North Shore Cyclists The Best Cycling North of Boston

Leader: Karen King : email brassylady@mac.com

Start: Ballardvale MBTA Station, Andover map to start
Directions: Rte 93 to Dascomb Road, take the ramp towards Andover, turn right onto Clark Road, then right onto Andover Street to MBTA parking lot.
Time Sunday, July 20, 2008: 9:00 AM for 25, 35 or 50 miles
What to expect: The short route goes through Andover and Tewksbury only; medium goes through Andover, Tewksbury, and North Andover; long adds Bradford, West Boxford, and Groveland. Although quite a few hardy cyclists braved the wet weather when Karen led the ride in April, she's offering her exceptionally well-marked route again, hopefully with warm enough weather that you'll want to stop in at one of the four ice cream stores along the way!

Cue sheet for short , medium and long

route overview map

View Route on Map My Ride

Road mark is a yellow inverted T

Leader: James Danis (978) 388-2193 jamesdanis@verizon.net 

Start: Amesbury Elementary School, 20 South Hampton Rd., Amesbury
map to start

Directions: Rte. 95 to exit 58 for Rte. 110 Amesbury. Go to the 1st traffic light and take a right onto Elm Street. At the rotary take the 1st right onto Market St. (Rte. 150). Go about 0.5 mile; bear left onto South Hampton Road.
From Rte. 495 take exit 54 for Rte. 150 Amesbury. At the rotary, go 180 degrees or 2nd right onto Market Street. Go about 0.5 mile; bear left onto South Hampton Road. The school will be on your left.

Date and Time: Sunday, July 27, 2008: 9:00 for 55 miles and 10:00 for 35 or 22 miles.

What to expect: The rides go through the scenic farm country of southern New Hampshire. Both loops go through Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, NH and the long loop going through the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Arrows and cue sheets. Everyone is invited to a barbecue at my house after the ride. I live directly across the street from the school, green house, 23 S. Hampton Road. Bring lawn/beach chairs. Please bring side dishes or desserts or a $5 donation for the BBQ.

Cue Sheet

route map

Leader: Sarah Weaver 978-664-1370 sarah.weaver@comcast.net 

Start: Ipswich River Park, North Reading map to start

Directions:

From Route 93, take Exit 39/Concord Street toward North Reading (a right off the exit if you're heading north). Bear right at the stop sign (1.3 mi); cross Rt. 28 at the light (1.8); bear right at stop sign onto Park Street/Rt. 62 (2.5 mi); turn right onto Central Street (3 mi); turn left into park. These mileages are cumulative.

From Route 128, take Exit 40 and the Haverhill Street/Camp Curtis Guild spoke off the rotary (you’ll pass the National Guard armory right after turning onto Haverhill Street). Turn left on Chestnut St. (at the blinking yellow light) after 3.2 miles; bear right around the curve and then turn right on Central St. The park is on your right.

Date and time: Sunday August 3, 2008: 9:00 AM for 50, 34 and 26 miles

What to expect: Serene back roads, farmstands, ponds, and potholes of the northern burbs. Have a picnic lunch at Ingaldsby Farm. Terrain is moderately rolling. Short ride tours North Reading, North Andover, Boxford, Middleton. Long ride adds Groveland and West Newbury. Lunch note for long riders: There are not many food options before Ingaldsby Farm at 34 miles (and Ingaldsby does not sell Power Bars; it is a farm stand/bakery), so bring enough snacks to keep you going. Road mark is a "mustachioed chevron". shown here.
Follow this route on Google Maps at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1215136

Cue sheet - long

Cue sheet - short and extra short
Route map

Leader: Gordon Harris (978) 979-6598 gordonharris2@yahoo.com 

Start: Ipswich Hammatt St. parking lot, behind Market Street and Central Street map to start

Directions: From I-95, take Rt. 133 east to the center of Ipswich. Turn right one block before downtown center. Hammatt St. parking lot will be on your left.
From Rt. 1, take Ipswich Rd. from Topsfield. Cross tracks and turn left at the Ipswich Cooperative Bank, and bear right. Parking lot will be on your right.

Time Sunday, August 10, 2008: 9:00 AM for 25. 38, or 63 miles

What to expect: The Stone Walls Ride from Ipswich this year is actually two separate rides due to the closing of the Asbury and Mill Rd. bridges.
Loop 1 is 25 miles, and takes us out Argilla Rd. and crosses the Miles River twice, before turning on beautiful Waldingfield Rd. and on through Bradley Palmer State Park. From there we have the unique opportunity to ride on beautiful, winding and hilly Asbury St., devoid of cars. The route then turns back to Ipswich, taking some of the same roads that we started on.

Loop 2 has options of 28 or 38 miles, and can be started from the Hammat St. parking lot or as a continuation of Loop 1 by continuing on Market St. We start out on Topsfield Rd., turning along the Ipswich River Sanctuary on Perkins Row and on winding River Rd. in Topsfield. We continue on to Boxford, where the extra loop continues to Georgetown with a decent climb on Baldpate Rd. Our return takes us along Hood Pond and then the Ipswich River on Ipswich-Topsfield Rd. The ride is marked with a white circle and line ("Dan Henry") . Do not follow a yellow Dan Henry or a similar white mark with an arrow and circle that cross this route.

Special notes: There is a short section on Topsfield Rd. and Perkins Row where the route goes out and back using the same road. Road marks with an I mean you are heading back toward Ipswich, while a T means you are going towards Topsfield .

Pool party and cookout after the ride at Gordon and Deb's house, 17 Mill Rd. in Ipswich, just off Ipswich-Topsfield Rd. a mile and a half from downtown Ipswich. All are welcome. Any salads or desserts, etc. are appreciated! And bring your bathing suits for our large in-ground pool. Follow the road mark with a G off of Topsfield Rd. to Gordon and Deb's house, or return to the start location for your car. .
map to 17 Mill Rd.

Interactive Google map of this ride before the Asbury St. closing : http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1057328

Map

 

Bridge on Perkins Row near the Ipswich River Sanctuary,
part of the Olde Stone Walls Ride for North Shore Cyclists.