Dear AdventuRiders,
This week my lovely and directionally-challenged assistant Carole will be leading the Monday and Wednesday rides. I will be busy signing my kid's inheritance away in Bar Harbor :-)
I found this thing parked in my front yard this morning.
The Recreation and Beginner rides will start from Groton Center on Monday of this week.
The Recreation Ride will ride a bit of the rail trail before turning west toward the new Fitch's Bridge and riding some scenic backroads on the way to Pepperell and then returning to Groton Center.
The Beginner Ride will travel the rail trail to East Pepperell Center and take a small side trip across the covered bridge to the banks of the Nissitissit River.
On Monday, September 30th - Groton Center
- 9:30 AM - The Recreation Ride will leave.
- 11:30 AM - We should be back.
- Starting Point Map - Groton Center.
- Route Map - Groton - Fitch's - Pepperell.
- Distance - 14.5 miles.
- Elevation Gain - 270 feet (easy).
- Off Road - 1/2 mile of dirt / gravel.
- Equipment - Any well maintained bike will work.
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 16 flat, smooth miles.
LUNCH - Filho's Cucina - YUM!!!
- 12:30 PM - The Beginner Ride will leave for Pepperell.
- 2:30 PM - We should be back.
- Starting Point Map - Groton Center.
- Route Map - Groton - Pepperell.
- Distance - 12.5 Miles.
- Elevation Gain - 160 feet (easy).
- Off Road - none.
- Equipment - Any well maintained bike will work.
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 13 flat, smooth miles.
On Wednesday, October 2nd - East Pepperell Center
We can have lunch at Martha's Exchange (a brew pub) in Nashua before heading back. If the weather is nice enough we can have lunch outside on Main Street.
- The Exploration Ride will leave at 9:30 AM.
- We should be back by 2:30 PM.
- Starting Point Map - East Pepperell Center Rail Trail Parking.
- Route Map - Pepperell - Nashua - Martha's.
- Distance - 28 miles.
- Elevation Gain - 550 feet (moderate).
- Unpaved - 8 miles - it sounds worse than it is.
- Equipment - I plan to bring my road bike.
- AR Index - Roughly 34 flat, smooth miles.
On Friday, October 4th -Lancaster
A YUMMY lunch awaits us at Meadowbrook Orchards.
Please park away from the building so their regular customers aren't inconvenienced.
- 9:30 AM Start time.
- 1:00 PM Return time.
- Starting Point Map - Meadowbrook Orchards.
- Route Map - Meadowbrook- Sterling - MCRT
- Distance - 26 Miles.
- Elevation Gain - 700 feet (just 1 challenging category 5 hill).
- Unpaved - 5 miles of beautiful, smooth, crush rock on the MCRT.
- Equipment - I plan to bring my road bike.
- AR Index - Roughly equal to 33 flat, paved miles.
Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole