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If anyone's interested, I will be leading an AMC beginner level ride with another leader on October 6.
No drop, average speed around 10-12. We will be riding 20 miles, rolling terrain, through Concord, Carlisle, and Acton.
Ride starts at 10 AM, from Keyes Rd. Municipal Lot in Concord center (next to the visitor's center/restroom). Please be there by 9:45, with helmet, appropriate clothing, water, and spare tube.
No pre-registration required.
PM me if you want more info.
I think it is SO cool that you are doing this! It can be challenging to find a true beginners level ride that is actually a "no drop" ride where everyone stays together.
We often go camping in the area (well at Normandy Farms in Foxboro) for about 3-4 weeks in the summer (don't know yet for summer 2014 as we may be traveling for a change. So if we happen to be there at a time you organise similar, you can bet we'll show up. :)
We did the East Bay Bike Path this past summer in Rhode Islands and loved it. But roads around Foxboro are falling apart - at least rural sides. hihi
All AMC rides are no drop. We are required, by our liability policy, to have a leader and a sweep, and to keep the group together.
I had just become a leader when this was instituted, and a good many of the bike leaders quit, as it was based on what works in hiking, where you always keep people together. This is why we screen for most rides, require registration, and close the ride at a certain number. And this is why, I ended up leading yesterday, because we could not have a huge group (30) of riders, where some average 14-16 and some average 10. Now, if someone says to me on a ride that he/she wants to go ahead, or stay behind, I assess the situation and say "fine," but that are "off the ride," which releases me of liability. We can also appoint others, who are not leaders, but we trust their judgment, to help with sweeping.
We do have week night series rides, that are no registration, and the intermediate level one tends to be a little loose with the rules, but we've managed to keep the racer boys away, despite some very strong riders who participate.
Helene, I did a charity ride in Foxboro/around the area a few years ago, I don't remember anything bad about the roads, but there are some nice rural areas very accessible from there.
So, while I do b***ch and moan about how the club seems to be getting a very large amount of a certain type of person, who sometimes are difficult to deal with, I prefer this to others. I do ride with and belong to a more traditional club, but only with a sub-group that does moderate to semi quick rides during the week, with a social bent. And even this sub-group now breaks down into a relaxed pace (11-12 mph), traditional pace (averaging around 13, but in reality, often going along at 15-17, until a hill apppears), or a "spirited" pace, averaging around 15. I feel like I can fit in with this group, and many are older, accomplished athletes, who are just nice.
We only did 2-3 rides from campground and it was not the nicest roads to use (quality of asphalt - holes and I mean really bad, very narrow streets, etc.) But the drivers are extra polite and give us all the space we need to cycle safely. Anyway, they can't go fast either. It really needs to be totally redone in many areas. Where new housing devlopments are it is superb. Stretches redone are perfect too. But overall, we would not take our bikes back in that section. When I spoke to the LBS he told me that there were not that many roads in that particular area really safe and I would have to go way further. So we ended up at the East bay trail. Which is awesome and well organized too.
Usually roads leading into campgrounds are terrible. The part of the ride I remember being nice was in Sharon and Walpole, all riding distance from Foxborough and certainly closer than Providence. Next time, look at routes on Ride With GPS; you don't have to be a member to print the cue sheets.
Thank you. Will sure look it up.
I wish I could come. But you are so far away. Have fun.