All Wednesdays in May: Morning Training Speed for Spring
Date & Time: Wednesdays in May, 6-8am (these rides will be posted just before May to keep calendar from getting cluttered)
Location: Start and end Cutler Park, Needham, MA
Ride Type: Road Training Ride
Location: Start and end at Cutler Park in Needham, MA
Ride Type: Road Training Ride for riders of ALL speeds/abilities
Date & Time: 6am start, Every Wednesday in April and May, 2026
Distance: ~20 miles. The ride is always done just before 8am
Price: Free; see NEER membership requirements discussed below after the first ride you do with us
RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form
Join in this ride to Build Strength, Speed, and Camaraderie!
Are you ready to elevate your cycling game in a supportive, fun group setting? Whether you're a seasoned rider looking to sharpen your skills or someone building fitness from the ground up, this ride is designed for you!
Led by our dedicated Super Domestique, it's the perfect opportunity to get focused, effective training that boosts your leg speed, overall endurance, and confidence on the bike – all while enjoying the early morning hours with like-minded cyclists. No matter your pace, you'll leave feeling accomplished and energized - and you’ll get faster, too.
Come join us – it's a fantastic way to challenge yourself without overdoing it!
How this ride is run
We start with a group warm-up to get everyone rolling comfortably together as we ride over to the loop where we execute quality laps from the parking lot. This is about 20 minutes. Then, we ramp up into hill intervals where everyone tackles them at the pace that feels right for each person. The terrain isn't overly steep or punishing – it's just the right setup for putting in solid efforts that build real fitness gains without pushing you too far. Think improved power, better recovery, and that satisfying "I did it" glow!
Each interval lasts about 6 minutes (faster riders might finish in around 5, slower ones closer to 7), and we fully accommodate all speeds with a designated regroup spot. Here, you'll catch your breath, chat with the group, and gear up for the next one – it's all about recovery and enjoyment in between efforts.
We'll kick off with a survey loop so everyone understands how each effort works, where it starts and ends, then the group executes 3 intervals for the first two weeks, ramping up to 5 as we progress.
The best part? It's totally flexible to fit your needs. Feel free to sit out an interval, ride at a leisurely pace, or even choose a shorter section for a quicker burst – it's entirely up to you. We're not about maxing out your effort or heart rate; the goal is sustainable pacing so you can complete the full session and cruise back to the Cutler Park parking lot feeling strong and ready to start the work day.
Don't miss out – this is your chance to train smarter, connect with others, and take your riding to the next level. See you there!
Distance
The ride is ~20 miles in length, about 1 hour and 50 minutes total. The first two sessions include more warm-up time to allow bodies to acclimate to the efforts. Regardless, we’re certain to get people back to the parking lot before 8am.
Parking
Cutler Park, Needham, MA
Route
Here's the Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42427386
It's called "20 GIDSIB Training"
GIDSIB = Glad I Didn't Stay in Bed
Estimated Ride Time
No more than 2 hours. We’ll try to get everyone back slightly before 8am, but not too much before that!
Route Notes
None. We discuss where we’re going easy and where we’re regrouping at the ride.
After the Ride
Everyone needs to get to work or start their day. We’ll stick around with anyone who would like to discuss a new bike!
Last-Minute Information & Weather Cancellations
We will email all participants (those who RSVP) with any critical late-breaking news. If it’s looking like bad weather the night before, we’ll email letting everyone know if the ride is on or not. Check your email first thing in the morning if there’s any question about weather, we’ll be sure to email late the night before with a decision or further information.
Contact Information
Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride anytime 1 hour or more prior to the start of the ride.
CALL US if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433.
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes.
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules. RSVP’ing to this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Waiver
New England Expedition Riders (NEER) requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out prior to your first ride.
If this is your second or more ride with us, our insurance requires that you become a member of NEER.
Proper bike & Equipment
Road bike with road tires. 25mm-32mm are the most common on this ride. Want to get faster on your gravel bike for gravel racing or whatever you do on it? Bring it!!
Clip-in pedals: This is an important element of bike control, especially given the speeds we’ll be riding and needing to climb hills as efficiently as possible.
Front and rear lights that will last the duration of the ride and WILL NOT blind your riding friends. Eye-piercing rear lights (look into it, does it hurt your eyes?) should be pointed downward or replaced with non-eye-piercing bright lights. All rear lights should be set on steady, not blinking.
A Tuned Bike: A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride or take an Uber home if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to Participate in this Ride Now!
Please RSVP only after you’ve made sure you can attend. It is inconsiderate to RSVP prior to committing to attending since it affects the experience of the other cyclists in attendance. We understand that things come up last-minute. Be sure to email us if you can’t attend: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.
Michigan Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder
NEER Travels for Gravel!!
June 27, 2026
100-mile & 210-mile route options
Takes place across beautiful Michigan!
NEER is traveling to Michigan this summer to participate (race?) in the Michigan Coast to Coast Gravel Grinder! There are 100-mile and 200-mile options available. The 200 miler crosses from the west coast of Michigan to the east coast offering a variety of terrain and lots of views of beautiful Michigan!
This is a great opportunity to ride your gravel bike somewhere totally new, take on a proper challenge on your gravel bike, and have a great group from Massachusetts to meet up with either for the trip out or once you’re out there (most will drive, some will fly).
Details about this Gravel Grinder are on their website: https://micoasttocoast.com/
Let us know you’re “in” for it so we keep you in the loop on travel arrangements and plans once we’re all out there! (You MUST register on their website to be entered into their event).
Swamp Donkey Dash
Ultra endurance mtb & gravel race
July 11, 2026
TBD distances and options offered
Starts at Cannon Mountain, White Mtns NH
July 11, 2026 - Mid-Summer Ultra Endurance MTB & Gravel options in the White Mountains!
NEER is participating in this single-track heavy, self supported ultra adventure ride, in the western white mountains of NH.
There is also a 300-mile gravel route option! Sign up for the waiting list, there’s a good chance of getting in still.
We have members taking on every distance and category so you’re not alone AND we’re getting together for dinner the night before in the area (Bethlehem or Littleton) to be social and hang out! Email us if you’ll be there so we know who to communicate with concerning pre-ride plans! connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com
Visit swampdonkeydash for registration/wait list info! And see more info on Facebook here!
Martha’s Vineyard Off-Road Adventure Tour with Mike and Mary - Spring 2026
Location: Martha’s Vineyard
Ride Type: Adventure mixed terrain
Date & Time: Spring 2026
Price: $150
Location: Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Adventure - ride trails, dirt roads, ancient paths, and back roads with the day catered by Mike and Mary with homemade, tasty food to delight hungry riders
Date & Time: Re-scheduled to Spring 2026 when it’s warm and Mike & Mary are back in town!
Distance: ~40 miles
Max attendance: Registration is capped at 35 riders
Price: $125. Register at BikeReg.com. Open to everyone! (NEER membership not required.)
If you’re interested in doing a private ride or tour of the Island with Mary at a separate time, please email Mary at:
marymcconneloug at fastmail.com (replace “at” with “@” when you email her!)
Details of this Special Adventure Tour with Mike & Mary
Come join mountain bike legends, Olympian Mary McConneloug and pro Michael Broderick, for a fun day of riding bikes on and off road on charming Martha’s Vineyard! They are taking riders on a mixed terrain tour showcasing some of their favorite quiet back routes over ancient trails and roads with an emphasis on cool trails that are hiding all over the island. Highlights include full immersion into the natural island beauty, cycling to remote areas, offering views from a favorite high point and a beach stop to take in the Atlantic Ocean. Riding will be fun at a moderate pace; all riders will enjoy a solid day on the bike at a moderate (not slow) pace. This should not be a rider’s first gravel or mixed terrain ride, participants should be experienced cyclists with experience riding on dirt and mixed terrain.
What You Get
An exciting full day adventure on bikes with Mike & Mary, professional cyclists who have a lifetime of adventures to share and who continue to live their dream racing all over the world.
A day to just ride and enjoy nature, experience the incredible mixed terrain riding on Martha’s Vineyard.
Nice welcome gathering with refreshments to start the day.
Hot, homemade meal served at the end of the ride.
All diets and preferences are accommodated.
Opportunity to enjoy ferry crossings of the Vineyard Sound which offer picturesque calm during the trip to/from the island. (Tickets for the ride aren’t included in event price.)
A morning greeter where you park in the morning prior to catching the ferry.
There are 3 ride guides and 2 professional mechanics on the ride so you’re well taken care of though we want you to come with tuned and ready bikes!
An intimate cycling experience with locals, a chance to meet some new friends and gain knowledge of special places to ride off-road on Martha’s Vineyard!
Food & Water During the Day
After arriving to Martha’s Vineyard on the ferry, Mike and Mary will greet riders and treat everyone to coffee and tea and some homemade wholesome treats to eat.
There will be food & water stops during the ride where riders may fill water bottles or purchase food if desired.
Riders will enjoy something to eat prepared by Mary prior to departing the ride/catching the ferry for those who are taking it back to the mainland.
All dietary preferences are accommodated, we ask for this information when you register.
Martha’s Vineyard riders having the time of their lives with Mike and Mary and crew!
Price
$125 for the experience, ride, and everything Mike & Mary are providing in terms of homemade food, hot drinks and baked goods at the start of the ride, hot tasty food at the end of the day and mid-ride food too.
Refund Policy
Cancellations up to 2 weeks in advance will be refunded 50%. If the ride can’t be run due to dangerous or miserable weather (forecast of light rain doesn’t cancel), a rain date will be announced and if participants can’t make the new date, a 50% refund & 50% credit will be issued.
Parking for People Coming from the Mainland & Ferry Details
For riders coming from off-island, there are a number of free parking lots a short bike ride away from the ferry. Everyone who registers will receive detailed information about where to park, where to meet up with each other and when to ride over to the ferry. A NEER Super Domestique will be at the lot to get everyone together for the ride to the ferry terminal.
Riders will be taking the 9:30am ferry which arrives Vineyard Haven at 10:15am.
At the end of the day, riders will be back at Vineyard Haven around 3pm making the 3:45pm ferry the earliest ferry ride possible to return on. Be prepared to take the next ferry in case it’s not possible to get back in time for the 3:45pm departure or if you’re having such a nice time you want to stick around a little longer.
Ferries run nearly every hour until the last ferry which is ~9:30pm.
Route, Distance, Pace
This is a guided experience so no one needs to have the route, but a route file will be provided and a shorter option will be provided as well via GPS file. No one is getting dropped or lost. The route will be appropriately adjusted if the weather or time requires. The route length is 40 miles.
The pace will be moderate throughout the day, it’s important to keep riding to stay warm. The ride assumes riders have the ability to ride 15-17 mph on a road bike (this is not a road ride, it’s just a way to state speed/fitness levels), and the ride assumes riders have experience riding mixed terrain (mixed terrain is a little more twisty, turny and sandy than gravel), but this is not an overly technical route. As long as riders have experience riding some dirt on a gravel or mountain bike and fitness for a 15-17mph road pace, this ride is within the scope of riders’ abiities.
Terrain Details
Mostly off road paths, trails, dirt roads, and some pavement, very light traffic. Most trails are not overly technical, but there will be more emphasis on super fun trails this year than in previous editions of this adventure ride. There is a fair amount of sand on the roads and trails. You’ll see some secret spots very few people have visited!
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by these Rules. Registering for this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Proper bike & Equipment
Required: A bike with tires 38mm wide or bigger. The bigger, the better!
Required: A bike that’s in safe working order that has been recently tuned and is free of creaking and squeaking.
Required: All of the tools for typical mechanicals such as:
Flat fix tools and at least one spare tube (yes, even if you’re running tubeless tires), air via CO2 or hand pump, multi-tool
Extra chain link, chain breaker, chain pliers
Spare derailleur hanger if your bike needs a spare
Extra clothes and storage capacity so adding/taking off layers is easy
Required: Cell phone
Required: Two full water bottles at the start of the ride
Required if coming from off-island: Front and rear lights that have at least 1.5 hours of run time.
Nice to have: Extra calories in your pockets
About Mary McConneloug!
Mary is a 2 x Olympian (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008), 4 x US National MTB Champion and also the 2017 Masters Enduro MTB World Champion. She loves to get creative in the kitchen, fueling their days with good healthy foods. Mary loves the outdoors, riding in new places where the car cannot go. She manages many of the fine details necessary to run their professional race team.
Mary loves to cook, garden and is learning to surf. She is an advocate for healthy active lifestyles, and sharing that with others! She has coached herself from the beginning and has her own coaching and mentoring business. She holds a nutrition based philosophy combining lifestyle balance and periodization training techniques to reach fitness goals.
About Mike Broderick!
In Mike’s 30+ years of competitive bike racing, he has ranked among the top of his field in Cross Country, Cyclocross, mixed team stage racing (with Mary) and most recently in the Masters Enduro World Series. Legendary for his technical handling skills and fitness, Mike has raced on the US National Team for over 10 years alongside Mary. He earned the Masters Enduro MTB World Champion Title in 2016. His mechanic skills have stood by him as he continues to tune and refine both his and Mary’s race machines. He earned his University degree with a Bachelor in English and minor in Art from Springfield University, MA (1995). Mike was born and raised in Chilmark, MA and has always enjoyed riding in the woods, shredding dirt and surfing waves since he was a kid.
More about Mike and Mary, The A-Team!
Mike was born on Martha’s Vineyard, MA and Mary was born in Fairfax, CA. They met at a MTB race in Northern California during the Spring of 1999. Their first date, a 70-mile road ride out to Point Reyes National Seashore set the back drop for a life time of adventures on the bikes - which they continue to enjoy today. Their second date was a week long road trip to race at the NORBA National XC in Big Bear, CA…. They were smitten from the start, by each other and the challenge of racing, riding bikes and pushing their limits to improve. They have supported each other, creating their own 2 person team, alongside a handful of great companies (which includes Seven Cycles), pursuing many disciplines of off road cycling - mainly XCO, cyclocross, stage race and Enduro. For the past 26 years Mike and Mary have built their life around sustaining a career in racing bikes and continue to be involved at domestic and international events and sharing the ride.
Still going strong, both Mike and Mary were the 2024 USAC Masters 50+ Enduro National Champions in their respective fields!