Still United

We had a nice ride from Wayne to Monmouth last Sunday.  Lots of sun, moderate temperatures, little traffic, and a nice stop at the Apple Valley Bakery.  We have some cold, wet weather ahead, but things may dry out by Sunday so we will try our luck once again and meet at the Manchester Elementary School at 10:30am for a ride out to Wings Mills and vicinity.  Hope to see you then!

Sunday, November 24 - MANCHESTER

"Manchester United" -  a late Fall tour from Manchester to Wings Mills.

START:  10:30 AM, at the Manchester Elementary School parking lot on Rt. 17, near the junction of Rt. 17 & Rt. 202.  The school is on the left just after you turn off Rt. 202 onto Rt. 17 West.

DISTANCE: 12, 19 or 23 miles.

TERRAIN:  moderate, with one long hill.

HIGHLIGHTS:  We'll ride past Lakeside Orchards over back roads along some streams in and out of Wings Mills and take in some hilltop views.

LEADER:  Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com, 293-3784.

LINK to ROUTE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38931464

 

Valley of Pommes

 

We had a beautiful sunny day, if a bit windy, for our ugly sweater ride from No. Belgrade on Saturday.  With all hands to pitch in, we got a fire started at the lake and had some welcome hot cocoa and marshmallows to finish off the last scheduled ride of the season.  Many thanks to Anne for leading, and to all of her imaginatively dressed helpers.  We are now in the "post-season" where we may have some unscheduled rides to take advantage of favorable conditions, such as sunny, calm days with temperatures in the 50s - such as this coming Sunday!  For those who aren't ready to pack things up for 2024, we will meet in Wayne at the Elementary School at 11:00 am for a 22-mile ride out to Leeds and Monmouth, with a possible stop at the Apple Valley Bakery in Monmouth.  See you then!

Sunday, November 17 - WAYNE

"Apple Valley Ride" - a tour around Wayne, Leeds, and Monmouth

START: 11:00 am at the Wayne Elementary School, 48 Pond Road, Wayne

DISTANCE: 22 miles

TERRAIN: flat to rolling with a few climbs; possible gravel option

HIGHLIGHTS: a late season ride in 50-degree temps, optional stop at the Apple Valley Bakery

LEADER: Jim Merrick, hjmerrick@gmail.com

LINK TO ROUTE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49042952

For Sweater Frends

 

It was quite November-like and cold for our cemetery ride around Wayne and Fayette on Saturday. It did warm up in the sun, which we actually saw for a few minutes, and we had a nice stop at the Apple Shed Bakery even though they had already stored their outdoor seating away. Such is life this late in the year. This Saturday at 11:00am we will see our last scheduled ride of the season as we head out to North Belgrade for a short ride to Great Pond where we hope to have a campfire with refreshments! If you have an ugly or seasonal sweater, feel free to model it for everyone! If you or someone you know would prefer not to ride, we could use a volunteer to get the campfire going - let Anne or Jim know. Hope to see you Saturday!

Saturday, November 9 - NORTH BELGRADE

"Ugly Sweater Ride" - a questionably-stylish ride around North Belgrade and Oakland.

START: 11:00 am at the North Belgrade Community Center, 508 Smithfield Road, Route 8. (Not to be confused with the Belgrade Community Center on Rt. 27.)

DISTANCE: 17 miles.

TERRAIN: flat to rolling; some short gravel sections to sights along Great Pond.

HIGHLIGHTS: a possible stop at an unusual WWI memorial on Great Pond, and a post-ride get-together around a campfire at the lakeside, with refreshments! Feel free to bring something to share if you wish, as this may be our last gathering of the year.

LEADER: Anne Uecker, anuecker@gmail.com

LINK to ROUTE MAP: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44924531