Good Friends Gathering Ride

• Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA

• Ride Type: Road Ride

• Date & Time: Wednesday, December 26, 2018 at 11am at Ride Studio Cafe

• Distance: 100 km

• Price: Free - RSVP Required, below

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Come close out the year and reflect with your friends on a fun, cool road ride with hot meals at the beginning and end.

Details:

Ideal Bikes for this Ride Honey MidDurance A titanium performance road bike that takes tires up to 35mm in width, including winter and studded tires for 4-season road and gravel riding. Seven Cycles Axiom S Disc A fast, performance bike in the summer has clearances for the tires of your choosing with the flexiblity of disc brakes. Email us to take out one of these or any of our bikes on a demo ride - either for this ride or when it is more convenient for you!

• The ride will depart from RSC at 11:00am. The Cafe will have complimentary Oatmeal and toppings for registered riders starting at 10:00am. There will also be complimentary Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew upon your return from the ride to warm you up.

• Pace: We'll have at least 2 pace options; 16 mph and 17-18mph. We will offer a faster-than-18mph group if there is enough interest. We'll split into groups of no more than 10 people per speed. These are all no-drop ride groups (we stop for mechanical issues) but you must be able to maintain the advertised pace. Please communicate with the ride leader if you need to drop off of the ride at any point.

• If you haven’t filled out our Ride Waiver, you must do it online here prior to attending the ride.

• Please carefully read and be ready to ride by our Riding Rules.

• You must RSVP at the form below on this page prior to 5pm December 23.

• Our bike shop employees will be available but to ensure the best service, if you need something before the ride, please email us a day in advance.

• Please consider the weather when choosing your tires. We recommend fenders for wet road conditions, we do not recommend fenders for mixed-terrain rides.

• This ride may become a mixed-terrain ride if the weather is bad on December 26. The distance and route are also subject to change depending on weather and road conditions. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for updates.

Make sure you are well-equipped for the cold and wintry conditions. At Ride Studio we have a great selection of new winter apparel from our friends at 45NRTH, Cafe du Cycliste, and Velocio that is sure to keep you warm and comfortable out on the road. We have great options for studded tires, a must-have for riding on icy roads.

We look forward to finishing 2018 with you in style!

Please RSVP here, prior to December 23 at 11pm.

We will email all who RSVP no later than 8pm on December 25 with last-minute details and the ride’s route.

Resolution Ride January 1, 2019

• Location: Ride Headquarters in Sherborn, MA

• Ride Type: Mixed Terrain or Road - Weather Dependent

• Date & Time: January 1, 2019 at 11:00am

• Distance: Distance: Depends on ride type - weather dictates, approx 3-4 hours in the saddle

• Price: Free

**December 31 Update: The forecast for tonight shows 100% chance of rain. Therefore, this will be an awesome road ride headed south to Rhode Island and back. The views are beautiful and there isn’t much traffic. The route is 46 miles long. We have had a strong response on RSVPs, so four speed groups are running: 14-15mph average, 16mph average, 17-18mph average, and over 18mph average. BE SURE TO RSVP below so you get our ride communication(s) being emailed out to you today. We’ll send out the route and further information. We are providing bagels and pastries from Blue Moon Bakery pre- and post-ride!

Description: Start the year off right by riding together! We’re headed all over the back roads of Sherborn and far beyond. Depending upon the weather and trail and road conditions, the ride will be what’s appropriate for the day. The distance and paces offered will vary so there are a lot of great riding options. 

Schedule

Route:  We’ll share the evening before the ride with participants. We will email many more details, as well, so everyone knows what to expect where it comes to route, distances, paces, which bike and tires are most appropriate.

Rollout: 11:00am

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

Last Minute Information: We are emailing participants, all who RSVP will receive an email with any last minute info.

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. 

RSVPs are Required to Participate and to receive all ride news!

Proper Bike for this ride:  

• depending on conditions, riders will be on road bikes, gravel bikes, mountain bikes or fat bikes. We’ll let you know the evening prior to the ride what the plan is and which bike will be most appropriate for the conditions.

• 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.

  • 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.

Brutiful Roads Triple - Winter Ride Series 2019

• Location: Various remote start locations

• Ride Type: Remote paved and dirt roads

• Time & Date: The first road-rideable Saturday in January, February, and March 2019

• Distance: 2 route options for each: ~40 miles and ~65 miles

• Price: Free

Description: The Brutiful Roads Triple is a winter ride series designed for road bikes that fit studded tires. These are three super winter rides, one happens each month this winter, each is VERY weather dependent: when the weather allows for riding on dirt and paved roads, we are riding! Each ride in this series happens the FIRST road-rideable Saturday of each month.

Ideal Bikes for this Series Honey MidDurance A titanium performance, light-weight bike with medium-reach caliper brakes and clearance for 35mm tires or 28mm tires with fenders. Honey Allroads A titanium bike with disc brakes and ability to ride fast and fun with both road and up to 40mm tires, or 650B wheels with 50mm tires.

Get prepared and we will let you know a couple of days before when the ride is running. Each ride has a remote start in a new town so the roads and backroads are all places most people have not been. No remote start is more than a one-hour drive from either Ride Studio Cafe or Ride Headquarters.

Before each ride, we’re meeting up for breakfast — breakfast with the group is optional — to allow all to enjoy some warm food prior to rolling out. The ride will conclude with a late lunch or early dinner, too.

The ride is free, but be prepared to purchase all of the food you consume throughout the day.

See below to RSVP. It is VERY important to RSVP since we’ll be emailing participants about the starting locations, timing of when we’re meeting for breakfast, planned rollout times, and route files.

The meaning of Brutiful: It means a beautiful route with brutal aspects. David B used the term to describe one of our previous adventure rides this way, thus this ride series found its name!

Pace and Distance Options

Each ride offers two distances. We’ll let you know what these are, exactly, via email to all who RSVP, a couple of days before the ride. We expect the shorter route to be approximately 40 miles and the longer route to be approximately 65 miles for each ride. We’ll have two paces of leader-led groups doing the shorter distance: a 16mph average and 17-18mph average. We’ll have one group of ~17.5mph doing the longer distance. You’re welcome to do either route at the pace of your choice and on your own or with any riders you want to ride with. Just be sure you’ve got the route and at least one back-up power source to charge your GPS unit and phone during the day. We will want to know which group you want to ride with at the ride, or if you’re riding solo. We do not recommend riding solo for these kinds of distances in the cold for safety purposes.

Preparation

Have your Winter Essentials Duffel ready! In that bag, we recommend:

• All the clothing you typically use for 10-40 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 use

• Taillight with batteries in good condition. Bring an extra set of batteries.

Quick note on Batteries: 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 GPS unit – if you’re not the ride navigator.

• Winter shoes or your autumn shoes with overshoes. Note that overshoes are inadequate on most cold, extended-distance rides for most people.

• Long, thick wool socks

• Chemical hand and toe warmers

• Helmet

• Long finger gloves, possibly with liners.

• Three season cap that covers your ears.

• Neck gator - check out our custom neck gators in store!

• Protective glasses

• High-vis vest - this is important as it’s always harder to be seen in the winter and in inclement conditions. We are likely to be riding through areas where hunters may be near. High-vis, especially orange, is an important color to wear in such areas. We’ll let you know if we’ll be on trails that are shared by hunters via email to all who RSVP for each ride.

• Towel to dry off after the ride.

• A change of clothes for after the ride - it’s not fun to eat dinner or drive home in sweaty, wet, cold clothes.

The Rides

JANUARY

Ride One:

Visit the ride details page.

Date: Done and dusted on Saturday, January 12. Amazing ride and amazing riders.

FEBRUARY

Ride Two:

Date: Can be any one of the following dates based on weather.

Saturday, February 2
Saturday, February 9
Saturday, February 16
Saturday, February 23

Start Location: To Be Announced!

Route: To Be Announced!

Details: To Be Announced!

MARCH

Ride Three:

Date: Can be any one of the following dates based on weather.

Saturday, March 2
Saturday, March 9
Saturday, March 16
Saturday, March 23
Saturday, March 30

Start Location: To Be Announced!

Route: To Be Announced!

Details: To Be Announced!

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Register Here for the Brutiful Rides!

You’ll also receive email updates!

Last Minute Information: We will email everyone who RSVPs with the latest information and details concerning where to meet, timing, route, etc.

Contact Information: Email brutiful@rideheadquarters.com with questions.

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 tires likely appropriate. Studded tires may be required depending on weather.

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

• A bike that’s in safe working order. It can be dangerous to stop for mechanicals in the cold, so 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 the person behind you happy. A fender will make your day significantly better, too.

When will each ride run?

• Wondering if the ride is on? We are emailing everyone who RSVPs to this series, so please sign up for updates by way of RSVP’ing. We won’t know until a couple of days in advance as to whether the ride is on since weather is a bit unpredictable this time of year. And we don’t expect you to necessarily be able to attend since we aren’t nailing down the “go” date until a couple of days before.

• 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. We may recommend the shorter of the two routes if it’s dangerously cold. Staying safe is very important! We also will make last-minute route changes based on weather as necessary. All attendees will receive updates via email.

If you'd like us to do any work on your bike prior to the ride, please email us a week before the ride; we want you to be ready to roll before the the day of the ride.

Thanksgiving Day Morning Mixed Terrain Ride 2018

• Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA

• Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride

• Date & Time: Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018 at 8:30am

• Distance: ~14 miles

• Pace: Moderate, we'll stay warm at this pace without working too hard

• RSC Cafe Open Hours on Thanksgiving: 7:30am - 9:00am

• Price: Free

Details:  The Thanksgiving morning mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists all over Lexington and beyond. We can almost guarantee you’ll be introduced to a few trails you haven’t ridden.  The ride takes paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path. 

The ride departs at 8:30 am and returns no later than 11am; 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: ~2.5 hours

Ride Notes:  STUDDED TIRES ARE REQUIRED. The pace is a moderate 7-9mph on the trails, ~16mph on the back roads. We slow down for icy spots. 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 this mixed-terrain ride on Thanksgiving?

• Thunder storms:  If there’s a 33% or greater chance of a thunder storm 30 minutes before the ride start, 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 30 minutes before the start of the ride, we'll cancel the ride. If it’s only threatening to rain, we ride.

  • If it’s misting or drizzling 30 minutes before 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 on Thanksgiving 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; 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 RSC Super Domestique will be leading this ride.

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 is open from 7:30am - 9:00am on Thanksgiving, November 22, 2018.

 

Thanksgiving Day Morning Road Rides 2018 - Canceled

• Location: Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington, MA

• Ride Type: Road Ride

• Date & Time: Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22, 2018 - NOW CANCELED - Frigid temps and ice on the roads is canceling this ride.

• Distances: 36-mile option & 48-mile option

• RSC Cafe Hours on Thanksgiving: 7:30am - 9:00am

• Price: Free

Mixed Terrain Option: If you have a gravel, cx, mountain, or fat bike, join us for the Mixed Terrain ride option instead! STUDDED TIRES ARE REQUIRED. This ride departs at 8:30am. See complete details.

Description: These are 100% paved rides, there are a few distance and speed options from which to choose! 

This is a great opportunity to have some fun on the road, meet other road riders, and burn the calories from the feast before the feast! 

We host safe, organized group rides. The advertised pace of the ride is what you can expect to average on the ride.

Ride Notes: We have Ride Studio Employees leading the ride and pointing out turns. They'll make sure the pace of the ride stays consistent, they manage the group, and offer safe, efficient riding techniques.

Speed and distance options:

• 16mph average, 36 miles total - Route

• 17-18mph average, 36 miles total - Route

• 17-18 mph average, 48 miles total - Route

Estimated time: Approximately 2.5 hours. The Studio will be unlocked for riders upon your return to RSC. 

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.

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.

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 is open from 7:30am - 9:00am on Thanksgiving, November 22, 2018.

RSC First Snow Ride

• 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

• #rscfirstsnow

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.

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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?

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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 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: Honey BiFrost Titanium A fat bike with studded tires for winter riding but converts into a great summer mountain bike with a second wheelset. Seven Cycles Sola Plus S A winter-worthy studded tire bike that's fast both in the snow and on summer trails. Seven Cycles Sola Plus SA fast, fun, very light, comfortable mountain bike built for you for this ride and all of the mountain biking you enjoy. Honey BiFrost Titanium A fat bike that converts into a great summer mountain bike when the weather is good, and turns into your best friend in the winter. 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

• 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 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.