Join us for incredibly beautiful cycling on the back roads of central Massachusetts! There are TWO distance options for you for this ride! Choose a 100-km route or 150-mile route to ride.
This ride is full of dirt roads, with nice paved roads as well. Most of the route is back roads, away from traffic and people. Keep reading to understand the logistics. This ride starts at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA - so most people will need to drive to the start.
This is a group or solo ride, depending on how you want to ride it. You may get a group of your friends together, you may request to ride with others who are likely of your similar cycling pace and experience, or you’re welcome to ride it alone, though you’re hardly alone when there are so many people on the same route.
There is little to no cell coverage on many parts of the routes.
Be absolutely certain you’re up for the rules of this ride. Read this page in its entirety and visit the links, so you know exactly what’s what.
Due to insurance requirements, this ride is only open to NEER members. You may become a NEER member, so it’s not too late.
Get a Group of Friends Together to Ride!
Ride with your friends at whatever pace you and your friends like to ride. Let us know you’d like to do this when you register, we ask who is riding with who. ALSO if you’d like a different start time, let us know and it’s highly likely it’ll work out very well for all of us.
Ride with New-to-You People Option
Ride with people of your riding speed, but you don’t have to know anyone prior to the ride! This is an option for you if you’d like to ride with a group, but don’t have friends riding or simply want to meet new people who are of a similar strength. We do our best to group you together.
Ride Solo
You’re also welcome to ride solo. We prefer if you are a solo rider that you choose an earlier start time so that there are riders behind you, for the purposes of safety and everyone seeing people out there on the route.
We are glad to start you off earlier than the advertised starting times so that you’ll see others all day long, yet still get to ride solo.
Food & Drinks
We are providing plenty of water but only a few calories mid-ride. The ride fee covers staffing to support the ride and to have someone out there in the middle of the route for you.
There is a lot of great food and drinks (alcoholic and non) at Red Apple farm that you’re welcome to enjoy after the ride.
Photo courtesy of Red Apple Farm. Sunset at the farm.
See the Red Apple Farm’s Brew Barn website and Menu!
By not charging you for food, it’s your choice as to how much and where you eat post-ride. We recommend doing business at Red Apple farm. They have a huge selection of goods in their store and the Brew Barn makes tasty food. They have hosted us throughout the pandemic and have been EXTREMELY generous in sharing their farm and time with us.
The Brew Barn is open 9am-9pm. They serve breakfast at 9am so 100k riders could arrive early, eat, then ride.
150-Mile Ride Specifics
We’re offering a bag-drop service for the 150-mile riders. Bring a bag with extra food, clothes, supplies, anything you want to see mid-ride. You see the mid-ride support stop twice so you can access your stuff there. For those training for Unbound and similar long gravel rides, this is great training and prep since this is how those rides run.
There is a stop in downtown Amherst so riders can fuel up from any of the many businesses found in Amherst. There are coffee shops, sandwich shops, smoothies, and more from which to choose.
Pace for the 150 Mile Ride: We expect that you’re capable of maintaining a 10mph average if you register for this ride. 7pm is the cut off time to be back. We don’t want anyone out there past 7pm due to night fall and riding with too much fatigue.
Details
Ride Type: Remote paved and dirt roads, some mix of surfaces, but almost entirely rideable with little/no technical skill.
Time & Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023
150 mile riders start together at 4am, faster riders may start on your own later than this
100km riders start together at 10am - we’ll set off friend groups and solo riders earlier than this if you wish.
If you want a later departure for the 100km route, that is an option, but you’ll be on your own without people behind you unless you assemble a group of friends to ride with. We prefer you ride with others or start before the groups if you want to ride solo.
Starting Point: Red Apple Farm - Phillipston, MA
Distance: 100 km or 150 miles
What you get
A gorgeous, well-planned route: Route file for your GPS computer, parking directions/instructions.
Staffed starting & finishing location with water, toilets, friendly people and sweet farm animals
Staffed food stop with water, your drop bag if you’re doing the 150 mile, and a few additional calories for you to enjoy
Peace of mind knowing there are other riders on the same route.
Option to purchase breakfast, lunch or dinner and beer or non-alcoholic drinks at the end of the ride at the farm, nice place to hang out with each other and spend the afternoon. Invite your non-riding loved ones and friends to come join you for the after-ride picnic at Red Apple!
Price
$30
You MUST be a NEER member (a Cat 4 NEER membership is $50 for a full year of hosted rides of all varieties, and there are lots of additional benefits to being a member) - details on joining are here). This is a requirement of insurance, otherwise, we would be unable to host this or any bike ride.
No day-of registrations
NEER members at a Category 3 level receive a 25% off code for registration
NEER members at a Category 2 level receive a 50% off code for registration
NEER members at a Category 1 level receive a 100% off code for registration
Refund Policy
You may transfer your registration to someone else as long as the other person is a NEER member via BikeReg up until 2 days before the event.
We aren’t charging enough for this ride to cover the costs of administration to issue refunds for any reason.
We do want to know if you have registered and can’t make it so we’re not out there looking for you the day of the event, this is important for the safety of the riders out there: connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com
If we have to cancel the ride for weather or other unforeseen reasons out of our control, we’ll offer you the option of a credit toward a future ride or a refund your registration dollars less the BikeReg fee.
Start Location
Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, Massachusetts. Exact details and location information are emailed to registered riders by 7pm the THURSDAY before the ride.
Camping Option
150 Mile Riders and anyone who might want to make this a bikepacking destination: the farm is allowing anyone who wants to stay overnight to camp or sleep in your car. There could be loud farm-maintenance operations happening in the wee hours of the morning, so be aware of that. Camping is free, we just need to know who to expect if you want to take advantage of this generous invitation by the farm to stay on their premises.
Estimated drive time
About 60-80 minutes from most parts of the greater Boston area
Route Information
Like all of our routes, it’s adventure-filled, but also very appropriate for gravel bikes. You’ll ride plenty of dirt roads, trails, and what’s pavement will be on the quiet roads.
Expect elevation in the 75 ft. per mile range.
Neither route has recently been vetted. Bring a spirit of adventure - if a road is closed for whatever reason, you’ll need to figure out how to re-route. Both of these were in good shape last summer.
Pace Options - It’s a Ride for Most Everyone to Enjoy!
When you register for this ride, we ask you for your best estimate of your average pace when you ride a 30-mile all-paved ride. We don’t expect you will know what your pace will be on this route, we’re just interested in knowing approximately where each person will be after starting out.
We are staffing the water stop assuming a 10 mph minimum pace for the 150-mile riders. There are NO speed requirements (upper or lower) for the 100km riders since support staff has to be out there all day for the 150 mile riders anyway.
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. Do not plan on having cell service since there are quite a few portions of the ride with weak to no service.
Safety & Dealing with Mechanicals
Every rider is expected to follow the rules of the road at all times. This means obeying stop signs and staying to the right-hand portion of the road.
If we think you’re being unsafe, you will be asked to leave the ride. You will not be invited to return to any group rides as well. This applies for all aspects of cycling and general behavior.
We are NOT providing a roving mechanic. That means you should bring all of the tools and supplies necessary for possible mechanical situations. There are other riders out on the route and we hope people will assist each other in case of a problem.
Come out with a freshly tuned up bike, fresh sealant in your fresh tires, have electronic bikes charged fully, shifter lever batteries checked for freshness, lube those chains! Check your spare tubes to be sure they will hold air. If you’re in doubt about this, take new tubes. It’s not worth getting stuck out there.
Most mechanicals are easily avoidable by taking proper care of your equipment in advance of the ride.
There is no ride leader, even if you ride with a group; you’ll be following your GPS computer, therefore owning a GPS computer is a must with at least one back-up power source.
We will not shuttle riders anywhere, it’s your responsibility to have a plan in case your bike or legs stop working.
We’ll send a very detailed email by 7pm the Thursday before the ride, with the route, instructions, and details so you understand logistics and exactly what to do.
Preparation
What to bring, we recommend:
Everything necessary for common mechanicals. Items include:
2 x tubes
Hand pump
Co2 cartridges & Co2 inflator
Tire levers
Boot/dollar bill if your tire gets ripped
Patch kit
1 pair of quick links compatible for your chain
Chain pliers
Chain breaker
Multi-tool (if your chain breaker is on your multi-tool, even better)
If your bike uses a replaceable derailleur hanger, be sure to have an extra that is compatible with your bike
Rain jacket - this works well for chilly descents too
2 x 26 oz water bottles, more if it’s going to be hot
Food/nutrition in case you need a zap of energy before the food stop
Proper Bike for this Ride
40mm tires are best suited for the ride. Err on the side of bigger, especially if you’re newer to gravel riding. Feel free to use bigger tires. Your gravel bike is the most appropriate bike for the ride. Mountain bikes and flat-bar bikes are welcome. Narrower than 28mm tires are strongly discouraged. There is some loose gravel on the roads. Narrower tires are more likely to pinch flat and are less stable than 28mm or bigger. We welcome mountain bikes, fat bikes, and any bike that you feel comfortable completing the distance on in the time frame allotted for the ride.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control.
A bike that’s in safe working order. 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 you from getting wet. If you’ll be riding with others and it’ll be wet, please be nice to your co-riders and use full-coverage fenders.
Weather
We will ride rain or shine. Dangerous weather (like an electrical storm) cancels the ride or postpones the start time.
Last Minute Information
We will email everyone who registers with the latest information if last minute details change.
Unregistered riders, riders who are not members of NEER, or riders who haven’t signed the liability waiver may not participate.
If you have financial reasons to be unable to pay, please email us so we can accommodate you. We want everyone to ride who wants to ride.
Waiver
New England Expedition Riders requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
Contact Information
Email connect@newenglandexpeditionriders.com with questions. We will email you the cell phone number of the contact person who will be present at the beginning of the ride and available during the ride.
Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.. Note: ALL rules stated here on this page override any conflicting rules you see on our typical ride rules.
