Catch Brad Aikens and Friends at the Millyard Brewery (125 E. Otterson St. in Nashua; millyardbrewery.com, 722-0104) tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Find more live music at area restaurants, pubs and more in our Music This Week listing, which starts on page 34.
Saturday, April 30
It’s a day of races.
The Dirty Paws 5K to support the Pope Memorial SPCA will kick off at 9 a.m. at the shelter (94 Silk Farm Road in Concord) and loop through the grounds of St. Paul’s School. Register online for the run/walk (for humans and dogs) at popememorialspca.org/dirtypaws5krun through Thursday, April 28, at 5 p.m.; onsite registration is also available on the day of the event. Registration is free for kids 13 and under and costs $25 for teens, $35 for 19+ in advance and $35 for teens, $40 for adults on the day.
Or run on the Londonderry Rail Trail to support the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 669-4877). The “Run the Rail Trail 5-Miler” starts at 9 a.m. at the museum. Registration costs $30 in advance and $35 on the day. Participants may register online at www.runsignup.com and search for “Aviation Museum,” according to a press release.
Sunday, May 1
The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) opens for the season today from noon to 4 p.m.. Admission costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $7 for children ages 6 to 12 and $26 for a family (two adults plus children).
Sunday, May 1
The Nashua Choral Society will present “Made for You and Me, Songs of America,” its free springtime concerts in Greeley Park (at the Bandshell, 100 Concord St. in Nashua) today at 3 p.m. (The rain date will be Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m.) The lineup will include patriotic songs, folk songs, sea shanties and a tribute to those in the armed forces, according to a press release, which recommends bringing a lawn chair or a blanket.
Sunday, May 1
The New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival is selling virtual tickets to a bingefest of the six-episode television showLabyrinth of Peace, set in Switzerland at the end of World War II. Tickets cost $24 for the season-long run, which will stream for ticket-holders starting today through Sunday, May 15. See the trailer to the drama and purchase tickets at nhjewishfilmfestival.com.
Wednesday, May 4
Ben Folds will bring his “Ben Folds: In Actual Person Live For Real Tour” to the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) tonight at 8 p.m.; doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $55 through $75.
Thursday, May 5
Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood of Whose Line Is it Anyway? fame will bring their “Scared Scriptless” improv show to the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) tonight at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $49 to $75.
Save the Date! May 7 & May 8 Monster Jam! comes to Southern New Hampshire University Arena (555 Elm St. in Manchester; snhuarena.com, 644-5000) on Saturday, May 7, with shows at 1 and 7 p.m. and on Sunday, May 8, at 1 p.m. Tickets start at $18.
Some of the physical, cultural and social barriers to nature have been broken down with the grand opening of the All Person Trail at The Nature Conservancy’s Manchester Cedar Swamp Preserve. According to a press release, the purpose of the newly constructed trail is to bring people of all abilities and backgrounds closer to nature even when they’re in the midst of the state’s largest city. The 1.2-mile trail officially opened on Earth Day after three years of planning and construction. It winds through the preserve’s diverse habitats, including wetlands and rock formations dating back to the Ice Age. It is flat and even, allowing for easy walking and use of assistance-providing devices like wheelchairs and strollers, the release said. There are benches along the trail, along with illustrated panels that highlight the sights, sounds and smells of the preserve; there’s also an app-based audio tour in both English and Spanish. The parking area includes accessible parking spaces and a nongendered, family-friendly portable toilet, according to the release.
Score: +2
Comment:Also beginning today, a new stop on the Manchester Transit Authority’s bus route provides much-needed transportation to and from the preserve, located in the Hackett Hill area of Manchester. Riders can now take the Route 11 bus to the “All Persons Trail” stop.
Spotlight on New American youth
Refugee youth will get their chance to shine at the New Americans Got Talent Show, happening Thursday, April 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bank of NH Stage in Concord. According to a press release, the event is being put on by Overcomers Refugee Services and Project S.T.O.R.Y. The performers are ages 7 to 20, and they’ll be presenting talents like musical performances, dancing, athletics, cup stacking and public speaking. “Local celebrities” will be on the judges panel, and the top three performers will win cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200, the release said. Attendance is free, but donations benefitting refugee youth programs are welcome at OvercomersNH.org. RSVP at [email protected].
Score: +1
Comment:“This talent show is important to me and the kids because the kids get a chance to show their talents and perform,” Fred Nshimiyimana of Project S.T.O.R.Y, said in the release. “I think that’s really great because here in America, a lot of refugee kids haven’t had the chance to show off their skills and talents.”
Support for first responders
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats have a new charitable initiative called the First Responders Fund, created to support the families of New Hampshire Police and Firefighters in need. According to a press release, the fund will officially launch as part of First Responders Night at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 11, and 50 percent of the proceeds from individual tickets sold that night will benefit the fund, as will the in-game 50/50 raffle and boot pass collection. The Fisher Cats Foundation will also make a $2,500 donation and contribute a portion of the funds from the annual Granite State Baseball Dinner, the release said.
Score: +1
Comment: “Oftentimes, first responders find themselves in need of help also. This initiative will help our members overcome some unforeseen obstacles in their personal lives,” Manchester Fire Chief Andre R. Parent said in the release.
Police impersonation scam
Last week the Manchester Police Department sent out a public alert after several people called to a report that a person claiming to be a Manchester Police Officer had called and demanded money. According to a press release, the scammer uses the name of an officer who really works at the Manchester Police Department and tells the person they owe thousands of dollars in court fees. The caller also tells the victim that they will be arrested if they hang up.
Comment: -1
Score:Always contact your local police department directly to verify any calls like this that seem suspicious, the release said.
QOL score: 72
Net change: +3
QOL this week: 75
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Covid-19 news
On April 25, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the Covid-19 treatment Veklury (remdesivir) for younger children, according to a press release. Before now, Veklury had only been approved to treat Covid-positive patients ages 12 and older. Pediatric patients 28 days and older and weighing at least 7 pounds can now receive the treatment after being hospitalized with Covid, the release said. The only approved dosage form for Veklury is via injection — the antiviral medicine can also be administered to non-hospitalized pediatric patients who “have mild-to-moderate Covid-19 and are at high risk for progression to severe Covid-19, including hospitalization or death,” according to the release.
In New Hampshire, health officials reported 173 new Covid cases on April 25. The state averaged 323 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 20 percent increase compared to the week before. As of April 25 there were 2,444 active cases statewide and 22 hospitalizations.
DOC jobs
The New Hampshire Department of Corrections has created a new website to help fill its many vacancies in Concord and Berlin. According to a press release, interested candidates can go to jobs.nhdoc.nh.gov to see open positions, which include corrections officers, chefs/cooks, nurses, counselors, teachers, logistics and administrative staff. The website includes salary and benefits information, and candidates can begin the application process as well by filling out an initial interest form. “It’s a great time to start your career at the Department of Corrections,” Commissioner Helen Hanks said in the release. “We offer a variety of positions that will propel your professional career while suiting your needs. We offer a competitive compensation package with outstanding benefits. Working at the Department of Corrections is a rewarding career, one which you will be proud of, and we look forward to speaking with you about our opportunities.”
STANDUP
Last week U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan hosted a roundtable at the Manchester School of Technology, leading a discussion on youth suicide prevention. According to a press release, Hassan talked to Granite State students, educators and mental health and suicide prevention advocates about the STANDUP Act, a new law that requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to give priority for grants that implement evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training policies in states, tribal governments and local educational agencies. Roundtable participants then talked about the continuing efforts to prevent and respond to youth suicide and mental illness in the state, including students providing peer-based support to Manchester-based Makin’ It Happen, a nonprofit organization seeking to create a coordinated community response around improving youth mental health. “The feedback I got today was so important. What it tells me is that we have young people in this state who are very aware that mental illness is a real problem and they’re very concerned about their friends. They are also very aware that there are tools out there that can keep each other safe,” Hassan said in the release.
Restaurant support
The Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery has launched the Local Restaurant Infrastructure Investment Program, a new Covid-19 relief program that aims to help address workforce issues and overall restaurant safety challenges that small, local restaurants across the state have experienced. According to a press release, the program is funded by American Rescue Plan Act funds and will provide awards of up to $15,000 to local restaurants seeking reimbursement for eligible equipment, infrastructure and technology purchases. The deadline to apply for the program is July 13, though review of applications will begin prior to the deadline.
School heroes
United Way of Greater Nashua’s “Ribbons for School Heroes” project, created to show appreciation for local school staff, is underway, and Greater Nashua residents are invited to tie a ribbon in their town’s high school colors on their mailbox or tree. According to a press release, ribbons are currently available at local libraries in the colors of the area’s high school (Hollis residents may pick up their free ribbons at the Lull Farm instead of the library), or at the United Way of Greater Nashua office located at 20 Broad St. in Nashua. This new campaign stems from the “United With School Heroes” school staff appreciation project that took place earlier this year, which thanked all faculty and staff in local schools for their hard work over the past three years. The ribbons are an additional way to express gratitude, the release said. Anyone interested in participating can pick up a complimentary ribbon at the library in Amherst, Brookline, Hudson, Litchfield, Lyndeborough, Merrimack, Milford, Mont Vernon, Nashua or Wilton or Lull Farm in Hollis in addition to the United Way office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
Energy assistance
U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas recently announced that New Hampshire has been awarded $2,881,938 to help families cover the costs of home energy expenses through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. According to a press release, the total amount of LIHEAP funding allocated to New Hampshire over the past year is now $64,347,626. “As working families struggle with surging energy costs, I’m pleased to welcome $2.8 million to the Granite State to help households afford their energy bills. LIHEAP is an important program that helps lower heating and cooling costs so families aren’t forced to face an impossible decision between paying for these expenses or paying for food or medicine,” Shaheen said in the release.
Bee data
The NH Beekeepers Association is asking all beekeepers in the state to help it collect data on 2021-2022 winter beehive survival. According to a press release, this data, along with data collected in five previous surveys, is being used to understand why New Hampshire’s winter hive loss has been higher than the national average, and what management practices have been helping improve survival. The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes to complete and is available online until April 30 at surveymonkey.com/r/NH2022HiveSurvey. It is open to all beekeepers in the state, not just Association members. The survey analysis and results will be available in mid-June, the release said.
On April 22, 17 dogs and handlers from across the country came to the New Hampshire Fire Academy in Concord for a demonstration of the training that arson dogs and their respective handlers get to find evidence at fire scenes, including accelerants such as gas, oil or fuel used to start fires. According to a press release, the media event was hosted by The New Hampshire Department of Safety, Maine Specialty Dogs and State Farm Insurance, which funds the national Arson Dog Program.
The bi-annual National Take Back Day will be held on Saturday, April 30, and Manchester residents can drop off their unused or expired prescription medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Manchester Police Department at 405 Valley St., at Elliot at River’s Edge at 175 Queen City Ave. or at the NH National Guard Armory at 1059 Canal St. According to a press release, pills, patches, vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted, but liquids, needles and sharps will not.
Temple Beth Abraham and Rivier University in Nashua will host a presentation for Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Dion Center at Rivier. According to a press release, Tom White, coordinator of Educational Outreach for the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, will present “Remembrance, Education and Resiliency” and discuss the relevance of Holocaust and genocide education.
All three of southern New Hampshire’s major cities have increasingly become more bicycle-friendly in recent years. Learn about some of the ongoing projects on both urban roads and rail trails, and find out where some of the best scenic routes are for the next time you pedal out.
Also on the cover, local chefs will compete in a Chopped-style cooking challenge during the annual Fire & Fusion event, p. 24, St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church presents a pop-up to-go festival of Greek eats, p. 25, and get all the details of this year’s special vinyl releases and events for Record Store Day, p. 31.
Each year thousands of people gather at independent record stores worldwide to celebrate the now unique pastime of collecting vinyl records. This holiday is known as Record Store Day — the festivities return on Saturday, April 23, and will often include barbecues, parades and performances from internationally known artists.
Store to store, record lovers also have the opportunity to purchase limited-edition vinyl records of their favorite bands. This holiday was created as an annual event to help maintain and boost sales at local independent shops.
There are 15 in New Hampshire that participate in Record Store Day, and more than 1,000 across the country. Chris Brown, chief financial officer of Bull Moose, proposed the idea in 2007. The indie music store chain has three locations in New Hampshire, including one in Salem.
“The general feeling out in the public, but also in the record industry itself, was really negative,” Brown said. “Chain stores had been closing and CD sales were down, but what was different was the independent stores were doing really well, and I felt that everybody should know. I also thought that we needed to do something for our customers.”
Brown never thought that RSD would be so attention-grabbing right away, but he hoped it would push the celebration of local and major bands, therefore ensuring music of all genres to be very much alive. It also seemed to have brought back the public’s interest in vinyl records, as CDs were at that time much more prevalent. The first RSD had signings by Metallica in the band’s hometown of San Francisco, which was just the start of this global celebration.
There will be a handful of limited-edition releases at each of Bull Moose’s stores, such as a remastered version of Rick Astley’s Whenever You Need Somebody on a vinyl LP, as well as David Bowie’s Brilliant Adventure and a deluxe two-sided vinyl release of Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna. The Salem shop will likely receive a relatively diverse stock of limited vinyls, although it’s unclear yet which shipments are going to which locations. Collectors should intend on browsing on the earlier side in order to stand a better chance at seeing the records they may wish to buy. The store will open on Record Store Day at 8 a.m., according to its website. It is estimated that only one to seven copies of each vinyl will be available, and the store will not reserve anything for customers — everything is first come, first served.
Another local spot taking part in RSD is Metro City Records, on Somerville Street in Manchester. Owner Bill Proulx has been in business for 35 years, originally starting out as a record label before moving into retail wholesale distribution. Proulx said he is now down to strictly retail, due to economic factors.
“I watched, right here in this store, vinyl go away and come back again,” he said. “Trying to get the few releases that are available to our side of the country … there are a lot of these releases, [but] they sometimes only make 100 or 1,000 [vinyl copies]. Some … make as many as 15,000, but many are in very, very small quantities. Sometimes we don’t always get what we order.”
Proulx added that this year there should only be around 350 releases, as opposed to previous years, when there tended to be up to 900. For this RSD, however, Proulx believes that he will receive most of what he has requested. A special release he is looking forward to, and one he said will be very popular among record collectors, is the Grateful Dead’s live vinyl box set.
Whether it’s a newly paved rail trail or a busy downtown street, local city officials, transportation planners and nonprofits have all worked together to make New Hampshire’s roads increasingly more bicycle-friendly. Here’s a look at how biking is getting safer as a regular means of transportation.
Manchester
Last month Jason Soukup of Manchester led the launch of a “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages city kids in grades K through 12 to ride their bikes to and from school. The route runs the entire length of Elm Street, about four miles each way — now through the end of the school year, kids decked out in high-visibility reflective vests are led by parents and other adult chaperones and volunteers along the street’s bike lanes to school. It’s one of the several initiatives of Manchester Moves, a local nonprofit of which Soukup is the board secretary.
In addition to the bike school bus, Manchester Moves has a lending library program for all kinds of outdoor gear and equipment, including bicycles, which can be borrowed for up to one week.
The “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages kids to ride their bikes to school. Photo courtesy of Manchester Moves.
“It’s just really cool to imagine a world where kids can ride their bikes to school again, so we’ve been trying to remove the obstacles for that,” said Soukup, whose own kids participate in the program. “I just returned from a trip to Europe … and it’s just a night and day difference the way that bikes go across the cities there compared to here. So we have a big culture shift that needs to happen within New Hampshire and Manchester and we’ll do just about anything we can.”
Manchester Moves works closely with the city’s Department of Public Works, which developed a bicycle master plan about five years ago with input from the city biking community.
“There are bike routes … that the city has been working to label with painted bike lanes,” Soukup said. “They call them sharrows. You see them in the middle of the roads; it’s a white painted lane with a [marking of] a little bike guy on it. That’s called a sharrow, meaning the cars are sharing the road with an arrow that says these are where bikes go.”
Owen Friend-Gray, Manchester DPW’s highway chief engineer, said that bike lanes and sharrows have been added to several of the city’s major roads all within the last couple of years, including multiple sections across Elm Street and Mammoth Road, as well as on both Maple and Beech streets between Bridge and Webster streets toward the North End.
“We also just completed a rail trail project that was just over a mile long to help improve one of the last segments of the Rockingham Rail Trail, which runs from Manchester out to the Seacoast,” Friend-Gray said. “Then we have other trails … that we’re working on parts and pieces of, like the South Manchester Rail Trail, to connect from the southern portion of the city down through Londonderry, Derry and eventually into Nashua … … So we’re doing quite a bit, especially with the rail trails, to try to get better connectivity and rideability throughout the city.”
Concord
In November 2010 the City of Concord released its first bicycle master plan. Craig Tufts of the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission was its chief author.
A Concord resident, Tufts is also co-chair of a bicycling subcommittee through the citywide Transportation Policy Advisory Committee, which met for the first time two years earlier.
The plan outlined several infrastructure projects throughout the city with input from members of the biking community, many of which have been completed in the ensuing years.
“When we did that plan, we did a lot of public outreach and we learned a lot of things about what people wanted,” Tufts said. “We’ve developed great procedures for lane striping, which we didn’t have back then … [and] we also have a lot more miles of shoulders and bike lanes now.”
The longest bike lane runs along the Route 3 corridor, Tufts said, from the Fisherville Road and North State Street areas of Penacook all the way to downtown.
“That whole stretch of road there all has a lane now for bikes … and that was something that wasn’t there back before 2010, so that was a big improvement,” he said. “[Before] the Main Street project, Main Street used to be two lanes of car traffic in each direction, and it was just so much space dedicated to cars, and they redesigned it for wider sidewalks and better biking.”
On some city roads like Pleasant Street, the shoulder line was restriped to effectively widen the space for bicyclists and keep them away from passing cars. There has also been a switch to more improved detection technology for riders who stop at traffic lights on certain intersections.
“The switch to video detection … is gradually happening as old signals are replaced,” Tufts said, “but in the meantime, we have put out markers showing where a bike needs to stop to get a green [light]. … We did a lot of signals in the downtown area near the Statehouse.”
Right now, Tufts said, the most energy in improving biking across Concord involves connecting many of the rail trails in and around the city. Plans are in the works to eventually bring the Northern Rail Trail, which currently stretches from Lebanon all the way down to southern Boscawen, into the Capital City, while the Merrimack River Greenway Trail, a 12.7-mile trail running from Pembroke to Boscawen, has also been proposed.
“Pan Am Railways owns a railroad bed that runs from the Boscawen town line up in Penacook all the way to Horseshoe Pond,” Tufts said. “The Friends of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail … have been working really hard to get the city or the state to purchase that property, so that once it’s in public hands, it can be used for a trail.”
Nashua
While the overall bicycle infrastructure within Nashua can be considered limited compared to Manchester and Concord, there are a number of initiatives underway right in the heart of the city.
Among the most widely used bike and pedestrian pathways is the Nashua Heritage Rail Trail, said Jay Minkarah, executive director of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission.
“It runs from Main Street to Simon Street, parallel to West Hollis Street, so it’s a pretty long run … and in a location that allows it to be a real transportation alternative,” he said. “It goes through some of Nashua’s highest-density … areas and is used pretty heavily by bicycles.”
The City received funding to extend the Heritage Rail Trail all the way east to Temple Street, which Minkarah said would effectively double its length. Officials are also working on a riverfront improvement plan that would increase bike accessibility along the Nashua River.
“There’s also funding … to develop basically a multi-purpose path along Spruce Street directly east of downtown,” Minkarah said. “That would link the planned extension of the Heritage Rail Trail to the riverfront, so that’s really exciting.”
Safety first Here’s a look at some of the statewide bicycle safety laws. See dot.nh.gov for more details. • Bicycles are considered vehicles — therefore, bicyclists must stop at stop signs and red lights, yield to pedestrians and ride on the right side of the road with traffic. • Riding on sidewalks or riding the wrong way on one-way streets is prohibited. • Stop for pedestrians in all crosswalks. Don’t pass cars that are stopped at a crosswalk. • Helmets are required by law for cyclists under 16 years of age. • Bicyclists must wear at least one form of reflective apparel, such as a vest, jacket or helmet strip, during the period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise. • When riding after dark, you must use a white front headlight and a red rear light or reflector that is visible from at least 300 feet away. Source: New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program
New Hampshire has many locales for a leisurely bike ride, and its three biggest cities — Manchester, Concord and Nashua — easily make that list.
“Every bike ride offers a single story to add to the chapters in your life,” said Janet Horvath, recreation and enterprise manager for the City of Manchester. “An urban destination like Manchester is a great choice for a unique change of pace.”
Cyclists have “a tremendous array of choices” to enhance their ride in the Queen City, Horvath said. Hit some of the main attractions in downtown with a ride from West Side Arena to the Millyard and the Fisher Cats stadium, or a ride to Livingston Park via Maple Street, which has bike lanes north of Bridge Street, where you’ll find a hiking trail, Dorrs Pond, athletic fields and other amenities.
Biking at Mine Falls Park in Nashua. Courtesy photo
“Parks offer a chance to commune with nature in the largest urban area in the state,” Horvath said.
In the south end, take a destination ride to Crystal Lake Park, which features a beach, a playground and a pavilion. On the west side, Horvath said, Rock Rimmon Park is “the destination park to see.”
“Cool off at Dupont Splash Pad, take a hike to the top of the ‘Rock,’ or read a book from the book nook,” she said. “Play on the playground, join a pickup game of basketball or pickleball and check out the skateboard features to round out your visit.”
Other bike-friendly features of Manchester, Horvath said, include bike lanes on popular routes, like Elm Street, as well as bike racks and bike repair stations throughout the city “to help out if your trip doesn’t go as planned.”
In Nashua, Mine Falls Park is the prime spot for a bike ride.
“There’s a huge trail system there, with miles and miles of trails that are all accessible to bikes,” said Jeff DiSalvo, Nashua’s recreation program coordinator. “The trails are nice and wide and well-kept, some paved, some dirt, and it’s just a really open area, so people can make [their ride] whatever they want it to be.”
The park rewards cyclists with a variety of natural scenery, including forests, open fields and wetlands.
“It’s just nice to be kind of secluded from the rest of Nashua and separate from the busyness of it,” DiSalvo said.
Concord’s trail systems offer all kinds of cycling experiences, assistant city planner Beth Fenstermacher said, from advanced mountain biking to easy street riding.
“There are a bunch of trails and loops out in the woods with different levels of difficulty, and then there are opportunities to connect to some of the more rural routes that go through Concord for on-street biking,” she said.
A painted bike path runs through downtown, where cyclists can enjoy the city’s shops and restaurants during their ride.
“It’s nice to be out on a nice day in that urban setting, and to be around other people,” Fenstermacher said. “You can stop and get a drink, or get an ice cream, or visit one of our breweries, and take advantage of all those amenities that urban areas provide.”
Horvath said the same of Manchester — that the city’s many activities and attractions are what make it an attractive place to bike.
“You can incorporate a variety of experiences easily in one day,” she said. “Ride to a park, swim in a pool, ride to a museum, see a matinee show and eat international cuisine all in one day.”
Jason Record
QC Bike Collective is a nonprofit organization that works to make biking safer and more convenient for people who live, learn or work in Manchester. It provides space, tools and equipment for community members to repair their bicycles at minimal cost and accepts donated bicycles to salvage useful parts and recycle them, or return them to working order and sell them at an affordable price. A few people who are involved in QC Bike shared their thoughts on city riding.
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer, both in the shop and for community outreach. Hooksett resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Mostly fun, but I did bike commute before Covid shut down my office in the Millyard.
What do you love about it?
I love the perspective and awareness of your surroundings that you just don’t get in a car. There are some many great street art pieces, statues, parks, and other features in the city that go easily unnoticed zipping by at 30 mph.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Definitely the rail trails, especially the refurbished Rockingham Rail trail. Lake Shore Drive is a favorite public road.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Cars and distracted drivers
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Front and rear flashing lights, high-visibility clothing, and a rear fender
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Get out there and explore, challenge yourself little by little, and enjoy the ride!
Tammy Zamoyski
Former QC Bike staff, currently Community Partner and volunteer. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Transportation.
What do you love about it?
Everything is so close; it rarely takes more than a few minutes longer to bike somewhere vs. drive.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
I most often take the Piscataquog Trail. It’s a less direct route to my destination, but it’s worth it to not have to be on the road with vehicles.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
I’m still pretty new to this city, so navigation can be difficult. Sometimes you have to be flexible with your route if the speed [or] volume of vehicular traffic isn’t what you were expecting. Also, the street signs around here can be hard to read, or even find!
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Properly dressing for the weather can make or break your ride!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
I’d highly recommend finding a “bike buddy” or riding mentor to ride with until you feel comfortable hitting the road on your own.
Florian Tschurtschenthaler
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer, both in the shop and for community outreach. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Both.
What do you love about it?
Biking is an efficient and fun alternative to driving around the city. Most of the distances within the city are short enough to be biked easily and especially around the center of the city it can be faster to bike than to take the car. Also it has obvious health and environmental benefits.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Elm and Chestnut streets are the best north-south passages. The footbridge by the Fisher Cats stadium is by far the best way to get across the river.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Many of the streets, especially east-west, don’t have bike paths and the sidewalks are too poorly maintained to be a good alternative, especially in the winter when the snow doesn’t get cleared.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Bright bike lights.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
The most important thing when sharing the road with drivers is to be predictable. Use hand signs and act as if you were driving a car. Take the lane if you need to. … It’s often safer than to squeeze on the side of a narrow road.
Scott Silberfeld
Long standing QC Bike volunteer – fundraising and for community outreach. Manchester resident and shop user.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Fun.
What do you love about it?
Good exercise, get to see what is going on around the city.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Through Elm Street and down Calef Road to South Manchester Bike Trail.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Drivers are not as considerate to bike riders as many other cities.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Helmet.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Use bike lanes as much as possible and ride defensively.
Kim Keegan
QC Bike Board of Directors and volunteer. Manchester resident.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
I bike for fun mostly. If I have an event or appointment where I think I may be able to bike there safely and it’s not raining or too cold, I’ll ride my bike.
What do you love about it?
Freedom from trying to find a parking place when I get to my destination, and the added exercise.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
I stick to my neighborhood, primarily. Smyth Road, Hillside Middle School, Currier Art Museum.
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
I don’t really feel safe in many parts of the city when I’m on my bike. I am an older rider and not in such great shape. Wouldn’t take much for some younger person to jump out and unseat me, and take my bike — or worse.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
A safety yellow jacket or safety vest, good brakes, well-inflated tires, water bottle, and of course a helmet!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Drive the routes first and be observant of road conditions, traffic and speed of cars, and personal safety in the areas. There are areas that would be great to bike to, if you didn’t have to go through bad areas to get to them. Do your research online first and plan your route accordingly.
Dave Rattigan
QC Bike volunteer and rider contact of Jason Record’s. Manchester resident.
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Fun (retired), but easy transportation also, which is fun.
What do you love about it?
Being able to upkeep a machine that takes you places by your own power … but mainly coasting and maintaining a good rhythm.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Bedford to Lake Massabesic. I’ve been city riding on a mountain bike for several decades, on tar and dirt cut-thru’s
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
Crossing the bridge of death (Queen City), or worse, the Amoskeag bridge.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Wearing a diaper and a single-speed mountain bike.
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Ride aggressively and find cut-thru’s to stay off main streets.
Kevin Kingsbury
Rider contact of Jason Record’s
Do you bike city streets mainly for fun or as a means of transportation?
Bike in the city for fun.
What do you love about it?
What I love about it is feeling like a kid again. Riding everywhere as an adult I did as a kid.
Any favorite routes in Manchester?
Favorite routes are any! But riding through airport terminals at night is great, and inner-city back alley loops are super fun!
What’s the most challenging part of biking in a city?
The challenging things are like Dave said, bridges, and also surprise pot holes and people the wrong way in the bike lanes.
What’s one of your must-haves for biking gear?
Must have a spare tube, and a mid-ride beer!
What’s one thing you would recommend to newer city bikers?
Recommend riding with groups until you get comfortable riding the streets on your own. And find/make your own cut through sand shortcuts!
Brian (Beast Of The East) Cray
Rider contact of Jason Record’s
I avoid the city because of road conditions.
Featured photo: The “bike school bus” pilot program, which encourages kids to ride their bikes to school. Photo courtesy of Manchester Moves.
