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August 14th 2010

We've got exciting news about the first MassBike Summer Century & Family Ride! We now have descriptions of all the routes to help you decide which one to ride. And we are very pleased to announce new partners to help us make this a really special event:

• • Redbones Barbecue is cooking up lunch (included with your registration) - their famous pulled pork, BBQ beef, and portobello sandwiches!

• • Ride Studio Cafe is spinning their wrenches at the start to take care of your last-minute mechanical problems

• • The New England Mountain Bike Patrol is providing top-notch First Aid support

Great Ride Choices!

We've been working hard developing routes just for this event. Descriptions are below, and maps and GPS files will be ready soon. Some of the distances have changed slightly but are close to what we planned.

12-Mile Family Ride: A loop through central and northern Lexington neighborhoods with a variety of architectural styles. The route is primarily on quiet streets with gently rolling terrain. Several conservation areas are included, with a short section of unpaved single track (you may want to walk skinny-tire bikes for a few yards here), a section on the paved path along lower Vine Brook, and two short sections on the Minuteman Bikeway.

22-Mile Family Ride: The ride goes to Concord on low-to-moderate traffic roads, north on Monument Street, and returns to Lexington via Bedford. There are optional stops at the Paul Revere Capture Site in Lexington and the North Bridge historic site in Concord, both within the Minute Man National Historical Park. An optional 0.5 mile (each way) east from the Revere Capture Site on the unpaved National Park Service path leads to the visitor center, which has an excellent 25-minute multimedia show explaining the historic events (shown on the hour and half-hour). Water is available in Concord Center (0.1 miles off route) and both water and restrooms are available across from the North Bridge parking lot on Monument Street. The ride passes Bedford Farms Ice Cream, known for its rich and generous treats (a medium serves two).

45-Mile Ride: The route follows the Century and Metric rides out through Lincoln, Concord, Acton, and Boxborough, then splits off to the north before crossing I-495. The route heads north through the outskirts of Acton near Fort Pond and Nagog Pond. We pass the Nashoba Valley Ski Area and reconnect with the long rides on South Chelmsford Road headed for Kate’s Corner. Kate’s Corner (mile 30) is the first place to get snacks on the 45-mile route. The next stop is at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 33) on North Street. From there you have only 12 miles back to Lexington High School.

Metric Century (62 Miles/100 Kilometers): The Metric Century heads out on scenic back roads through Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Boxborough, and Littleton to Ayer. Your first opportunity for refreshments is a Chevron station just off the route on Route 2A at mile 25. The route continues on really pretty roads in Groton, past Lost Lake and Martin’s Pond to our official rest stop at the Union Congregational Church in Groton Center (mile 36) - water, Gatorade, snacks, and restrooms will be available. From Groton, the Metric Century continues through Westford and Chelmsford, past Kate’s Corner (food) into Carlisle to the last official rest stop at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 89). The route stays in the woods until we merge with Routes 4 and 225 in Bedford, then skirt the Hanscom area to reach Route 2A and take Mass Ave back to the Lexington High School.

Century (100 Miles): The Century follows the Metric Century route to the rest stop in Groton, then adds a forty-mile loop through West Groton and Hickory Hills Lake to Townsend. Food and restrooms are available in Townsend Center at Cliff’s Café or other venues. (There is also a shady town green with a Porta Potty available.) The Century hits the only climb as you leave Townsend and head for Hollis, NH through more state forest land. Shops are available in Hollis, but the preferred stop is at the Monument Square Market (mile 62). The route then winds along beautiful freshly-paved Depot Road to the bridge over the Nashua River, then passes by the rail trail along the river near Pepperell, MA. We then follow some real woods roads returning to the rest stop in Groton at mile 74. From Groton, the Century and Metric Century routes merge again and continue through Westford and Chelmsford, past Kate’s Corner (food) into Carlisle to the last official rest stop at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 89). The route stays in the woods until we merge with Routes 4 and 225 in Bedford, then skirt the Hanscom area to reach Route 2A and take Mass Ave back to the Lexington High School.

Start Times
August 14th 2010
Century 7-8:30am
Metric Century 8-9:30am
45-Mile Ride 9-10:30am
Family Rides 10-11am (join a guided group or ride on your own)

Registration

$15 for MassBike members in advance and $20 for non-members in advance (advance sales through Wednesday, August 11). Day-of-event registration is $25 for all. There is no charge for children under 16 accompanied by an adult.

Want to do even more for MassBike? Riders are encouraged to raise additional funds for MassBike’s advocacy and outreach programs through a special $100 VIP registration or by gathering donations using MassBike’s online fundraising system. It's a quick and easy extra step at the end of the registration process!

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For more information, contact MassBike at 617-542-2453 or [email protected].