North Road to Bethel 9:30 am

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Looks like good summer weather for Thursday, maybe some t-storms coming in the afternoon. A 9:30 start should work for this and hopefully avoid any issues. North Road is a gem, and should be beautiful with all the lush greenery and wildflowers n bloom.

Meet at the North Road starting point, in the parking area at the intersection of North Road and Hogan Road, north of the dam. Get there by driving north on Route 16 to Gorham, take a right onto Route 2, go about 3 miles looking for the big beautiful stone house on the left.  After the stone house, take a left onto North Road. Cross the Androscoggin River at the dam and head up a short distance. Where the road bears hard right, you go left into the parking area on the dirt Hogan Road.

Although there are 10 riders doing the Cross NH Adventure Trail this week, we will be finishing on Thursday on North Road, so we will see you out there!

Ready to Ride at 9:30 am.

Bring a lunch or snacks to enjoy at the riverside park in Bethel.

Total distance: About 39 miles

Map:  https://ridewithgps.com/routes/13189960


Hi from the oldest general store in the USA, "the Brick Store" in Bath:




Crossing the suspension bridge over the Ammonoosuc River, in light rain, in Littleton. The rain poured down later for cocktail hour, not a problem!

Lupines are in peak bloom!

If you are in need of a beautiful bike ride, the lupines are in full bloom in the Randolph-Jefferson-Whitefield area!  Valley Road is spectacular! Head up there while they are in peak season!

Cancelled

Thursday, June 20, 2019

I am gun-shy on setting up a ride after last week's cold weather and pedaling hard to get back before too wet and hypothermia.

The forecasts indicate some rain early, then clouds, but more rain coming in either at 11:00 or at 2:00.

I give up. I am cancelling the ride this weekend hoping for a change in this weekly conundrum!

BETTER WEATHER STARTS NEXT WEEK!!

Bear Notch Road, out and back form Attitash. 9:00 am

Thursday, June 13, 2019

After looking at all the forecasts on TV and online, tomorrow's weather should be OK for a morning ride. Rain could come in by 1:00, or 2, or 3, plus or minus.

Maybe a close to home ride, get in some exercise and chat. Let's start at Attitash, the far end of the parking lot. We ride to Bartlett Village, then go up Bear Notch Road to the top. Return back down, and do Bartlett Village and Stillings Grant. For a shorter ride, climb up as far as you like, then return earlier and do Stillings Grant.

Meet: Attitash parking lot, far end, 9:00 am.

Mileage? Rather short, but this way we won't get wet. 16 miles or maybe 20, short and sweet!

West Side Road Passaconaway and Kanc. 11:00 am

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Looks like the weather will probably clear up in the morning. I think by 11:00 the sun might start to show up, if the forecasts are correct.

I am posting the local default ride, because it is hard to be sure of the weather. If it does look nice, then there is a ride to do!

I cannot join in tomorrow, I am in Concord for a meeting.....

Meet at 11:00 am, ready to ride, public parking lot behind the Eastern Slope Inn.

Head out the usual West Side Road to Passaconaway, to the covered bridge or as far up the Kanc as you want to go!


Here we are at DiCocoa's in Bethel last week!

Maybe a ride on Thursday

Thursday, June 6, 2019

The weather forecasts are again a challenge. It might work for a ride on Thursday, but I will need to study the forecasts tomorrow to see if any consensus is reached.

I wanted to do the ride on the Franconia Notch Bike Path, starting at the Loon Mt. Ski Area, but typically I want really good weather for that ride.

Check back on Wednesday evening to see what the weather allows us to do!



Last Thursday at DiCocoa's in Bethel:




On the Bethel Pathway:

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: