North Road, Shelburne to Bethel, 10:00 am

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Looks like reasonable weather for Thursday, clouds with chance of sunshine. The temperature will be 60 degrees at the start but will warm to 70 as we ride along. Light breeze from the south, not as issue for the east-west ride. This is a fine day, as compared to some, recently.

Let's check the springtime green and flowering trees and fields on North Road. If you have never done North Road....it is an absolute bikers paradise, a real gem. -- It runs parallel to Route 2 on the north side of the Androscoggin River - the traffic stays on Route 2, good place for it. 

Let's start this time in Shelburne Village instead of the usual Hogan Road parking area. It cuts out some miles, cuts out a few sharp climbs at the very end, and adds a nice ride on a quiet road with nice views. Good for the early season. The Shelburne Town Officials are glad to have us there!! 

Start: Ready to ride at 10:00 am. 

Total Mileage: about 35. 

Park in Shelburne Village: To get to the parking area take Route 16 north to Gorham, take a right on Route 2 heading east, go about 4.5 miles. Take a left into Shelburne Village, (might be signed as Meadow Road) then very shortly afterward take a right into the tiny village. Park in the playing field/ballpark (Chester Hayes Memorial Park) on the left side of the road (via a dirt driveway).

Bring lunch to enjoy at the riverside park in Bethel. There is a convenience store just before the park, if needed.

Carpool?  If you want to carpool, meet in Jackson at the parking lot across the street from the J-Town deli at 9:10 am, otherwise, see you in Shelburne.

Map:   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30119451

NEWS FLASH:

EARLY NOTICE: The Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail Ride, End-to End!

June 25-27, Tue-Wed-Thur

Ride on the first and only official border-to-border bike route in the State of New Hampshire. The ride traverses the northern flanks of the White Mountains following the Ammonoosuc River on rail trail, dirt roads and paved backroads from Woodsville to Littleton. Paved roads, a dirt rail trail in the Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge, the lupine fields and Presidential Range views of Valley Road, and the Presidential Rail trail take us to Gorham. More rail trail and the scenic but interesting Hogan Road brings us to North Road and then onto pavement to Bethel.

Check it out:  www.crossnewhampshire.org

To do this route easily and leisurely (with time to enjoy being a tourist in our own area...likely seeing and enjoying places never noticed before), we will ride 3 days, the first is the shortest mileage (about 22) due to shuttling. Day 2 is 35 miles, Day 3 is 29 miles. First night's lodging is in a motel on the Main Street in Littleton with a movie option at the local theater and dinner out at a brewery, second night will be at Hub North (a lodge totally revolving around cyclists!) in Gorham with an eat-in dinner there.

Dates are going to be Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, June 25, 26, 27. I am choosing these dates so that we can enjoy sunshine and good weather (right??), plus the lupine and the wildflowers should be blooming along the way, hopefully the bugs will be diminishing. 

I am arranging lodgings, shuttles and dining options, and now need to get an approximation of how many are interested. Gear will be shuttled, you don't need to use panniers to transport your wardrobe. 

What bike to ride? The better questions is probably: "What tires to ride on?"  The name of the route contains the word "Adventure" because this route is a combination of paved backroads, dirt roads, rail trails, rec paths. Some of this is smooth as silk, some dirt roads are smoother and nicer riding than pavement, some sections of rail trail are smooth and fast, some not.  Tires matter here. Skinny road bike  tires will be tedious on the soft and crunchy stuff and unstable in some places, rugged mountain bike knobbies will be tedious and draggy on the paved roads. A hybrid or gravel bike with wider tires would be good. If you are concerned about not having the right bike for this adventure, contact me. There are good, light, fast, wide, slick tires (made by Compass:https://www.renehersecycles.com/compass-tires/) that can be put on your mountain bike for happiness on ALL surfaces. There are also few bikes in the stable that are available to borrow. Contact Tom and me for the way to shoe your steed for this event.

Please let me know if you are interested or considering joining in. There are 3 confirmed riders already!
Stay tuned for more info!


Enticements: 

Ride ANY PART of the xNHAT and get a sticker: (you will get one for this Thursday's North Road ride!!)




For you special BORDER TO BORDER riders... you get the special prize...the Embroidered Patch:

Fryeburg Farmlands Tour... from the Maine Visitors Center: 10:00 am

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Mostly Sunny, mid to high 60's, 6 mph breeze. OK!!  Looks GOOD! Let's go!!

Let's enjoy the brilliant spring green in all of the farms and fields of Fryeburg. I have not seen the new foals at the draft horse farm yet, so let's include Cornshop Road to see them. We can bike all the way to the Stow Store for an early season ice cream.

Start at the Maine Visitor's Center and ride part of the bike path then up Rt 113 to Cornshop, Fish, Union Hill (beware of dog, we will proceed here as a wary growling group) and over to the Stow Store, returning by 113 or Green Hill Road, choose either one. This lollipop-shaped loop can give us 31 miles of rather flat riding, relatively. It can be less if you like, you could meet the group at the Weston's Beach and have a 27 miler.

Meet: Fryeburg, Maine Visitor's Center on the border between NH and ME, on Route 302.

Time: Ready to Ride at 10:00 am

Time: for Weston's Beach starters: 10:15 am

Map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13070790


Hey...That's the Tuesday Dirt and Pavement Ride Group from yesterday. We are at Rollo Falls just off of the Presidential Rail Trail near the Bowman parking lot (Castle Trail parking). We fought the headwinds and the schizophrenic weather day (Sprinkles - Sunshine, repeat all day) to be be rewarded with downhill and a tailwind all the way home. We look overdressed for late May biking.

Haleytown Road and Brownfield Loop 10:00 am

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Looks like a good day to ride, the forecast seems to be cooperative!  

How about the Brownfield Loop -- it has options for long or short versions that you can choose from, no big climbs, just relatively short hills for good health. Pleasant roads to ride. 

Meet: Maine Visitor's Center, Fryeburg. It is on the right, just over the NH-ME border on Route 302.

Time: Ready to ride at 10:00 am

Haleytown Road to Hampshire Road to Pig Street and back by Sam Brown Hill. Great view from the top!

The loop is 22 miles, cut it a few miles shorter if you like, bypassing Sam Brown Hill. Do a lap on the bike path when you return and add 8 miles to the day.

I look forward to riding this route as springtime slowly appears in the forests and farms!

Here is a map:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29994655

Fields of North Fryeburg: 10:00 am

Thursday, May 9, 2019

It should be a good day, cloudy but mild, for a scenic, easy ride in the North Fryeburg-Chatham-Stow area. 

Start 10:00 am, ready to ride, next to the North Fryeburg Fire Station at the corner of Route 113 and South Chatham Road.  The ride will check out the status of the corn, potato, soybean and turf fields. Is there a new family of foals at the draft horse farm?

The route starts south on Route 113 to Cornshop, then Route 5, Fish, McNeil, Harbor, Union Hill, Meadow, the Stow Store and, if you like some extra miles, the Chatham Loop. 

Basic ride to Stow Store: 21 miles. Add the Chatham Loop: 28 miles total.

If you want to carpool to North Fryeburg, meet at Grant's parking lot at 9:15. Otherwise, see you in North Fryeburg!  Rob will be your gracious host!

Note that Hurricane Mountain Road is still closed. 

RIde Cancelled due to cold and damp weather

Thursday May 2, 2019

I watched many different forecasts and checked out more online. They tend to agree, rain in the early morning, clearing by about 8 or 9:00. The clouds linger and the temperature stays in the low to mid forties.

I don't think too many ThursdayBikers will complain too much as I cancel the ride. Let's hope for springtime next week!!

For those of you interested in the Tuesday Dirt and Pavement Ride... First one of 2019 will be next Tuesday, weather permitting! The Presidential Rail Trail was fun to ride on Monday, so that will likely be the choice, Gorham to the Castle Trailhead via the rail trail and Durand Road. Check the blog on Sunday night for the details. You can access it via the club calendar, where there is a link. You can also go directly to the blog: www.tuesdaydirtnpavement.blogspot.com.

Last Thursday's ride was to Rocky Gorge and then further up the Kanc. There is an interesting log jam in the gorge: