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