DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS! SPRING AHEAD AND ARRIVE ON TIME.

APRIL 1 (Sun) - BOOKMILL BONANZA; F-R/L-M/25 miles. We'll ride to the Montague Bookmill, which has books and a little cafe where we can buy juices, pastries, sandwiches & coffee. Meet at Mill River Recreation Area off Rt. 63 in North Amherst (on right 1/4 mile north of the church at the lights.) at 1:00 PM Bring drinking water and DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR THE WEATHER!
COORDINATORS: Bob Kowaleski & Sally Peters - Cue sheet available online.
Cloudy, 38°, snow still on ground, but no precipitation and roads mostly dry. 16 riders (including 1 tandem), also met Joe & Pat out on their tandem.

APRIL 8 (Sun) - RIVER ROAD RAMBLE; F-R/L-M/24 miles. Meet at 1:00 PM at the NEW Wal-Mart's parking lot on North King St. (Rt. 5) in Northampton. We'll ride along the banks of the Mill River and the Connecticut River. There will be a couple of hills to climb, but the descents will be worth the effort. Bring Snacks and Water as the route is RURAL.
COORDINATOR: John Clifford
Rain all morning, ending just before ride start. 40°, roads nice and wet. Better luck next week.

APRIL 8 (Sun) - GRANVILLE EXPLORATION; R-H/L-M/30-40 mi. with a shorter option available. David Benton brings us a new ride using some roads that few have explored. This is a joint ride with the Yankee Pedalers. We'll start in Granville Center to reduce the elevation gain required. Meet on the west side of the Granville, MA Town Hall/Police Station located on Rt. 57 about a mile or so west of the intersection with Rt. 189 at 10:00 AM. The ride will proceed from Granville around Cobble Mt. Reservoir and north of Blanford via dirt roads; some roads that were formerly paved and are now dirt; and some paved roads. Road conditions will depend upon recent weather. Rain cancels. This ride is intended for hybrids or mountain bikes with road tires. It is not suitable for road bikes with tires of less than 32cm (larger than many road bike frames will accommodate).
COORDINATOR: David Benton

APRIL 14 (Sat) - SCENIC SUFFIELD; R/M/32, 40 or 44 miles. Enjoy a rolling, rural, road ride mainly through the back roads of town. Bring food and drink, as there are few stores along the route. Meet at 10:00 AM at Suffield Village Shopping Center on Bridge Street just east of the junction of Routes 75 and 168 in the center of Suffield, CT. This is a joint ride with the Yankee Pedalers. Be prepared for a traditionally windy day. Rain or wet roads cancels.
COORDINATORS: Steve & Suzanne Petke

APRIL 15 (Sun) - A NON-TAXING RIDE; F-R/L-M/30 Miles. This 2 State ride will include stops at the Bradley Air Museum and in Granby, CT for lunch. Meet at 10:00 AM in Southwick Mass. in the parking lot near the former Whalley Computers across the street from the Summer House on Routes 10 & 202.
COORDINATORS: Bob Kowaleski and Sally Peters
I think it was sunny and in the 50's here (at least that's how it was on Cape Cod where I was).

APRIL 22 (Sun) - UP & DOWN THE RIVER & POET'S SEAT CLIMB; R/L-M/25 miles, with a climb UP to Poet's Seat! The view will be worth the effort. Meet at 1:00 PM in the Mt. Sugarloaf parking lot in South Deerfield on Rt. 116 just across the Connecticut River from Sunderland center. Bring water & munchies for the stop at the top of Poet's Seat. This will be a Multi-Club ride.
COORDINATORS: Al Shane & Marion Gorham - Cue sheet available online.
Warm & sunny, first day in the 80's!

APRIL 29 (Sun) - DON MAYNARD'S MEMORIAL GUILFORD CONNECTION; R/L-M/45 miles. This ride is a tribute to Don Maynard who was murdered in 1994. This year we will pass the hat to accept voluntary contributions for the Franklin County Bikeway. Come join fellow cyclists who will carry on the Guilford Connection ride in Don's memory. Meet at 10:00 AM at Greenfield Community College Parking lot, which is off Colrain Road just north of the I-91/Rt. 2 interchange. From I-91, take Exit 26 - Follow signs for Rt. 2 West (Mohawk Trail). Colrain Road is the FIRST Right. We'll cycle through Guilford and Vernon VT encountering a few "good" hills and 2 miles of Vermont DIRT (which is better than some Mass. pavement). Lunch will be at the Schoolhouse Grocery in Vernon, VT.
COORDINATORS: Bob Kowaleski & Sally Peters - Cue sheet available online.
A beautiful, sunny day - in the 50's. 55 riders (including 4 tandems). There were many opportunities for pace-lining, especially with the head wind or cross wind during much of the ride.

MAY 6 (Sun) BELCHERTOWN SURPRISE; F-R/M/30-40 miles. Meet at the CVS parking lot in Belchertown at the intersection of Rt. 9 and Rt. 202 at 10:00 AM. Bring water and munchies to provide enough energy to get you to the lunch stop.
COORDINATORS: Fred & Joyce Morris
It was a beautiful, breezy but sunny day in the 50's in New York City for Bike New York, so I assume there was similar weather here.

MAY 13 (Sun) - AROUND THE RANGE; R/L-M/33 miles. Ride around the Holyoke Range with a chance to see "The Seven Sisters" from both sides. The route passes by an old water-powered gristmill and scenic Mill pond. The route has some nice roller-coaster hills on the south side of the range. Meet at 10:00 AM in the Robsham Visitor's Center parking lot on Mass. Ave. on the U. Mass. Campus. To get there follow Rt. 9 to Rt. 116 North. Follow signs for the U. Mass. exit off Rt. 116. Bear Right at the end of the exit ramp and you'll be on Mass. Ave. At the top of the hill, you will see a huge parking lot on the right.
COORDINATOR: Jack Fitz-Gibbon
The dry spell continues here in the northeast, almost a month without rain. Nice and sunny today in the 60's, but with a noticeable wind from the northwest.

MAY 20 (Sun) - PATTY'S ICE CREAM RIDE; R-H/M-B/45 miles. Ride in Southampton, Westhampton, Northampton, Williamsburg & Whately. Meet at Conant Park ½ mile South of Southampton Center off Rt. 10 at 9:00 AM.
COORDINATORS Pat & Joe Pitchko

MAY 25 to MAY 28 (Fri thru Mon) MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND BIKING & CAMPING ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD. Ride to historic Oak Bluffs, Gay Head Cliffs, Menemsha fishing village, Edgartown, and Chilmark or just be a beach bum. There is no set schedule, and people are free to do their own rides using maps readily available at the ferry landing. We will be camping in Vineyard Haven at Martha's Vineyard Family Campground that has a group site in a nice wooded area away from RV's. Their group rate is $8.00/person/night, however, they require a minimum of ten persons, and advanced reservations with a 50% advance deposit.

Some people cook all their meals at the campground while others eat out at nearby restaurants. We generally cook breakfast in camp each morning and this year we'll continue the Outback Oven bake-off. Expect gooey pastries in the morning and gloppy desserts in the evening. Every year we have a great time! .

Reservations and an advance deposit are required. Deadline for reservations and $$$ to Bob & Sally is May 6.
COORDINATORS: Sally Peters & Bob Kowaleski
Only the 10 people staying at B&Bs showed up this year. All the campers canceled because of the wet weather forecast. The weather out on the Island was a lot better than back in western Mass. Friday night it was sunny but a little breezy allowing for a nice 25-mile evening ride. Saturday was beautiful. Sunny morning it was raining, riders sat around the B&Bs until around noon when it started clearing. This left plenty of daylight for another good ride. Cloudy on Monday morning, but still able to squeeze in another short ride before catching the ferry back to the mainland. Greeted with a downpour for that final 4-mile ride back to the parking lot.

MAY 27 (Sun) - SHOW & GO RIDE - For those who didn't go to the Vineyard, meet at 10:00 AM at Mill River Recreation area on Rt. 63 in North Amherst. (A quarter mile north of the light). Participants present will decide upon route and distance.
This probably wasn't the best weekend to go riding, unless you like rain. After almost a month of unseasonably dry weather, Mother Nature has certainly been trying to make up for it in the past week. Damp and cloudy all day today, although not much rainfall.

MAY thru SEPT - SHOW & GO EVENING RIDES on Tuesday & Thursday evenings at 5:15 PM. Pace is 14-16 mph. Distance is between 20 - 28 miles until daylight diminishes. Meet at the Mill River Recreation Area off Rt. 63 in North Amherst (on right ¼ mile north of the church at the lights). Ride as a group - no stopping. Must be able to sustain the above pace or have good local knowledge of the area, as there are NO Cue sheets.

JUNE 10 (Sun) - UP TO WENDELL; R-H/M/45-50 miles. The title says it all. This ride will be joint with the Cyclonauts. Meet at 9:00 AM at the new Hadley Elementary School on Rt. 47 North of Rt. 9 in Hadley.
COORDINATOR: Walter Chudzik