Roger Stawasz
Road trip – Scott Monroe and I are listing a ride that Carson* and I lead last year that starts in Shelburne Falls and heads west on Route 2 to Zoar Road** for a scenic ride along the Deerfield River to Readsboro, VT. The one planned stop will be at the Readsboro General Store, about 28 miles into the ride. From there we’ll begin our return over mostly paved roads, though there is one section of well packed dirt. The ride is 51 miles and has about 3300 feet of climbing, most of it in the middle section. This will be a B paced ride with little opportunity for cutting it short other than to return along route 2.
We will meet in Shelburne Falls at 7:30am at the parking lot behind People’s United Bank on the corner of Bridge and Mechanic Streets. Because the first 10-ish miles will be ridden on route 2 the early start is designed to avoid the heavier traffic it sees later in the morning. On our return, through Rowe, Heath, and Colrain, we’ll ride briefly on route 8A then W. Branch Rd., and Adamsville Rd., to connect to Route 112 for the last stretch. Barring unforeseen circumstances, or incorporating any of the below listed optional climbs, we should arrive back in Shelburne Falls around 11am. Ride route is here.
*Carson may join us but is doing the cycling part of the Josh Billings event on Sunday so maybe not.
** Not listed as part of the planned route, off of Zoar Road are the Whitcomb Hill (http://www.brentacol.com/h/whitcomb_ma), Kingsley Hill (http://www.brentacol.com/h/kingsley), and Monroe Hill climbs (http://www.brentacol.com/h/monroe_hill), for those that may be tempted.
Cancellation due to bad weather will be posted by 10pm on Friday evening.