Planning a Quabbin Reservoir, MA Ride

[ionbeam]

The weather forecast looks like this:

We would hate to waste a nice day so we are planning to take a ride around the Quabbin Reservoir.

We are looking for any good route suggestions or must ride roads. Company or guides welcome

 

[Willie]

The weather forecast looks like this:

We would hate to waste a nice day so we are planning to take a ride around the Quabbin Reservoir.

We are looking for any good route suggestions or must do roads. Company or guides welcome

where are you coming from ...i could suggest a route but gotta know where you starting from and how long you want the ride to be..

Hmmm this might be a day late and a dollar short, but we shall see

Willie

 

[ionbeam]

...where are you coming from ...i could suggest a route but gotta know where you starting from and how long you want the ride to be..

In the upper right corner of the map, Derry, NH (close enough to Sandown). Day ride, will probably aim to be in the Quabbin area ~10:00 depending on the routes we choose, could be earlier for longer routes. The day is not selected yet but probably will be Sat.

 

[Willie]

The weather forecast looks like this:

We would hate to waste a nice day so we are planning to take a ride around the Quabbin Reservoir.

We are looking for any good route suggestions or must ride roads. Company or guides welcome

I looked at your profile and saw the NH location

A suggestion CLICK which ends at the Peterboro Diner, which is a pretty good place to eat

There is a section of that Route which is 32 through Royalston MA, which had the distinction of many to be the worst road in New England. I think the residents of the road purposely dynamited the road so no one would travel on it. It supposedly has been repaved this year and in really nice shape.

If you ask over at the New England Riders forum, you will get a ton of suggestion. We are probably the single most authority on New England roads. Click here for NER

Added after the fact

When you get to the forum, simply click sign on as guest and it will take you to the forum. To ask you will have to sign up with Delphi...its free

End AfterTheFact

Willie

 

[allrider]

I used to live in Northampton. I remember riding from Northampton to NH on backroads that were just great but CRS has set in. Wish i was there to join you.

Have a great ride.

 

[Harvey]

Alan,

When are you going?

 

[ionbeam]

Right now the only thing set in stone is that we are going. I'm guessing that we will do the ride on Sat but we are flexible. I'm going to see if any other suggestions show up to add to the route.

We have already pretty much done the ride that Willie has suggested (thanks!) and I'm checking into NER. I do periodically swing by newenglandriders.org and check out the routes.

 

[Willie]

Right now the only thing set in stone is that we are going. I'm guessing that we will do the ride on Sat but we are flexible. I'm going to see if any other suggestions show up to add to the route.
We have already pretty much done the ride that Willie has suggested (thanks!) and I'm checking into NER. I do periodically swing by newenglandriders.org and check out the routes.

If you want a neat place to go Head out to Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams. Lots of nice roads out that way too. Heres a preview Click Here. Take in Greylock while you are there.

Moonlight Diner is ok not as good as the Peterboro.

Willie

 

[Fred W]

Alan,

Just last Sunday, the ever faithful pillion and I poked around in western Mass (yeah we just didn't get enough in on Sat!) and we turned up a couple of really nice sections in northwest Mass. From Northfied (a really quaint town) took Warwick Rd (to Warwick of course) and then continued on Athol Rd (yes, that goes to Athol). Then Rte 32 North to Royalston, which has indeed been repaved for the most part. Lots of good options to the east toward Winchendon, or north to Richmond and Swanzey NH from there.

Like so

You could probably run this in reverse and then loop around the reservoir to the south.

As far as roads right around the big reservoir, rte 202 going down the west side, from Rt 2 as far as Belchertown has some wicked nice, high speed sweepers and has all been recently paved. Easy to keep up a good pace, though the scenery is mostly trees. Still, can't beat it with a big stick.

We'll be busy on Saturday at our daughter's PA white coat ceremony, a particularly momentous occasion signifying the end of the financial drain on her parents. But if the ride gets pushed out to Sunday we may be in.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Alan,

Be very wary for deer and turkey if on 202 or anywhere near the Quabbin. Lot's of 'em. 116 heading west from Amherst out to Adams then Rt2 heading east From North Adams to Shelburne falls is a really nice loop, though further west than perhaps your original intention...

Here's a nice short little loop I like to do around my neck of the woods... clicky It's short, but relaxing and you could ride up to the top of Mt Wachussett.

Dont know too much else in the way of useful knowledge for specifically near the Quabbin.

Wish I could catch up with you somewhere along the way, but the wife's birthday, then gotta go to work, so will have to wait and catch up in a couple weeks! Enjoy the ride!

Hmm, clicky no worky... :angry:

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

deleted- still no worky. :huh:

 

[ionbeam]

Ride is set for Sunday.

Here's a nice short little loop I like to do around my neck of the woods

Thanks for the thought CJ, when the link works or when we next see you we can work on the loop. We went turkey hunting today and nearly brought a couple home with us so we don't need anymore this weekend.

We went for a ride up the coast today which killed our planning time for a Sat ride so that means it will be Sunday for sure. If anyone is free they are welcome to ride along or meet us down the road.

 

[Fred W]

Here's CJ's route linky:

Click-a-mundo

Not sure why it wasn't working for you CJ, but the version I got via the email post notification worked fine for me. It looks like a nice little route (emphasis on little). I'm sure we can cover a bit more ground than that, even us New Hampshire Candy Butts.

The magnificent Josie and I will gladly join a Ride to the Res on Sunday.

 

[Pepperell]

I think the summit road at wachusett may still be under consruction; might want to call ahead on that.

 

[ZOOOMM]

Alan,

Iris and I would like to hook up with you guys for awhile. We will be coming across route 2 and it's approx. 125 miles to get to the beginning of CJ's loop. Let us know your South bound route and maybe we could catch you on the way down. I'm guessing it will take us about 2 1/2 hours to get to the beginning of CJ's loop. On our return trip, we plan to take a route North, to get us up to route 9 and then go West to route 7 in Vermont and home. It will be nice to see Fred and Josie again as well.

 

[DE OPPRESSO LIBER]

Here's CJ's route linky:
Click-a-mundo

Not sure why it wasn't working for you CJ, but the version I got via the email post notification worked fine for me. It looks like a nice little route (emphasis on little). I'm sure we can cover a bit more ground than that, even us New Hampshire Candy Butts.

The magnificent Josie and I will gladly join a Ride to the Res on Sunday.

Wow, Fred, how the heck did you get that?! Email post notification :blink: ? Where was I? What was I drinkin'? Flashbacks from the strawberries at EOM- oh, wait a minute, I didn't get one.. :angry2: Wow, this technology **** is Ka-razy!! :lol:

Yep, just a little route.... nice after dinner ride! There's some nicer little roads to leading from Townsend area into southern NH towards Jaffrey that are real nice as well...

Wow, a Sunday card might just be in the works for me! Any idea Alan where I might best pick up on the group? Zooomm, when might you be passing by the greater metropolitan Fitchburg area? Perhaps we could link up? Would you be coming from the east on 2 or west? 7,8,and 9 are all nice routes heading into VT.

Ok, most important thing.... what about food stops/lunch?????!!!!!!!!!

 

[ZOOOMM]

Zooomm, when might you be passing by the greater metropolitan Fitchburg area? Perhaps we could link up? Would you be coming from the east on 2 or west? 7,8,and 9 are all nice routes heading into VT.

DOL,

We will be heading East on Rt. 2 from the Albany, NY area. Time and place to meet up with Alan/Fred is still unknown.

 

[road runner]

Jim

I wanna come out and play too. Can I meet you two somewhere also ?

Art

 

[ionbeam]

This is pretty close to the route that I'm looking at --> LINK. We will stop in Peterborough and assess time of day and ambition for the balance of the ride home. For Fred and I, this route will be ~250 miles and roughly 10-11 hrs depending on stops. Right now it looks like we would be heading out from Sandown at 7:00.

Let me know where you would like to hook up on the ride and we will set our timing.