Location: Start and end in Waltham near the Mighty Squirrel
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride for gravel, mountain & fat bikes
Date & Time: Saturday, April 1, 9am start
Distance: 12 miles
Pace: Intentionally tame for riders who are trying to get back into riding this season, for those who have been injured and are coming back, for those unsure of their fitness levels and who they are compatible riding with
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
This mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists to many back roads, plenty of dirt paths and trails for a total of ~12 miles.
The route is a mixed terrain route so any gravel bike with 40mm tires is suited for the terrain.
We have a designated Super Domestique leading this group.
Pace: Intentionally tame for riders who are trying to get back into riding this season, for those who have been injured and are coming back, for those unsure of their fitness levels and unsure with whom they are compatible riding. This is a great opportunity to get to know other NEER members who are at your skill level!
Distance
The ride is ~12 miles in length.
Parking
Near to the Mighty Squirrel parking lot in Waltham, MA. We’ll send specific directions to all who RSVP.
Route
The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 7pm the evening before the ride.
Estimated Ride Time
~2-3 hours
Route Notes
We discuss these with you prior to rollout. Note that a mixed terrain ride is rougher than a “gravel” ride on the dirt sections.
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
35mm knobby tires minimum. Wider tires are nicer! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. We expect to see gravel bikes, mountain bikes, and fat bikes at this ride, the majority of bikes will likely be gravel bikes.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.
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.
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.