This year’s Berkshire tour returns to the Maple Terrace Motel in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Rides are 35-45 miles with terrain varying from the flat Ashuwilticook Rail Trail to the challenging climb over Mount Greylock. This affordable tour is for members of North Shore Cyclists who are experienced cyclists.

Price: $230 for 2 nights lodging double occupancy ($320 single occupancy)

What’s Included? We stay at the Maple Terrace Motel in Williamstown Massachusetts, near the North Adams town lne.

Meals: Light continental breakfast is provided by the motel so we usually cross the street to a breakfast place. The price includes one group dinner at Hobsons Choice in Williamstown.

Rides: Our Friday ride is scheduled for 1 pm. Saturday and Sunday rides start about 9:00 am. Printed maps and cue sheets are provided for each ride. Gordon will lead a ride of his choice late Friday afternoon and a full ride Saturday and Sunday. There is no van support or arrowing for this tour. Expect steep climbs.

Signup: Please email tour leader Gordon Harris

Read full description and view routes

Please email NSC ride coordinator Jimmy White and club webmaster Gordon Harris the ride you’d like to lead this year. Dates are assigned on a first come first served basis.

For ideas, take a look at the 2011 calendar, and also the NSC Cue Sheet Inventory which has several rides we didn’t host last year. Click on the map image  to go to our interactive Google map of club rides.

Reply to this thread to share thoughts about your favorite and not so favorite rides as well as ideas about new rides you’d be interested in helping create.

Your Club’s leadership met in preparation of the Annual Meeting this Friday in Topsfield. Here are some items from today’s meeting:

1. DONATIONS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Annually, North Shore Cyclists provides support to cycling related organizations. The Board is supporting contributions again this year to the following organizations:

• Emmaus

• Diabetes Ride

• Mass Bike Coalition

• Topsfield Rail Trail

2. NOMINATIONS FOR 2012 BOARD OFFICERS

 • President: Jeff Cox

 • Vice President: Paula Bossone

• Treasurer: Jeff Ontell

• Clerk: open

• Secretery: Ellen Wack

Additional nominations for officers will be accepted from the floor at the meeting.

See you Friday 11/4 at 6:30 in Topsfield at Goulds Barn! –

 Jeffrey M. Cox

Jeffreys Neck, Ipswich:  Glacial drumlin separated from the rest of Ipswich by the marsh.   Incredible views of the Ipswich River, Plum Island and the Atlantic reward your efforts as you climb Little Neck Road and then descend from Great Neck on Northridge Road.

Argilla Road, Ipswich:  An easy ride to Crane Beach on Argilla Road and a challenging climb to Crane Castle offer extensive views of the salt marsh on the way to the popular beach.

Rowley-Newbury:   One of our club’s most popular rides.    From Rowley, Rt. 1A offers good pavement and a generous shoulder all the way to Newburyport, with most of the traffic disappearing when Rt. 133 turns west in Rowley.  You’ll soon enter Newbury where the road bisects the marsh for two miles.  After crossing the Parker River bridge turn left at the Lower Green on Newman Road for a short climb past Old Town Hill and a quick descent into the heart of the marsh.

Plum Island:   Continuing on Hay and Green Streets to the Newbury Upper Green, cross Rt. 1A to the Merrimack River and turn right on the bike lane for a splendid view as you take the bridge to Plum Island.  A right on Sunset Lane takes you straight into the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, well worth the $2 entry charge for cyclists.  The Hellcat observation area at the end of the four-mile paved road is a good place to observe ducks, grebes, geese, loons, herons and sandpipers, especially during fall migration.

When you cross the Parker River again, the tide will have flooded or drained the marsh as it does twice a day . The easy ascent through the woods to Rowley offers a glowing pallet of vibrant autumn colors, complimenting the golden hue of the salt marsh cord grass and the vibrant red of glasswort, best seen in the Great Salt Marsh in the fall and on a bicycle.

You can also use these Garmins as a general GPS unit if you are a passenger in a car– they’re too small for a driver to focus on.  Instead of audible instructions they beep before and at the turns with visible instructions in large letters.  When following a GPX route from a mapping site, turn off the auto navigate feature so when you go off-route the unit does not re-navigate .  These Garmins also have a “back to start” and “go home” feature , handy if you’re through riding and not sure about the best way back.

Prices are coming down, but still be prepared to spend several hundred dollars.  I’ve posted more information about the Garmin Edge 605 and705 on my site at bikenewengland.com/gps and bikenewengland.com/edge   –Gordon Harris

Proposed Ipswich trail route

In addition to serving as webmaster for North Shore Cyclists,  I also recently created a website for the Ipswich Center to Crane Beach Recreational Trail.  The proposed path  would utilize sidewalks from the commuter rail station in Ipswich MA to the town’s new Riverwalk, and then envisions a 4′ stone dust path along the Argilla Road right-of-way to Crane Beach, a total of 4.7 miles.  The planned path is supported by many residents of Argilla Road, which has a relatively small paved shoulder for cyclists.  The primary purpose of the trail is for walkers, runners and family cycling.  There is of course the usual NIMBY reaction from some of the other residents of the road, but 2/3 of responders to a recent informal poll in the Ipswich Chronicle supported creation of the trail in some form.  The trail is supported by several town agencies, the Ipswich Board of Selectmen, and many regional environmental organizations.

Go to http://ipswichtocranebeachtrail.org

Yes, Hurricane Irene is heading our way. Although some may think it is a good idea to cycling during this weather, I would tend to say it is NOT a good idea. The winds are expected to be at least 80 miles an hour and if you are not prepared to handle this accidents can occur. IF though you do get this crazy sensation to do this I have gathered some helpful tips on how to handle the wind and natures forces.

1) You need to get yourself into the most aerodynamic position you can, lower your head, bring your elbows in, shift back on the saddle and stay small.

2) Use a different gear. Use a slightly bigger gear as this will allow you be to smoother, a small gear and high cadence is not as efficient when it is windy.

3) If you can find someone as crazy as you, ride with them. This allows you to sit behind the other rider(s) and hide from the wind. This is called ‘drafting’.

4) Go with the wind, not against it

5) Don’t fight to keep a set speed.Maintain 18 mph into a 10-mph headwind you need about twice the effort as when riding 18 on a calm day.

6) Don’t wear a loose fitting jacket. This will only slow you down and act as a parachute.

7)Watch for cross winds. Fight the tendency by keeping your elbows loose and upper body relaxed.

8) Keep a good mental attitude

9) If riding in the rain: Dress to Stay Dry. Cover your shoes with neoprene booties to insulate them and use wind-resistant gloves

10) Keep an eye out for Rainbow Patches and Puddles. This causes the road surface to essentially become a giant oil slick.

11) Watch the Corners. Shift as much of your weight on the outside pedal as possible. Use body English to keep the bike more upright when cornering. Lean your body more than the bike

12) Light It Up. Let everyone know you are there. Ride with a bright LED lamp on the seat post and handlebar.

I hope you have found these tips helpful and best of luck!

I want to extend a thank you so all of our volunteers who helped make the day possible as well as our sponsors that provided goodies in our goody bags, and last, but not least Ed Clausen for photographing everyone riding. This year Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI, and New Balance provided coupons for everyone and we thank them for their support. We also had a massage therapist available, and from the feedback it was amazing. Rossana Paganelli donated her time so if anyone is in need of another massage please contact her at 978-729-5955.

Watch for the SeeMeBiking photographer on the NSC Blazing Saddles century ride.  Be sure to note your Group number as you ride by the photographer so you can easily find you photograph in the photo galley on www.SeeMeBiking.com.  Group numbers will be displayed on a large red LED sign.

Here is a link to a page on the website that shows what the group numbering looks like for the riders. This is something new that was not done at last years Blazing Saddles. http://www.seemebiking.com/Groups.htm.

If you did the ride last year you probably saw the photographer and the photos available on-line for purchase. If this is the first time riding the century check out the photos from last year so see what will be available.