Mass BikePike Tour 2011 - heading for the Berkshires

[obie]

Hi all,
I'm an infrequent poster who is helping out with promoting the charity ride benefiting the MassBike Coalition (MA's advocacy organization) - the 5th Annual Mass BikePike Tour. Each year this 4-day tour explores a different part of our state, and this year we start in Northampton and go straight into the scenic Berkshires. I've pasted on some information - and feel free to ask questions here as well. Thanks for reading!!
***

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!

[Crankin]

If anyone wants my take on this ride, PM me....

[obie]

Hi Crankin,
Thanks for your comment! I have read your account of your experience a few years ago, as has our ride director. Your feedback was appreciated and responded to - I think you'd be pleased with our response!

The ride is definitely a labor of love - every bit of proceeds goes straight to MassBike, and the director volunteers his time - so there were definitely hiccups at the beginning. Feedback has been increasingly positive every year.

This year's route is going to be so gorgeous...all that amazing and challenging Berkshires scenery, and all the flexibility - in ride length, in having the "comfy campers" available, in having plenty of leeway for tourism/ice cream stops...I hope you'll join us!

[Crankin]

Well, I hope our feedback helped. The biggest issue was the food, as frankly, that is the reward for all of the riding. My other concern is that there were roads that were what I considered to be unsafe for road bikes... i.e. long dirt/rutted/rocky stretches on downhills of at least 10% grades. As a bike trip leader for another organization, I would have never included stretches like that... especially since over half of the riders looked like they hadn't been on a bike in years. We did the medium/short routes and I really couldn't envision some of those riders doing the climbs we did. Maybe you have totally different routes for some of the riders now?
My other concerns are purely personal. I like camping, but I have decided that camping and cycling don't mix for me, unless I am camping in one place and doing out and back or loop rides back to my camping spot. The whole deal of breaking down and setting up the tent and tending to our bags was just more than I wanted to do. And since we were often the first or second people to arrive in camp, as we were the first to leave in the AM, we felt "pressure" to help unload bags; another thing I didn't want to do, although I have learned that this is part of the etiquette for this type of trip. I didn't sleep for 4 nights, even though I had an excellent pad under my sleeping bag.
I agree, the cycling in the Berkshires is outstanding. Last summer was the first time in 5 years we didn't do a trip there. But, while I really appreciate the work MassBike does and will support them in other ways, my touring only involves B and B's and lots of pampering, once I am off of the bike.

[obie]

Oh, I totally agree with you on the food being a big riding reward - ride to eat is my motto (especially if there's ice cream). But yeah, the food has improved and increased! And the first route-scouting trip is in two weeks. The roads will be at their pot-holey worst (sigh) so it'll be a good view of which roads are best for riding.

As for sleeping comfort, you and my husband are similar - as are many of the people on the trip. Last year (or maybe the year before) we started using a service called Comfy Campers. They come and set up/break down a nice big tent, with air mattress (!) inside, and they even set up a folding chair and include a clean towel. It is an extra fee but is much less than a B&B. So it is a middle ground that I'd love to try! Apparently they've received rave reviews - I love it that they set up the tent. Even though I love to camp myself, setting up a tent after a long day in the saddle is not really all that fun

Anyway, thanks for your support of MassBike - I was on the board for 5 years and used to fun the Festival/Pie Race - and enjoy wherever your touring takes you! Definitely the best way to travel.

[obie]

Hi all!Hope everyone is doing okay with the summer heat!

So an update - we have a great route set for this year's ride, and due to its popularity this year, we're seeking more volunteers than usual!

We have volunteer duties for both before and during the tour. Since we know many people would rather ride than work, we’ve set things up so that volunteers during the event work-a-day/ride-a-day, and people who help with route scouting and marking get to ride the whole tour.

For more information and to sign up, please visit our special volunteer page: http://www.massbikepike.org/volunteers.html

At the moment we also still have limited room for those who want to just ride! It is an extremely affordable tour – please sign up at www.massbikepike.org, and tell your friends!

If you have more questions, please contact Bruce at bruce@massbikepike.org - thank you and hope to see you out there!

Warmly,

Karin Turer