It seems like forever but thankfully outdoor club rides return Wednesday, May 3! We have a full slate of rides that should provide something for everyone.
As announced a few weeks ago, we will be using an app, Link My Ride, to manage our rides. Riders may download the app in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. We have complete instructions on how to create a free account, follow the NCC, attend NCC rides, download GPS routes, receive cancellation notices, and adjust your settings/privacy on the NCC’s Link My Ride page. Please remember to follow the NCC on Link My Ride using your mobile device.
Follow the NCC on Link My Ride
For 2023, we are introducing a several new rides, moving our weekday C ride back to Wednesday evenings, and rejuvenating our A ride with the promise of our race team showing up to set the pace.
This year, our ride calendar officially starts on Wednesday, May 3rd.
Here is our weekly schedule:
On Mondays we have two rides planned. At 10 AM, we will have a new C paced ride that may be perfect for second shifters, retirees or riders on vacation that want to ride earlier in the day. This ride will leave from Florence (Keyes Street). At 5:30 PM on May 15th, our Introductory Ride will return. This ride is perfect for riders just getting started with group riding or riders that have been off the bike for a while.
In addition to the Time Trial on Tuesdays, we are starting a new C paced gravel ride. This ride will leave Keyes Street in Florence at 5:30 PM. If gravel is your thing or maybe you want it to be your thing, this ride will be a lot of fun. For those early birds, our A/B ride will leave Veterans Field in Northampton at 6:30 AM. This is a fast ride with the goal of returning to Northampton by 8 AM.
Wednesdays are a group ride day for our A, B, and C riders. Both the A/B ride and the C rides start at 5:30 PM at Pulaski Park in downtown Northampton. Leila from Northampton Bicycle is back leading the C ride on her famous mystery routes. Don Frank will be leading our classic A/B ride. We are expecting the A/B ride to be slightly larger this year since the many of our club racers have vowed to join the ride this season. If you are planning to race this season or want to test yourself, the A/B ride is a good option.
We have two rides on the docket for Thursdays. At 5:30 PM on Thursday, our Hilltown A/B ride will depart Pulaski Park in Northampton. In addition to our A/B offerings on Thursdays, at 5:30 PM, our C+ ride will leave Mill Park in Easthampton. This ride may suit your fitness and experience.
On Saturday 9 AM B and C rides have various routes around the valley and beyond. They are longer and typically have more climbing than our weekday rides. These rides will be led by various ride leaders so they will certainly take on the personality of some of our most creative and knowledgeable riders!
Please remember that if a ride needs to be cancelled due to weather or some other circumstances, it will be posted on Link My Ride. If you have signed up in advance for the ride in the app, you will receive a notification on your mobile device. We will also post a banner on the website.
I cannot wait to see everyone in our group rides!
