenge and continues to be. I wish this upon no one. My ultimate death will be from some other aliment other than HIV/AIDS related. On a lighter note, do not be afraid of touching or hugging me. With the advances of medications, I have what is called an “undetectable viral load”, and am not contagious.

Jeffrey S. Healey died of complications of AIDS in 1991. He was smart and engaging. He had a knack at bringing out the best in people. The six plus years we spent together was like the blink of an eye.

John K. Oliveira died of complications of HIV in 2005. He was by far the kindest and gentlest man I have every met. Our twelve years together was unfairly much too short.

Losing these two special men has left a black hole that I have never been able to fill.

It is something I have just have come to acknowledge and accept. Defiantly, one of life’s biggest challenges.

All I want is the cure and my loved ones/friends back. But to keep it real, I will settle for the cure.

WE RIDE FOR THE CURE.

Best, Ted

PS: The children in the pictures are Kevin and Chris Wright. They are Ted’s nephews who are now 27 and 29 years old.