Berkshires Gravel Century from Wingdale, NY (Mt Riga, Mt Everett and Sunset Rock)

Spectacular day of riding with some GrNY regulars. We had perfect weather and a beautiful course! This ride included the core of the Berkshires-Riga-Sunset Rock route, but we started in Wingdale, NY, which is closer to NYC. The route includes an optional spur (mile 50, in blue) to the top of Mt Everett. Everyone was feeling good and did the extra climb, though not everyone maintained traction for the steepest section near the end (i.e., a few riders needed to walk a short distance). The road up to Mt Everett is steep, particularly the last 0.5 mile dirt section near the top, but there are good views as payoff.

Route (110 mi, ~10,000 ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48334310

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/12362495208

The route was beautiful from end to end.

Along the Mt Everett climb.

Sherman, CT to Dover Plains Gravel Ride

Beautiful ride on a perfect summer day. We had routes queued up ranging from 41 to 106 miles. There was a surprisingly big crowd for the longer distances. Most of the riders at the start joined for the 80-106 mile options. We had two smaller groups who enjoyed the medium and short distance options, respectively.

For the longer distance groups: A group of us cut back a bit early from the 106-mile loop, since we had a couple of riders whose legs were toast and/or cramping up. We certainly didn’t feel short-changed by our “only” 91 miles of beautiful riding (versus the possible 106). We took the last part at a nice, easy, and highly enjoyable pace. While the rest of the group grinded out their final miles, we were enjoying cold beers, burgers, and live music at the Housatonic River Brewery. Those of us at the brewery were all pretty satisfied with that choice! Thanks to everyone who came out today!

Longer Routes:

106mi, >10,000ft: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47941045
86mi, >7,000ft: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47940089
80 mi, >6500: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47941324

Medium Route (52 miles, >4000 ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47927290

Short Route (41mi, 3000ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47928659

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/12123560711

Long-distance (i.e., faster) pace group riding along.

Riding through Macedonia Brook State Park.

GrNY Spring Gravel Series 2024: It’s over, but more rides to come!

UPDATE: Our Spring Gravel Series is over, but we’ll continue to post rides throughout the year! Look for invitations from our group on Strava.

Photos and Ride Recaps: See the links to Steve’s Strava entries, below. You’ll find photos and a quick summary of each ride.

Sunday, April 21: Katonah, NY: https://www.strava.com/activities/11234340871]

Saturday, April 27: Dover Plains, NY: https://www.strava.com/activities/11278170936]

Saturday, May 4: Cold Spring, NY: https://www.strava.com/activities/11332463445]

Saturday, May 18: Pawling, NY: https://www.strava.com/activities/11441847954 ]

Saturday, June 15, Far Hills, NJ (Natirar Park): https://www.strava.com/activities/11660226512]

Original Announcement: I’m happy to announce Gravel NY’s third annual Spring Gravel Series! We have planned five weekends of gravel rides, starting on April 21. Each ride will have three “pace groups”, which will differ in speed, distance, and intensity of climbing. There will be a common hangout location after each ride, so all groups can socialize over food and drinks. Participating in all five rides will take you to all of the major gravel riding zones in our region – a true gravel tour! We hope you can join us!

Questions? You can email Steve at track.smart@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This is totally informal. You ride at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety. You are expected to be self-sufficient. We cannot guarantee the condition or safety of roads and trails. Nor can we control the behavior of other riders. This is not a supported event. We expect everyone to be an experienced cyclist who can repair a flat, carry appropriate food and hydration, and navigate independently if they lose the group.

SCHEDULE OF RIDES*

Sunday, April 21: Katonah, NY. Ride some of the best and most scenic rural roads in Westchester County. [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11234340871]

Saturday, April 27: Dover Plains, NY. The picturesque dirt-roads of Dutchess County. It is worth the drive or train ride! [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11278170936]

Moved to SATURDAY, May 4: Cold Spring, NY. Much of the ride is near Fahnestock State Park, with lots of fun and challenging climbs. [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11332463445]

Saturday, May 11: Columbia County Gravel Century. This is not one of our SGS rides, but if joining some members of the faster pace group for 100 miles and >10,000 ft of climbing is in your wheelhouse, feel free to reach out to Steve for more information: track.smart@gmail.com. [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11389565400]

Saturday, May 18: Pawling, NY. We will spend much of the ride in gorgeous Litchfield County, CT. The NY/CT border has some of the nicest gravel riding in our region. [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11441847954 ]

Saturday, June 15, Far Hills, NJ (Natirar Park). Spectacular ride that goes through the Teetertown Ravine and Lockwood Gorge – worth the trip! [THIS RIDE IS COMPLETE! See Steve’s Strava activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/11660226512]

For Saturday rides, the default rain date will be Sunday of the same weekend. We will generally start each ride around 9am, with adjustments for train schedules. Ride schedule and routes are subject to change due to weather or other factors.

PACE GROUPS

Long (60-65+ miles, faster speed, and killer climbs): These rides will be led by Steve. 17+ mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo rides); 19-20mph (NYCC standards); ~14MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

Medium (45-55 miles, moderate speed, skips some of the deadliest climbs): Kathy will lead these rides, which will still be challenging, but travel at a slower speed. Pace expectation: 14 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes);l 16-17 mph (NYCC standards); ~12 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

Short (40-45 miles, no-drop): Ralph will typically lead these rides. This group will stop more often to rest, take photos, and enjoy the scenery, riding at a friendly, no-drop pace. Pace expectation: 12-13 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes); 14-15 mph (NYCC standards); 10 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

“Strava speed” = actual recorded average speed for long, solo paved rides on relatively flat terrain (i.e., not group rides with drafting).

EXAMPLE RIDES FOR EACH PACE GROUP

It is difficult to describe pace for rides that include dirt, pavement, and substantial climbing. You can compare these examples to your own gravel rides over similar distances and elevation gains. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ELEVATION GAIN. THESE WILL BE HILLY RIDES.

Long: 63 miles, 6300 ft climbing, ~14 MPH.
– Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023394582

Medium: 47 miles, 4500 ft climbing, ~12 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023193918

Short: 45 miles, 3600 ft climbing, ~10.5 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9197009980

[These examples are from last year’s SGS rides]

RIDE ORGANIZATION

We will have at least one place to buy food and drink on each ride, but we are only doing grab-and-go during the ride itself (e.g., gatorade + portable snacks). Each group will have a few “wait for everyone” stops. That said, the Long and Medium groups will not wait for riders who are considerably behind the pace. The Short group will be no-drop — with some limits. If you are walking the hills and suffering, even at the slower ride pace, please take a shortcut back to the start and tell the rest of the group to travel without you. We can all hangout after the ride.

THREE REQUESTS

1) Please choose a ride group based on your riding speed, not distance. We want the groups to finish around the same time, so we can all hang out post-ride. We understand you can go the longer distance, but it will be more fun if people ride together (rather than get dropped) and then hangout for food and drink after the ride.

2) Ride safely! Please read our ride guidelines: https://grny.org/guidelines. Key points:
– Control your speed when traveling downhill. Racing downhill is how many serious injuries happen. If you’d like to ride hard, save it for the climbs! Then wait at the top.
– Being predictable to other riders and cars will keep everyone safer. Never pass a rider on the right. If you want to pass, call out, and then pass on their left (like a car).
– You need some form of off-line navigation and should have a backup navigation plan. Why? Many areas won’t have cell coverage. And phone batteries can die during long rides. Examples of offline navigation: Dedicated bike computer (Garmin, Wahoo, etc); Phone with paid subscription to Ride with GPS or Strava and remembering to download to route for offline usage before the ride; Paper map + cue sheets.

3) Don’t blow up your pace group.
– If one or two riders are traveling much faster than the group leader, others will chase them. Then everybody will get strung out riding alone.
– If you are faster than the group average, wait at the top of hills and after major road crossings.
– If there are big speed differences within a group, the group will subdivide at the first catch-up stop. This way everybody will have somebody to ride with.

Compilation of Winter Gravel Rides

We typically post fewer rides in the winter and most tend to have a single pace group, rather than our larger “three speeds” rides. This usually means participants from our “long distance” (i.e. faster) pace group. Here are some quick ride reports from some of those winter rides. You’ll find route links for all of them.

Sunken Mine is Back! [Fahnestock / Cold Spring Gravel]

This was a last-minute solo ride to scout conditions in areas that had become unrideable due to storm damage. Fortunately Sunken Mine Rd is back in action. Bell Hollow road/trail, however, remains a mess! Avoid that one if possible.

From my Strava post:

What a beautiful winter day for a gravel ride! Only 58 miles, but the route had some zing, including the fun triple set of climbs: Miller Hill -> Long Hill Rd -> E Mountain Rd . In my mind, cool weather equals climbing weather – at least when I can manage to escape Long Island! Overall, an excellent ride – made better with awesome cookies for fuel – courtesy of Kathy.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45165489

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/10385562790

Freshly repaired Sunken Mine Rd.

New Year’s Eve Spectacular (Dover Plains)

Awesome New Year’s Eve gravel ride in Dutchess County, NY! It was beautiful out there today. A little chilly, but really not bad once we got moving. Thank you to everyone who came out to ride! I forgot to get a group photo at the start – we had to get moving to warm up, ha ha! Next time.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36062828

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/10470108550

Enjoying some car-free miles on closed-for-the-season dirt roads in Dutchess County. Just make sure the snow has really melted! It takes a lot longer back in the woods and without car traffic!

Great winter riding — we kept moving to stay warm.

GrNY: Frozen Gravel from Katonah

Lovely ride in Westchester County, NY! We had bright sunshine, clouds, calm air, blustery winds, and some short snow flurries. And then bright sunshine again! Dirt roads were in decent shape (a bit of mud in places, but not bad), paved roads 98% good with a few random bits of ice to avoid. And we traveled many quiet country roads through woods, horse country estates, etc. Thank you to everyone who showed up to ride on this chilly day!

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38559477

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/10559491259

Group photo at the start in Katonah.

We had a little bit of snow in the latter part of the ride, but not much.

Cold Spring Gravel (Reversed) – And YES, there is still snow on Sunken Mine Rd

A return to the nearby Cold Spring area in Putnam County, NY. Wow, what a beautiful winter day! The sun was shining for our entire ride. We had a great crew of riders, a few of whom chose the shorter route to get back a bit earlier. And we had a bit of extra adventure when we hit Sunken Mine Rd. I stated in the ride invitation “We are hoping Sunken Mine will be snow free, but we’ve been surprised before!”. SURPRISE! There was definitely some snow and ice, ha ha!

Overall, it was a great day on the bike with plenty of climbing to keep us warm (and provide a humble average speed despite our efforts on the hills!). If you choose to travel in this direction, know that you will hit the two biggest climbs, back-to-back, during the last part of the ride. We chose this direction so the folks who were leaving early could maximize their time on dirt before peeling off. It worked out just fine.

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44320815

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/10690160870

Super Bowl Gravel from Katonah

This ride was on Super Bowl Sunday. it was a “three speed” ride, with warm weather (for winter) so we had a great turnout. There were a few places where the ground was sticky and velcro-like, but conditions were good overall considering yesterday’s rainfall in this area. A bunch of riders hung out for beer and/or food at Paulie’s Deli after the ride. Paulie’s has some good beer on tap and more options in the refrigerator case. A big thanks to everyone who joined us today and made it a fun ride!

ROUTES:

Long (~61mi): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37901198
Medium (~52mi): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37901140
Short (~43mi): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/37901464

Group photo from Super Bowl Sunday ride.

Some of the long distance group out on the road.

Dirt Roads and Killer Climbs from Peekskill (Abridged due to rain)

Yet another return to the Cold Spring area, but starting from Peekskill. Why a return? Rain was in the forecast, so we needed to start someplace close and Peekskill was ideal. It’s a very short train ride or drive from NYC and other places nearby, so we could get an early start.

Beautiful forested roads, fun twisty up-and-down descents, and far more dirt than pavement. It was a good day on the bike with some great company. Thank you to everyone who came out for this climb-fest! For folks who haven’t done as much riding yet this season, it was quite a way to get rolling again! While we didn’t do the 79mi/10,000ft version, even this smaller version had some zing. Some of us grabbed beer and tacos, which were extra enjoyable after a challenging ride!

Steve’s Strava Post: https://www.strava.com/activities/10925302794

ROUTES (We did the shortest one to avoid the rain).

54 mi, 6200 ft (5400 ft on RWGPS) “Stay closer to the cars/train” option:
-Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3200946825017014576
-RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45788595

67 miles and possibly 8700 ft (7600 ft on RWGPS)
-Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3200857010336915552
-RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45785833

79 miles and possibly 10,000 ft (8800 ft on RWGPS)
-Strava: https://www.strava.com/routes/3200855455111269472
-RWGPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/45781417

Staying warm on the hills!

Oct 22, 2023: Autumn Ride from Pawling, NY

We encouraged folks to “join us while you can!”, and many people came out to ride. Days are getting shorter and temperatures are dropping. We don’t know when the best riding weather will end for the season.

This was a beautiful ride with cool weather, gorgeous autumn leaves, and a great group of riders. We revisited our Spring Gravel Series route that starts in Pawling, NY and travels through Litchfield County, CT. It was great to return to this region for the fall colors. After the ride, people from all three pace groups gathered at O’Connor’s Public House for food and drinks. Thank you everyone who joined us for this spectacular day!

ROUTES:

Short: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42905463
Medium: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42901005
Long: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42901139

Steve’s Strava Activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/10086672755

Long-distance group riding through forested dirt roads.

Part of the medium-distance group (with Kathy behind the camera).

Beautiful views with fall foliage.

Long-distance group stopping for a photo at Mud Pond. The pond is much more beautiful than its name would suggest!

Aug 19, 2023: Dutchess Dirt

On Saturday, August 7 the GrNY group returned to Dover Plains after a three-month absence. As expected, it was worth the drive or train ride! We had three pace/distance groups (long, medium, short) who traversed the picturesque dirt roads of Dutchess County. We were fortunate to get absolutely perfect weather, too! After the ride, everyone celebrated with food, drinks and/or ice cream at Kelly’s Creamery and Kelly’s Husband’s Food Truck.

The medium-distance group did our less-intense variant of the classic Dover Plains Dirt loop (i.e. this route: ridewithgps.com/routes/36062828). This medium-distance variant (link further down) is possibly the best version. It skips the two steepest climbs in favor of other great dirt road riding. It also adds more civilization, including better food options in Amenia, NY and Sharon, CT. It uses a spur of the Harlem Valley bike trail to connect it all together and adds some new (flatter) dirt/gravel roads make up for any lost dirt, including the always lovely (and well-graded) climb up Deep Hollow Road.

The short-distance group did the same route, but stayed on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail at the midway point. This made for a shorter but also extremely pleasant ride back to the start. Finally, the long-distance group did a very different route that cut westward and traversed the area around the Wassaic Multiple Use Area (a lovely forested area).

ROUTES

LONG (64 mi, >5000 ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42740503
MEDIUM (57 mi, >3800 ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42747652
SHORT (43 mi, >2700 ft): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42740494

Macedonia Brook State Park

Medium-distance group on the road

Boardwalk through a beautiful wetland (only traversed on the short-distance route).

July 15, 2023: Tenmile River Gravel Ride

Fun day out! After some logistical delays, we started the ride with a bang by immediately tackling the longest hill of the day (Tower Hill Rd). There were great rural roads, pastoral views, horses, cows, and even a giant snapping turtle sitting on one dirt road!

Later in the day, we were feeling the sun and heat with some riders suffering towards the end. Still, everybody made it and we celebrated with some cold drinks and food (with a cooler pulled up onto the train platform — the only shade to be found at Tenmile River station!)

Note: This was a first-try and these routes need some work. We’ll make some changes in the future to stay on nicer roads more of the time.

These were the routes:
Long: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43615453
Medium: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43615317
Short: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43615298

Here’s my Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/9458403991

2023 Spring Gravel Series Recap

GrNY’s “Spring Gravel Series” (SGS) included 5 rides over 5 weekends and was great fun! Each ride had three speed groups, which corresponded to different route lengths (short, medium, long), so everybody would finish at about the same time to socialize after the ride. Join our Strava group to be notified of future rides (but see here first: https://grny.org/category/about-grny).

Just want the routes from each ride? Here’s a collection in RidewithGPS:
https://ridewithgps.com/collections/1897351?privacy_code=5fvuXMgvhsk25x93

SGS1 – Katonah, NY (May 6, 2023). Our first Spring Gravel Series ride of the year was an awesome time! Thank you to everyone who showed up and made it the fun day that it was. We travelled on some of Westchester’s most scenic rural roads. Many of us celebrated together after the ride at Paulie’s Deli, which has only about 5-6 taps, but always good stuff in them. Today’s selection included Lawson’s Finest Liquids: Sip of Sunshine, Maine: Lunch, and other non-IPA beers, of course. Those cold beers were well-deserved!
Photos and ride stats (Steve’s Strava profile):
https://www.strava.com/activities/9023394582

SGS2 – Dover Plains (May 13). It was an awesome ride. The long distance group had a fast bunch and we cleared this beautiful course impressively quickly. This route includes many of Dutchess County’s best dirt roads, including some hidden gems. We tackled the gorgeous streamside climb through Wassaic (Tower Hill Rd), Ludlow Woods Rd, Deep Hollow Rd, and so many other great spots. We saw everything from forests with deer hopping across the trail, to farms full of animals, to ridges with long pastoral views in the distance. Many of us capped off the ride together with burgers, ice cream, and beer.
Photos and ride stats (Steve’s Strava profile):
https://www.strava.com/activities/9066076684

SGS3 – Pawling, NY (May 21). Beautiful and fun ride! Thanks everyone who joined us today. The weather was perfect (warm enough for comfort, but not hot enough to overheat), and the condition of the dirt roads was really good. There were only a few rare spots that were soft from the previous day’s rain. And the route was as beautiful as I remember it. Many of us celebrated with cold beer and food at O’Connor’s Public House after the ride.
Photos and ride stats (Steve’s Strava profile):
https://www.strava.com/activities/9115448504

SGS4 – Cold Spring, NY (May 27). Awesome ride with a huge turnout! Much of the ride took place near Fahnestock State Park, with lots of fun and challenging climbs. We found all the hills today! The “long”, “medium”, and “short” distance groups accumulated ~7500ft, ~5400ft, and ~4800ft, respectively. There were beautiful forested roads, ponds, crazy climbs, and steep descents. A really fun time! Some of use stuck around for beer, ice cream, and snacks by the Hudson River in Cold Spring.
Photos and ride stats (Steve’s Strava profile):
https://www.strava.com/activities/9152286381

SGS5 – Far Hills, NJ (June 3). Spectacular ride. We traversed some of the region’s best rural roads, tackled the rugged climb through the Teetertown Ravine and later traveled through the spectacular Lockwood Gorge. The rest of the ride was wonderfully scenic, too. We had a great turnout – and missed a few from the group photo, as always. Most people joined us for drinks and snacks at the park after the ride. It was great to catch up with returning riders and to meet many new folks!
Photos and ride stats (Steve’s Strava profile):
https://www.strava.com/activities/9196314449

Questions? Feel free to reach out to Steve (track.smart@gmail.com).

“Fall Back” Gravel Ride: Brewster > Wingdale > Wassaic

In addition to turning back the clocks, on November 6, 2022 a group of GrNY riders tackled a gravel ride of 79 miles and over 7,000 ft of climbing (or a truncated 65 mile version). This ride offered a bit of redemption, because the previous time we did this route was in early March, when we encountered many miles of snow-covered back roads. The ‘normal’ dirt roads were fine that previous day in March, but the closed-for-the-season dirt roads had not yet melted. Live and learn!

Overall, this was a fun day out and a great first GrNY ride since my (Steve’s) return from Colorado. It was a beautiful route with a mix of rural dirt and paved roads. And it was such a wonderfully warm day. It was hard to believe it was November. Some of us celebrated with beer and pizza after the ride and both tasted mighty fine after our efforts.

There were a few minor imperfections on the day, but they didn’t dampen our spirits (even if they did dampen the roads!). The weather turned a bit wet and misty during the second half of our ride, but on such a warm day it really wasn’t much of a bother. And the first part of our ride, Pugsley Rd, was in the process of being redeveloped so it was a sketchy trek through an in-progress construction zone. Thankfully, there was no active work on this weekend morning. Say farewell to the formerly- quiet, and formerly-dirt Pugsley Rd! It will soon be paved and have a huge warehouse operation, a large recreation center, and lots of truck traffic. You may need to choose an alternate route to start this ride if construction is still underway.

The top “loop” of this ride has much more gravel than the bottom loop, especially now that Pugsley Rd is no longer dirt. It might be time to develop a better route that no longer starts from Brewster.

ROUTES:

– Full, 79 mile version: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41370685

– Shortened 65 mile version: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41370810

ACTUAL RIDE: https://www.strava.com/activities/8079592997

WARNING: After emerging from Penny Rd onto pavement you will encounter a crazy steep downhill. Go slow! One rider almost lost control. I guess I wasn’t clear enough when I tried to warn folks.

Note: This version of the 79-mile route switches the direction of the “top loop”. This is a change for the better. First, it puts our lunch spot (Kent, CT) at mile 35.5, which is better timing. Second, it allows for a shortened 65-mile route that keeps everyone together until lunch time. Third, it allows us to ride *up* Macedonia Brook State Park, which means you get more time to enjoy the lovely scenery, rather than bombing down it at high speed.

Tackling the climb inside West Mountain State Forest on the way to Penny Rd. Penny Rd is definitely not a road anymore! It is a rough forest trail, but doesn’t last for long.

Foggy road through rolling farms and forests.

Brewster to Central Dutchess Dirt

On June 18, 2022, GrNY riders started near Brewster, NY and headed northward across Putnam and then into Dutchess County, NY. It was absolutely perfect weather for riding! The high temperature was around 68 degrees with just enough cloud cover to make for dramatic photos, but there was no rain. A medium-speed group, led by Kathy, tackled 50 miles with 4800 ft of climbing. A faster group, led by Steve, rode 66 miles with 6000 ft of climbing.

Kathy’s ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/7330598829
Steve’s ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/7330581760

Overall, this was a beautiful mixed-surface ride with stretches of dirt road, rural paved roads, and some very short sections of rougher forest trail. There were great views throughout the ride. Both routes are highly recommended. Tires of 35mm width are plenty for most of the ride, but some folks probably appreciated wider tires for the short trail sections. Be forewarned that both routes had considerable climbing. For the medium group, the hardest climbs came in the first half (ideal). For the faster group, the climbs were more well-distributed, with one of the tougher climbs appearing 51 miles into the ride. That said, both groups had to climb back up Bullet Hole Rd near the end of the ride, which probably seemed like a bigger climb than it really was, given everyone’s tired legs.

The goal for both groups was to end at the same time, despite the different distances traveled. This almost worked, but not exactly! The *moving time* of both group leaders was within about 15 minutes of each other, which was well-planned. However, we “laggards” in the faster group took our lunch break during the ride, while the medium speed group only stopped briefly and ate more substantially at the end of the ride. Now I know why Kathy’s group got back so much quicker! The medium-speed group was happily enjoying cold drinks when we joined them at the post-ride meeting spot. We had some well-earned cold beers ourselves when we got there.

Things went well on both rides, with one minor exception. For the faster/longer distance group, I originally planned for us to filter water around mile 19 (to top off our water bottles), but with 25 riders signed-up by mid-week, that seemed like it might be too inefficient. Instead, I added some extra distance for a stop at the General Store near Bulls Bridge in South Kent, CT. Unfortunately, it was closed! We searched around and eventually made use of a convenient water tap at a nearby inn (they were nice about it). Note for future riders of the longer route: Bring plenty of food and water!

ROUTES:

Medium Speed (50 miles, >4500′):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32953734
Food and water stop at mile 26 (Cousin’s Deli, Pizza, and Bakery)
A second food/water stop possible at mile 42 (Squaro’s Town Square Pizza).

Faster Speed (65 miles, >5000′):
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/39539451
Bring plenty of water and food! The first reliable stop is around mile 47 (gas stations with Cumberland Farms / Dunkin) or mile 50 (good pizza by the slice + deli). Alternatively, future riders could detour to Wingdale around mile 24, which adds a few extra miles, but has more reliable

NOTE FOR THE FUTURE: Almost immediately across the street from the Park & Ride (i.e. starting location) is Pugsley Rd, which is currently rural and dirt. HOWEVER, all of the trees have been cleared for the first 1/2 mile and the entire area is slated for a huge warehouse and distribution center. It sounds like Pugsley Rd will soon be a busy, paved trucking road and the current intersection will be widened to 4 lanes with turn signals. There will also be a huge sports complex on some of the land they are clearing. Hundreds of trucks per day will flow through that area (distribution center) plus hundreds of cars on weekends (sports complex). I’ll miss this peaceful rural road that somehow began right from the heart of concrete and sprawl. Enjoy it while it lasts!