Reminder - Halloween Ride Carlisle Center Tomorrow + Tour de Grave

Dear AdventuRiders,

I hope you all had a chance to get outside today. We had a great ride UP to Greenville, NH for lunch and a breezy ride back DOWN to Townsend. The weather for tomorrow is looking nice, but considerably cooler. It should be mid 40s in the morning and mid 50s in the afternoon with partly cloudy skies.


Don't forget, best Halloween Costume wins dessert from Fern's Country Store.

We will meet in a little park just north of the Carlisle Center rotary. Here is a map. Please DO NOT park at Fern's. If the parking lot is full, there is another parking lot at Carlisle Town Hall just around the corner.

The morning Recreation Ride will zip over to the new Bruce Freeman Rail Trail for a short ride to Heart Pond. Then its off to the Cranberry Bog and Great Brook Farm State Park before returning to Carlisle. The route is almost 15 miles and 250 feet vertical. We will probably do a bit of off road exploring, but I'll be bringing my road bike tires at least, so the off road will be limited and very civilized.

The afternoon Fitness Ride will cruise past a bunch of Acton Conservation land on the way to the Old North Bridge in Concord. From there we will ride on Monument Street and admire the farms and views of the Concord River Valley on our way back to Carlisle. The route is 16 1/2 miles, 350 feet vertical, all on road and I plan to bring my road bike / tires.


On Friday, October 29th, we will meet in Carlisle Center for our Halloween Ride. Best costume wins a dessert from Fern's Country Store. Here is a map.

• At 9:30 AM. The Recreation Ride will leave for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and Great Brook Farm. Here is a map.
• At 11:30 AM. We will get lunch at Fern's Country Store in Carlisle Center.
• At 12:15 PM. The Fitness Ride will leave for Concord and the Old North Bridge. Here is a map.
• At 2:15 PM. We will be back.

On Saturday, October 30th, *MassBike Spins Presents: Tour de Grave*

Thanks to Lindy for suggesting this!

*What: *A MassBike trip to some of the Boston area's famous and lesser-known
graveyards in honor of Halloween. Trip leaves at 9:30 AM in order to avoid
the majority of ghosts, and will be about 20 miles and take about 4
hours. Helmets are required and appropriate costumes are encouraged for this ride!

We will visit the following burying grounds and cemeteries: Old Cambridge
Burying Ground, Belmont Cemetery, North Cambridge Catholic Cemetery, Old
Arlington Burying Ground, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Oak Grove Cemetery, Salem
Street Burying Ground, Phipps Street Burying Ground, Bunker Hill Cemetery,
St. Francis de Sales Cemetery, and we will end the ride at the newly
restored Milk Row Cemetery in Somerville.

*Where*: We will meet at the Old Cambridge Burying Ground at the corner of
Garden Street and Mass Ave in Harvard Square.

*When*: Saturday October 30, 2010 at 9:30AM until 2 PM.

Steady rain cancels.

*Who*: For more information contact Dick Bauer <dick.bauer@alum.mit.edu>

<http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Tour-de-Graves-2010>

Route Map and Cue
Sheet<http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Tour-de-Graves-2010>

MassBike Spins <http://www.massbike.org/newsevents/ride-listings/>

<http://www.massbike.org/>http://www.massbike.org



Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole

GO - It's Indian Summer!

Change of Plans - Greenville on Thursday

Dear AdventuRiders,

It looks almost certain that tomorrow's ride will be rained out :-(

So, I rescheduled this week's Exploration Ride to Thursday, October 28th, and changed the starting point to Townsend Center. The weather is looking extraordinarily nice with sunny skies and mid 60s on Thursday. The foliage in the high country is fading a bit, but in the towns and along the rivers it can best be described as "a riot of colors"!

We will meet about 1/2 mile past Townsend Center and ride UP to Ashby then DOWN to historic New Ipswich "High Bridge" and then on to Greenville for lunch (NOT Nennie's 5 Star!). Lunch will be at the Heart's Desire Bakery / Deli or the Panda Wok in Greenville. After lunch, we have a steady climb up to amazing views from Adams Hill. We should be able to see Boston (almost 50 miles away). From there it is almost all DOWN. We will zip through Mason, past the cascades on Rocky Brook, and then enjoy a breezy cruise back down to Townsend.

The ride will be about 25 miles and 1050 feet vertical with 2 category 5 hills (easiest category) getting up to the plateau, but then its rolling hills and beautiful distant views. After lunch we have another cat 5 hill. Its all on road, but there are a few gravel / dirt roads on the way. I plan to bring my road bike, or at least my road bike tires. BTW, the killer hills are easily walkable, so everyone is welcome. Here is a map.


On Thursday, October 28th, we will meet just past Townsend Center. Here is a map. Google claims its only 14 minutes from Groton Center.

* At 9:30 AM - we will leave for Greenville. Here is a map.
* At Noonish - Lunch in Greenville.
* At 2:30 PM - we will be back.


Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole

GO - No Rain In Sight

It is a bit chilly, bring something warm.

This Week - Stow - Groton - Carlisle + Tour de Grave

Dear AdventuRiders,

After a somewhat wintry (but beautiful) ride on Friday, we have a mild but cloudy day in store for tomorrow. In the morning the forecast calls for near 60 degrees and cloudy, the afternoon forecast is for more of the same but mid 60s.


The morning Fitness Ride features a swing past Delaney Pond on our way to the golf courses in Stow. Then its off to the unpaved (but extremely civilized) portion of the Assebet River Rail Trail and a visit to the CIA headquarters! After following the Assebet River and enjoying the foliage for a while we will head back to Nancy's for lunch. The route is about 16 1/2 miles and 300 feet vertical. Here is a map. I am planning to bring my road tires / bike.

The afternoon Recreation Ride, we will visit a different part of Delaney Pond on the way to Boxboro and Hill Road (yes, its a hill). We will stop at the old school house and zoom down to Boxboro Center before heading back past old Flagg Hill Ski Area.
The route is about 13 1/2 miles and 300 feet vertical, most of it is on Hill Road. Here is a map. I am planning to bring my road tires / bike.

On Monday, October 25th, we will meet at Nancy's Airfield Cafe at the Stow Minuteman Airfield. Here is a map.

• At 9:30 AM - The Fitness Ride will leave for Hudson and the Assebet River Rail Trail. Here is a map.
  
• At 11:30 AM - We will have lunch at Nancy's Airfield Cafe. YUM!
• At 12:15 PM - The Recreation Ride will leave for Delaney Pond and Littleton. Here is a map.
• At 2:15 PM - We will be back.

On Wednesday, October 27th, we will meet in Groton Center. Here is a map. I again have kid chauffeur duty in the afternoon, so we will do a 25 mile ride in the morning.

• At 9:30 AM - The Exploration Ride will leave for Lunenburg. Here is a map.
• At 12:30 PM - We should be back.
• Lunch at Filho's? Perhaps the Groton Inn? Main Street Cafe?

On Friday, October 29th, we will meet in Carlisle Center for our Halloween Ride. Best costume wins a dessert from Fern's Country Store.

• At 9:30 AM. The Recreation Ride will leave for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail and Great Brook Farm. Here is a map.
• At 11:30 AM. We will get lunch at Fern's Country Store in Carlisle Center.
• At 12:15 PM. The Fitness Ride will leave for Concord and the Old North Bridge. Here is a map.
• At 2:15 PM. We will be back.

On Saturday, October 30th, *MassBike Spins Presents: Tour de Grave*

Thanks to Lindy for suggesting this!

*What: *A MassBike trip to some of the Boston area's famous and lesser-known
graveyards in honor of Halloween. Trip leaves at 9:30 AM in order to avoid
the majority of ghosts, and will be about 20 miles and take about 4
hours. Helmets are required and appropriate costumes are encouraged for this ride!

We will visit the following burying grounds and cemeteries: Old Cambridge
Burying Ground, Belmont Cemetery, North Cambridge Catholic Cemetery, Old
Arlington Burying Ground, Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Oak Grove Cemetery, Salem
Street Burying Ground, Phipps Street Burying Ground, Bunker Hill Cemetery,
St. Francis de Sales Cemetery, and we will end the ride at the newly
restored Milk Row Cemetery in Somerville.


Hope to see you there,
Bill and Carole

Today's Ride, Wachusett Passes, and AppleFest

Dear AdventuRiders,

I hesitate to use the work "cold" to describe today's ride, perhaps "invigorating" and "Fall foliage spectacular" would be more fitting.

Anyway, Alex took this video of this morning's ride. Thanks Alex!

And hot off my GPS, this morning's route to West Boyleston and this afternoon's route to Clinton. BTW, if you are ever out that way and get hungry, I would definitely recommend Village Pizza and More on Main Street in Sterling.

As long as I'm plugging stuff, for all you downhill skiers I have a Greatest Possible Saving club at Wachusett Mountain again this year. Here is the link to the GPS passes. I would recommend the Bronze or Silver season pass, since weekend days and holidays can be very crowded. The Bronze Pass is $229 and the deadline to buy GPS passes is November 17th. Surprisingly, the group name is ADVENTURIDES.

And finally, don't miss the AppleFest this weekend at Wachusett featuring the Great New England BBQ Festival. They have Wachusett Country Ale on tap ...

Have a great weekend,
Bill

GO - Beautiful Day But Chilly

Bring an extra layer.