Thursday, October 27, 2011

FridayBike, Friday, October 28th

Ride the New Bike Path and out to the Stow Store 11:00

Looks like sunshine for Friday, but in the forties and breezy. So, not bad compared to most Thursdays we've had. Use the cross country ski clothes to stay comfortable.

For anyone who can ride on Friday: Meet at the Maine Visitors Center in Fryeburg on Route 302, ready to ride at 11:00. The sun might feel warm by then!

We can ride out the new bike path - the "Mountain Division Rail Trail" from the Visitor Center parking lot then cross over route 302 to 113 and ride out through North Fryeburg to the Stow Store.

Total miles? About 23 to 30, depending on the riders choice of routes and the weather!

Carpool from Glen or Jackson?? Meet at the Grants parking lot in Glen at 10:15

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

FridayBike?

The weather forecast for Thursday, October 27th is AGAIN not great for a bike ride. Wet snow this time...?! What next???


I am going to check the Friday weather forecast again tomorrow morning to see if FRIDAY will be OK for a ride. It could be OK, but cold. If the roads are not wet, the sun is out and the wind is light it may be OK for a ride. So, if you would like to get out for a ride on Friday, check this blog again tomorrow.

There is an eerie consistency to this ThursdayBike weather. Eventually, this weather pattern will change, and it is likely we will have a November full of perfect sunny Thursdays!!! (we had this 2 years ago!).


The last Bluebird ThursdayBike day was August 18th (The Basin). Thursday August 25th had 6 riders, and it started to rain about a half hour AFTER we finished the ride.


Then there was Tropical Storm Irene with the road closures, but we put together a great ride on Sept 1st with the The Bear Notch Loop (6 riders).

August 8th was not great weather I am not sure if anyone showed up!

The next 3 ThursdayBike rides were cancelled due to rain.

On October 6th, 6 riders did the Whitefield ride - cold and windy to start but a nice day eventually.

October 13th was cancelled, the 20th was cancelled (but FridayBike was a success for 6 riders!).


So, for 10 weeks, we had 6 cancellations, one beautiful day and 3 marginal days and one FridayBike.


Well, I hope we get to ride a few more times before the end of the ThursdayBike season! See you perhaps on Friday or for the Saturday Velo Club Ride!














In the mean time, I might just take the storage wax off the rock skis.....

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

FridayBike!

Friday, October 21st, 2011

North Road to Evans Notch

OK, I have had enough of this rain on Thursdays!!

Since this Thursday is again plagued by rain, I am going to get around this by setting up the ride for Friday this week....

Riding in the fall foliage is just so nice that I want to be out there a few more times before the colors disappear!

For anyone who can ride on Friday, let's do the North Road-Evans Notch Ride. We have not done this ride for more than a year. It is a pleasant easy ride! It is now improved since the short section on Route 2 is now a newly paved very wide shoulder. Riding up towards Evans Notch alongside the Wild River is very interesting after the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.

The ride starts out of the dirt parking area at the North Road-Hogan Road intersection. Ride North Road to the iron bridge (Bridge Street, about 9 miles), take a right to cross the bridge and ride up to Route 2. Take a right, then after about 0.3 mile, take a left onto Route 113 which goes up Evans Notch. The Wild River is very visible now after the flooding, and the suspension bridge that we used to walk across was destroyed by the raging river. We can stop to see what remains. The ride up towards the notch is a beautiful, flat to very gradual climb for about 8 miles. At this point, at a small bridge, the climb steepens for about a mile to the top of the notch.

Round trip to the beginning of the steeper climb at the small bridge and back is 32 miles.

Longer ride: Round trip to the top of the notch, if you want to do it, is about 36 miles.

Shorten the ride to about 18 miles if you start at the iron bridge on Bridge Street, parking in the canoe/kayak parking area on the south west side of the bridge.

We can pick a spot along the river in the sun for lunch or snacks.

How to get there:

Take Route 16 through Pinkham Notch to Gorham. Take a right onto Route 2 and drive about 3 miles. Just after a beautiful stone house and barn on the left, take a left onto North Road. Cross the dam, notice the damage from Irene, then continue 0.2 mile to the intersection with Hogan Road to park at the corner.

Ready to ride FRIDAY at 10:00am

Carpool? Meet in the parking lot across the street from the J-Town Deli in Jackson at 9:15.

Check the blog again on Friday morning if the rain decides to plague FridayBike.....

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Thursday, the 13th

October 13th, 2011

It's Thursday the 13th, and the the unlucky forecast has a 90% chance of rain. It is really hard not to be doing Thursday rides in the fall foliage. I am getting sick of cancelling rides....!!
Hopefully next week will be spectacular!

On Friday, the 14th, at 3:00, there will be a Gala Grand Opening of the bike path which starts at the Fryeburg, ME Visitor Center on Route 302. This is known as "The Kinsman Trail" by the locals, in honor of all the work Dave Kinsman has done to get the Mountain Division Rail-With-Trail system going! The 1.5 mile path is paved and will be enjoyed by many! If it isn't raining, meet there for a ride on the path at 3:00.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

White Mountains and Whitefield in Full Color 10:00 am

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Since the Velo Club Saturday Ride was cancelled due to rain, let's do the ride that was scheduled!!

The sun will be shining but the temperature will be the coolest since last spring, so dress warmly...
I have ordered a tail wind for the way back to the car. I will not be able to join you for this ride, I am in CT, but I will try to ride there.

Here is the ride as was posted on the Velo Website:

Because of the cool (cold?) temperature, let's start at 10:00 am

It's Leaf Peeping Time - time to do the bike rides that are saved for the best panoramic views of the brilliant foliage. Let's head out to ride on the other side of Crawford Notch, where the foliage is probably peak right now.

The ride starts out of the Eisenhower Wayside Park, on the right side of Route 302 about 2 miles after passing through Crawford Notch/Highland Center. Ride west to the Twin Mountain 4-corners, take a right onto Route 3. Take another right onto Route 115. After passing the scenic vista/parking area on the left, take a left onto Airport Road/Hazen Road and ride down past the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, the airport and industrial center. Cross the RR tracks and take a right. Cross the tracks again and ride to Route 116 and take a left to go into Whitefield Center. The lunch stop is on the town green at the gazebo. There is a convenience store, an ice cream store and Dunkin Donuts close by. Return by the same route - but enjoy a completely different panoramic view!

Ready to ride at 10:00 am

Carpool from Grant's parking lot, in the back near the Mountain Center Physical Therapy at 9:15 am

Distance from Eisenhower Wayside: 39 miles

Shorter options:

Start at the parking lot (right side of 302) near the Zealand Road/ and Zealand Campground: 30 miles

Start at the Twin Mountain Visitor Center at the gazebo at the light at the Route 302/3 intersection: 25 miles

Here is a link to the map:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/40208406