The Northampton Cycling Club’s outdoor group rides are starting May 29th.
Riders of all abilities are welcome to join us. If you are brand new to group rides, we recommend choosing a ride based on your level.
With the exception of the Tuesday Time Trial and the Thursday C+ ride, all the rides start and end at Pulaski Park in Northampton (next to the Academy of Music).
Please check the NCC Calendar each week. Rides that changes routes each week typically post the routes the day prior to the ride.
In case of bad weather, please check the NCC website for cancellations. For weekday rides, weather notifications will be posted by 4 PM, while weekend rides will be posted a few hours prior to the start time.
If you haven’t joined the club this calendar year, please do so before your first group ride.
Since it has been approximately eighteen months since our last group ride, we thought it might be beneficial to all members to review our different ride options and the plan for the first week of riding.
- Saturday B Ride (May 29th): On Saturday morning at 9:00 AM, Tim Cary will lead the B ride. The route changes each week. For the opening week, we will head up to Colrain and back to Northampton through Hadley for a metric century.
- Saturday C Ride (May 29th): The C ride changes each week and departs at 9:00 AM. Aaron Walker is the the usual ride leader, but for May 29th, John Coffey will be easing the group back into riding. The rides will get longer as the season progresses. We will travel to Deerfield through Haydenville and Whateley before returning to Northampton through Hatfield. This is a “no drop” ride, so riders will regroup at certain points throughout the ride.
- Tuesday C Ride (June 1st): The Tuesday C Ride will start at 5:30 PM. John Coffey will be the regular ride leader this season. This is also a “no drop” ride. The route will change each week. The June 1st ride will be a loop to Westhampton.
- Tuesday Time Trial (June 1st): The Time Trial/Hill Climb series enters its 9th week of the 2021 season. This week, the challenge is the Long Time Trial course in Hatfield. You may ride at any point during the day, but please remember to submit your results to organizer David Goodwin by 9:00 PM sharp.
- Wednesday Night Ride (June 2nd): Departing at 5:30 PM, Don Frank will guide the A and B groups up to the Bookmill in Montague and back to Northampton. This 40 mile ride is a traditional NCC ride and the route is the same each week. If you are lucky, you may be mentioned in Don’s ride report.
- Thursday C+ Ride (June 3rd): Mark Rioux will be leading the C+ ride this year. This ride starts at Millside Park in Easthampton, right on the bike path. Each week this ride covers approximately 36 miles, making a loop through Westhampton, Haydenville, Whatley, Hatfield, and Northampton. The ride will depart Easthampton at 5:30 PM.
- Thursday Hilltown Ride (June 3rd): The traditional route travels 38 miles. It begins at 5:30 PM and then rolls through Florence, Leeds and Williamsburg before heading sharply uphill to Route 116 and then downhill to Conway. Ride leaders Charlie Bailey and Doug Breismeister will facilitate a conversational pace for this A/B ride through Williamsburg and then there will be two regroup points, one in Ashfield and one in Whately. Please note that this is a drop ride, meaning you should be prepared to be self-sufficient if you can’t keep up.
Don’t forget to wear your NCC kit if you have some!
