Fietsen en Dijken 200k - AKA NER Bikes & DIkes

[Ted Shwartz]

Hello NERds

In almost 3 weeks will be the NER Bikes and Dikes 200k, starting/finishing at my home in Providence. The ride will take place on April 5th

This ride is a replacement for the NER Bikes & Bridges which sadly, can no longer be run, as the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority stopped allowing bicycle access to the Mount Hope Bridge. It was a beautiful ride, with some awesome weather. Do you remember the “Bomb Cyclone”

In any case, we have a new ride this year, which will be happening 3 weeks later to hopefully avoid some occasionally epic weather on the coast.

This NER ride, while flattish by our standards, will most likely punch above its weight with wind on its coastal miles. 

Where else but in NER land could you get a brevet that rides on top of hurricane dikes, has controls with whale skeletons, revolutionary forts and lighthouses. Your ride will take you from Providence down Narragansett Bay, to Buzzards Bay and back. Count on views of the Elizabethan Islands (from Woods Hole to Cuttyhunk), perhaps a peek at Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod

There will be all sorts of bridges, including a historic swing bridge over the New Bedford Harbor, bike paths, including the newest one in Southeastern Massachusetts, the Mattapoisett Rail Trail

Along the way is an inspiring view of the staging area for the Vineyard Wind Project

Full details for the ride will be on the NER website. Registration for this ride is not ready yet, but will be soon. Below is the RWGPS link for the route so you can see where your will be traveling.

All the best

Ted Shwartz

tshw...@icloud.com

508-951-0349

[Jake Kassen]

Registration for the Bikes & Dikes 200k is now open on BikeReg: https://www.bikereg.com/nerri200k

More details about the event: https://ner.bike/nersite/?p=5190

Please make sure to join or renew your RUSA membership for 2025 if you have not already done so. We can not let non-members or provisional members start the event.

If you plan to ride many NER brevets this year, a Season Pass (https://www.bikereg.com/nermembership) is a great value.

Jake

> -------Original Message-------
> From: Ted Shwartz <tshw...@gmail.com>
> To: ne-rand...@googlegroups.com <ne-rand...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: [NER] Fietsen en Dijken 200k - AKA NER Bikes & DIkes
> Sent: 18 Mar '25 14:30
>
> Hello NERds
>
> In almost 3 weeks will be the NER Bikes and Dikes 200k,
> starting/finishing at my home in Providence. The ride will take place
> on April 5th
>
> This ride is a replacement for the NER Bikes & Bridges which sadly,
> can no longer be run, as the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge
> Authority stopped allowing bicycle access to the Mount Hope Bridge. It
> was a beautiful ride, with some awesome weather. Do you remember the
> "Bomb Cyclone"
>
> In any case, we have a new ride this year, which will be happening 3
> weeks later to hopefully avoid some occasionally epic weather on the
> coast.
>
> This NER ride, while flattish by our standards, will most likely
> punch above its weight with wind on its coastal miles.
>

> Where else but in NER land could you get a brevet that rides on top
> of hurricane dikes, has controls with whale skeletons, revolutionary
> forts and lighthouses. Your ride will take you from Providence down
> Narragansett Bay, to Buzzards Bay and back. Count on views of the
> Elizabethan Islands (from Woods Hole to Cuttyhunk), perhaps a peek at
> Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod
>
> There will be all sorts of bridges, including a historic swing bridge
> over the New Bedford Harbor, bike paths, including the newest one in
> Southeastern Massachusetts, the Mattapoisett Rail Trail
>

> Shining Tides Mile - Mattapoisett Rail Trail
> youtu.be
>
> Along the way is an inspiring view of the staging area for the
> Vineyard Wind Project
>

> Full details for the ride will be on the NER website. Registration for
> this ride is not ready yet, but will be soon. Below is the RWGPS link
> for the route so you can see where your will be traveling.
>

> Bikes and Dikes 200k
> ridewithgps.com
>
> All the best
>
> Ted Shwartz
> tshw...@icloud.com
> 508-951-0349
>

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>

[Norton]

The weather forecast for this Saturday is looking more miserable by the day. Any chance this event can be postponed one week?

[Jake Kassen]

For better or worse, all events are held rain or shine. (Including cold, heavy rain as some of Bays and Bridges riders will attest.)

FWIW, the weather forecast this far out is unreliable.

I don't think Bikes & Dikes is a perm yet but there are a number of other nice 200ks permanents people can attempt if they want to wait for better weather. Find them at https://rusa.bike

Jake

> -------Original Message-------
> From: Norton <nor...@vineyard.net>
> To: New England Randonneurs <ne-rand...@googlegroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [NER] Fietsen en Dijken 200k - AKA NER Bikes & DIkes
> Sent: 31 Mar '25 11:12
>
> The weather forecast for this Saturday is looking more miserable by
> the day. Any chance this event can be postponed one week?
>

> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ne-randonneurs/20f25a03-8b01-42b2-9e11-f06a92935023n%40googlegroups.com.
>