The Mass BikePike Tour

got this in the email, know for a fact this ride is a lot of fun, if you have been thinking of trying bike touring, this is a great one to do first.

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Tired of riding on your own or seeing the same roads every week? Join “The Friendliest Ride in the East” this summer – the Mass BikePike Tour! From August 11th to 14th, riders will explore the back roads of scenic (and challenging!) western Massachusetts. Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, which promotes a bicycle-friendly environment in Massachusetts.

With a diverse group of riders and rides of differing lengths available, the Mass BikePike Tour is especially appropriate if your cycling companions ride at different speeds.

“We are both longtime cyclists with very different riding styles – MBP is a ride with enough challenges to keep us both happy”

-rider Tia Tilson about riding the MassBike Pike with her partner

Daily rides are longer (40-75 miles) and shorter (20-45 miles) with a “head start” option to shave additional miles off the ride. Western Massachusetts is characterized by quiet, scenic roads and challenging hills. There are plenty of attractions en route if you enjoy combining tourism with a great ride.

The Mass BikePike includes a hearty breakfast and dinner, luggage transport, hot showers, rest stops, SAG support, and camping. For an additional fee, you can camp in style using the “Comfy Campers” service.

Whatever your experience level, you will be welcomed onto the Mass BikePike Tour– to sign up or find out more, please visit www.massbikepike.org

“We always had an unofficial social hour before dinner – everyone catches up! Telling stories about the day’s ride, and about other rides and past experiences. I love talking with people from all over the country.”

-rider John Sullivan of Marshfield, MA

QUICK FACTS

Dates: Thursday, August 11th thru Sunday, August 14th.

The route: 2011’s ride features the rolling hills and picturesque towns of western Massachusetts, including Northampton, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, Williamstown, Lenox, Lee, North Adams, and Pittsfield.

How long? We offer two routes each day. The shorter route is between 25 and 45 miles and the longer route is between 45 and 70 miles. Riders who want to shorten their distance can use our optional Head Start drop-off service that allows you to start up to 20 miles into the route.

The food: We provide hearty breakfasts and dinners each day and strive to serve the best of what is local. The ride has rest stops and lists other options for lunch on your own.

Creature comforts: This is a camping tour including hot showers. We provide motel/B&B suggestions as well as the very-popular “Comfy Campers” service.

Included: luggage transport, camping privileges, support vehicles, rest stops, excellent route marking, and a tour t-shirt.

Start/finish location: Tri-County Fairgrounds, Northampton, MA. Transportation from Boston to and from the start is available for a small fee.

Sign up early: The Mass BikePike Tour is limited to 125 riders!

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Historic Tour Of Middlesex Canal

Got this in the email today

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Historic Bicycle Tour of Middlesex Canal

On Saturday, October 2, 2010, MassBike, along with the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, the Middlesex Canal Commission and the Middlesex Canal Association will sponsor the 8th annual historic bicycle tour of the southern portion of the Middlesex Canal. The Canal was the “big dig” of the end of the 18th century. Completed in 1803 after 10 years of construction, the Canal connected the Merrimac River in what is now Lowell with the Charles River at Sullivan Square in Charlestown. In many ways it served as a model for later canals including the Erie Canal. The Canal remained in operation for 50 years, providing both passenger and freight service, but could not compete successfully with the Boston and Lowell Railroad which began operation in the 1830’s.

The ride will meet at the Canal marker on the Sullivan Square MBTA station at 9:00. From there we will ride about 28 miles to the Historic Mill Village and Canal Museum on the Millpond in North Billerica. We will make a lunch stop in Woburn, so we recommend that you bring a lunch. We should get to North Billerica in time for anyone who wants to catch the 3:07 train back to Boston. The ride will then follow the northern section of the Canal another 10 miles from North Billerica to Lowell and catch the 5:00 train back from there.

The route is pretty flat and level and we will average 5 miles per hour, so the ride will be an easy one for most cyclists. Along the way we will stop at a number of remnants and restored sections of the Canal, as well as the Mansion of Loammi Baldwin, the chief engineer of the Canal (who discovered the Baldwin apple while building the Canal), the two remaining aqueducts (which carried the Canal over rivers and brooks), and the northern end of the floating towpath that carried horses over the Millpond.

The ride will be led by Dick Bauer of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission and the Middlesex Canal Commission, Robert Winters of the Middlesex Canal Association, and Bill Kuttner of the Shirley-Eustis House. Steady rain cancels.

For more information, contact Dick at [email protected] (857-540-6293),

Robert at [email protected], or Bill at [email protected]

http://www.massbike.org/resources/rides.htm

For more information about the Middlesex Canal go to: http://www.middlesexcanal.org

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SW Corridor Historical Bike Tour

Got this in the email, looks like fun.

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When: Sunday, September 12, 11:15am

Where: Leaving from Titus Sparrow Park (West Newton St. between Columbus and Huntington Avenues, Boston)

What: DCR celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Southwest Corridor Park with an Open Garden Day. Enjoy raffles, children’s activities, music, and more!
(Flier pdf)

At 11:15am, Janet Hunkel (Parkland Management Advisory Committee President) and Jeffrey Ferris (of Ferris Wheels Bike Shop) will lead an educational
tour from Titus Sparrow Park to Forest Hills Station, stopping at relevant points to discuss the history of the Southwest Corridor. Riders return to Titus Sparrow Park in time for the day’s finale starting at 1:00pm.

For more information on the ride, please contact Ferris Wheels at 617-524-2453.

For more info on the PMAC, click here.

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Bicycle Tour Of Community Gardens In Boston

Bicycle Tour of Community Gardens in Boston on July 17th

Free event hosted by Boston Natural Areas Network

BOSTON, MA – June 30, 2010 –Join Boston Natural Areas Network and explore Boston’s community Gardens from your bicycle on Saturday, July 17, 10:00 A.M. Tour Begins at SW Corridor Park, Corner of Lamartine and Boylston Streets, Jamaica Plain (Stony Brook MBTA) and will be led by Tracy O’Brien and Renée Portanova, Master Urban Gardeners. Enjoy cycling through Boston’s South End, Roxbury and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods, visiting community gardens along the way. Riders will meet gardeners and learn about each garden’s history, and current activities. Participants must provide their own bicycle. Helmets are required. A guardian must accompany children under 14.

Program is free but requires registration.
To Register contact BNAN at 617-542-7696 or [email protected].
Rain Date: Saturday, July 24

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Tour De Somerville

Yet another submitted event, my inbox was so full of goodness today, thanks again Ron.

2009 Tour de Somerville: City of Seven (or More) Hills

Saturday October 17, 2009

We’ll meet at Seven Hills Park in Davis Square (behind the Holland Street Red Line entrance) at 10 am, leaving promptly at 10:15am. The rain date for this event will be Sunday, October 18, 2009.

This year’s theme will be “City of Seven (Or More) Hills”. The ride will visit each of Somerville’s hills, both those that still exist and those that have been removed.

Here is a list of the hills, based on the Boston Bikemap:

Clarendon Hill – back yards between Fairmount Ave and Ware St

Walnut (College) Hill – The actual summit is across the city line in
Medford

Quarry Hill – now Nathan Tufts (Powder House) Park

Winter Hill – Broadway at Adams St

Spring Hill – Somerville Hospital on Crown St, but we’ll probably stop at
Bailey Park instead

Central Hill – behind Masonic Hall @ 125 Highland Ave

Prospect Hill – Prospect Hill Tower

Winthrop Hill (Ten Hills) – Temple Road at Putnam Road

Mt. Benedict – mostly levelled; a small remnant is on Austin St at Benedict St

Cobble Hill – entirely levelled, now (very flat) Inner Belt Industrial Park

More details will be available 3 to 4 weeks before the event, at http://SomervilleBikes.org .

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