Location: Start and end in/near Lexington, MA (exact location to be shared with those who RSVP)
Ride Type: Mixed Terrain Ride
Date & Time: Saturday, September 24 at 9:00am
Distance: ~50 miles
Price: Free
RSVPs: Required, see bottom of page for RSVP form
Details
This mixed-terrain ride takes cyclists to many interesting trails with roads connecting them for a total of ~50 miles.
This is a route you’re not familiar with, we’re headed mostly east, with plenty of good dirt incorporated.
The ride departs at 9:00am with various speed groups. We have a designated RHQ Super Domestique leading the last group to depart which will be rolling at a moderate, endurance/steady, but not fast pace. If you have ridden mixed terrain before and can average 16mph on a paved road ride (if you were riding solo with road tires), you should be fine with the pace of the last group. Faster riders will be able to ride together ahead of this last group. Slower riders are more than welcome if you’re self-sufficient.
Distance
The ride is ~50 miles in length without easy options of cutting it short, so be ready for the distance.
Parking
We email everyone by 7pm the evening before the ride with logistics, details of parking, and the route.
Route
The route will be emailed to all who RSVP.
Estimated Ride Time
~4-5ish hours.
Route Notes
We discuss these with you prior to rollout. Note that a mixed terrain ride is rougher than a “gravel” ride.
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 nicer! 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!
Please RSVP only after you’ve made sure you can attend. It is inconsiderate to RSVP prior to committing to attending or just to get the route. We understand things come up last-minute. Be sure to email us if you can’t attend: connect@rideheadquarters.com.