Location: Start and end in Waltham
Ride Type: Snow ride for fat and mountain bikes with studded tires
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 25 at 7pm
Distance: ~10 miles
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 is a late-breaking snow ride since we have snow and more snow is predicted for Wednesday evening. Let’s ride when the opportunity presents itself!
We have a designated Super Domestique leading the group. We’ll ride fast enough to stay warm but not fast since it’s snowy and icy. If you have fitness such that you’re capable of riding a steady 14mph on a road ride for 2 hours, you’ll have the fitness necessary to join in on this ride. No one will be dropped as long as you’ve met the minimum requirements set forth on this page.
Distance
The ride is ~10 miles in length.
Parking
Elsie Turner Park
421 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA 02452
Parking is free and ample and usually available during snow emergencies here.
Route
The route will be emailed to all who RSVP no later than 5pm the day of the ride.
Estimated Ride Time
~2 hours depending on the snow conditions
Route Notes
We discuss these with you prior to rollout. This route was developed for snow riding.
After the Ride
We will serve hot cocoa at the end to whoever is sticking around to enjoy it! We’ll have hot water, too, so if you prefer to bring a tea bag or other drink that you can heat up with hot water, feel free to bring it.
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. This was implemented in December of 2022 (VERY RECENTLY). 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
3” studded tires minimum. Wider tires are nicer! Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. You’re welcome to try your narrower studded mountain and gravel studded tires out on this ride. However, if you can’t keep up with the group, you’ll be on your own. Fat bikes are likely the best suited for these conditions, but it’s hard to know for sure until we’re out there riding.
There is ice out there so studded tires are required. No studs, no ride.
Mountain bike clipless pedals and shoes or platform pedals with appropriate shoes.
Proper Apparel: Appropriate hat, gloves, jacket(s), tights/pants, and boots for the weather. It’s always a good idea to have a pack of chemical hand warmers in case your hands get cold, since this helps heat them quickly.
Front and rear lights that will last at least 2 hours 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.
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 rides.
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.