THANK YOU!!!

Dear AdventuRiders,

Well, that does it for the Spring 2011 season. For the record, we did 29 rides totaling over 650 miles. 

Mostly we want to thank all of our faithful riders. We couldn't do it without you! 

Stay tuned for the FREE SummeRides series starting soon.

Thanks Again,

Bill and Carole

GO - It's A Beautiful Day!

This Week - West Groton

Dear AdventuRiders,

Well, its happened again! Our 15th season of AdventuRides ends on Monday at noon. I have to rescue my kids from "The Big End" party at school, so there will be no afternoon ride.

The weather is looking excellent with Partly Cloudy skies and around 70 degrees.

On Monday, June 20th - West Groton

From our PortaPotty equipped starting point, we will ride up to the Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area for a visit to the Squannacook River. There is about 1 mile of civilized off road getting to and from the river. Then we're off to the hills of West Pepperell. I have planned a route that avoids most of the hills and still takes in the scenic backroads and beautiful farms. Then we zoom out of the hills and make our way back to West Groton.

• The morning Recreation Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Cutler Field - West Groton
• Route Map - West Groton - Pepperell - End of Season
• Distance - 15 1/2 miles
• Elevation Gain - 275 feet (moderate)
• Unpaved - 1 mile
• Equipment - I plan to bring my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly 18 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The morning Recreation Ride will leave.
• At 11:30 AM - We will be back.
• No Afternoon Ride.

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

STOP - The Fitness Ride is Postponed :-(

I hate to do it, but it sure looks like the rain / thunderstorm will
be here before noon.

Change of Plans - West Groton Tomorrow

Dear AdventuRiders,

Here is a picture of Carole being mobbed by goats on the Westminster ride yesterday. I'm putting together a slide show of the Spring season. If anyone want to contribute, just email them to me. THANKS!

So we've come to the Last Fitness Ride of the Spring 2011 Season. Fear not though, the FREE SummeRides series start soon. 

The weather isn't looking real cooperative, so I changed the ride from Townsend - Greenville to a more flexible West Groton - Brookline ride. There are many ways to cut this ride short if the weather turns threatening. The forecast calls for "Few Showers" and 70s in the morning with "Scattered T-Storms" in the afternoon.

The ride itself will take us to West Pepperell past Mount Lebanon and the beautiful farms before we tackle a bit of Oak Hill on out way to Bohanon Bridge on the Nissitissit River. From there it is UP to Wallace Hill. This is the reverse way that we normally go, so it is a short Cat 5 hill getting UP to the ridge with beautiful views (hopefully) of the Wapack Mountain range. 

Then we zoom down to the Squannacook River valley and back to the start. I probably can't stay for lunch, but there is Clover Farm Store nearby and Filho's in Groton Center.

On Friday, June 17th - West Groton

• The Fitness Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Cutler Field - West Groton - PortaPotty Equipped!
• Route Map - West Groton - Brookline - Wallace Hill
• Distance - 23 miles
• Elevation Gain - 700 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - None
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 30 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The Fitness Ride will leave.
• At 12:30 PM - We will be back.
• Lunch - Although I probably can't stay.

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

GO - Partly Cloudy, 70s

See you in Westminster.

Reminder - Westminster Tomorrow

Dear AdventuRiders,

The weather should be better tomorrow with the forecast calling for Partly Cloudy, mid 60s to mid 70s and light winds. I need to pick up my kids at 1:30 tomorrow, so I've shortened the ride a bit, and I can't do lunch / brewery afterwards :-(

On Wednesday, June 15th - Westminster

The Wednesday Exploration Ride will take us west to the Mount Wachusett region. We will start in Westminster, climb UP toward the west shoulder of Mount Wachusett on some scenic backroads before zooming DOWN to beautiful views at Princeton. From there we ride to Gardner passing many lakes before turning back to Westminster. I'm planning to do the whole ride with just a couple of snack breaks. There are a couple of significant hills at the beginning of the ride including a Cat 5 (easiest category) as we pass the mountain. From there it is rolling hills back to Westminster.

• The Exploration Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Westminster Bandshell
• Route Map - Westminster - Wachusett
• Distance - 23 miles
• Elevation Gain - 725 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - 1 mile - some rough spots
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 31 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• 9:30 AM - The Exploration Ride leaves.
• 1:00 PM - We will be back to Westminster.

Hope to see you there,

Bill (and maybe Carole)

GO - It Could Be A Bit Chilly

See you in West Acton.

This Week - West Acton - Westminster - Townsend

Dear AdventuRiders,

ARRRGHHH! I just found out that Nancy's Airfield Cafe is closed on Mondays now. So we are going to do essentially the same rides I planned, but we will start at the Elm Street Playground in West Acton. It is just around the corner from Idylwilde Farms, so we can have lunch there.

The weather forecast isn't bad (for a Monday) with cloudy skies and around 60 degrees.

The morning Recreation Ride will take us on a loop through the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge with almost 6 miles of car free riding on mostly old asphalt roads and a bit of dirt / gravel.

The afternoon Recreation Ride will tour the unpaved portions of the Assabet River Rail Trail along the river. This ride has about 2 1/2 miles of car free riding on surprisingly smooth dirt / gravel. This ride has a few more hills than the morning ride, but it also has some great views of the Assabet River Valley.

On Monday, June 13th - West Acton

• The morning Recreation Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Elm Street Playground - West Acton
• Route Map - Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
• Distance - 15 miles
• Elevation Gain - 200 feet (easy)
• Unpaved - 2 mile
• Equipment - I plan to bring my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly 17 flat, paved miles.

Lunch will be at Idylwilde Farms

• The afternoon Recreation Ride will leave at 12:30 PM.
• Starting Point Map - Elm Street Playground - West Acton
• Route Map - Assabet River Rail Trail
• Distance - 15 miles
• Elevation Gain - 250 feet (moderate)
• Unpaved - 2 1/2 miles
• Equipment - I plan to bring my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly 18 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The morning Recreation Ride will leave.
• At 11:30 AM - We will have lunch at Idylwilde Farms.
• At 12:30 PM - The afternoon Recreation Ride will leave.
• At 2:30 PM - We will be back.

On Wednesday, June 15th - Westminster

The Wednesday Exploration Ride will take us west to the Mount Wachusett region. We will start in Westminster, climb UP toward the west shoulder of Mount Wachusett on some scenic backroads before zooming DOWN to beautiful views at Princeton. From there we ride to Gardner passing many lakes before turning back to Westminster. I'm planning to do the whole ride with just a couple of snack breaks and then have lunch afterwards. Lunch options include Gardner Ale House, Old Mill Restaurant, or a brewery tour at Wachusett Brewing.

• The Exploration Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Westminster Bandshell
• Route Map - Westminster - Wachusett
• Distance - 27 miles
• Elevation Gain - 800 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - 1 mile - some rough spots
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 36 flat, paved miles.

On Friday, June 17th - Townsend - Greenville

This is the old Nennie's 5 Star Cafe ride to Greenville, NH. There are some serious hills getting up to Greenville and there are some seriously nice views all the way to Boston and there is a seriously fun 9 mile downhill run back to Townsend. Stay tuned.

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

GO - A Good Biking Day!

See you at Thayer Field In Lancaster.

Reminder - Lancaster Fitness Ride Tomorrow

Dear AdventuRiders,

In spite of the weather today, tomorrow's forecast is for "Sunny and Delightful" with temps in the 70s, light northerly winds, and lower humidity.

The Fitness Ride will take on a quick tour of scenic Lancaster and Atlantic Union College before we tackle a Category 5 (easiest) climb up George Hill past stables and the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center. From there we ride along quiet backroads past the Sterling National Country Club before climbing back up to distant views of the Nashoba Valley near Davis Farmland.

After a visit to Mary Sawyer's Birthplace (of Mary Had A Little Lamb fame) we will zoom down to Sterling for a short ride on the near perfection of the Mass Central Rail Trail. Then its off to Wachusett Reservoir and Dam in Clinton before returning by way of the old Lancaster Industrial School for Girls.

I can't stay for lunch, but I do have some suggestions.

On Friday, June 10th - Lancaster

• The Fitness Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Lancaster - Packard Street - Thayer Field
• Route Map - Lancaster - Sterling - Wachusett
• Distance - 25 1/2 miles
• Elevation Gain - 700 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - 1 1/2 miles on the MCRT + 1 mile @ the Wachusett Reservoir
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 33 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The Fitness Ride will leave.
• At 12:30 PM - We will be back.
• Lunch

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

GO - Bring Plenty of Water.

Change of Plans ...

Dear AdventuRiders,

When I planned the Wednesday ride, the forecast was Partly Cloudy and mid 70s. Not that I particularly believe the weatherman, but the current forecast is for 96 degrees on Wednesday. That is WAYYYY beyond my limit for dry biking, so I am changing the Exploration Ride to a potentially wet ride along the Squannacook River in West Groton and Heald Pond in Pepperell. As Alex and I found out last summer, even 98 degrees feels good as long as there is a pond / river to jump into.

On Wednesday, June 8th - West Groton

We will meet at Cutler Field in West Groton. Here is a starting point map.

This is a variant of my hot summer day ride from Groton Center. We will stop at the Bertozzi Wildlife Management Area with an optional dip in the Squannacook River. Then its off to the hills of West Pepperell and Heald Pond. For those who haven't been there, Heald Pond is as close to a mountain lake as you are going to find around here. I know a secluded beach where we can enjoy the crystal clear water. I've extended my normal route a bit to avoid the really steep hills and still stop at Heald Pond. Then we zoom down the hill to Pepperell Center before returning by way of (but not over) Mount Lebanon.

• We will leave at 9:30 AM
• Start Point Map - Cutler Field
• Route Map - West Groton - Swimming Holes
• Distance : 19 1/2 miles
• Elevation Gain : 425 feet (moderate)
• Unpaved : 1.5 miles
• Equipment : I will riding my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly equal to 23 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The Exploration Ride will leave.
• By 1:00 PM - We will be back.
• Lunch - Clover Farm Store? Filhos?

Hope to see you there,

Bill (and maybe Carole)

GO - It's A Beautiful Day!

This Week - Sterling - Westminster - Lancaster

Dear AdventuRiders,

This is the next to last full week of AdventuRides Spring 2011 :-( Our last scheduled ride is Monday, June 20th. We are also planning an End of Season Party probably on Friday, June 17th. Stay tuned for more details! BTW, we continue rides during the Summer as the Fearless Leader sees fit :-)

This week we are going to be exploring Central Massachusetts starting Monday with a trip to Sterling and the beautiful Mass Central Rail Trail. The morning Recreation Ride will take the easy (but less scenic) route from Sterling along the MCRT to Holden. The afternoon Recreation Ride will cover the same parts of the MCRT, but will also visit the Old Stone Church in West Boyleston.

The Wednesday Exploration Ride will take us further west to the Mount Wachusett region. We will start in Westminster, climb UP toward the west shoulder of Mount Wachusett on some scenic backroads before zooming DOWN to beautiful views at Princeton. From there we ride to Gardner passing many lakes before turning back to Westminster. I'm planning to do the whole ride with just a couple of snack breaks and then have lunch afterwards. Lunch options include Gardner Ale House, Old Mill Restaurant, or a brewery tour at Wachusett Brewing.

On Friday, we will meet in Lancaster. After a quick tour of the historic center and Atlantic Union College, we will climb UP to the hills above Sterling before swooping down to the "Mary Had A Little Lamb" statue in Sterling Center. From there we ride a bit of the MCRT on our way to the Wachusett Reservoir Dam before returning to Lancaster. I can't stay for lunch since my sons are doing "gateway" presentations at school in the afternoon.

On Monday, June 6th - Sterling - MCRT

The MCRT is technically unpaved, but it has a very smooth crushed rock surface, so I'm not going to count it as unpaved.

• The morning Recreation Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Sterling Center
• Route Map - Sterling - MCRT - Easier
• Distance - 16 1/2 miles
• Elevation Gain - 300 feet (easy)
• Unpaved - 8 1/2 - but it doesn't really count
• Equipment - I plan to bring my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly 19 flat, paved miles.

Lunch will be at Village Pizza & More in Sterling.

• The afternoon Recreation Ride will leave at 12:30 PM.
• Starting Point Map - Sterling Center
• Route Map - Sterling - MCRT
• Distance - 17 miles
• Elevation Gain - 420 feet (moderate)
• Unpaved - 8 1/2 - but it doesn't really count
• Equipment - I plan to bring my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly 21 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The morning Recreation Ride will leave.
• At 11:30 AM - We will have lunch at Village Pizza.
• At 12:30 PM - The afternoon Recreation Ride will leave.
• At 2:30 PM - We will be back.

On Wednesday, June 8th - Westminster

• The Exploration Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Westminster Bandshell
• Route Map - Westminster - Wachusett
• Distance - 27 miles
• Elevation Gain - 800 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - 1 mile - some rough spots
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 36 flat, paved miles.

On Friday, June 10th - Lancaster

• The Fitness Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
• Starting Point Map - Lancaster - Packard Street
• Route Map - Lancaster - Sterling - Wachusett
• Distance - 25 miles
• Elevation Gain - 775 feet (more difficult)
• Unpaved - 1 1/2 miles on the MCRT
• Equipment - I plan to bring my ROAD bike.

AR Index = roughly 33 flat, paved miles.

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

GO - It's A Beautiful Day!

It could be a bit chilly this morning.

Reminder - East Pepperell Center to Nashua on Friday

Dear AdventuRiders,

Wow, what crazy weather we have been having. Tomorrow looks like a TOP 10 sort of day, SUNNY and 60 when we leave and near 70 when we get back with a refreshing breeze!

Here is a picture from today's Cape Ann ride. We were having a snack on the headlands overlooking Rockport Harbor. Nashua isn't quite that scenic, but it will be a fun ride along the old mill canals.

On Friday, June 3rd - East Pepperell

We will meet at the Rail Trail parking lot in East Pepperell Center. Here is the starting point map.

This is a "new" ride that starts at East Pepperell Center, goes UP to Hollis Center, then DOWN to Nashua. Then we will ride through Mine Falls Park on our way back to the Nashua River Rail Trail and back to Pepperell. There is a considerable amount of unpaved road and trail, but it is smoother than much of the pavement that we ride. I'm bringing my hybrid bike because its more comfortable.

• We will leave at 9:30 AM
• Start Point Map - East Pepperell Center
• Route Map - Pepperell - Hollis - Nashua
• Distance : 27 miles
• Elevation Gain : 500 feet (moderate)
• Unpaved : 4 miles
• Equipment : I will riding my HYBRID bike.

AR Index = roughly equal to 32 flat, paved miles.

Here is the schedule:

• At 9:30 AM - The Fitness Ride will leave.
• At 12:30 PM - We will be back.
• Lunch

Hope to see you there,

Bill and Carole

GO - It's a Beautiful Day!

It could be a bit chilly this morning.