For this week, we will do a quick tour thru MBTS, the eastern parts of Gloucester, and then return to Essex via Concord. Lunch will be at The James in Essex.
We at NSC will be hosting 2 group rides to encourage participation in upcoming charity rides. The first will be on April 26, prior to the End- Alzheimer’s event in June. The second will be held on August 9, prior to the Fall events: Tour de Cure, Cycle for Shelter, and Coast to the Cure. All are welcome to both conditioning rides, especially, if you are new to group cycling.
To join in, meet at the Spurk parking lot, near the playing fields of Northern Essex Community College, Haverhill, shortly before 10:00 AM Saturday for a safety discussion using NSC’s Safety Culture handouts. Then we will do Emmaus’s 15-mile Family ride together. It is mostly flat, beautiful, and has a 10-mile option.
You will be ready to ENJOY a 30--mile ride at the charity event if you can do a few of these 15-milers beforehand !
Non-members of NSC will be asked to sign a waiver, helmet required.
A new ride using many of the delightful back roads familiar to NSC riders. The short route loops through Topsfield, Boxford and North Andover following a route similar to that of the short Saturday fitness ride. The medium route continues across Harold Parker State Forest to Andover, incorporating some of the roads used for the NSC Andover Tuesday night ride. After circling the scenic Andover Green, the ride returns via Harold Parker. The long ride adds 11 hilly miles in the northwest corner of Andover.
This ride was originally created by Ray Best. If Ray can join, he can provide details about the name during lunch. Hint, there is always a song involved. From the Bradford Tavern we'll ride some of our favorite quiet roads through Rowley, Newbury and West Newbury to the substantially newly paved River Road along the Merrimack River.
The Stone Wall Ride is a great early spring ride offering many distance options that fit wherever you are at in your mileage training and also great for new riders. The yellow forsythia and daffodils brighten up all the stone walls along the way. The beginning of the ride uses roads in Hamilton that we do not travel on often and then the roads become more familiar in Topsfield, Boxford, Georgetown and Groveland. The XS (15miles) ride splits coming out of Bradley Palmer taking a left onto Asbury. All other distances go right. The S (28 miles) splits at River Road and Washington taking a right. All others stay straight. The M (36) splits in Boxford Center taking a right onto Depot. The others continue straight. The L (44) splits from the XL (54) at 133 and West Street in Georgetown with the XL taking a left onto West Street and the L continuing straight.
There are no bathroom facilities at the school. Cumberland Farms at 121 Bay St, S. Hamilton is a 3 minute drive from the school.
First time riders are strongly encouraged to review the NSC First-Time Riders Q&A linked to at the bottom of the page.
A mellow ride to start the 2025 season out. On rail trails, a short stretch of dirt road, and paved roads. The route starts in Topsfield and traces an elliptical loop through Boxford and Middleton before returning to Topsfield.
Please have bikes and selves ready at 9:20 am for the pre-ride talk.
Hot drinks available after at Zumi's for those interested. Lunch is also great at Alex's Roast Beef & Seafood.
The Best of Ipswich ride features wonderful cycling roads from downtown Ipswich with a great mix of historic sites, state forests, cycling along the Ipswich River, farm lands and scenic ocean vistas. EXTRA SHORT heads west to go through Bradley Palmer State Park, rides along the side of Appleton Farms on Cutler Road-with about a half mile of gravel-use caution, nice local roads of Hamilton, over to Argilla Road then out to and around Great Neck before returning through the historic district of Ipswich. SHORT adds the Great Neck loop to the extra short MEDIUM PROVIDES A TOUR OF IPSWICH INCLUDING URL LINKS has a quick in and out at Bradley Palmer to see the estate (that you can choose to skip) and by-passes going through Bradley Palmer by staying on scenic Asbury Road to pass the Patton Homestead (yes, General Patton), adds a short trip to Essex, then off to the Crane Estate (and Crane Beach if you wish) before continuing back to Argilla Road, you have a chance to stop at Russell Orchards twice then off to Great Neck then back through the Ipswich historic district. LONG is the medium plus about 13 scenic miles through Topsfield including Perkins Row, past Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, the Topsfield Linear Common rail trail and Linebrook Rd. After recrossing Route 1 it takes a right on Brookside then a left on Perkins (avoiding a tough part of Ipswich Rd) before heading back to join the medium on Asbury Road. EXTRA-LONG adds 10 miles to the long in Topsfield by-passing the rail trail with a left turn onto 97, then across Rte 1 for incredible farm views and a few hill, through town for a nice loop before returning to the other routes. The extra-long ride is a mile shy of a metric century.
27.7 miles (51% paved / 46% unpaved / 3% unspecified)
Fairly flat mixed terrain ride. Almost half of the unpaved portion is on the Topsfield rail trail. Other segments include dirt road, wide double track, and lesser stretches of pasture trail and single track. Some roots and loose rocks.
Parking available at MASSDOT Park and Ride at Main and Park Sts. and along Main St.
This Beverly-Ipswich loop travels quiet woodland and open roads near Cape Ann area, including North Beverly, Centerville, Essex, Ipswich, Wenham and Hamilton. Extra Long, long and medium rides go out to Jeffrey’s Neck loop from the town wharf in Ipswich.
A mellow ride to start the 2025 season out. On rail trails, a short stretch of dirt road, and paved roads. The route starts in Topsfield and traces an elliptical loop through Boxford and Middleton before returning to Topsfield.
Please have bikes and selves ready at 9:20 am for the pre-ride talk.
Hot drinks available after at Zumi's for those interested. Lunch is also great at Alex's Roast Beef & Seafood.
An early evening ride around Newburyport and Salisbury provides a good intro to gravel biking. Expect a mix of paved roads, easy bike paths, and about 3 miles of wide hardpack trail through Moseley Woods and Maudslay State Park.
This week we will tour the country roads, hills, and springtime vistas around Groton, Pepperell and Hollis, NH, before turning back south thru Tynsbourough to the starting point. We'll cross the gentle Nashua River twice and pass by several working farms.
This ride starts at 9:30 due to a slightly longer drive to the starting point on Westford Rd. in Tyngsboro.
This route will be offered again in the fall, so riders can witness the change in scenery and rural activity.
Mostly flat to rolling, shady roads. All rides go through Harold Parker State Forest. Short ride goes through Reading, Wilmington, N. Reading, Middleton, and Lynnfield. Medium ride adds N. Andover, Boxford, and Topsfield. Long ride adds Groveland, W. Newbury, and Georgetown. Rest Stops at Food Mart in West Newbury and Richdale in Middleton.
Ride start can be reached from the MBTA Reading or Wakefield Commuter Rail Stations.
The Maine Eastern Trail is an easy, flat and scenic gravel trail that is ultimately planned to run between Kittery and Portland. It is a key link in the Maine to Florida East Coast Greenway. We'll be riding a largely finished stretch from Kennebunk to Bug Light on the coast of South Portland where one has a spectacular view of Portland Harbor and Casco Bay. The total round trip is 58 miles with about 10 miles on roads including a couple of brief busy stretches. Barring strong winds, it's about the easiest 58 miles you'll ever do. We'll plan for lunch at SoPo Seafood in South Portland, which is 2 blocks off the trail.
Enjoy a Sunday version of the Ponds and Forests Ride from Smolak Farm, which is run on Wednesdays throughout the riding season. A variety of routes are offered that take in many of the quiet, scenic back roads of the North Shore with many nice farms and ponds on view. The terrain includes a number of relatively flat sections and a few challenging hills.
This week's ride is a mix of hard packed rail trail and a few urban miles through Portsmouth to the rolling coastal views in Maine. I found my gravel bike most comfortable for the 16 miles of gravel rail trail, but it could be done on a road bike. There are category two options available in Fort Foster and some additional single track miles at the trails end in North Hampton.
Please be ready at 9:15 am for the safety talk and welcome for new members.
Exeter Municipal Lot near Szechuan Taste
(Google map)
Road ride
The long route gives the rider the best bang for the buck of the NSC Great Bay offerings. The beautiful 39 mile ride goes through picturesque Newfields, around Great Bay, Newmarket, and the lively college town of Durham. Both of these routes go through the scenic farm country of southern New Hampshire. The terrain is rolling hills with old barns, scenic vistas, and lots of quiet roads. Both loops go by historic Kingston NH common.
