Note:MEDIUM and LONG ROUTES WERE CHANGED in 2022. Flat to rolling terrain on some of our favorite familiar roads. See parking instructions under additional info
The Best of Ipswich ride features wonderful cycling roads from downtown Ipswich with a great mix of historic sites, state forests, cycling along the Ipswich River, farm lands and scenic ocean vistas. EXTRA SHORT heads west to go through Bradley Palmer State Park, rides along the side of Appleton Farms on Cutler Road-with about a half mile of gravel-use caution, nice local roads of Hamilton, over to Argilla Road then out to and around Great Neck before returning through the historic district of Ipswich. SHORT adds the Great Neck loop to the extra short MEDIUM PROVIDES A TOUR OF IPSWICH INCLUDING URL LINKS has a quick in and out at Bradley Palmer to see the estate (that you can choose to skip) and by-passes going through Bradley Palmer by staying on scenic Asbury Road to pass the Patton Homestead (yes, General Patton), adds a short trip to Essex, then off to the Crane Estate (and Crane Beach if you wish) before continuing back to Argilla Road, you have a chance to stop at Russell Orchards twice then off to Great Neck then back through the Ipswich historic district. LONG is the medium plus about 13 scenic miles through Topsfield including Perkins Row, past Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, the Topsfield Linear Common rail trail and Linebrook Rd. After recrossing Route 1 it takes a right on Brookside then a left on Perkins (avoiding a tough part of Ipswich Rd) before heading back to join the medium on Asbury Road. EXTRA-LONG adds 10 miles to the long in Topsfield by-passing the rail trail with a left turn onto 97, then across Rte 1 for incredible farm views and a few hill, through town for a nice loop before returning to the other routes. The extra-long ride is a mile shy of a metric century.
A new ride using many of the delightful back roads familiar to NSC riders. The short route loops through Topsfield, Boxford and North Andover following a route similar to that of the short Saturday fitness ride. The medium route continues across Harold Parker State Forest to Andover, incorporating some of the roads used for the NSC Andover Tuesday night ride. After circling the scenic Andover Green, the ride returns via Harold Parker. The long ride adds 11 hilly miles in the northwest corner of Andover.
The ride starts out on a beautiful scenic stretch with good roads. The medium and long options go out and back on Plum Island, and the long option continues through Newburyport and past the Artichoke Reservoirs. The extra-long route goes along the shore in Salisbury and returns through Maudslay State Park to rejoin the long route.
The Stone Wall Ride is a great early spring ride offering many distance options that fit wherever you are at in your mileage training and also great for new riders. The yellow forsythia and daffodils brighten up all the stone walls along the way. The beginning of the ride uses roads in Hamilton that we do not travel on often and then the roads become more familiar in Topsfield, Boxford, Georgetown and Groveland. The XS (15miles) ride splits coming out of Bradley Palmer taking a left onto Asbury. All other distances go right. The S (28 miles) splits at River Road and Washington taking a right. All others stay straight. The M (36) splits in Boxford Center taking a right onto Depot. The others continue straight. The L (44) splits from the XL (54) at 133 and West Street in Georgetown with the XL taking a left onto West Street and the L continuing straight.
From beautiful Newburyport, we’ll wind through some lovely back roads into Southern New Hampshire. Both rides follow stretches of quiet roads along the Merrimack River with the longer ride heading as far north as Exeter, where you can stop for lunch. Terrain: Mostly gentle rolling, no real challenging hills.
The shoulder season is a perfect time to ride the coast of Maine! We start in Portsmouth, NH, just off I-95, and head up the coast to Nubble Light and Perkins Cove. You might assume the best part of the ride is along the coast, but many peope enjoy the inland return options, including the Piscataqua River, even more.
The short ride cuts inland at mile 10.6, shortly before York Harbor and Nubble Light, while the long ride continues up the coast past Nubble Light up to Ogonquit before turning inland through rolling terrain.
Both routes return through Eliot ME and then follow the Piscataqua River before recrossing the historic Memorial lift bridge back to Portsmouth.
These rides take in some familiar and some different roads than other NSC rides, dipping into the 128/I-95 belt. The longer ride goes through the Middlesex Fells in Winchester, Melrose, Medford and Stoneham with a fair bit of up and down.
Mostly flat to rolling, shady roads. All rides go through Harold Parker State Forest. Short ride goes through Reading, Wilmington, N. Reading, Middleton, and Lynnfield. Medium ride adds N. Andover, Boxford, and Topsfield. Long ride adds Groveland, W. Newbury, and Georgetown. Rest Stop is in front of the library in Middleton.
This Beverly-Ipswich loop travels quiet woodland and open roads near Cape Ann area, including North Beverly, Centerville, Essex, Ipswich, Wenham and Hamilton. Extra Long, long and medium rides go out to Jeffrey’s Neck loop from the town wharf in Ipswich.
The ride heads out on the High St. bike lanes and passes through Maudslay State Park. We swing down through the wooded roads in the Byfield and West Newbury area, then cross the Merrimack River at the Bates Bridge and ride along the river to Amesbury. The long route continues north, passing through Exeter. Lots of rural countryside, a couple of charming New England towns, and beautiful views of the broad Merrimack River. The return includes a few miles on the Old Eastern Marsh Trail in Salisbury.
New variation of Minuteman Ride starting from Tewksbury. Routes travel south and west to Carlisle, Concord and Sudbury. Mostly nice scenic roads with numerous natural and historic sites.
All rides visit the communities of Bradford, West Boxford, Groveland and West Newbury on a mix of local and rural roads. The 61 mile ride adds a loop through Newbury to Plum Island and back.
A classic NSC ride touring scenic Rockingham County NH. Quiet roads, rolling terrain & moderately hilly.............................................
25 mi=S for Short— into Hampstead, NH
39 mi=M for Medium—adds Plaistow, Kingston, Danville.
54 mi=L for Long— adds Brentwood, Newton, & Merrimack, MA
***Providence Hill option is requested. There’s an NSC tradition of awarding "extra cycling credit” for this accomplishment at the end of a long ride = XCr. Eight (8) miles from the end you will see an "XCr." in the road. The option takes a Left up the hill, then a Right onto North Broadway to put yourself back on the route back to HHS. I cannot mount that hill without walking, but many of you will! All routes are ARROWED, with a White Half-Arrow. Many are faded -- about half have been refreshed/ brilliant/all routes.
This is the annual Sunday re-ride of the Blazing Saddles Century. There is no ride support. The route file and cue sheet links are below. Cue sheets will be provided at the ride.
Quiet local roads from Ipswich take us to Manchester by the Sea, continuing counter-clockwise for a very scenic tour of Cape Ann’s rocky coastline. All routes go through beautiful Magnolia bordering the ocean, and continue past Hammond Castle, a replication of an English medieval fortress. The short and medium routes turn back to Ipswich from Gloucester near the famous Man at the Wheel statue.The long and extra long go on to Rockport and back through Annisquam Village.
Come join your fellow club members for a fall ride from Groveland through the New Hampshire / Massachusetts borderlands, where autumn’s colors might be starting to turn and where NSC rides rarely venture.
All three rides are somewhat shorter than usual (albeit no less hilly, hello Corliss Hill!) to allow riders more time to return to Groveland for our fall picnic - with a surprise menu!
All routes begin at the Pines Recreation Area in Groveland, cross the mighty Merrimack, and head north together past the Whittier Homestead into NH.
The 22 mile route continues through Newton NH before returning along Bear Hill Rd. to the Merrimack valley.
The 36 and 48 split from the short route around mile 8 to continue northwest through South Kingston and Danville. The 48 splits off again (around mi 15) to explore less-known roads further north with scenic views of ponds and woodlands.
The 36 and 48 reconnect 3/4 of the way through the ride to follow the pretty shorelines of Tuxbury Pond and Lake Attitash.
All of the routes return along the north side of Merrimack River before recrossing the Bates bridge for our picnic back at the ride start in Groveland.
