RSC First Snow Ride
- Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
- Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride - Snowy trails & roads
- Date & Time: The FIRST snowfall of the season!
- Distance: ~15-18 miles
- Price: Free
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride / Roads and snow-covered trails
Date & Time: When the first snow hits!
Distance: ~15 miles, condition-dependent
Price: Free
Last year, we had over 40 people come out for the first snow ride! This will be the fourth year we’ve hosted this winter kick-off super ride! Get ready now and stay tuned so you’re sure to make it to this ride and all that follow it!
Details:
Route: The route is available to attendees 15-minutes prior to roll-out.
Estimated time: ~2 hours
Ride Notes: The pace is based on conditions. We don't ride too slowly because we'd get cold, we don't ride too fast because that wouldn't be safe with the snow. We will ride together or split into two groups with a leader for each group. No one gets dropped. Be sure to come prepared with the right bike & tires, and proper attire for the conditions and temperature. Read on below, there is a lot to this ride and how it works. Be sure to understand it to be able to participate in it! KEEP READING - lots more information is further down this page.
Last Minute Information: Watch Ride Studio Cafe's Twitter feed for last-minute updates, especially considering this is a last-minute ride. The only way to find out when this ride is happening is to watch our Twitter & Instagram feeds!
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.
----------------------------------
RSC First Snow Nitty Gritty Details
One of our favorite pastimes is riding in snowfall. You can hear the snow crunching under your tires. It’s such a quiet time; all sound is suppressed by the snowfall. No one is out on the roads and trails. The world feels primitive.
The moment of the first snowfall is THE time to ride. We are leading a ride when this first snow hits!
WATCH TWITTER to see the latest and get ready now so you can join in!!!
Riding in the snow is peaceful and primitive…just as this photo suggests.
We are ready. Are you?
Ride Synopsis
We are leading a ride that begins here 60 minutes after the first snow of the season begins.
We won’t be riding if the snow isn’t going to last for the duration of our ride. Keep reading to understand how you’ll know when the ride is a GO.
The ride will be 90 minutes to 2 hours in length total. No more. The distance of the route will take into account how hard the snow is falling & how fast the ride will be.
The route is mixed terrain. Expect to be on- and off-road, on trails and through woods.
The pace of the ride will be high enough to keep everyone working hard. This way, everyone stays warm. This doesn’t mean we’ll be moving fast considering studded tires and winter setups aren’t exactly fast. The level of intensity will equate to how you’d feel if it were a nice day and you were riding 17-18mph on the road.
Here’s How We Plan for the First Snow
Be flexible. We have no idea when it’s going to snow. It’s most common for snowfall to occur during the afternoon but it could be 2am or any other time. A mindset focused on the ride, rather than when the ride will occur, is helpful.
Be ready. Have a Snow Essentials Duffel packed and with you at all times – we provide some content hints below. Have your bike ready to go.
The Right Tires: Having studded tires is by far the best choice for the first snow. Since we’re very likely to have a few days’ notice prior to the snow, you can time your tire install fairly accurately. Once the first snow falls you may want to be riding studs for the rest of the winter anyway. If you need tires, give the Studio a heads up. We have a variety in stock and can special order anything you might want. We’re also happy to do the install for you.
Headlight & Taillight: Whether we’re riding at 2pm or 2am, you have to have at least one headlight to join us. Snowfall makes it really difficult for drivers to see cyclists. A headlight and taillight will save you. Make sure you charge those lights a few days in advance. If you’re looking to upgrade your light system, check in with the Studio; we have the best winter light systems available.
Last year we were out riding at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon with 40+ riders. The year before that was an 8am Monday morning ride. The previous year, we were out riding at 3am. People came as far and wide as Jamaica Plain to join in the festivities!
Knowing When the Snowfall Ride Moment Arrives
We’re using Twitter and Instagram to keep people informed of when the ride moment is happening. We’ll “Twinstagram” intermittently as the weather changes. We’ll do our best to inform riders as the moment gets nearer. The final Twinstagram will be 60-minutes before the ride begins. That’s your klaxon to get your butt and bike over to the Studio for a very memorable ride.
If you don’t use either Instagram or Twitter, you’re going to have a challenging time joining us. We will be posting some information on Facebook but we’re not using it as the go time alert. Watch the hashtag:
#rscfirstsnow
Tricks for Riding in the Snow
Traction: Snow riding is all about traction. Four ways of maximizing traction are:
Apply steady horsepower to the pedals. This is a lot more difficult than it appears. If you’re riding at 70 hp on a snowy trail, a change of 10%, or 7 hp, is a lot – and can be the different between maintaining your line and losing traction entirely. Practice steady horsepower output.
Keep your bike upright, even while turning. The more you lean into a corner, the less traction you have. Most tires have less tread and fewer studs toward the sides of the tire. Don’t lean your bike too much. Riding upright keeps you upright.
Tire pressure: Lower tire pressure provides better traction. Of course, you want to balance this with the possibility of getting a flat. We find that riding on an inch of snow is deceptive, in that you feel like the trail is really smooth, when in reality, all the obstacles are still there – and just as sharp – you just can’t see them, so your chance of getting a flat probably increases slightly.
Tires and treads: Studs are best. Wider is better than narrower. Treads are better than slicks.
Be careful. This may seem obvious but we see this as a fundamental issue each season in the first snow. Taking a tumble in the ice and snow can be problematic; these falls are fast, unexpected, and hard. Ride conservatively and don’t worry about winning.
No fenders: Snow time may seem like a great time to have fenders, but it’s not. Not only are fenders dangerous on mixed terrain – due to sticks and debris on the trail, it’s also likely that your fenders will get packed with snow and make your ride a lot tougher.
Batteries die. Batteries don’t like the cold so they power down a lot more quickly than on an autumn day. Three hours of battery life can become one hour – or worse – in the cold months. Keep your electronics warm – in your jacket or jersey, not in your saddle bag – until you need them. This includes your phone, backup battery, spare light, and your Garmin – if you’re not the ride navigator.
Likely Weather Conditions
It can’t snow if it’s too cold so it’s likely to be somewhere between 28 and 36 degrees. Also, you’re likely to get a bit wet as the snow melts on you; gear that leans toward rain protection can be useful.
Always Be Prepared: Snow Essentials Duffel
Have your Snow Essentials Duffel in your car – if that’s your mode of work transport – so you’re always ready to roll. In that bag, we recommend:
All the clothing you typically use for 30-40 degree riding. Clothing that likes wet conditions isn’t a bad idea, either. Note: We’re only including the gear that people often forget when they’re in a hurry, and riding in unexpected conditions. If you forget to put your bibs in your Snow Essentials Kit, we have no sympathy!
Headlight 100% charged and ready for 2.5 hours of use. Ideally, two headlights – one on your bars and one on your helmet.
Taillight batteries in good condition.
Winter shoes or your autumn shoes with overshoes.
Long thick wool socks
Helmet – with light mount ready to go.
Long finger gloves, possibly with liners.
Three season cap that covers your ears. A brim will be appreciated – it can help keep the snow out of your eyes.
Neck gator
Protective glasses if that’s your kind of thing for riding in a snowstorm.
High-vis vest if you like to be visible. If there’s ever a time to increase your visibility, it’s during a snowstorm; drivers have a really difficult time seeing cyclists through snowfall.
Towel to dry off after the ride. The Studio has towels, too, but a big towel that travels with you can be nice!
For the Diehard Riders That Are 100% Committed
Drop off your Snow Essentials Duffel and your winterized bike at the Studio within two days of the expected snow date. That will make it easier if you’re coming from work. Make sure you have some kind of obvious name tag on your bag and bike so we don’t recycle them by accident. We’re always tight for space at the Studio so only drop off your gear if you’re 100% certain you’ll be riding with us.
The Studio Is Here To Help
We have just about anything you could need for winter riding, including:
Winter Bikes. There are considerations to be made where it comes to the bike you ride in the winter. We have bikes that are great all year, but are extra special for winter riding. Check out the Honey BiFrost bike: summer mountain bike, winter fat bike. Titanium is a perfect frame material for a bike that’s going to see the salt and harsh conditions of winter. A winterized bike is also important. For example, if snow is allowed into the brake housing, your brakes will likely freeze up. We can winterize your bike to keep your rolling.
Lots of studded tire options. And the tubes needed for each tire size. We can help determine the ideal tire size for your bike and guarantee what will fit and what won’t. Not all studded tires are created equal. We can help determine the right price point for your riding needs.
Studded tire installation help. Studded tires are often the toughest type of tire to install because they’re thicker, stiffer, and sometimes are steel beaded. We’re happy to help.
Lights: We have the toughest winter lights available. We’ll help you determine optimal number of lumens for your needs. We’ll help you determine where the best mounting spot is on your bike or body. The best kind of taillight for visibility and longevity. So many options – all with different strengths and weaknesses.
Gloves: We have everything from lightweight full fingers to deep winter 45Nrth gloves and liners. Come by and try the array or models and sizes to determine the ideal setup for your type of riding. We can help with determining which are best for wet weather, for glove liners, or for the coldest days. Lots of glove options for lots of kinds of riding.
Winter Shoes: We’ve got 45NRTH Wolvhammers in stock and if you’re a fat biker or just like to ride all winter on the coldest days, we’ll get you the Wolfgar boots. We’ll help you find the right size, and install cleats on your new boots, too.
All winter clothing, including deep winter tights and a range of jackets for all conditions.
We hope to see you in the first snow!
#rscfirstsnow
Come by at least 15-minutes early so you can make any last minute bike adjustments or fuel up on something in the Cafe.
BiFrost Offroad Ride
Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA
Ride Type: Mountain and Fat Bike Ride
Time/Date: Departs at 9:00am all year
Distance: ~13 miles for approx. 2-2.5 hours of riding
Price: Free
Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA EXCEPT on remote-location days (see below)
Ride Type: Mountain and Fat Bikes, Studded tires when icy
Time & Date: Departs at 9:00am*
Distance: ~13 miles, equating to approximately 2-2.5 hours
Price: Free
Sponsored by Honey Bikes! Demo a mountain, plus, or fat bike on this ride!
Mountain bike riders excited to roll out!
Description: The Sunday BiFrost Offroad ride takes cyclists all over Sherborn and beyond.
NEW for Winter 2020!! We are now adding some remote-start BiFrost rides for select Sunday mornings when the weather and temps make these possible! We are requiring RSVPs for remote-start rides since it’s important for us to know who to expect and to be able to contact riders before, during, or after the ride should we need to for whatever reason.
Complete Details for Remote Start rides are HERE. Please read all of the information and RSVP, these are REQUIRED for remote-start BiFrost rides!
The ride takes advantage of local trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path. Rides happen every Sunday morning that the weather allows for dry or frozen trails. If the ride is canceled or changed in any way, we post by 8am on our Twitter feed.
And read the Rules and be sure to sign the waiver online prior to Sunday! This is especially important for remote-start rides since we won’t be bringing paper waivers with us.
Ideal Bikes for this Ride
The perfect bikes for this ride are:
Learn why these bikes are perfect for all seasons and make this your best winter of riding! |
|---|
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. Don’t have a bike appropriate for this ride? Demo one of our bikes! Email us in advance so we can get it set up for you.
Pace: This is a fun ride for capable cyclists. We are out to enjoy the trails and get a solid ride in, so we aren’t slow, but this is not a fast ride or one that is hard to keep up with if you have some trail riding experience and if you ride at least 16mph on the road on a road bike. Having the appropriate equipment is paramount, as we ride a lot of rougher, less-ridden trails. You should have some experience riding trails before joining this ride.
Check out our Gravel Ride if you would like this trail-riding experience!
Doors Open: Ride Headquarters opens as a store at 12pm on Sundays. Doors are open for riders for this ride at 8:30am.
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:
In soft-trail, wet conditions before the freeze: 32-40mm tires minimum. We still want to be on our mountain bikes but can’t be on sensitive, wet trails. So we ride big tires and on all of the back roads, non-sensitive trails and grassy areas we can!
In dry conditions: 40mm knobby tires minimum. Wider tires (2”-4.8”) are nicer! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.
In dry conditions: 40mm knobby tires minimum. Wider tires (2”-4.8”) are nicer! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set.
In snowy/icy conditions: Wide tires (2”-4.8”) - with studs when it’s icy! 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.
Higher tire pressure. We recommend about 80% to 90% of maximum rated tire pressure on your tires, 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 rides. One of the primary reasons for this is due to higher than average tire pressure.
We do not recommend fenders since sticks and twigs can get caught in them.
When we ride
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!
Details and RSVP for the next Remote-Start Ride HERE.
Mach One Ride
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Road Ride
Time/Date: 8:30am Sunday Mornings Weekly, year round
Distance: ~35 miles
Price: Free
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Road Ride
Updated Time: 8:55am Sunday Mornings Weekly, year round
Distance: ~35 miles
Price: Free
Description: This is our fastest ride. This is the same route as the Coffee Ride but at a much faster pace. Where the Coffee ride is a community ride, this is too fast to do much socializing while riding. If you'd like to get to know the RSC riding community, we recommend starting with our Coffee Ride, it is the best place to begin riding with us. If you want to ride faster than 19mph, please DO NOT join in on the Coffee ride, but do this ride instead.
We expect all riders to be very proficient road bike riders prior to joining in this ride. You must be capable of maintaining the pace without digging too deep as that leads to unsafe situations. We will allow no more than 10 people in each group. We split up into groups so there aren't too many people in each one. Your safety is our primary goal that guides how we break up groups and set ride expectations.
Route: RideWithGPS
Mach One defining characteristics:
• Fast: RSC's fastest ride. Typically 22+ mph
• Steady pace – think "locomotive" rather than "jack rabbit."
• Drop – meaning if you can't keep up with the group or have a mechanical you'll have to find your way back to RSC alone. Note that groups of slower paces will be coming along behind this ride so if you stay on the route, you may join one of the next groups when they come by.
Ride Notes: When you arrive at the Studio (please arrive before 8:50am), you’ll have to fill out the Mach One signup form in order to ride. You also need to pick up a Blue Card to opt into this group. You’ll need to sign up each time you do this ride. By adding your name to the list you agree to ride safely and smartly, including:
• I will obey all traffic laws. Including full stops at stop signs, riding to the right of the road, and ensuring that we all follow the rules that good riders do.
• I will ride at a steady hard pace. This includes avoiding quick changes in speed including sprinting, riding erratically, jumping from the group, and cutting corners. We ride hard when it's easy and easy when it's hard.
• I will treat pedestrians and cars with respect.
• I will ride safely and with self awareness in this group.
Your email address will be used for communications about this ride only. We will not share your email with anyone.
Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes.
Estimated time: 2-2.5 hours
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.
Proper Bike for this ride: 23-28c road slick tires, clipless pedals, drop handlebars, no aero bars.
Friday Night Lights Mixed Terrain Night Ride 2018
Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
Date & Time: Weekly Friday evenings 7:00pm departure - Starting October 5th through Black Friday, November 23, 2018
Distance: ~15 miles typically for a 9pm return
Price: Free
Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
Date & Time: Weekly Friday evenings usually 7:00pm departure - Starting October 5th through Black Friday, November 23, 2018 - Start time on Nov 23 is 3pm for a ~30-mile total ride!
Distance: ~15 miles typically for a 9pm return
Price: Free
Details: The Friday evening mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists all over Sherborn. The ride follows paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.
The ride departs at 7:00pm each ride except for the November 23 Black Friday special long edition of the ride. On Black Friday, November 23, the ride will be ~30 miles long and start at 3pm. The regular Full Moon ride is running this evening, too, with a 7pm departure. The difference between the two is distance. Pace and route-type will be similar to both. Both groups will return back to Ride HQ about the same time to enjoy good social time, drinks and snacks together.
The Friday Night Lights ride is about 15 miles or ~2 hours. 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 and riders who fall off of the pace will need to be comfortable navigating back to the start. It's not fast, but it's also not a no-drop. The group will wait for mechanicals.
You need to have had experience riding single track with somewhat technical features (roots, rocks and bridges and climbing) during the day before participating in this ride at night.
Lights Required: You must bring a front light of 500 lumens or more that will last 2 hours on one charge, a helmet light is advised though not required, and a rear light that can stay on steady without blinding riders behind you. More equipment requirements are listed further down on this page.
Route: The route is available to attendees the evening of the ride. The weather and trail conditions dictate the route. We do not ride on soft trails ever; we have rain trail-friendly routes prepared.
Estimated time: ~2 hours
Ride Notes: The pace is a moderate 8-9mph on the trails, ~16mph on the back roads. Another way to say this is that it is difficult to hold a conversation, but is not fast. We ride together.
Last Minute Information: Watch Ride Headquarter's Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes.
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 Friday Night Mixed Terrain 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, Watertown, MA
Event type: Tour of the Factory
Date: Friday, August 17 at 11:30 am
Reason for Attending: Watch how amazing frames are designed and built by hand, understand all of the nuances in Seven's frame building process
Price: Free
Location: Seven Cycles, 125 Walnut Street, Watertown, MA
Event Type: Tour
Date & Time: Friday, August 17 at 11:30 am
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. Please wear close-toed shoes, this tour includes our machine shop and it's a safety requirement. 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
Ice Cream Prestige
Ride Type: Road Ride
Date & Time: Saturdays through September - Departs at 9:00am
Distance: 36 miles
Price: Free
Ice Cream Prestige Ride Series
Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA
Ride Type: Road Ride
Date & Time: Saturdays running through September 2018 - Departs at 9:00am
Distance: 36 miles
Price: Free
Description: This is a 100% paved ride, 36 miles in length.
This is a great opportunity to have some fun on the road, meet other road riders, and enjoy Ice Cream and Ice coffee & tea at no charge to you at Ride Headquarters after the ride is over!
We host safe, organized group rides. The advertised pace of the ride is what you can expect to average on the ride.
Parking: We have a big lot behind the store. Park and ride if you don't feel like riding to the start of the ride.
Route: The route is new, it is here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21671668 - all paved.
Ride Notes: We have Ride Headquarters Super Domestiques leading the ride and pointing out turns. Super Domestiques make sure the pace of the ride stays consistent, they manage the group, and offer safe, efficient riding techniques.
Speeds: There are two speed groups: a 16-17mph average, and an 18-19mph average.
Estimated time: Approximately 2 hours.
Last Minute Information: Watch Ride Headquarter's Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes.
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. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
Proper Bike for this ride:
Road bike with 23-28c tires. Weather conditions will change the ideal bike type.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control.
A bike that’s in safe working order.
Fenders if it's wet on the road.
No aerobars.
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 group is ready to go.
Sunday Paceline Ride
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Road Ride
Date & Time: Sundays, 8:45am, Weekly Spring and Summer
Distance: 40-50 miles
Price: Free
- Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
- Ride Type: Road Ride
- Date & Time: Sundays, 8:45am, Weekly Spring and Summer
- Distance: 40-50 miles
- Price: Free
Description: The Sunday Paceline ride starts promptly at 8:45am. Come 15 to 20 minutes before departure time so you can make any last minute adjustments, grab fresh water, a Cafe drink, or use the facilities. This ride is for people who are comfortable and proficient riding properly equipped road bikes and who are interested in riding with a group, riding at a sustained 17-18mph pace, and riding in a paceline. If you are capable of this pace, but unsure of riding in a paceline, come out to learn how to ride in a paceline and hone this skill.
Route is 42 miles: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/27624582
Ride Notes: We are capping the rider limit at 6 for the first few rides. If interest grows, we'll create more groups and expand the limit. The first 6 riders to arrive at RSC expressing interest in this ride may participate. Please jump into the Coffee ride at 9am if you come out for this and the ride is already full.
Last Minute Information: Watch our Twitter feed for last-minute updates, weather cancellations or other changes.
Estimated time: Approximately 2.3 hours for a typical paceline ride. Possibly a bit more if the ride stops for instruction.
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.
Proper Bike for this ride: 23-28c road slick tires, clipless pedals, drop handlebars, no aero bars.
Thursday Mixed Terrain Night Ride
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
Date & Time: Every Thursday evening 7:00pm
Distance: ~12-15 miles typically
Price: Free
Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
Date & Time: Weekly Thursday evenings 7:00pm departure
Distance: ~15 miles typically for a 9pm return
Price: Free
Details: The Thursday evening mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists all over Lexington and beyond. The ride follows paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.
Watch the embedded YouTube video, below if you need any motivation to come out. It’s fun in a new way to ride at night!
The ride departs at 7:00pm and returns at 9:00pm; we ride based on time rather than distance. We have a designated RSC Super Domestique leading the ride and pointing out turns. We sometimes have a sweep rider for this ride and riders who fall off of the pace will need to be comfortable navigating back to the start. It's not fast, but it's also not a no-drop. The group will wait for mechanicals.
You need to have had experience riding single track with somewhat technical features (roots, rocks and bridges and climbing) during the day before participating in this ride at night. We advise coming out to our Sunday morning 9:30am mixed terrain ride first, prior to attending this ride if you're new to mixed terrain or night riding.
Lights Required: You also must bring a front light of 500 lumens or more that will last 2 hours on one charge, a helmet light is advised though not required, and a rear light that can stay on steady without blinding riders behind you. More equipment requirements are listed further down on this page.
Route: The route is available to attendees the evening of the ride. The weather and trail conditions dictate the route. We do not ride on soft trails ever; we have rain trail-friendly routes prepared.
Estimated time: 1 hour, 45 minutes-ish
Ride Notes: The pace is a moderate 8-9mph on the trails, ~16mph on the back roads. Another way to say this is that it is difficult to hold a conversation, but is not fast. We ride together.
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.
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 the rollout 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 1 hour prior to the ride we cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening to rain, we ride.
If it’s misting or drizzling 1 hour prior to the ride and 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 on Thursday evening, 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 on a Thursday; 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. The coldest ride started at 5 degrees. It was a blast!
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!
The proper bike for this ride includes the following:
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 50% of the ride is on pavement; having slightly higher pressure makes the road sections go by faster.
Come by at least 15-minutes early so you can make any last minute bike adjustments. We will have the Studio open 15 minutes before and sometimes after the ride.
RSC - Saturday Morning Mixed Terrain 2018
- Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
- Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
- Date & Time: Saturdays at 9:30am
- Distance: ~15-18 miles typically
- Price: Free
- Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA
- Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
- Date & Time: Saturdays at 9:30am
- Distance: ~15-18 miles typically
- Price: Free
Details: The Saturday morning mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists all over Lexington and beyond. The ride takes paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.
The route for this ride is different from our regular Sunday morning Mixed Terrain rides.
The ride departs at 9:30 am and returns no later than 12:00 noon; we ride based on time rather than distance. We have a designated RSC 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.
Route: The route is available to attendees on the morning of the ride. The weather and trail conditions dictate the route. We do not ride on soft trails ever; we have rain trail-friendly routes prepared.
Estimated time: ~2 hours
Ride Notes: The pace is a moderate 8-9mph on the trails, ~16mph on the back roads. Another way to say this is that it is difficult to hold a conversation. We ride together.
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.
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 9:30 am, 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 9:30 we cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening to rain, we ride.
- If it’s misting or drizzling at 9:30, 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 in the morning, 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 on a Sunday; 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. The coldest Sunday ride started at 5 degrees. It was a blast!
- 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 at 9:30 without a ride leader, you are more than welcome to!
The proper bike for this ride includes the following:
- 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 50% of the ride is on pavement; having slightly higher pressure makes the road sections go by faster.
Come by at least 15-minutes early so you can make any last minute bike adjustments or fuel up on something in the Cafe. Ride Studio Cafe opens at 8am on Sundays.