Adventure 500

2018 Adventure 500 Ride Series

Table of Contents -- Quick Links

• Calendar of Rides
• Ride Details
• RSVP
• Ride Incentives
• Special Offers

• Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA and Ride Headquarters -- depending on the start date. See details below.

• Ride Type: Road Ride Adventures, 100 miles and further

• Date & Time: 5 Dates, one each month starting in May!

• Distance: 100-120 miles -- each route in the series is different. Details below.

• Price: Free, RSVP required

The first Adventure 500 ride was supposed to be a cold, rainy day. Riders joining in had a sunny morning before the rain came. We're offering this first ride again on June 2 so you can participate if you didn't have a chance or weren't interested in riding in the cold rain for the first ride. This is at Broadsheet Coffee in Cambridge, the first stop for some and the start for others.

Five long road rides.  500+ miles.  Some dirt.  All adventure.

Description:  The Adventure 500 Series is comprised of one century-plus ride each month beginning in May.  The average pace is 16 mph for one group, and about 17-18 mph for a second group. If we have more participation, we'll break up into more groups with about 10 people per group.

Calendar for the Adventure 500 Series

1. DONE & DUSTED - May 19: Saturday, 8:00 am departure from Ride Studio Cafe. Optional start at 9:00 am from Broadsheet Coffee in Cambridge. About 110 miles.

2. DONE & DUSTED - June 2: Rain Date for Ride #1! We're offering this second departure for those who didn't want to ride the May 19 ride of 110 miles in the Rain... Saturday, first group has a 7am departure from Ride Studio Cafe. Doors open at 6:30am. Will have multiple groups and staggered rollout times. Optional start at 8:30am from Broadsheet Coffee in Cambridge. About 110 miles.

3. DONE & DUSTED - June 16: Saturday, 8:00 am departure from Ride Studio Cafe. About 110 miles.

4. DONE & DUSTED - July 21: Saturday, 8:00 am departure from Ride Studio Cafe. About 110 miles.

5. DONE & DUSTED - August 25: Saturday, 8:00 am departure from Ride Headquarters. About 110 miles.

6. NEW DATE - October 6: Saturday, 8:00 am departure from Ride Headquarters. About 110 miles. Series wrap-up party after the ride!

Series Details

Proper Bike for this ride:  25-30mm road slick tires, clipless pedals, drop handlebars; no aero bars. 

Route:  Approximately ~110 miles. Destination:  All new routes so don't miss out. 

Ride Notes:  There are plenty of stops planned for each route.  There will be some dirt on every ride of the series -- somewhere between 10 and 30% dirt.  There are some rough sections of road and there is a possibility of a small amount of dirt road/construction work.

Estimated time:  About 8 to 12 hours depending on the time of year, the weather, and pace of the group.

Last Minute Information:  Watch Ride Studio Cafe's Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Contact Information:  Email - connect@ridestudiocafe.com, Phone - (339) 970-0187

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different:  All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules. 

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

RSVP so We Know to Expect You!

Note: RSVPs are required at least 24 hours prior to the start of the ride(s) to be eligible for most of the offers tied to this series, as well.

Ride Incentives

Receive more cool stuff for each ride you do with us.  On your first ride, you receive an Adventure 500 punch card.  Collect all the punches!

• 1 punch: Custom sticker for that ride.

• 2 punches: Receive a 2-cafe-drink punch card.

• 3 punches: Adventure 500 T-shirt. Value $40. Or, save your three punches for the four- punch offer.

• 4 punches: 50% off the Adventure 500 CdC vest. Adventure 500 embroidery costs an additional $60. Or save the four punches for the five-punch offer.

• 5 punches: Free Adventure 500 Vest if you do all five rides. Value $190 includes embroidery.

Bonus:  For each ride you do, you receive a custom commemoration decal you can put anywhere.  We recommend putting them on your top tube.  Collect them all!  Available only to riders who RSVP at least 24 hours prior to the ride(s).

Reflective decals commemorate the first ride for riders! Each ride offers a commemorative decal for all who participate. Come out to see what your decal will look like affixed to your bike!

Special Offers

We have five sponsor partners for this series.  We have only two rules for benefiting from any of these offers:

• Join us for at least one ride and you can take advantage of any of the offers. Two offers also have elements that are only available during the day of the ride. See below for details.

• RSVP for the ride . Don't just show up to a ride, RSVP at least 24 hours in advance.

These offers are available anytime from May 1 through September 16, 2018.

May's Sponsor & the June 2 Ride Sponsor:  Broadsheet Coffee

$30 of value:  For May's ride only:  We're covering breakfast and drinks at Broadsheet Coffee Roasters in Cambridge.  We're also providing a voucher for a free bag of an amazing Guatemalan coffee roasted specifically and exactingly by Broadsheet for RSC and HQ called the "The 500" roast. This limited edition coffee is aptly named: after you're done riding 500 miles, nothing will pick you up like it will! Available while supplies last. Can't make it to the ride? We have these for sale throughout the month of May at Ride Studio – the only place where it can be found!

We will be emailing everyone who RSVPs before the ride to get your breakfast order so Broadsheet will know what to have prepared in advance of the ride. Be thinking about what you'll want to eat. The following menu items will be available for riders along with all coffee/drink items on their regular menu:

• Beet Hummus & house pickle sandwich

• Levant Sandwich (labne, olives, eggs, arugula, Za'atar spice)

• Classic Sandwich (custard eggs with fresh herbs, cheese, arugula, sundried tomato tapenade)

• Overnight oats with house-made cashew milk and compote (or possibly fresh fruit)

• Homemade Granola bowl with labne and compote

• Baked goods galore

June's Sponsor:  Cafe du Cyclist Clothing

$70 of value:  For June's ride only:  Receive a limited edition Cafe du Cycliste water bottle. The first 25 people to RSVP will get a water bottle the day of the ride upon returning to Ride Studio.  Also from CdC you can receive a special price on the Adventure 500 Series CdC vest!

July's Sponsor:  Industry Nine Wheels

$150 of value:  We have a special endurance ride wheel design with Industry Nine.  We're also covering the cost of one level of customization upgrade at an average value of $125.  This offer includes custom reflective rim decals that are not available for sale.

August's Sponsor:  Stages Cycling Power Meters

$200 of value:  Purchase any Stages power meter and receive free Installation and computer syncing and optimization.  We'll also provide free labor on a full bike tune-up when we install the power meter.

October's Sponsor:  Honey Bikes

$600 of value:  On Honey's brand new endurance performance bike:  The MidDurance Titanium bike.  Honey is providing upgrades worth $600 toward the bike including parts kit upgrades and limited time offers.

Road Ride from Ride Headquarters

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Road paved

• Time & Date: March 17, 2018 - 11am

• Distance: 39 miles

• Price: Free

Description: This road ride gets you riding nice roads with others at a time when you might not otherwise be on the bike. The route is all paved roads and as many back-roads and quiet areas as possible.

Route & Pace

Route: 39 miles headed west... https://ridewithgps.com/routes/15631800

Pace offered: 

- 16-17mph average pace. Faster on the flats and downhills, slower on hills.

Ride Notes: We have a designated Ride Headquarters ride leader leading the ride and pointing out turns.

Leader for this ride: Patria V.

Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Estimated time: 2.5 hours.

Contact Information: Email - connect@rideheadquarters.com, Phone - 508-975-4678

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different: All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.

Waiver: Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride. 

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• Road conditions the day of the ride will dictate. 25c-32c slick tires likely appropriate.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control when riding with a group.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. We don’t stop for preventable mechanical issues.

• If it's wet on the road or raining, please put a rear fender on your bike to keep the person behind you happy.

• Wondering if we're riding? Check out our Twitter feed, shown in the right-hand column on our home page, for the very latest news.

• Icy conditions: We ride. For this you have to have studded tires in order to ride with us.

  • Cold: It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, we ride.

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us the day before so we're ready to do the work as soon as you come in; we want you to be ready to roll before the ride starts.

Italy Trip Info Night!

Come learn more about the Incredible Spring Cycling Trip in Emilia-Romagna, Italy from the trip designer and co-founder of Tourissimo, Beppe Salerno

Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Event Type:  Informational / Social Gathering
• Date & Time:  Thursday, 1 March 2018 -- 7:00 pm - 8:00pm
• Reason for Gathering:  Learn about our trip to Italy and meet other interested riders.
• Price:  Free

Description:  

Beppe Salerno will share his story as a cyclist and why he started Tourissimo to fill a gap he saw in the marketplace as a cyclist and an Italian. This night will help to explain why this trip is different than other cycling vacations and the reasons why it's priced so low. Hint: we're working with the tourism board of Emilia-Romagna.

We'll have some light snacks and beverages to enjoy during the event. We will extend an offer of introductory pricing to all attendees. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served.

Topics that will be covered include but are not limited to: 

- What a typical day on tour is like

- Amenities, attractions, and cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region as it relates to cyclists specifically

- Emilia-Romagna's effort to attract cyclists via the cycling branch of it's tourism board

- Hotel Europa Monetti's 4-star accommodations and how they cater specifically to cyclists

- Tourissimo's history as a company dedicated to sharing Italy with cyclists and food lovers

- Details about daily route options - terrain, climbing, distances, pacing, guides

- What to bring/what not to bring

- Renting a bike vs. bringing your own

- Activities for non-riders

- Special admittance to Gran Fondo Saline di Cervia on the day after the trip

- Special surprise announcement of a pro-cyclist to ride with

We'll have time for a Q&A session as well.

Please RSVP below. 

Last Minute Information: We will email all attendees with last-minute information if anything changes from what we have published here. Please be sure to RSVP!  

Questions? Email Marc at marc.m@rideheadquarters.com

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Beowulf Mixed Terrain Ride

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Mixed Terrain

• NEW TIME - Time & Date: Departs at 9:30am on Saturdays starting June 22

• Distance: ~15 miles, equating to approximately 2 hours

• Price: Free

June 15 Update:

This ride is canceled for today. Help out at the Barber Betterment Day with the Sherborn Forest and Trails. Meet at the Barber Reservation parking lot at 8:30 for coffee and donuts, then everyone will divide into teams to fight invasive species and improve wildlife habitat. Work normally ends by noon. Wear appropriate clothes for the work.

Monday Night, June 17: It’s the next Full Moon Mixed Terrain Ride!!!

Description: The Saturday Mixed Terrain ride takes cyclists all over Sherborn and beyond. The ride follows paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.  

Route:  The route is available to attendees the day of the ride at Ride Headquarters.

Ride Notes: We have a designated Ride Headquarters Super Domestique leading the ride and pointing out turns. Sometimes we don’t have a sweep rider for this ride so only participate if you’re confident in your skill level and fitness – or know your way back. 

Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Estimated time: ~2.5 hours

Contact Information: Email - connect@rideheadquarters.com, Phone - 508-975-4678

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different: All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.

Waiver: Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride. 

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• 32c knobby tires minimum. Wider tires are nice, too. Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you ride with platform pedals you’re likely to be over your head in some of the more technical parts of the ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. We don’t stop for preventable mechanical issues.

• Higher tire pressure than you’d ride on a cyclocross ride. We recommend about 80% to 90% of maximum rated tire pressure, for two reasons:

• First, 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.

• Second, on average, about 30% of the ride is on pavement; having slightly higher pressure makes the road sections go by faster.

• We do not recommend fenders since sticks and twigs can get caught in them.

• How do we decide if we’re having the mixed-terrain ride each week?

• Thunder storms: If there’s a 33% or greater chance of a thunder storm at 9am, we don’t ride. It is not safe to get caught out in a thunder storm.

• Rain or sleet: There are a few variants of this. We don’t ride sensitive trails when they’re wet; this can cause damage that’s not repairable. Fortunately, we have some rain-friendly routes that don’t damage sensitive trails.

  • If it’s raining at 9am we cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening rain, we ride.

  • If it’s misting or drizzling at 9am, with less than 50% chance of rain in the coming hour, we may cancel the ride.

  • If it’s been raining a lot for a couple days, but not raining the night before, we may ride. Our rain-friendly routes avoid sensitive trails. Of course, every few years there’s such a bad storm that we won’t ride on a Saturday; we take the force majeure very seriously. Again, watch our Twitter feed for last-minute information.

• Snowing: We ride; it is so much fun to ride during a snow storm.

• Snow on the ground: We ride. It doesn’t matter if there’s 1 inch or four feet, we ride. We recommend studded tires or fat bikes for these kinds of conditions. The only exclusion to snow riding is when there is a state of emergency and we’ve been asked to stay off the road.

• Icy conditions: We ride. For this you have to have studded tires in order to ride with us.

• Cold: It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, we ride.

• Ride leader: A couple times a year we don’t have a designated ride leader. It’s not fair for us to send you out without someone to help guide. Of course, if you want to ride without a ride leader, you are more than welcome to!

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us the day before so we're ready to do the work as soon as you come in; we want you to be ready to roll before the ride!

Note: The proper spelling of Beowulf is Beowulf. Not Beauwolf, Beauwulf, or Beowolf.

Incredible Spring Cycling Trip in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

This spring, spend seven uninterrupted days with your cycling friends in picturesque Italy 

• Location: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Ride Type:  Spring Cycling, Road Ride, Event Ride, Bike Tour
• Date & Time: Saturday, 28 April 2018 - Saturday, 5 May 2018
• Distance: Ride every day average 60 miles, many options, 4,000+ ft. of climbing
• Price:  $1,700

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About the Trip:

We have partnered with Italian tour company, Tourissimo, to bring you this phenomenal week of riding in a particularly beautiful region in Italy. This trip is all about spring riding and maximizing your riding time and after-ride relaxing time. The weather in late April/early May is beautiful on the Adriatic Coast with average temperatures in the low 60's, giving you the opportunity to get some early season miles in your legs with no distractions. We stay in one hotel so you only have to unpack once.

Hotel Europa Monetti is a lifestyle hotel meaning they offer many services in the hotel geared toward bikes, bike rooms, a mechanic, a spa, food to delight hungry cyclists throughout the day, and it is feet away from the beach as well as beautiful roads for all of the cycling you can imagine. 

The Emilia-Romagna Tourism Board and the  Hotel Europa Monetti are offering extremely competitive pricing to gain favor with cyclists over other popular spring riding and training destinations. This is an awesome opportunity for all of us! Almost all other week-long cycling vacations run by tour companies in Italy have a significantly higher price tag. This tour is in no way discounting the service or what you get; the Europa Monetti is a 4-star luxury hotel that caters to cyclists. Guests/riders come first to this hotel and warm hospitality is their top priority.

There will be two options for ride routes each day, one long and the other shorter, both are guided by Italian cyclists. Our proximity to the Apennine mountain range also offers us some great climbing. If the weather is poor, the hotel offers access to a training facility with trainers.

Description:

This trip allows the opportunity to cycle in an Italian region renowned for its history, art, traditions, food and wine, and beautiful landscapes between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. We will ride ancient routes between fortresses, castles, and abbeys leading through valleys, open plains, and ancient forests. And, of course, at the end of the rides we get to enjoy the magnificent Adriatic coastline and the lively Italian atmosphere. Joining us on this cycling vacation is a unique chance to improve your cycling skills and fitness and to discover the traditions of this underrated region which is a true cyclist’s paradise.

Look at all of what is included in the price! This is SIGNIFICANTLY more than what most trips offer:  

1. Seven nights accommodation 4-star hotel
2. Welcome drink and session to introduce the program, staff and facilities
3. Super buffet breakfast
4. Lunches (light pasta buffet)
5. Dinners at BiancoSale hotel restaurant
6. Soft drinks and local wines with meals
7. Daily guided rides
8. Daily laundry service for cycling kits
9. Secure bike room with alarm and video camera
10. A unique experience at an agriturismo for wine tasting with local specialties
11. Free entry to LifeSpa wellness center
12. Outdoor pool with warm water
13. Free Wi-Fi
14. GPS Route Files
15. Airport shuttle to the hotel from the Bologna airport at the beginning of the trip
16. Airport shuttle from the hotel to the Bologna airport at the end of the trip

Bike Options:

• Rent: Modern road bikes are available for rent at $200 - $250 for the trip
• BYOB: Pack your bike and fly with it. There is a mechanic at the host hotel to help with all bike mechanic needs. No charge for this option. 

Routes: 14 different routes between 30 and 90 miles. There will be 2 available guided route distance options each day. We've seen the routes and know many of the towns from our own experiences riding in this region - these are amazing places and awesome roads connecting them all. 

Airfare: Airfare is not included in the price of the trip, but prices are looking good right now for tickets. 

Non-riding spouse/significant other option: If your spouse or significant other would like to come along and not ride, the hotel offers a shuttle to the fun town of Rimini and there are ample ways of staying occupied during the day should one want to take a day off the bike or simply spend the time here vacationing and not riding. There is a 10% discount on the registration fee for a non-riding spouse. 

Trip organizer Contact - marc.m@rideheadquarters.com

Are you interested or would you like more information? Please fill out this form so we can get you more information and update you with the latest information! 

Burning Snowflake Road Ride Series 2018

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Road paved

• Time & Date: March 24, rollout at 11am

• Distance: Varying distances & routes

• Price: Free

PLEASE RSVP so we know to expect you! 

Description: The Burning Snowflake series of road rides get you riding nice roads with others at a time of year when you might not otherwise be on the bike. The routes include all paved roads and as many back-roads and quiet areas as possible. Routes will vary and there will be different paces offered.

One of the special features of the Burning Snowflake Series is food! We serve fresh food prior to the ride and again after the ride returns. Please let us know in an RSVP if you have dietary restrictions prior to 5pm on Friday. 

Schedule

Saturday, March 24. Route is 46 miles south. This is a great route with many good stretches of road without too many turns. There are potholes and some rough pavement, but also some silky smooth new pavement to enjoy. This is an improved version of the route as it now avoids Franklin Center. 

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26922003

Groups offered: 

- 17-18mph average pace

- 16mph average pace

Not happening March 24 is the Burning Snowflake mixed terrain ride due to snowy and unrideable trails. 

Saturday, March 24 - Rollout is at 11am. Show up between 10am and 10:45am for pre-ride food!

Ride Notes: We have a designated Ride Headquarters ride leaders leading the ride, pointing out turns, keeping the pace to what's advertised. There is a food stop at a grocery store at mile 30 for water refills and snacks, bathroom stop if needed by anyone.  

Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Estimated time: 2.5-3 hours, note there is one stop to refill water bottles and grab food if necessary at mile 30. 

Contact Information: Email - connect@rideheadquarters.com, Phone - 508-975-4678

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different: All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.

Waiver: Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride. 

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• Road conditions the day of the ride will dictate. 25c-32c slick tires likely appropriate.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control when riding with a group.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. We don’t stop for preventable mechanical issues.

• If it's wet on the road or raining, please put a rear fender on your bike to keep the person behind you happy.

• Wondering if we're riding? Check out our Twitter feed, shown in the right-hand column on our home page, for the very latest news.

• Icy conditions: We ride. For this you have to have studded tires in order to ride with us.

  • Cold: It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, we ride.

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us the day before so we're ready to do the work as soon as you come in; we want you to be ready to roll before the ride starts.

Burning Snowflake Mixed Terrain Ride Series 2018

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Mixed Terrain

• Time & Date: Starting January 13, every other Saturday January-March, varying roll-out times.

• Distance: Varying distances & routes chosen are weather-dependent

• Price: Free

March 24 UPDATE: We will be riding all PAVED ROADS and not trails due to warm temps and soft, snowy/messy, hard-to-ride trails. The road route is 46 miles in length. 

See complete details on the Road Ride page.

Description: The Burning Snowflake series of rides take cyclists all over the trails of Sherborn and far beyond. The routes include paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path. Depending upon the week and weather & trail conditions, the distance and paces offered will vary so there are a lot of great riding options. 

One of the special features of the Burning Snowflake Series is food! We serve hot food prior to the ride and again after the ride returns. Each ride we have something a little different. We accommodate dietary restrictions. 

Schedule

Note route distance options, pace information and further details will be posted soon for each of the rides in the series. 

DONE - Saturday, January 27 - Rolllout is at 12pm. Show up between 11am and 11:45am for pre-ride food!

DONE - Saturday, January 27: the Burning Snowflake ROAD ride

DONE - Saturday, February 10 - Rollout is at 12pm. Show up between 11am and 11:45am for pre-ride food!

DONE - Saturday, February 24 - Rollout is at 11:45am. Show up between 11am and 11:30am for pre-ride food! We are merging this ride with the Burning Snowflake ROAD ride

DONE - Saturday, March 10 - We are offering a normal 36-mile ROAD RIDE.  We're POSTPONING the Burning Snowflake series and running it next Saturday, March 17 instead. For this ride, fenders are required. The rollout is at 11am, we have a ride leader for a 16-17mph ride pace. 

Saturday, March 24: the Burning Snowflake ROAD ride

Route:  See the road ride page for route and details of the ride. 

Ride Notes: We have a designated Ride Headquarters ride leader leading the ride and pointing out turns. 

Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed shown on the right side of our home page for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Estimated time: 2-4 hours typically, varies depending on route length, amount of trails versus roads, weather and trail conditions. 

Contact Information: Email - connect@rideheadquarters.com, Phone - 508-975-4678

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different: All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.

Waiver: Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride. 

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• 32c knobby tires minimum. Wider tires are nice, too. Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you ride with platform pedals you’re likely to be over your head in some of the more technical parts of the ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. We don’t stop for preventable mechanical issues.

• Higher tire pressure than you’d ride on a cyclocross ride. We recommend about 80% to 90% of maximum rated tire pressure, for two reasons:

• First, 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.

• Second, on average, about 30% of the ride is on pavement; having slightly higher pressure makes the road sections go by faster.

• We do not recommend fenders since sticks and twigs can get caught in them.

• How do we decide if we’re riding? Keep reading. If conditions aren't conducive to riding, we'll substitute in an indoor activity such as a bike maintenance clinic or informative talk on a relevant cycling subject.

  • Thunder storms: If there’s a 33% or greater chance of a thunder storm at the ride start time, we don’t ride. It is not safe to get caught out in a thunder storm.

  • Rain or sleet: There are a few variants of this. We don’t ride sensitive trails when they’re wet; this can cause damage that’s not repairable. Fortunately, we have some rain-friendly routes that don’t damage sensitive trails.

    • If it’s raining at the start of the ride we probably cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening rain, we ride.

    • If it’s misting or drizzling at the start of the ride, with less than 50% chance of rain in the coming hour, we ride.

    • If it’s been raining a lot for a couple days, but not raining the night before, we ride. Our rain-friendly routes avoid sensitive trails. Of course, every few years there’s such a bad storm that we won’t ride; we take the force majeure very seriously.

  • Snowing: We ride; it is so much fun to ride during a snow storm.

  • Snow on the ground: We ride. It doesn’t matter if there’s 1 inch or four feet, we ride. We recommend studded tires or fat bikes for these kinds of conditions. The only exclusion to snow riding is when there is a state of emergency and we’ve been asked to stay off the road.

  • Icy conditions: We ride. For this you have to have studded tires in order to ride with us.

  • Cold: It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, we ride.

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us the day before so we're ready to do the work as soon as you come in; we want you to be ready to roll before the ride starts.

Full Moon Over Sherborn 2018

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Mixed Terrain

• Time & Date: Departs Every Full Moon, varying start times

• Distance: ~15 miles, approximately 90 minutes of riding

• Price: Free

Description: The Full Moon ride takes cyclists all over the trails of Sherborn and beyond. The route includes paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.

The calendar of Full Moon rides and start times is:

Route:  The route is available to attendees the evening of the ride at Ride Headquarters.

Ride Notes: We have a designated Ride Headquarters Super Domestique leading the ride and pointing out turns. We don’t have a sweep rider for this ride so only participate if you’re confident in your skill level and fitness – or know your way back. 

Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes. 

Estimated time: ~1.5 hours

Contact Information: Email - connect@rideheadquarters.com, Phone - 508-975-4678

Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different: All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.

Waiver: Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride. 

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• 32c knobby tires minimum. Wider tires are nice, too. Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.

• Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you ride with platform pedals you’re likely to be over your head in some of the more technical parts of the ride.

• A bike that’s in safe working order. We don’t stop for preventable mechanical issues.

• Higher tire pressure than you’d ride on a cyclocross ride. We recommend about 80% to 90% of maximum rated tire pressure, for two reasons:

• First, 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.

• Second, on average, about 30% of the ride is on pavement; having slightly higher pressure makes the road sections go by faster.

• We do not recommend fenders since sticks and twigs can get caught in them.

• How do we decide if we’re having the Full Moon ride?

• Thunder storms: If there’s a 33% or greater chance of a thunder storm at the ride start time, we don’t ride. It is not safe to get caught out in a thunder storm.

• Rain or sleet: There are a few variants of this. We don’t ride sensitive trails when they’re wet; this can cause damage that’s not repairable. Fortunately, we have some rain-friendly routes that don’t damage sensitive trails.

  • If it’s raining at the start of the ride we probably cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening rain, we ride.

  • If it’s misting or drizzling at the start of the ride, with less than 50% chance of rain in the coming hour, we ride.

  • If it’s been raining a lot for a couple days, but not raining the night before, we ride. Our rain-friendly routes avoid sensitive trails. Of course, every few years there’s such a bad storm that we won’t ride; we take the force majeure very seriously.

• Snowing: We ride; it is so much fun to ride during a snow storm.

• Snow on the ground: We ride. It doesn’t matter if there’s 1 inch or four feet, we ride. We recommend studded tires or fat bikes for these kinds of conditions. The only exclusion to snow riding is when there is a state of emergency and we’ve been asked to stay off the road.

• Icy conditions: We ride. For this you have to have studded tires in order to ride with us.

• Cold: It doesn’t matter what the temperature is, we ride.

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us the day before so we're ready to do the work as soon as you come in; we want you to be ready to roll before the ride starts.

Tour of Seven Cycles

• Location: Seven Cycles, 125 Walnut Street, Watertown, MA
• Event Type:  Tour
• Date & Time:  Monday, February 19 at 11:30am (this is Presidents' Day)
• Reason for Tour:  See how Seven Cycles builds great, custom bikes efficiently, yet perfectly, for each rider
• Price:  Free

Description:  

Seven Cycles is located just down the street from us in Watertown. Seven is a company full of bike building professionals. This is the place where custom bikes come to life and many new innovations in bike building have been developed over the years.

Seven has been making the finest bikes for over 20 years and their experience shines as they work. It’s manufacturing at its best: handcrafted bikes are very carefully and perfectly built one at a time, yet the short lead times show efficiency, and a well-run business full of highly-skilled people who are passionate about what they do.

Feel free to arrive 10 to 20 minutes early to check out their showroom prior to the tour. Please register 24-hours in advance of the tour you'd like to join in on. An email will be sent to you with details and directions after you register. We hope you join us!

Last Minute Information: We will email all attendees with last-minute information if anything changes from what we have published here. Please be sure to RSVP below! 

Questions? Please include them in the RSVP form below or email connect@rideheadquarters.com and we'll get back to you. 

 

 

 

Please RSVP 24-hours in advance of the tour you'd like to attend