After worrying over the forecast for days, it turned out to be a great morning for a ride. Temps were reasonable and the sun stayed with us for much of the morning. Though it was on the humid side, Zinj assures me that it only makes us go faster.
I was the substitute ride leader this week, filling in for Tim. Thankfully, the only issue that seemed to keep popping up was dropped chains. About a dozen of us left Pulaski and made the steady climb to Conway.
We stopped in Buckland at McCusker’s Market for refueling. Then the real climbing began. We climbed Apple Valley Rd and Briar Hill Rd. Ashfield sure does have some good hills! The views from the top were amazing. I don’t think I will ever get tired of seeing old New England farms with rolling hills and mountains as the backdrop.
After the Briar Hill Rd climb, it was all downhill to Northampton. What a fun, steady descent it was!
The route was 57 miles with 3,400 feet of climbing. We managed an average speed of 17.4 mph.
The group rolled back into Northampton at 1:00 PM, plenty of time before the afternoon thunderstorms started!
