Location: Start and end in Needham, MA
Ride Type: Road Training Ride
Date & Time: 6am start, Wednesdays in April and May, 2023
Distance: ~20 miles. The ride is always done just before 8am
Price: Free; see NEER membership requirements discussed below after the first ride you do with us
RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form
Details
We have a designated Super Domestique leading the group. The purpose of this ride is to get focused training in. The group warms up together, then everyone does hill intervals at the same time with everyone going the pace that makes sense to each person. The interval section is not that steep and not that intense geographically, so it’s a good place to put in an effort without going too hard. These kinds of efforts confer leg speed and greater overall fitness to riders without hitting oxygen debt or overload.
Each hill interval is ~6 minutes in length. Faster riders will be closer to 5 minutes, slower closer to 7 minutes. All speeds of riders are accommodated since there’s a regroup spot designated for everyone to recover, take a breath, before getting back on the bike and ramping up to the next interval.
There are a total of 4 intervals on offer the first two weeks, then we increase this to 5. The first ride of each season, we do an exploratory lap so all riders see where to start the effort and where it finishes so everyone understands the assignment.
It’s always fine to sit one out or ride slowly if one wants fewer. Some people select a shorter portion of road to go harder for a shorter period of time. Entirely up to each person.
Intervals should not be performed at max effort/heart rate, they should be done such that it’s possible to complete the full workout and get back to the Cutler Park parking lot. We discuss the exact duration of each interval as well as resting time in between out there so everyone knows what to do when.
Distance
The ride is ~20 miles in length, about 1 hour and 50 minutes total.
Parking
Cutler Park, Needham, MA
Route
Here's the Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42427386
It's called "20 GIDSIB Training"
GIDSIB = Glad I Didn't Stay in Bed
Estimated Ride Time
No more than 2 hours. We’ll try to get everyone back slightly before 8am, but not too much before that!
Route Notes
None. We discuss where we’re going easy and where we’re regrouping at the ride.
After the Ride
Everyone needs to get to work or start their day. We’ll stick around with anyone who would like to discuss bikes or any bike shop business.
Last-Minute Information
We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news. Very, very last-minute news is found on our Twitter feed (shown on the home page of this website in case you don’t have a Twitter account).
Contact Information
Email - connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions about this ride anytime 1 hour or more prior to the start of the ride.
CALL US if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433.
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes.
Riding Rules
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules. RSVP’ing to this ride indicates you have read and accept all of the rules. These make the ride safer and more fun for all.
Waiver
New England Expedition Riders (NEER) requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out prior to your first ride.
If this is your second or more ride with us, our insurance requires that you become a member of NEER.
Proper bike & Equipment
Road bike with road tires. 23mm-30mm will be most common on this ride.
Clip-in pedals: This is an important element of bike control, especially given the speeds we’ll be riding and needing to climb hills as efficiently as possible.
Front and rear lights that will last the duration of the ride and WILL NOT blind your riding friends. Eye-piercing rear lights (look into it, does it hurt your eyes?) should be pointed downward or replaced with non-eye-piercing bright lights. All rear lights should be set on steady, not blinking.
A Tuned Bike: A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride or take an Uber home if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to Participate in this Ride Now!
Please RSVP only after you’ve made sure you can attend. It is inconsiderate to RSVP prior to committing to attending since it affects the experience of the other cyclists in attendance. We understand that things come up last-minute. Be sure to email us if you can’t attend: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.