Ride Catalog (under construction)
ASHLAND BIKE CLUB CATALOG OF RIDES
The Upper Charles River Trail ride is designed to nest a quiet, easy, bike trail ride for the less experienced bikers into a 25 mile scenic backroads tour for our more experienced riders.
Total distance: 23.9 miles.
Total elevation gain: 1358 feet.
Avg gain per mile: 57 feet.
Maximum grade: 6.4 %.
(Dover center via South Natick)
(Natick Farmer's Market)
One of the very best rides on our ride calendar, this route takes us through the northern section of Sherborn, into South Natick, and through Audubon’s Broadmoor Sanctuary. We ride onto Dover's Claybrook Rd, then on to Dover Center. On our way back to Ashland, we pass by the Farm Pond area of Sherborn .
Total distance: 24.1 miles.
Total elevation gain: 1364 feet.
Avg gain per mile: 57 feet.
Maximum grade: 5.9 %.
This long ride is a bit shorter than usual and quite a bit flatter. We’ll travel past the Sunshine Dairy and along Dug Pond in Natick before rolling onto the Natick Common. After a brief stop, we’ll travel along Everett Street in Natick, down Route 27, and down Maple Street in Sherborn before returning to the Farmers Market in downtown Ashland.
Total distance: 20.1 miles; Total elevation gain: 974 feet; Avg gain per mile: 48 feet; Maximum grade: 6.0%.
The short ride stays with the long ride for 5.6 miles, then runs to the end of Coolidge Street. After a short run down Route 27, it turns onto Hunting Lane, and continues onto Brush Hill Road. A quick spin south on Western Avenue, heads it back to the Ashland Farmers Market.
The short ride’s statistics are: Total distance: 15.5 miles; Total elevation gain: 831 feet; Avg gain per mile: 54 feet; Maximum grade: 6.7%.
Starting from the Ashland Farmers market (Ashland Center) this route climbs the hills into Hopkinton State Park. The longer ride will travel through the park and out the main entrance en route to Uhlman’s Ice Cream in Westborough, east on Route 30 through Southborough and then crossing Route 9. We’ll wrap up with a climb up Breakneck Hill, then down Oregon Road before returning to the Farmers Market in downtown Ashland.
Total distance: 27.1 miles; Total elevation gain: 1625 feet; Avg gain per mile: 60 feet; Maximum grade: 6.5%.
The shorter ride will stay with the long group for 11.7 miles before doing a full counter-clockwise loop through the park. The short ride will exit the park where it entered and return to the Farmers Market in downtown Ashland.
Total distance: 16.8 miles; Total elevation gain: 1053 feet; Avg gain per mile: 63 feet; Maximum grade: 6.5%.
If you’re a fan of bike paths with great ocean scenery, no hills and no cars to contend with, this ride’s for you! This might well be the best bike path in New England. The drive to Providence will take just over an hour. There’s free parking right at the trailhead as long as you arrive early enough.
At the southern end of the path, there are all sorts of great places to eat in Bristol, RI. The club usually gets take-out and eats on the boardwalk. On the way back, we often take a spin through Colt State Park. Don't miss this one!
The path is roughly 14 miles each way.
This ride includes a few spectacularly scenic roads on our way to Bellingham. The beautiful vistas on Fisher Street are among the best in our ride catalog. On the way back north, the ride incorporates a run on a section of the Upper Charles Trail and, of course, a stop at the Out Post Farm for lunch. The lunch stop is less than a mile from Holliston High School for those who prefer not to stop.
Total distance: 23.1 miles; Total elevation gain: 990 feet; Avg gain per mile: 43 feet; Maximum grade: 6.4%.
The Blackstone River Bikeway is ideal for casual and beginner cyclists. The paved path is level most of the way. Our round trip bike ride will total just about 19 miles. Food is scarce along the bikeway so we’ll probably travel about a mile on the roads to access a nearby restaurant. There’s a great ice cream shop available on the drive home.
If you want to program a GPS, use the following address to get to the parking area: 149 Davison Ave, Woonsocket, RI.
The ride will take us on a tour of Hudson, Bolton and Stow before returning to Sudbury. There is no lunch stop during the ride but there is an opportunity for an après-ride outdoor lunch at the historic Wayside Inn which is just about a half-mile up the road from the Grist Mill.
The ride offers unparalled scenery and shouldn't be missed especially during foliage season. This is an interesting ride where the first and last third of the ride are fairly flat … the middle, not so much.
Total distance: 24.7 miles; Total elevation gain: 1188 feet; Avg gain per mile: 48 feet; Maximum grade: 6.1%.
The ride begins by traveling though Sherborn on our way to club-favorite Farm Pond. Spend some time at the water's edge feasting on homemade goodies and other snacks club members often bring along. Next, the ride travels to South Natick for lunch at or near the Natick Dam. After lunch, the ride winds its way home past the barns and horse farms along Brush Hill Rd.
Total distance: 22.0 miles; Total elevation gain: 1283 feet; Avg gain per mile: 58 feet; Maximum grade: 7.4%.
This route explores some of the most scenic areas of Sherborn including a rest stop at the spectacular Farm Pond. The ride offers a couple of optional food stops at the Sherborn Sandwich Company (try the "Visions of Katherine" sandwich) and at C&L Frosty. This is a much shorter route than usual but those hills will give you plenty of exercise.
Total distance: 17.9 miles; Total elevation gain: 1093 feet; Avg gain per mile: 61 feet; Maximum grade: 6.3%.
Starting at the scenic and historic Grist Mill in Sudbury, this is a beautiful route that takes us through the rolling back roads of Sudbury and Concord with a lunch stop either in Concord Center or at Verrill Farm on the way back. While there are certainly a number of tough hills on this route, overall it’s one of the flattest routes we offer.
If everyone is feeling really ambitious, the club sometimes adds a run up to Kimball Farm in Carlisle for their world-class ice cream. The add-on adds roughly 12 miles to the ride.
Total distance: 23.3 miles; Total elevation gain: 879 feet; Avg gain per mile: 38 feet; Maximum grade: 6.5%.
Since its inception in February, 2013, the Ashland Bike Club has participated in a very unique event called the Magical Mystery Tour. What is it? Where is it? You'll have to ride with us to find out. We also provide driving directions to the event for those who want to skip the bike ride and come by car.
This is a truly great event for kids and for adults striving to become kids. Food is available at the event for those who are interested. The event is free; the food is not.
The bike ride will be one of the many variations of our Upper Charles Trail rides which will incorporate the Milford Bike Path and perhaps a little of the Holliston section. Because the route may be slightly altered on ride day, the statistics below are approximate.
Total distance: 23.7 miles; Total elevation gain: 1015 feet; Avg gain per mile: 43 feet; Maximum grade: 5.9%.