Apples Acres Ride, 10:00 am

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Dave and Connie attempted the Apples Acres Ride 2 weeks ago and it was rained out. So lets try it again!  Dave and Connie, the originators of this great ride, will be your hosts!

They have modified the route to avoid the bad pavement on River Road and instead give you a nice loop around Spec Ponds.

The Apple Acres store is open and selling apples, organic peaches, cider donuts, coffee, ice cream and plenty of other treats. 

Distance is about 35 miles. 

Meet at the Brownfield Community Center, ready to ride at 10:00 am. 

To drive there from the Conway area take Route 302 to the Maine border and take a right onto Haleytown Road. Take a left onto Hampshire Road towards Brownfield Center. Bear left at the Y junction with Route 160. The community center will be at about 0.7 mile on your right. It is approximately 30 minutes from North Conway Village, about 45 minutes from Glen.

Carpool if you like, from the back of Grant's parking lot, 9:00 am. Otherwise, see you in Brownfield.

Effingham/Province Lake/Ossipee Loop 10:00 am

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Dave Sias will share one of his favorite rides with us this Thursday. He hosted this ride last year, and it is a good one, and different from our usual repertoire. There is new pavement on this ride... must be done!!!

Be Ready to Ride at 10:00 am at the parking lot at the boat launch just south of the junction of Routes 153 and 25 in Freedom. This is about a 50 minute drive from Beautiful Downtown Glen, 25 minutes form Conway Village.

(Also, see below for info on the Fall Foliage Bike Tour on the Cross NH Adventure Trail)

Here is the description from Dave:

Effingham/Province was Lake/Ossipee Loop

This ride goes south on Rte 153, from Rte 25,  through Effingham, Center Effingham, South Effingham and around Province Lake with a short stretch in Maine.  The quaint historic area in Effingham is a treat and home to the location of the first Normal School in New Hampshire.  A little over a mile past Province Lake the route turns Northwest on Pickpocket Road with some nice views and travels on Granite Road and Rte 171 over to Ossippee, after crossing Rte 16.  Heading back on Rte 28 we cross Rte 16 again and turn right onto Elm St. after a very short stretch on Rte 16. Then a left turn onto Green Mtn Road at Pine River takes us back to Rte 25 and a one mile stretch on Rt 25 back to the start, 29 miles total.  While mostly relatively flat, there is a 1/2 mile climb at 2 miles and a 3/4 mile climb at 10 miles just past Province Lake.  On Pickpocket there are three very short but steep "rollers" on the first part of that road.

Start point is the boat launching ramp parking area on Rte 153 just 100 yards south of Rte 25.  Park on the left on pavement or on the right on the grass.

Here is the map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/new

If you want to Carpool: 

From Glen: Meet at 8:20 at the back end of the Grant's supermarket parking lot

From Conway: Meet at the State Liquor Store Plaza, southern end parking area near the closed IGA and bank, 8:50.

Join in on the......

Fall Foliage Tour on the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail!

Right after Columbus Day:  Tues, Wed, Thurs, October 15, 16, 17.

The spring version was a fun 3 day ride across NH from Woodsville to Bethel, ME. Here is the Fall Foliage Version. 

It is the same plan... start in Woodsville, ride to Littleton on Day 1 (22 miles, mostly rail trail and dirt roads). Overnight at the Littleton Motel right on Main St. Next day ride to Gorham and enjoy the panoramic Presidential Range views (35 miles half dirt half pavement. Stay overnight at Hub North in the lodge or Glamp in a bell tent or yurt. Day 3 is Gorham to Bethel (26 miles, dirt adventure and then paved on North Road. 

There is a truck to transport your gear and provide support on the way. 

A bike with wider tires is required. A road bike will not be fun!  A mountain bike will work, but might be tedious on the pavement. A wide slick tire on your mountain bike will work well. Contact me if you have questions!!

The Apple Acres Ride, 10:00 am

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Dave and Connie created the Apples Acres Ride a few years ago and everyone loves it!  Who better to host it than the originators??? Yes, Dave and Connie will be your hosts!

The store is open and selling apples, organic peaches, cider donuts, coffee, ice cream and plenty of other treats. 

Start the ride from the Brownfield Community Center, head to Route 160 via Pig Street. At about 10 miles, turn left on Tripptown Road, across from a cemetery, then left on Durgintown Rd. These back roads are shady, scenic, quiet biking gems. Stop at Apple Acres for the view and some snacks, then continue downhill and turn left on scenic River Road to Hiram. The 4-Corners Store has reopened so perhaps you may want to take a short side trip there for snacks and chocolate milk. Return by a short sprint on Route 113/5 then left on Notch Road (but, no notch to climb) and then back onto Route 160 back to Brownfield.

Distance is about 35 miles. 

Meet at the Brownfield Community Center, ready to ride at 10:00 am. 

To drive there from the Conway area take Route 302 to the Maine border and take a right onto Haleytown Road. Take a left onto Hampshire Road towards Brownfield Center. Bear left at the Y junction with Route 160. The community center will be at about 0.7 mile on your right. It is approximately 30 minutes from North Conway Village, about 45 minutes from Glen.

Carpool if you like, from the back of Grant's parking lot, 9:00 am. Otherwise, see you in Brownfield.

Here is the map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13096250

The Andover Ride. 10:00 am

Thursday, September 3, 2019

Looks like Thursday will be a good day for a scenic ride along the rivers and fields of western Maine!

Dave and Connie will host the ride for you this week.

The route to Andover from Bethel is a gem, a ThursdayBike favorite, 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.

Start at little Davis 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. Fresh made English Muffins can be obtained at the Little Red Hen Diner and Cafe.

Starting Time: 10:00 am Ready To Ride from Davis 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, or at the Bethel Chamber of Commerce.

Carpool: If you want to carpool, meet in Jackson at the parking lot across from the J-Town Deli at 8:45 am, otherwise, meet Dave and Connie 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:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/9696224