 |
November 2006
Bicycling & more in Central Massachusetts &
beyond |
|
|
ACTIVITIES
As always, call the leader if the weather or snow
conditions are questionable, or if you have other
questions. Ride category
explanation.NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
Sunday, November 12, is the deadline for the December
newsletter. If you can lead a bike ride, hike, or other
activity in December, submit the details by midnight
November 12 to Lynne Tolman, LTolman@LTolman.org,
508-831-0301. We already have a hike planned for Dec. 10,
followed by our holiday party.
|
MOUNTAIN BIKERS, BEWARE
Autumn means hunting season, and the presence of hunters in
the woods means hikers and mountain bikers need to use extra
caution. Most hunting seasons in Massachusetts run between mid-October
and mid-December. While hunting accidents are rare (statistics
show that hunting is safer than many sports, including cycling),
cyclists can enhance their safety by wearing a hunter's orange
vest. These are available in the sporting goods departments of
most department stores. Avoid white or brown clothing (you don't
want to look like a deer). Hunting is not allowed on Sundays in
Massachusetts.
In 2006, archery season for deer is Oct. 16-25, and shotgun
season for deer is Nov. 27-Dec. 9. A complete list of
Massachusetts hunting season dates is at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwpdf/dfw_hunting_dates.pdf
Recurring Rides
Easy Monday Evening Rides,
Wednesday Outdoor Workouts
Mountain biking, year-round
An informal group of Seven Hills members goes mountain biking
year-round, usually one day per weekend and sometimes weekday
evenings too. Night rides require headlights. Many winter rides
are in Rutland State Park. Studded tires (either store-bought or
homemade) are recommended for winter. We don't plan far ahead,
and we keep people posted by e-mail. To get in the loop, contact
Leslie Choquette at LeslieChoquette@msn.com
or Bill Dobson at binaryengineering@charter.net
.
Winter Spinning Class
Want to maintain your current level of fitness over the winter?
Climb stronger? Develop a relentless cadence? We are trying to
set up a Spinning class exclusively for Seven Hills Wheelmen
members at Gold's Gym, 40 Millbrook St., Worcester. We need at
least 10 people to make this happen. Cost will be approximately $50
for 10 once-a-week classes, January through March, time and day
to be determined. Contact 7HW member Mike Foley at michael01612@hotmail.com
or 508-792-0329 if you are interested.
Sunday, November 5
Activity: Fixed-gear road ride, C+, 24 miles
Location: Paxton Center School, Route 31, Paxton
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Leader: Mike Foley, michael01612@hotmail.com
, 508-792-0329
Fixed-gear fever! We'll go down Route 122 to the Coldbrook
rest stop and back. This is relatively flat -- not as flat as a
piece of plywood in Kansas, but as flat as it gets in Central
Mass., perfect for a high-cadence fixed-gear spin. Sorry, no
derailleurs, no shifting, no coasting, and no freewheels; fixed-gear
only. On this ride, if the bike moves, your legs need to be going
around, whether you want them to or not. E-mail the leader to be
contacted regarding any change in plans because of weather.
Saturday, November 11
Activity: Road ride, C, 24 miles
Location: Dudley District Court, Route 197 & Lyons Road,
Dudley
Time: 10:00
Leader: David Liberty, djl2150@msn.com
, 508-943-2725
A scenic ride into Connecticut's "Quiet Corner." The
scenery includes West Thompson Dam and the quaint center of
Woodstock. No go if it's raining. This was one of our most
popular rides in the spring.
Sunday, November 12
Activity: Hike, approximately 2 hours
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Brooks Woodland Preserve (Swift River/Connor's Pond
tracts),
Quaker Drive, Petersham
Leaders: Lynne Tolman, 508-831-0301, LTolman@LTolman.org , and
Rick Krasnick, richard_krasnick@yahoo.com
Meet in the parking lot on Quaker Drive off Route 122 south of
Petersham. It's marked "Entrance" by #65 near the
bottom of this map: www.thetrustees.org/documents.cfm?documentID=138
More about this beautiful property of The Trustees of
Reservations: www.thetrustees.org/pages/284_brooks_woodland_preserve.cfm
Sunday, November 19
Activity: Mountain bike ride, intermediate
Location: Leominster State Forest
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Leader: Bill Dobson, binaryengineering@charter.net,
508-885-2004
Meet at the playground parking lot, Route 140 and Leominster
Road, East Princeton, to drive or carpool to a starting point to
be determined. Register by e-mail with the leader to be kept
advised of changes because of weather.
Saturday, November 25
Activity: Ride to the Race, C+, distance to be determined
Location: Paxton Center School, Route 31, Paxton
Time: to be determined
Leader: Mike Foley, michael01612@hotmail.com
, 508-792-0329
We'll take a scenic route to Sterling to watch the Baystate
Cyclocross races. Our route includes three miles along the
Quinapoxet River on the Mass Central Rail Trail, which is paved
with stone dust (doable with road tires). This ride is one-way
ride, no return ticket. Once we're there, you can watch the
racing as long as you want, ride back with an ad-hoc group, meet
your spouse for a ride back in the family van, call a cab, or get
up your nerve and enter the race. E-mail the leader to be
contacted regarding any change in plans because of weather. For
more information about the cyclocross race, visit www.necyclocross.com or
contact Tom Stevens, spinarts@sbcglobal.net
Top of page
This page created and maintained by .
©Copyright 2000 by Seven Hills Wheelmen, Worcester, MA.
Last Modified on: October 22, 2006
