Sunday Adventure Mixed Terrain Ride to Marblehead

• Location: Start and end in Winchester, MA

• Ride Type:  Adventure Mixed Terrain Ride for gravel bikes or hard tail mountain bikes who can do the distance

• Date & Time: 9am, Sunday, July 28

• Distance: 64 miles

• Price:  Free, but we’re requiring NEER membership if this is your second ride with us.

• RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form

Details

This urban adventure mixed terrain ride takes cyclists on a beautiful journey from Winchester, MA into Marblehead, MA for a different kind of mixed terrain day! The route is on the rougher side, it’s a fun one, but anyone scared of mixed terrain (this is rougher than “gravel”) should be prepared to take your time and bring friends to ride with.

Pace

We have one Super Domestique on the ride who will be riding a steady endurance pace for the distance (would translate to a 15-16mph pace if we were on paved roads so the pace will be less than this but with that kind of effort). The Super Domestique is likely to be riding a hardtail mountain bike with 29” wheels. Most participants are likely to be riding gravel bikes with ~40mm tires.

You are welcome to ride faster than the led group(s) if you wish. You are also welcome to ride slower, but we advise bringing a friend if you’ll be behind the group for safety since it’s a really big ride.

Please mention your pace in your RSVP if you think you’ll be faster/slower than the Super Domestique and be aware that there’s a chance you will be riding solo. We prefer if slower riders want to ride solo, you let us know and choose to start earlier so that we can pass you out there somewhere during the day or intersect at the lunch stop, it makes it safer to have some overlap out there.

Start, Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Please be ready to ride at 8:55am. We’ll start the safety talk/route talk at 9am and then roll out.

We’ll meet up at the big, red van in the parking lot.

Route is 64 miles long, we expect to be out there until ~4pm, possibly later.

Parking

Winchester Center Station Parking - West

Link to the parking lot: https://goo.gl/maps/QEzSSvJqjAdWWeQs9

Route

The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Elevation gain is ~2,900 ft. according to RideWithGPS.

Expect some paved roads, at least 40% of this is dirt, trails, off-road sections. Most of the pavement is off main roads.

Food & Water During the Ride

Be sure to bring plenty of food and water, this route doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to fill up!

Water/restroom stop - At mile 19, there’s a Market Basket. It’s not pointed out on the route, but it goes right past the front door of the Market Basket.

FUN Food/water stop & Ride 1/2 Way Rest - At mile 31.9, there’s a nice ice cream parlor & next door is a market full of tasty food options. There’s outdoor seating so it’ll be possible to have a nice stop & meal here. Bring enough food/water to get you to this stop & fill up to be able to return. With this being urban, there are a number of places to get water on the fly.

Water stop - At mile 45.3, there’s a lightning bolt on the route to remind you that a convenience store is really close if you need it. Exact address: 263 Lynnfield St., Lynn. Using Google to help you locate it is wise.

After the Ride

Bring a change of clothes so you can enjoy your drive home!

Bring something to eat, too.

Want to demo ride a bike? Talk about a new bike? Ride Headquarters has demo bikes for those who are interested in demo riding and discussing awesome, super fun new bikes. A ride like this isn’t ideal for demo riding, but we will measure your current bike and make a plan for your future demo ride. Contact Ride Headquarters at connect@rideheadquarters.com.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

Contact Information

Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride up until 10pm the night before 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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• 40mm knobby tires or wider are recommended.  Wider tires are always nice! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. Skinnier tires are strongly discouraged since your chances of flatting go up.

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes or if you haven’t come prepared. There might not be much cell reception on this route so it could be a long walk.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires.  We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:

  • We want to minimize flats on the ride.

  • You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.

• Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, 2 x extra 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.

Burning Snowflake GRAVEL Event Ride

Join us for incredibly beautiful cycling on the back roads of central Massachusetts!

The distance offered will be determined after we scout the condition of the dirt roads in central Massachusetts.

Imagine you a little more bundled than this but with this similar kind of smile on your face!

This ride is full of dirt roads, with nice paved roads as well. Most of the route is back roads, away from traffic and people. Keep reading to understand the logistics. This ride starts about a 1 hour drive west from Boston so most people will need to drive to the start.

This is a group or solo ride, depending on how you want to ride it. You may get a group of your friends together, you may request to ride with others who are likely of your similar cycling pace and experience, or you’re welcome to ride it alone, though you’re hardly alone when there are so many people on the same route.

There is little to no cell coverage on many parts of the routes.

Be absolutely certain you’re up for the rules of this ride. Read this page in its entirety and visit the links, so you know exactly what’s what.

Due to insurance requirements, this ride is only open to NEER members. You may become a NEER member, so it’s not too late.

There is NO fee to join in this ride, rather it’s an opportunity for you to become a NEER member or renew your membership for a full year of adventures on your bikes! This is the first of many gravel rides and events we’re hosting this year.

Get a Group of Friends Together to Ride!

Ride with your friends at whatever pace you and your friends like to ride. Let us know you’d like to do this when you register, we ask who is riding with who. ALSO if you’d like a different start time, let us know and it’s highly likely it’ll work out very well for all of us.

Ride with New-to-You People Option

Ride with people of your riding speed, but you don’t have to know anyone prior to the ride! This is an option for you if you’d like to ride with a group, but don’t have friends riding or simply want to meet new people who are of a similar strength. We do our best to group you together.

Ride Solo

You’re also welcome to ride solo. We prefer if you are a solo rider that you choose an earlier start time so that there are riders behind you, for the purposes of safety and everyone seeing people out there on the route.

We are glad to start you off earlier than the advertised starting times so that you’ll see others all day long, yet still get to ride solo.

Food & Drinks

We will ensure we are finishing at a place that offers food and drinks so you can refuel and enjoy some after-ride socialization before making the trip home.

Photo courtesy of Red Apple Farm. Sunset at the farm.

Details

What you get

• A gorgeous, well-planned route: Route file for your GPS computer, parking directions/instructions.

• Staffed starting & finishing location with water, toilets, friendly people and sweet farm animals

• Staffed food stop with water, your drop bag if you’re doing the 150 mile, and a few additional calories for you to enjoy

• Peace of mind knowing there are other riders on the same route.

• Option to purchase breakfast, lunch or dinner and beer or non-alcoholic drinks at the end of the ride at the farm, nice place to hang out with each other and spend the afternoon. Invite your non-riding loved ones and friends to come join you for the after-ride picnic at Red Apple!

Price

• Free

• You MUST be a NEER member (a Cat 4 NEER membership is $50 for a full year of hosted rides of all varieties, and there are lots of additional benefits to being a member) - details on joining are here). This is a requirement of insurance, otherwise, we would be unable to host this or any bike ride.

  • No day-of registrations

Start Location

We will update you on the specifics. It’ll be a ~1 hr drive from Boston.

Route Information

Like all of our routes, it’s adventure-filled, but also very appropriate for gravel bikes. You’ll ride plenty of dirt roads, trails, and what’s pavement will be on the quiet roads.

Expect elevation in the 75 ft. per mile range.

Safety & Dealing with Mechanicals

Every rider is expected to follow the rules of the road at all times. This means obeying stop signs and staying to the right-hand portion of the road.

If we think you’re being unsafe, you will be asked to leave the ride. You will not be invited to return to any group rides as well. This applies for all aspects of cycling and general behavior.

We are NOT providing a roving mechanic. That means you should bring all of the tools and supplies necessary for possible mechanical situations. There are other riders out on the route and we hope people will assist each other in case of a problem.

Come out with a freshly tuned up bike, fresh sealant in your fresh tires, have electronic bikes charged fully, shifter lever batteries checked for freshness, lube those chains! Check your spare tubes to be sure they will hold air. If you’re in doubt about this, take new tubes. It’s not worth getting stuck out there.

Most mechanicals are easily avoidable by taking proper care of your equipment in advance of the ride.

There is no ride leader, even if you ride with a group; you’ll be following your GPS computer, therefore owning a GPS computer is a must with at least one back-up power source.

We will not shuttle riders anywhere, it’s your responsibility to have a plan in case your bike or legs stop working.

We’ll send a very detailed email by 7pm the night before the ride, with the route, instructions, and details so you understand logistics and exactly what to do.

Since many details are up in the air, many more details will be shared with all on this page by Monday, February 5.

Preparation

What to bring, we recommend:

Everything necessary for common mechanicals. Items include:

• 2 x tubes

• Hand pump

• Co2 cartridges & Co2 inflator

• Tire levers

• Boot/dollar bill if your tire gets ripped

• Patch kit

• 1 pair of quick links compatible for your chain

• Chain pliers

• Chain breaker

• Multi-tool (if your chain breaker is on your multi-tool, even better)

• If your bike uses a replaceable derailleur hanger, be sure to have an extra that is compatible with your bike

• Rain jacket and warm gloves, chemical hand/foot warmers, neck warmers, etc in case the temps change on you

• 2 x 26 oz water bottles minimum.

• Food/nutrition in case you need a zap of energy before the food stop

Proper Bike for this Ride

• 40mm tires are best suited for the ride. Err on the side of bigger, especially if you’re newer to gravel riding. Feel free to use bigger tires. Your gravel bike is the most appropriate bike for the ride. Mountain bikes and flat-bar bikes are welcome. Narrower than 28mm tires are strongly discouraged. There is some loose gravel on the roads. Narrower tires are more likely to pinch flat and are less stable than 28mm or bigger. We welcome mountain bikes, fat bikes, and any bike that you feel comfortable completing the distance on in the time frame allotted for the ride.

• We will let you know if studded tires are recommended or required.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. Make very certain your bike comes clean, lubed, safety checked with fresh brake pads, and tires in good shape. If it's wet on the road or raining, please put a rear fender on your bike to keep you from getting wet. If you’ll be riding with others and it’ll be wet, please be nice to your co-riders and use full-coverage fenders.

Weather

We will ride rain or shine. Dangerous weather (like an electrical storm) cancels the ride or postpones the start time.

Last Minute Information

We will email everyone who registers with the latest information if last minute details change.

Unregistered riders, riders who are not members of NEER, or riders who haven’t signed the liability waiver may not participate.

If you have financial reasons to be unable to pay, please email us so we can accommodate you. We want everyone to ride who wants to ride.

Waiver

New England Expedition Riders requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.

Contact Information

Email connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions. We will email you the cell phone number of the contact person who will be present at the beginning of the ride and available during the ride.

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different

All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.. Note: ALL rules stated here on this page override any conflicting rules you see on our typical ride rules.

Global Fat Bike Day!! Dunes & Dirt Fat Bike Adventure Ride - 2024

• Location: Start and end in Wompatuck, MA

• Ride Type:  Trails, Beaches, Roads on Fat Bikes

• Date & Time:  Saturday, December 7, 2024 8am start*

• Distance:  We have OPTIONS! ~40 and ~70 miles (bring lights!)*

• Price: $0 - if this is your first ride with NEER, it’s no charge, come on out! If you’ve ridden with NEER previously, please become a member, it’s required of our insurance.

• RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form

Details

This is a fat bike adventure ride! It’s got a little of all of the fun riding and a whole lot of adventure to look forward to. It’s a big day on the fat bike, come well prepared for a big day! There are quality beaches, sand, trails, back roads. A whole lot of everything.

* We reserve the right to shift start times based on the number of registrants and conditions for the day. Mileage options may change due to the conditions of the day.

Pace

This ride is suitable for people with good fitness to push your fat tires all day long! The average pace will be ~8mph for the stronger riders. This is not slow when you’re on a fat bike.

We are offering a “fun” pace for less fit riders or riders who are new to their fat bike. This pace is offered for the 40-mile version only considering this is still a big day in the saddle.

Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Allow 9-10 hours for this ride for the 70-mile version, depending on your pace. We’ll break up into groups if that allows everyone to get the ride of his/her desires, but only if we have > 10 riders or people at different paces.

The 40-mile route is a ~5.5 hour ride for stronger riders, 6.5 hours for less strong riders so still a big day at this time of year!

Parking

Parking is free and ample at the Wompatuck parking lot. Details will be shared with all who RSVP no later than 7pm the evening before the ride.

Route

The routes will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Expect everything on this ride! Beaches, paved roads, plenty of fun trails.

After the Ride

Bring something to eat for post-ride. Since we aren’t charging, we aren’t staffing the finish of the ride.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news.

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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.

Proper bike & Equipment

• 3.5” knobby tires OR BIGGER.  Wider tires are nicer! We’ll be on some beaches so mountain bikes don’t have wide enough tires for these sections. Besides, it’s Global Fat Bike Day!

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.

• 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.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires. Some of the beach riding may involve riding on rocks, and there are paved roads connecting the beaches and trails.

• 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.

Register to Participate in Global Fat Bike Day Massachusetts 2024 Now on BikeReg!

If you can’t make it, your registration is transferable to a friend.

Global Fat Bike Day!! Dunes & Dirt Fat Bike Adventure Ride

• Location: Start and end in Wompatuck, MA

• Ride Type:  Trails, Beaches, Roads on Fat Bikes

• Date & Time:  Saturday, December 2, 8am start

• Distance:  We have OPTIONS! ~40 and ~70 miles (bring lights!)

• 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

Details

This is a fat bike adventure ride! It’s got a little of all of the fun riding and a whole lot of adventure to look forward to. It’s a big day on the fat bike, come well prepared for a big day! There are quality beaches, sand, trails, back roads. A whole lot of everything.

Pace

This ride is suitable for people with good fitness to push your fat tires all day long! The average pace will be ~8mph. This is not slow when you’re on a fat bike.

Start Time

7:55am - Be ready to ride!

8:00am - Safety talk starts, then everyone rolls out

Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Allow 9-10 hours for this ride for the 70-mile version, depending on your pace. We’ll break up into groups if that allows everyone to get the ride of his/her desires, but only if we have > 10 riders or people at different paces.

The 40-mile route is probably a ~6 hour ride so still a big day at this time of year!

Parking

Parking is free and ample at the Wompatuck parking lot. Details will be shared with all who RSVP no later than 7pm the evening before the ride.

Route

The routes will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Expect everything on this ride! Beaches, paved roads, plenty of fun trails.

After the Ride

Anyone who wants to hang out and talk about bikes after the ride is welcome to do so. We highly recommend stopping at Whole Foods on your drive home for a quality replenishing meal!

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• 3.5” knobby tires OR BIGGER.  Wider tires are nicer! We’ll be on some beaches so mountain bikes don’t have wide enough tires for these sections. Besides, it’s Global Fat Bike Day!

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.

• 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.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires.  We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:

  • We want to minimize flats on the ride; waiting for someone to change flats is not why we ride.  We typically see zero flats on our ride.  One of the primary reasons for this is due to higher than average tire pressure.

  • You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.

• 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.

Saturday Adventure Mixed Terrain Ride to Marblehead

• Location: Start and end in Winchester, MA

• Ride Type:  Adventure Mixed Terrain Ride for gravel bikes or hard tail mountain bikes who can do the distance

• Date & Time: 9am, Saturday, November 11

• Distance: 64 miles

• Price:  Free, but we’re requiring NEER membership if this is your second ride with us.

• RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form

Details

This urban adventure mixed terrain ride takes cyclists on a beautiful journey from Winchester, MA into Marblehead, MA for a different kind of mixed terrain day! The route is on the rougher side, it’s a fun one, but anyone scared of mixed terrain should be prepared to take your time and bring friends to ride with.

Pace

We have one Super Domestique on the ride who will be riding a steady endurance pace for the distance (would translate to a 15-16mph pace if we were on paved roads so the pace will be less than this but with that kind of effort) and one person who knows the route and the area who will be riding single speed at a steady pace. The Super Domestique is likely to be riding a hardtail mountain bike.

You are welcome to ride faster than the led group(s) if you wish. You are also welcome to ride slower, but we advise bringing a friend if you’ll be behind the group for safety since it’s a really big ride.

Please mention your pace in your RSVP if you think you’ll be faster/slower than the Super Domestique and be aware that there’s a chance you will be riding solo. We prefer if slower riders want to ride solo, you let us know and choose to start earlier so that we can pass you out there somewhere during the day or intersect at the lunch stop, it makes it safer to have some overlap out there.

Start, Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Please be ready to ride at 8:55am. We’ll start the safety talk/route talk at 9am and then roll out.

We’ll meet up at the big, red van in the Winchester Parking lot.

Route is 64 miles long, we expect to be out there until ~3-4pm. It took about 6 hours last time we did this in the middle of July so it could take longer with the colder temps.

Parking

Winchester Center Station Parking - West

Link to the parking lot: https://goo.gl/maps/QEzSSvJqjAdWWeQs9

Route

The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Elevation gain is ~2,900 ft. according to RideWithGPS.

Expect some paved roads, at least 40% of this is dirt, trails, off-road sections. Most of the pavement is off main roads.

Food & Water During the Ride

Be sure to bring plenty of food and water, this route doesn’t have a lot of opportunities to fill up!

Water/restroom stop - At mile 19, there’s a Market Basket. It’s not pointed out on the route, but it goes right past the front door of the Market Basket.

FUN Food/water stop & Ride 1/2 Way Rest - At mile 31.9, there’s a nice ice cream parlor & next door is a market full of food options. There’s outdoor seating so it’ll be possible to have a nice stop & meal here. Bring enough food/water to get you to this stop & fill up to be able to return. With this being urban, there are a number of places to get water on the fly.

Water stop - At mile 45.3, there’s a lightning bolt on the route to remind you that a convenience store is really close if you need it. Exact address: 263 Lynnfield St., Lynn. Using Google to help you locate it is wise.

After the Ride

Bring a change of clothes so you can enjoy your drive home!

Bring something to eat, too.

Want to demo ride a bike? Talk about a new bike? Ride Headquarters has demo bikes for those who are interested in demo riding and discussing awesome, super fun new bikes. A ride like this isn’t ideal for demo riding, but we will measure your current bike and make a plan for your future demo ride. Contact Ride Headquarters at connect@rideheadquarters.com.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

Contact Information

Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride up until 10pm the night before 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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• 40mm knobby tires or wider are recommended.  Wider tires are always nice! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. Skinnier tires are strongly discouraged since your chances of flatting go up.

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes or if you haven’t come prepared. There might not be much cell reception on this route so it could be a long walk.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires.  We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:

  • We want to minimize flats on the ride.

  • You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.

• Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, 2 x extra 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.

Fat Bike Fun Ride on the South Shore

• Location: Start and end in a town on the South Shore, MA

• Ride Type:  Trails, Beaches, Roads on Fat Bikes

• Date & Time:  Sunday, October 8, 10am start

• Distance:  ~3 hours of riding

• 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

Details

This is a fat bike shake down ride! It’s got a little of all of the fun riding and it’s a great chance to dust your fat bike off and get it ready for all of the super fun fat bike rides we have coming up! Doesn’t matter if it’s not a snowy winter, it’s always a sandy winter and we’ll be on beaches when we can’t be on the snow. This is also good prep for the upcoming Brutiful Ride happening October 14 & October 15.

Pace

This ride is suitable for people with any level of fitness on a fat bike. We’ll regroup as necessary to keep everyone together. Riding beaches is good since no one actually gets lost or dropped, just do your thing and we’ll regroup before leaving each beach section.

Start Time

8:55am - Be ready to ride!

9:00am - Safety talk starts, then everyone rolls out

Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Allow 3 hours for the ride. Distance will be appropriate for the time we’re trying to hit.

Parking

Parking is free and ample. We’ll share the exact location with all who RSVP.

Route

The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Expect everything on this ride! Beaches, paved roads, plenty of fun trails.

After the Ride

Anyone who wants to hang out and talk about bikes after the ride is welcome to do so.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• 3.5” knobby tires OR BIGGER.  Wider tires are nicer! We’ll be on beaches so mountain bikes don’t have wide enough tires for these sections.

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.

• 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.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires.  8psi is MAX, you’ll probably be happier somewhere around 6psi. We have a good tire gauge you’re welcome to use if you don’t have one that measures this low.

• 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.

Sunday Adventure Gravel Ride around Modnadnock

• Location: Start and end in Winchendon, MA

• Ride Type:  Adventure Gravel Ride for gravel bikes or hard tail mountain bikes who can do the distance

• Date & Time: 8am, Sunday, October 1

• Distance: 73 miles

• Price:  Free, but we’re requiring NEER membership if this is your second ride with us.

• RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form

Details

This scenic gravel ride takes cyclists on a beautiful journey from Winchendon, MA into NH and around Modnadnock for lots of views of this mountain! There will be dirt roads and a little Class 4 roads to keep it interesting!

Special thanks to Kenny for putting this route and all of the details together!!!

Pace

We have one Super Domestique on the ride who will be riding a steady endurance pace for the distance (would translate to a 15-16mph pace if we were on paved roads so the pace will be less than this but with that kind of effort) and one person who knows the route and the area who will be riding single speed at a steady pace. These paces may or may not end up being the same.

You are welcome to ride faster than the led group(s) if you wish. You are also welcome to ride slower, but we advise bringing a friend if you’ll be behind the group for safety since we’ll be in an area with spotty cell coverage.

Please mention your pace in your RSVP if you think you’ll be faster/slower than the Super Domestique and be aware that there’s a chance you will be riding solo. We prefer if slower riders want to ride solo, you let us know and choose an earlier start time so that we can see you out on the road, it makes it safer to have some overlap out there.

Start, Distance & Estimated Ride Time

Please be ready to ride at 7:55am. We’ll start the safety talk/route talk at 8am and then roll out.

We’ll meet up at the big, red van in the Lake Dennison Parking lot.

Route is 73 miles long, we expect to be out there until ~3pm.

Parking

Parking is at a large, free lot at Lake Dennison:

42.640030, -72.087093

Route

The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the night before the ride.

Route Notes

Elevation gain is ~5,100 ft. according to RideWithGPS.

Expect some paved roads, around 60% dirt roads, some rougher dirt, a couple Class 4 roads, possibly a couple of places where you’ll want to want your bike for a short span. There will be at least one muddy spot, probably more considering how much rain we’ve been getting.

Food & Water During the Ride

There are 3 general stores along the route and a natural water spring. These are marked on the route.

Mi 31.6 - Dublin General Store

Mi 35.8 - Natural Spring (water!)

Mi 37.1 - Harrisville General Store

Mi 51.6 - Deli / Convenience Store

After the Ride

Bring a change of clothes so you can enjoy your drive home!

Bring something to eat, too.

Want to demo ride a bike? Talk about a new bike? Ride Headquarters has demo bikes for those who are interested in demo riding and discussing awesome, super fun new bikes. A ride like this isn’t ideal for demo riding, but we can measure your current bike and make a plan for your future demo ride. Contact Ride Headquarters at connect@rideheadquarters.com.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

Contact Information

Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride up until 10pm the night before 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

NEER requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• 38mm knobby tires or wider are recommended.  Wider tires are always nice! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. Skinnier tires are strongly discouraged since your chances of flatting go up.

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes or if you haven’t come prepared. There might not be much cell reception on this route so it could be a long walk.

• High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires.  We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:

  • We want to minimize flats on the ride.

  • You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.

• Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, 2 x extra 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.

Adventure Road Ride - 93 Miles

• Location: Start and end in Concord Center, MA

• Ride Type:  Road ride, mostly pavement, appropriate for road bikes there will be some dirt roads appropriate for road tires

• Date & Time:  Saturday, July 1 at 7am

• Distance:  93 miles

• 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

Details

This is a long road ride with some fun adventure built in! The ride starts in Concord Center at a public parking lot.

We then wind our way to Hollis, NH.

We have a designated Super Domestique leading one group to depart which will be rolling at a ~15-16 mph endurance pace with spirited fun on the hills.

We’ll split the group so faster riders can ride faster together.

Would you like to ride at a pace below 15-16mph average? Let us know! We ALWAYS have riders asking for a more mellow pace and we depend on you to speak up to say what you want to do AND then we expect that when you say you’ll come out to ride, you will come out. This is how we get a pace group together that is to your liking and you’ll meet others who want exactly what you do out of the ride!

Distance

93 miles

Parking

Concord Center, Keyes Lot:

58 Main Street
Concord, MA
01742

Route

The route will be emailed by 7pm the evening before the ride to all participants.

All riders should load the ride on a GPS computer so everyone knows where we’re going and it makes splitting into groups easier.

Estimated Ride Time

Allow a very minimum of 7 hours moving + at least an hour of stopped time, likely it’ll add up to more than this

Route Notes

We’re taking nice paved and some dirt roads. This is appropriate for road bikes preferably with 28mm tires but 25mm will be fine, take it easy when the road turns to dirt!

This route has not been vetted this year. If a road is closed or requires a work around, be prepared to to figure it out. It’s an adventure!

After the Ride

There is a lot of food and drink in Concord Center if you want to hang out after the ride.

Last-Minute Information

We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news if there is any. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).

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

We require a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online 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

• Bring your road bike with whatever size tires you enjoy riding that will allow you to keep pace with the group. A gravel bike is acceptable.

• If the roads wet/messy, please mount a rear full-coverage fender. If you don’t have one, expect to ride at the back!

• Clipless pedals and shoes.  These are important elements of bike control. Since we are riding near to each other on the road, platform pedals don’t offer necessary bike control for this kind of riding.

• 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.

Live Free and Ride Gravel Saturday

Details

• Ride Type: Remote paved and dirt roads

• Time & Date: Saturday, June 24 - 7am-9am Rollout**

• **If weather is an issue for Saturday, June 24, we’ll look at requiring a 7am start or running a ride elsewhere at lower elevation nearer to the Boston, MA area (Sunday is looking worse than Saturday) - a GO/NO GO decision will be emailed to all who register by 12pm Friday before the ride.

• Starting Point: New Boston, NH

• Distance: 65 miles / 105 km

• Price: Free

• Price: $0, but you MUST be a NEER member to participate
  

What you get

• Gorgeous, well-planned route with others out there on it at the same time: Route file for your GPS computer, parking directions/instructions.

• The route has not been vetted this year. It worked last time we hosted a ride here 2 years ago, but things can change. Bring your spirit of adventure!

• Co-adventurers, you’re not out there alone. If you’re a slower rider, we suggest selecting an early rollout time so riders are behind you for most/all of the day.

Start Location

• Starting Point: New Boston, NH

Route Information

Here is some general information about the route:

• Distance: 65 miles

• We will share the route and ride details no later than 7pm Friday, June 23 to all who RSVP before then who are NEER members, since that is a requirement for this ride.

• The route has not been vetted this year so there’s a chance a road is closed or a trail is closed or conditions have changed since we vetted it. This route is not that likely to present big navigation challenges given its location and the roads/trails we’re taking.

Ride With Your Friends, Ride With a Group We Put Together, Ride Solo

Get your friends together to ride! It’s way more fun riding with a friend group than alone. It’s also safer.

PLEASE let us know when you RSVP that you want to ride with your friend group so we can get you rolling before everyone else.

If you want to ride solo, please plan to start earlier in the morning so that riders will be behind you for most/all of the day. It’s safer this way. Please tell us this in your RSVP.

There will be one group averaging a solid “moderate” pace to depart last at 9am. This is not necessarily a sweep group. Everyone up for a solid moderate pace is welcome to join in this group. These are riders who are usually comfortable with a 16-17mph pace on a 4+ hour road ride for comparison purposes. The pace will be less since the terrain is mixed with plenty of dirt and elevation and everyone is riding a bigger-tire bike.

Your pace will be ~20-30% slower than your road riding pace.

---

• There is no ride leader, even if you ride with a group; you’ll be following your GPS computer, therefore owning a GPS computer is a must with at least one back-up power source.

• Drink plenty of water considering how hot it may be! This is common sense for any ride, especially smart when you’re riding further away from people who can give you a ride home.

• We will not shuttle riders anywhere, it’s your responsibility to have a plan in case your bike or legs stop working.

• There is little cell coverage in this area, so be aware of that.

• We’ll send a very detailed email by 7pm the day before the ride, with the route, instructions, and details so you understand logistics and exactly what to do.

Waiver

If you’re a member of NEER, you’ve signed the waiver. If you think you haven’t signed it, please do it now: https://www.newenglandexpeditionriders.com/ride-waiver

Riding Rules

• Be sure you’re up for the general riding rules: https://www.newenglandexpeditionriders.com/ride-rules

Preparation

• Bring everything you need for mechanicals that pop up on gravel/mixed terrain rides. All the things you need for a flat, tubeless puncture, EXTRA TUBE even if you run tubeless, air, levers, chain breaker, chain pliers, multi tool, spare derailleur hanger if your bike uses these.

• Be sure to bring anything else you might need taking into account the weather, your personal circumstances, your health, etc. 

  • You will want to come prepared with extra food, water, and fitness for the distance. The route file will show where food/water stops are located. These aren’t fancy (think: Dunkin Doughnuts).

After the Ride

• Bring a picnic in a cooler in your car and camp chairs. We’re parking at a school near the center of New Boston. It’s not particularly beautiful, but it’s still a nice place to hang out.

Proper Bike for this Ride

• A road or gravel bike that has 32mm tires or wider. 32mm tires will work for riders on this route based on what we saw of the roads last year. 40mm should be ideal. Mountain bikes will be a little overkill on much of the route. Narrower than 32mm are strongly discouraged. There is some loose gravel on the roads, and some sandy spots. Narrower tires are more likely to pinch flat and are less stable. If you’re not sure of your gravel riding ability, this isn’t the best first ride to take on.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. Mountain bike pedals/shoes are appropriate; road pedals/shoes should not be used.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. Make very certain your bike comes clean, lubed, safety checked with fresh brake pads, and tires in good shape. A bike that makes any unusual noises - from a squeaky chain to any kind of other noise should not be ridden prior to being evaluated and fixed by a professional mechanic.

Contact Information and How to Get Your Questions Answered

Email connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with any questions. Call 413-461-7433 the day of the ride to speak with the organizer on route. Please contact us via email prior to the day of the ride for all matters otherwise.

RSVP NOW!