ABC Ride: Wednesday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m. from 151 Davison Ave, Woonsocket, RI

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Joel Arbeitman

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Apr 21, 2025, 1:23:16 PMApr 21

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Hi everyone.

This Wednesday, April 23 at 10:30 a.m. the Ashland Bike Club will be doing one of our easiest rides on the Blackstone River Greenway. We’ll meet at the trailhead in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Plenty of free parking is available.

GPS Address: 151 Davison Ave, Woonsocket, RI

Route Name: ABC - Blackstone River Greenway – No Food

Ride Rating:
Distance: Easy (19.8)
Elevation: Easy (22)
Total Gain: 444 feet
Steepest: 3.5%

Wednesday’s Weather
The current forecast for Wednesday calls for a sunny day with temperatures between 58 and 65 with a gentle breeze.

Blackstone River Bikeway 1.JPG

Make note that ABC’s next ride after Wednesday will “probably” be held on Sunday, April 27 because Saturday looks like a rain-out.

The Ride
We’ve gotten several requests for bike path rides recently. Well, here you go!!

The Blackstone River Greenway is ideal for casual and beginner cyclists. The paved path is level most of the way. Our round-trip bike ride will total right around 20 miles. When completed, the greenway will cover 48 miles from Worcester to Providence. It will also be linked to the East Bay Bike Path resulting in a trail more than sixty miles long (one-way).

Unlike our regular Blackstone route, we’ve eliminated our trip to Angelo’s for lunch because it might be too cool to sit outside. Instead, everyone is invited to a post-ride lunch at the Beef Barn (click for menu) in Bellingham, which is roughly a ten-minute drive from where the ride ends. Here’s their address: 160 Pulaski Boulevard, Bellingham, MA.

Here’s a link to a map of the route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49051148

Off the Route
Our “Off the Route” feature includes topics that we think are worth sharing with the ABC cycling community. Please let us know what you think.

No, E-Bikes are Not “Cheating”!!!
ABC loves our e-bikers. Instead of just throwing in the towel because the hills get steeper as we age, these heroes have chosen to “not go gentle into that good night”.

It’s hard to imagine that anyone would think getting a little battery assistance is “cheating” but, apparently, some still do. This tends to be especially true among road cyclists. Sadly, some of those who feel this way are e-bike riders themselves.

This article has some great insights into the issue: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/why-do-i-feel-like-a-cheat-every-time-i-ride-my-e-bike

E-Biking Seniors Outperformed Regular Biking Seniors on Mental Tests
Studies like this should always be approached with a healthy degree of skepticism.

Having said that, though, perhaps most of the benefits came from riding more often or riding more time and distance. Any way you look at it, getting out on your bike, whether “e” or not, is good for your head and good for your health.

Check out the article: https://www.bicycling.com/news/a64151245/e-bikes-boost-senior-well-being/

See you Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m. in Woonsocket.

Be sure to check your email after 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning to make sure we didn’t postpone or cancel the ride, and … don’t forget those helmets.