NCC Weekly Rides

MONDAY– C Ride

• Location: Keyes Street, Florence
• Time 10:00 AM
• Description: Riders should be able to average 12-14 mph over 30 to 40 miles, depending on the terrain. The route changes each week and riders should be self-sufficient with lights and flat kits. This is a no drop ride, within reason. Grab your road bikes and join us!

TUESDDAY – A/B Ride

• Location: Veterans’ Field, Northampton
• Time: 6:30 AM
• Description: This is a fast ride. The goal is to return to the start point before 8 AM. Please have the route on your GPS since this is a drop ride.

TUESDAY – Time Trials and Hill Climbs

• Location: Varies, check the calendar for locations each week
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Description: See the Tuesday Night TT page

TUESDAY – Gravel Ride (C Paced)

• Location: Keyes Street, Florence
• Time 5:30 PM
• Description: Gravel curious?  Join our weekly gravel ride each Tuesday evening!  This is a C-paced, no-drop ride.  Standard route is approximately 20 miles through Hatfield, Whately and Williamsburg, with 1k ft of climbing and 30% gravel.  Recommended setup: a dropbar bike with at least 35mm tires and geared for climbing.  Gravel sections are relatively smooth and easy, but be prepared for potholed, rocky and/or loose surfaces.

WEDNESDAY – A and B Ride

• Location: Pulaski Park, Northampton
• Time: 5:30 PM
• Description: We will ride up Route 9 and over to the center of Hatfield via River Rd as a combined group at a conversational pace (15-18 MPH) then stop and let the A group go. The route continues on River Road into Sunderland and then to the Montague Book Mill and back following the Connecticut River. We return on Route 47 for a rousing finish. The Book Mill run goes a little over 37 miles with a single hill in the middle. The B ride usually finishes about 18-20 mph. The A ride goes much faster, but enjoys the scenery less. All riders must be self-sufficient as they may get dropped. The Route 47 portion of the ride tends to speed up. There is no sprint race at the end (Cemetery Rd) for safety reasons. All riders are expected to be respectful to others, follow the rules of the road, and most of all, have fun.

Wednesday – C Rides

• Location: Pulaski Park, Northampton
• Time 5:30 PM
• Description: Riders should be able to average 13-18 mph over 20-30+ miles, depending on the terrain. The route changes each week and riders should be self sufficient with lights and flat kits. The C-Ride is a no drop ride, within reason. Grab your road bikes and join us!

THURSDAY – Hilltown Route

• Location: Pulaski Park, Northampton
• Time: 5:30 PM
• Description: This is a hilly 36 mile route that rolls through Florence, Leeds and Williamsburg before heading sharply uphill to Route 116 and then downhill to Conway. This ride usually consists of A and B level riders. It is typically a combined A/B ride with a reasonable, and ideally, conversational pace (16-19 MPH) up until the center of Williamsburg, where we will stop and determine if we want to break up the group.  The pace picks up on the climb out of Williamsburg, with a regroup point at Route 116 and another regroup after the Whately Road climb. This is a drop ride, meaning you should be prepared to be self-sufficient if you can’t keep up, but we generally try to wait long enough at the regroup points to try to get everyone back together.

THURSDAY – C+ Ride

• Location: Millside Park, Easthampton
• Start Time: 5:30 PM
• Description: The C+ ride is intended for those who want a faster pace than the C Ride – about 20 mph on flat sections – but can be a great middle ground between the pace of the C and B rides. We typically roll out at our own pace to Whately, then work on pace line skills. Our focus is safety and trust as we ride closer to each other to take advantage of the draft. Arrive prepared with  a cell phone and supplies to fix a flat. We meet up at two points on the ride, but you may be dropped if the wait is too long. Meet us at Mill Park at 5:30!

SATURDAY – B Ride

• Location: Pulaski Park, Northampton
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Description: This is a longer distance B-paced ride focusing on building endurance and showcasing the beautiful, remote areas of Western Mass, (17-20 MPH average due to hills). We can ride anywhere from 40 to 80 miles with plenty of opportunities to cut the ride short or go longer. Expect a conversational pace for about five miles as we roll out of town at the beginning of the ride.  A and strong C-paced riders are welcome, but will respectively either need to be patient or be prepared to ride solo if too large of a gap opens up.  So long as riders are generally matched we aim to work together and wait on selected hills to regroup.  Speaking of hills, plan to do some climbing on this ride as we often patch together a series of climbs that can total anywhere from 2000-6000 feet of climbing. Within reason, we won’t drop, but communication is essential to ensure everyone’s safety and to develop a plan to get everyone back home.  Please ride with supplies to fix a flat and minor mechanical issues, as well as a cell phone.  The route changes each week and is generally posted by Friday evening, we encourage you to load it into your bike computer/GPS or cell phone.

Saturday – C Ride

• Location: Pulaski Park, Northampton
• Time: 9:00 AM
• Description: This is a longer distance C-paced ride. We can ride anywhere from 30 to 60 miles with plenty of opportunities to cut the ride short or go longer, decided at least one rest stop. Expect a conversational and supportive pace the entire ride. This ride is no drop (within reason), but please arrive prepared with at least a cell phone and supplies to fix a flat.

If you are interested in leading a new ride, please complete this form.