MassBike's 5th Annual Bike Festival + Pie Race
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Verrill Farm (Sudbury & Wheeler Road), Concord, MA

All proceeds benefit bicycling advocacy in Massachusetts!

Schedule of events (check back for updates):

8:00 AM: Early registration/check-in for the Lost Lake Metric Century, the longest of our Festival rides (100 km/64 miles).

8:30 AM: Lost Lake Metric Century departs. Enjoy rolling hills through the unspoiled countryside of Harvard, Sterling, and the surrounding towns. You'll find it hard to believe how close you are to Boston as you pass apple orchards and horse farms!

9:00 AM: General event registration/check-in begins. Enjoy some pre-ride snacks, get a quick bike check from our expert mechanics, and get ready to ride!

9:45–10:00 AM: All other rides depart (staggered starts).

11:30 AM-3:30 PM: Bike Expo
Demonstrations of vintage and wacky bikes, vendors selling unique and unusual items, kids activities and bike decorating, bike repair demos, and more!

1:30-3:00 PM: Redbones BBQ Lunch
Enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch (vegetarian options available!) as you relax on the expansive grounds of Verrill Farm.

2:00 PM: The Pie Race! presented by NEBC (6.5 miles)
A short race against the clock with a unique twist: three "pie stops" (two along the way and one at the finish) where you will dismount your bike and eat a slice of pie! A test of not just your legs but your stomach, with excellent prizes to reward you for your daring. Please note the Pie Race is limited to the first 60 registrants, so sign up now! Click here for a press release from our first-ever Pie Race in 2005.

Ride Menu!:

Lost Lake Metric Century (64 miles) This year's 100K is the nicest route ever. It kicks off on a quiet, relatively flat course from Concord, through Sudbury and Stow, before heading uphill into Harvard. After a rest stop in lovely Groton Center (sponsored by the Nashoba Valley Pedalers), the ride continues to the wonderful Lost Lake, with roads that fly like a roller coaster. It's a beautiful, low-trafficked ride you'll want to do again and again!

Ski Market Family Ride (6 miles) A calm, low-traffic route suitable for families. There's a short hill at the beginning but otherwise it's relatively flat. You'll pass a number of farm fields with plenty of shade in between– great for a hot day! This ride stays entirely in Concord and is also the route for the Pie Race. For families with young riders, there is a "bail out" point that shortens the ride to 4 miles, and one can also stop at the Emerson Hospital (mile 4) for water or restrooms.

Ciclismo Classico Ice Cream Headache IV LONG (45 miles) This ride has been revamped for 2007: less traffic, more scenery, and most importantly, more ice cream! The route follows shade-drenched conservation land roads in Sudbury, to Carver Hill Orchards for some delicious ice cream, before traveling the little-known but beautiful Long Hill Road to Colonial Candies (formerly Herbert's) in Bolton– not only do they have a toppings bar, but they also have the most potent AC in the area! We then travel the back roads of Harvard and Stow to reach local landmark Erickson's Ice Cream. There are several hills along the way but they tend to occur before, not after, the ice cream stops. There will be an "A La Mode" prize at the Pie Race to reward the fastest Pie Racer who has also eaten ice cream!

Ice Cream Headache IV SHORT (30 miles) The shorter ice cream ride gets an extra ice cream stop from 2006! Each road seems quieter and more rural than the next as we ride through meadows and nature preserves in Sudbury before our biggest climb of the day is rewarded by ice cream (and fresh fruit!) at Carver Hill Orchards. We then quickly swoop over to local legend Erickson's Ice Cream. The return to Verrill Farm will be on lovely roads in Acton and Concord, with the option to stop at roadside farmstands along the way.

Tour de Lincoln (24 miles) A ride in the beginner-friendly style of Bike Rides for Ordinary People, this ride will take a leisurely pace, through unspoiled countryside and passing by some of Lincoln's highlights– the DeCordova, the Gropius House, and nearby Walden Pond. This is a very social ride and a great way to meet future riding partners! There is an optional ice cream stop at Bedford Farms on the way home.

Gardens & Rivers (22 miles) Following the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, this short but sweet route traverses the meadows of Sudbury and passes through the lovely town green. There is a beautiful, shaded uphill stretch leading to the grounds of the Garden in the Woods, home of the New England Wildflower Society, where riders are welcome to pay the admission and stop to smell the flowers! The ride returns to Verrill Farm along two of the area's most unsung gems: Pelham Island Road and Water Row. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is slated to run parallel to some of the ride; your ride leaders will be happy to tell you more about this trail-in-the-making.

Canoeing Ride 'n' Splash (8 miles) Another quiet ride suitable for families. Like the Family Ride, the short hill at the beginning of this ride is the biggest rise of the day. There are two Route 2 crossings, at traffic lights. The South Bridge Boat House has canoe and kayak rental for exploring the very peaceful river. The ride returns through the Concord train depot area, where families can purchase drinks, pizza, or ice cream at the Bedford Farms store.

Swimming Ride (27 miles) This is our sole sojourn into the classic cycling triangle of Concord/Carlisle/Acton. The ride will climb up the freshly paved Strawberry Hill into Littleton, where we will be rewarded by a dip into the little-known Long Lake (though please note that swimming is at your own risk!). Afterwards we'll take quiet roads back. Two ice cream shops in Concord are an option for the end of the ride. The route includes two Route 2 crossings and has a brief (but announced) break in the road arrows because of a ban in the Concord business district.

Cost: Registration rates are $30 for individuals, $50 for couples, and $65 for families (groups of three or more). Pie Race registration is only $5 (limited to 60)! Registration includes a full day of cycling adventures plus a free BBQ lunch (vegetarian options available!) from Redbones.

More than 400 people participated in the 2005 MassBike Festival.

Chris Ploof of Landry's Bicycles provided mechanical support.