Location: Start and end on Sandy Neck Beach on the Cape
Ride Type: Fat bike sandy beach ride
Date & Time: TWO Departure Options: Sunday, December 18 at 9:00am AND
Sunday, December 18 at 1:00pm OR do both for 7 hours of riding
Distance: ~15 miles for each option, it will be the same loop in opposite directions
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’re offering this fat bike ride so you have a quality cycling option on a day after soaking rains to stay warm, have a great time riding, and breathe in some fresh air too!
The route is almost all sandy beach and some neat dirt roads next to the sandy beach.
We have a designated Super Domestique leading the last group to depart which will be rolling at a slow endurance pace. The Super Domestique will be riding a fully loaded fat bike in final preparation for the Fat Pursuit so this is an opportunity for anyone who wants to ride slower, test out a loaded setup or have a chatty ride without pacing concerns to join in with this last group!
Distance
The route is ~15 miles in length. The 9am departure will run one direction and the 1pm departure will run the opposite direction. Feel free to do both if you want a 7-hour day in the saddle!
Parking
Parking is free and ample at the Sandy Neck lot.
Route
The route will be emailed to all who RSVP.
Estimated Ride Time
~3-3.5 hours for each departure. 7 hours total if you choose to do both departures.
Route Notes & How this ride is different from our usual rides
We’ll discuss these with you prior to rollout. This is almost all sand and at high and low tide. Considering there will be long stretches on the beach, we’re not expecting to have to keep riders together in the same way as on a typical ride where there are roads, turns, traffic. You ride as fast/slow as you wish and have fun out there!
After the Ride
We will fire up the kettle and boil water for hot cocoa after each ride to warm up. If you prefer tea or other hot drink, feel free to bring anything you’d like to add to hot water!
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
Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
If this is your second or more ride with us, our insurance requires that you become a member of NEER.
Proper bike & Equipment
Bring lights if you’re joining the 1pm departure of this ride. At this time of year, keep lights available on your bike for safety, it’s too easy to be out past sunset!
3.8” minimum tire size. Wider tires are nicer!
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.
High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires. We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:
We want to minimize flats on the ride; waiting for someone to change flats is not why we ride. We typically see zero flats on our ride. One of the primary reasons for this is due to higher than average tire pressure.
You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, quick chain links, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to Participate in this Ride Now!
Please RSVP only after you’ve made sure you can attend. It is inconsiderate to RSVP prior to committing to attending since it affects the experience of the other cyclists in attendance. We understand that things come up last-minute. Be sure to email us if you can’t attend: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com.