An early evening ride around Newburyport and Salisbury provides a good intro to gravel biking. Expect a mix of paved roads, easy bike paths, and about 3 miles of wide hardpack trail through Moseley Woods and Maudslay State Park.
Gravel ride
Category 2
Dirt/gravel roads, wide single-track, or dual-track trails with potholes, washboard, and occasional loose surfaces. Larger tires size and lower pressure is recommended. Ideal bike: Endurance, all-road, or gravel Tire size: 32-35mm See Types of Gravel Rides
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 Stops at Food Mart in West Newbury and Richdale in Middleton.
Ride start can be reached from the MBTA Reading or Wakefield Commuter Rail Stations.
Category 2
Dirt/gravel roads, wide single-track, or dual-track trails with potholes, washboard, and occasional loose surfaces. Larger tires size and lower pressure is recommended. Ideal bike: Endurance, all-road, or gravel Tire size: 32-35mm See Types of Gravel Rides
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.
An easy evening ride thru some of the trails around Topsfield: Bradley Palmer SP, Willowdale, and the Topsfield Linear rail trail. The unpaved terrain is rolling, except for a short climb in at the start of the Bradley Palmer segment, and it includes wooded double track, meadow trail, and rail trail. 35 mm or wider tires are recommended.
Parking available at MASSDOT Park and Ride at Main and Park Sts in Topsfield.
Gravel ride
Category 1
Smooth well maintained trails or dirt roads. Ideal bike: Road or gravel bike Tire size: 28-32mm See Types of Gravel Rides
Smooth well maintained trails or dirt roads. Ideal bike: Road or gravel bike Tire size: 28-32mm See Types of Gravel Rides
58.3 miles (100% unpaved)
A classic rail trail ride thru NH scenery. The route starts in Boscawen, NH, at the Jamie Welch Park on Depot Rd and goes to Danbury at Rt. 4. Riders can take a break for refreshments at the Danbury Country Store before heading back to the starting point. The route is flat, with a gradual climb to Danbury and may be cut short at any point simply by turning around and heading back to the beginning.
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.
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.
Kirby Mountain Gravel Ride - Class 2-4 route over Kirby Mountain to one of the most beautiful valleys in the Northeast Kingdom and beyond. Two variations to get there - one via more class 4 road. Then both travel along the lovely (pretty flat!) River Road to Gallup Mills and then up over Victory back to 114 and East Burke.
The 34 mile loop has a mile of
Category 3
Infrequently maintained trails and roads requiring a higher skill level. Use 30-40 psi tire pressure, depending on your weight and the minimum sidewall rating. Ideal bike: Gravel bike Tire size: 33-40mm See Types of Gravel Rides
Gravel.
Meeting and parking at Mike's Tiki Bar.
Gravel ride
Category 2
Dirt/gravel roads, wide single-track, or dual-track trails with potholes, washboard, and occasional loose surfaces. Larger tires size and lower pressure is recommended. Ideal bike: Endurance, all-road, or gravel Tire size: 32-35mm See Types of Gravel Rides
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 a lovely ride on gravel roads, including both class 4 and a CCC road through Willoughby State Forest. It starts at the north end of Lake Willoughby, traveling counterclockwise around the lake. The route heads to the west side of the lake and then by Wheeler Mountain on a class 4, goes out to Route 5 briefly, then the CCC road through the state forest to 5A. After a steep climb up to Newark Pond, the route climbs up a bit more on a class 4 road, then down to Long Pond and back out to Lake Willoughby.
Swimming at the lake afterwards!
Parking (includes toilets) at the beach at the north end of Lake Willoughby
Gravel ride
Category 2
Dirt/gravel roads, wide single-track, or dual-track trails with potholes, washboard, and occasional loose surfaces. Larger tires size and lower pressure is recommended. Ideal bike: Endurance, all-road, or gravel Tire size: 32-35mm See Types of Gravel Rides
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.
Merrimack River from Newburyport allows all riders to enjoy very scenic stretches along both sides of the Merrimack River. All routes head out of Newburyport on Hale Street then along the Upper Artichoke Lake before doing several scenic miles along the river. The 30 mile medium route follows the short route but avoids Rocks Village Bridge by continuing through West Newbury to cross the Merrimack on 113 in Groveland then follows scenic E Broadway to rejoin the short on the north side of Rocks Village Bridge. The long route is almost the entire medium route (excludes the right on Kent) and continues on Merrimac St to Water then a right on Rolfe's Lane. Turning South on 1A riders have a chance to stop at Tender Crop Farms for refreshments before continuing to Rowley and a special treat of climbing up to Sea View for a sea view. Back down and head over to a short piece of Rte. 1 then return to Newburyport following Middle. Highfield, Parker and Johnson. The extra-long route includes going out to Plum Island, north to the lighthouse and back. The route does not include the southern end of Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge but it can be added for a rather enjoyable and excessively flat 8.5 miles for a beautiful metric century.
