Thursday, October 26th, 2017
A rainy Thursday, so no ride. Great to finally get the rain - we needed it!
Hope to have better riding weather next Thursday! See you then!!
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Lakes, Foests and Pine Barrens Ride: Madison, Freedom and Tamworth 10:00 am
Thursday, October 19th, 2017
The Lakes and Pine Barrens Ride will start at the Madison Selectmen's Town Offices Parking lot (Route 113, 1923 Village Rd, on the right side of the road just before the library when driving west; the building is up a driveway from the road). There is a large lot in the back of the building. The route travels east and over the hill to Route 153 then south to Bennet Street. Taking a right on Bennet we go east alongside the Freedom Town Forest and Ossipee Pine Barrens. The route goes by Camp Calumet at the northern tip of Ossipee Lake, crosses Route 16 and goes on Route 25 in West Ossipee for about a mile, then takes Old Route 25 and 113 into Tamworth Village.
We can eat lunch at the picnic tables behind The Other Store because it should be warm enough for a picnic!. You can buy food and/or ice cream there. After the lunch stop in Tamworth, return via Depot Road, the northern end of Silver Lake, East Madison Road to our cars.
The distance is 33 miles.
Meet at the Town Offices parking lot at 10:00 am, ready to ride. The afternoon temperatures will be in the mid 60s to 70!
For those from the Glen/Bartlett/Jackson area, if you want to carpool, meet at the back of Grant's parking lot at 9:00 am.
Here is a map:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/1826427440
Info on The Pine Barrens:
https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newhampshire/places-preserves/ossipee-pine-barrens.xml
http://ossipeelake.org/lake/special-places/ossipee-pine-barrens/
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
The Lost Nation Ride, 10:00 am start from Whitefield Gazebo
Thursday, October 12th, 2017
Thursday looks perfect for a ride, low sixties, sunshine, foliage and a tailwind, for sure. All the weather forecasts were in sync with this, for a change!! Easy planning! So it is fitting that we do a good long ride that should be beautiful in the fall colors!! This is one of my many favorites for spectacular scenery!
The full loop is 50 miles, but there is a really nice 27 mile option that avoids many of the climbs.
The Lost Nation Loop starts in Whitefield at the town green with the gazebo in the center. We ride east towards Jefferson on Route 116, then North Road through Grange and Lost Nation (tiny white church) to Groveton. We then ride about 2.5 miles down Route 3 (wide shoulder) to Northumberland and cross the CT River into Guildhall, VT. We ride the VT side of the CT River on Route 102 then cross the long Mt. Orne Covered Bridge just south of Lancaster. We ride almost to Dalton along the NH side of the CT River and then take route 142 back to Whitefield. This riverside cruising downstream from Groveton is superb biking!
Bring a lunch to eat at the white covered bridge in Groveton. There is a convenience store/gas station near the covered bridge, but I am never certain if any of these northern NH stores are still open, better to have some food with you!
Bring a lunch to eat at the white covered bridge in Groveton. There is a convenience store/gas station near the covered bridge, but I am never certain if any of these northern NH stores are still open, better to have some food with you!
Start time: 10:00 am, ready to ride
Carpooling: If you want to carpool, meet at the Attitash parking lot at 8:40 am
Directions to Whitefield: Route 302 through Crawford Notch to the light at Twin Mountain four corners. Take a right onto Route 3 and follow Route 3 to the center of Whitefield, a tiny town green with a gazebo. One hour drive from beautiful downtown Glen.
Parking in Whitefield: There is parking around the town green in the center of Whitefield (intersection of Routes 3, 116, 142).
Parking in Whitefield: There is parking around the town green in the center of Whitefield (intersection of Routes 3, 116, 142).
Ride Distance: 50 miles, majority of the climbing happens early in the ride, when we are still fresh.
Shorter Option: 27 miles A shorter, easier loop can be done out of Lancaster, parking at the Shaw's Supermarket. If you want to do this version, meet at the Whitefield Gazebo with everyone else at 10:00, get the plan, then drive up to Lancaster. You will meet the 50 mile riders at the big dairy farm at the corner of Grange Road. You will have cut out the longest and steepest climbs.
History ?: Lost Nation seems to always be associated with The Republic of Indian Stream, (perhaps because of the book written about this interesting region of NH? Lost Nation, by Jeffrey Lent). The place called Lost Nation, where we will ride (don't blink or you may miss it...), is not geographically contained within the former Republic of Indian Stream, which is closer to Pittsburg. On the Pittsburg/Colebrook bike ride we travel over the rivers that bounded the Republic of Indian Stream, which was the Lost Nation, but this is well north of where the village of "Lost Nation" is on a map. I have not been able to remedy this inconsistency!
For a history of The Republic of Indian Steam here is a short review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Indian_Stream
Note on that Pittsburg/Colebrook/Route 145 amazing bike ride...There is a section of Route 145 that has been closed due to construction, supposedly ready to open by late October. IF we continue with good enough weather to head up there to do this ride on the reopened road, I will certainly set it up!
Map, 50 mile ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/us/deerfield-nh/lost-nation-loop-route-1539328
Elevation profile:
Map: Shorter version, 26 miles: http://www.mapmyride.com/us/northumberland-nh/lost-nation-loop-from-lancaster-route-110831617
Elevation profile:
For a history of The Republic of Indian Steam here is a short review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Indian_Stream
Note on that Pittsburg/Colebrook/Route 145 amazing bike ride...There is a section of Route 145 that has been closed due to construction, supposedly ready to open by late October. IF we continue with good enough weather to head up there to do this ride on the reopened road, I will certainly set it up!
Map, 50 mile ride:
http://www.mapmyride.com/us/deerfield-nh/lost-nation-loop-route-1539328
Elevation profile:
Map: Shorter version, 26 miles: http://www.mapmyride.com/us/northumberland-nh/lost-nation-loop-from-lancaster-route-110831617
Elevation profile:
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
The Andover Ride 10:00 am
Thursday, October 5th, 2017
Looks like Thursday will be a good day for a scenic ride along the rivers and fields of western Maine. I have not been impressed with the foliage progress so far, whether at home, western NH, Vermont or Adirondacks. So what not try western Maine to see if it is any better there?
The route to Andover from Bethel is a gem, one of my favorites, worth the drive to Bethel. It is an extension of the North Road ride! It is a beautiful route on quiet roads. It is not a hard ride, only some short grinder hills on Intervale Road in the first 10 miles (and last 10 miles). The remainder of the ride is pleasantly gentle and scenic. It is a ThursdayBike favorite!
Start at the park on the Androscoggin River in Bethel (where we picnic at the end of the North Road ride) and go north on Intervale Road to where it ends at Route 232 in Rumford Corner. Take a left and cross the Androscoggin River on the new bridge. A very short ride on Route 2 then right on Whippoorwill Road to Andover Road and eventually into the center of Andover where there is a great general store and perfect town green with gazebo for lunching.
Return south on Route 5 for a short distance, then cross the Lovejoy Covered Bridge (Maine's shortest covered bridge) then retrace the route back to the cars.
Total distance: 49 miles (a short out and back on the bike path and you get a 50 miler)
Lunch: The Andover General Store is a good food and ice cream stop located across the park and gazebo.
Starting Time: 10:00 am Ready To Ride from the riverside park at the end of the bike path in Bethel on Route 26 (our usual lunch stop with picnic tables, porta-potties and playground).
Parking: There are not a lot of parking spaces at the riverside park. If the lot is full, park near the convenience store/DunkinDonuts on Route 2 where the bike path crosses the Androscoggin River.
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/9696224
Looks like Thursday will be a good day for a scenic ride along the rivers and fields of western Maine. I have not been impressed with the foliage progress so far, whether at home, western NH, Vermont or Adirondacks. So what not try western Maine to see if it is any better there?
The route to Andover from Bethel is a gem, one of my favorites, worth the drive to Bethel. It is an extension of the North Road ride! It is a beautiful route on quiet roads. It is not a hard ride, only some short grinder hills on Intervale Road in the first 10 miles (and last 10 miles). The remainder of the ride is pleasantly gentle and scenic. It is a ThursdayBike favorite!
Start at the park on the Androscoggin River in Bethel (where we picnic at the end of the North Road ride) and go north on Intervale Road to where it ends at Route 232 in Rumford Corner. Take a left and cross the Androscoggin River on the new bridge. A very short ride on Route 2 then right on Whippoorwill Road to Andover Road and eventually into the center of Andover where there is a great general store and perfect town green with gazebo for lunching.
Return south on Route 5 for a short distance, then cross the Lovejoy Covered Bridge (Maine's shortest covered bridge) then retrace the route back to the cars.
Total distance: 49 miles (a short out and back on the bike path and you get a 50 miler)
Lunch: The Andover General Store is a good food and ice cream stop located across the park and gazebo.
Starting Time: 10:00 am Ready To Ride from the riverside park at the end of the bike path in Bethel on Route 26 (our usual lunch stop with picnic tables, porta-potties and playground).
Parking: There are not a lot of parking spaces at the riverside park. If the lot is full, park near the convenience store/DunkinDonuts on Route 2 where the bike path crosses the Androscoggin River.
Carpool: If you want to carpool, meet in Jackson at the parking lot across from the J-Town Deli at 8:45 am, otherwise, see you in Bethel!
Shorter Options:
Park along the edge of Intervale Road, north of our starting point. You can cut out up to 16 miles this way (it is 8 miles to the intersection with East Bethel Road, located on the right off of Intervale Road where the cows are), and avoid the 2 hills at the very end of the ride! Meet with everyone else at the park at 10:00, then drive up a ways, park, hop on your bike and join the group as we ride by!
To see a map of the ride click the link:
Shorter Options:
Park along the edge of Intervale Road, north of our starting point. You can cut out up to 16 miles this way (it is 8 miles to the intersection with East Bethel Road, located on the right off of Intervale Road where the cows are), and avoid the 2 hills at the very end of the ride! Meet with everyone else at the park at 10:00, then drive up a ways, park, hop on your bike and join the group as we ride by!
To see a map of the ride click the link:
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/9696224
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