Location: Start and end at the Mighty Squirrel in Waltham, MA
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride with Ice Cream Sundaes served afterward
Date & Time: Sunday, July 24 at 7:00am
Distance: Two options - ~15 mile and 25 mile
Price: $10 per person*
RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form
Details
It’s hot! And riding in the shade of mixed terrain is going to be a great way to start the day. With high temps around 98 degrees, we have to start early!
This Sunday morning mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists all over Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, and beyond. The ride takes paved roads to trails, dirt roads, grassy areas, and other places off the beaten path.
The ride departs at 7:00 am with various speed groups. We have a designated RHQ Super Domestique leading the last group to depart which will be rolling at a not-fast comfortable pace. If you have ridden mixed terrain before and can average 14mph on a paved road ride, you should be fine with the pace of the last group. Faster riders will be able to ride together ahead of this last group.
Distances
We’re offering two route distance options: 15 miles or 25 miles. There is a decision point at mile 13 so you can decide if you want to complete your ride at a total of 15 miles or continue on for 25 miles.
Ice Cream Sundaes
If you want to make a deluxe sundae after the ride, we’ll have the options for you!
What will taste better than ice cream sundaes with tasty toppings at the end of the ride? Probably nothing on earth. We’re serving up ice cream sundaes once you complete either version of this ride. Enjoy them with us! Please let us know if you have any preferences or food allergies in your RSVP so we are certain to accommodate all diets.
Parking
We email everyone by 7pm the evening before the ride with logistics, details and the route. Parking is free and ample.
Route
The weather and trail conditions dictate the route. We do not ride on soft trails ever; we have rain trail-friendly routes prepared and lots of plan Bs. The route will be emailed to all who RSVP.
Estimated Ride Time
~2.5-4 hours. This route is full of trails so the average will be slower than a usual gravel ride.
Route Notes
We discuss these with you prior to rollout. Note that a mixed terrain ride is a little rougher than a “gravel” ride. You’ll be riding over some roots and rocks, though very little in this ride can be considered technical in nature.
Last-Minute Information
We will email all participants with any critical late-breaking news.
Contact Information
Email - connect@rideheadquaters.com with questions about this ride anytime 1 hour or more prior to the start of the ride.
CALL us if you need us to know anything just before the ride start or during the ride at 413-461-7433
Don’t txt if you need an immediate response, all txt msgs go to our email that we aren’t checking if we’re in front of people at the ride or on our bikes.
Riding Rules, What to Bring, How Our Rides are Different
All riders are required to read and are expected to abide by These Rules.
Waiver
Ride Headquarters requires a signed waiver before your first ride. Please fill it out online prior to your first ride.
Proper bike & Equipment
35mm knobby tires minimum. Wider tires are nice, too. Tire choice depends on your riding skill set. We expect to see gravel bikes, mountain bikes, and fat bikes at this ride, the majority of bikes will likely be gravel bikes.
Clipless pedals and shoes. These are important elements of bike control. If you are an experienced cyclist who has used platform pedals and sticky shoes extensively, this is acceptable. Note that mountain-style pedals/cleats are significantly better than road-style. We strongly discourage road pedals/cleats on a mixed terrain ride. You can possibly get away with road pedals/cleats on a gravel (dirt road) ride, but not a mixed terrain ride.
A bike that’s in safe working order that is properly lubed and tuned. We’ll ask you to call for a ride or take an Uber home if you have a mechanical situation that will hinder the forward progress of the group by more than a few minutes.
High enough tire pressure to prevent pinch flatting and burping your tires. We recommend about 80% of maximum rated tire pressure. Sometimes this is much too high, ask us if you’re not sure where to set your tire pressure. We like you to have more than enough air for these reasons:
We want to minimize flats on the ride; waiting for someone to change flats is not why we ride. We typically see zero flats on our ride. One of the primary reasons for this is due to higher than average tire pressure.
You can easily take it out, much harder to add it in.
Be sure you have supplies necessary for all common mechanicals including extra derailleur hangers, a multi-tool, tubes, CO2 or hand pump, etc. You are responsible for you and your bike.
RSVP to Participate in this Ride Now!
We always want our rides to be inclusive for all. If the $10 fee would keep you from joining in, please email us for a discount code, we’ll provide it and not ask questions.
Please RSVP before 6pm Saturday in order to have your dietary preferences accommodated. If you RSVP after 6pm Saturday but before 10pm Saturday night, you’ll receive the route and detailed ride email.
Your registration is non-refundable. We invest a lot in running each ride and processing a refund costs us more than this very small fee. The ride fee offsets the cost of running this ride some. We appreciate your understanding.