This ride begins in the Center of Dorset on Church Street, heads south through Manchester to Arlington, and then loops West and North through the towns of Rupert, Pawlet, and Danby.

A mixture of pavement and dirt a good portion of this route can be ridden on a road bike. There are sections though, such as on Chet Clark Road, where a cross or mountain bike would be more suitable.

Food and fuel:

• Dorset: Dorset Union Store - (802) 867-4400
• Manchester: ‘The Works’ Bagel Shop - (802) 362-5082
• Arlington: Wayside Country Store on Rte 313 - (802) 375-2792
• West Rupert: Sherman’s Store - (802) 394-7820 ‎
• Pawlet: Machs General Store -(802) 325-3405

Total Distance: 64.58 miles

Download a cue sheet here” MMBC - Road Ride 6

To enlarge the map click ‘View Larger Map’ in the map below.

Local Event: Manchester, Vermont

Date: May 16th
Location: Battenkill Sports Bike Shop
Start time: 6PM
Distance: 10 Miles
Pace: 12 miles per hour
Ride Leader: Amy Verner

The 2012 annual Ride For Silence, in remembrance of cyclists who have been killed or injured while riding on public roads, will start at 6pm at the Battenkill Sports Bike shop in Manchester. The ride is 10 miles at not more than 12 mph and will be led by Amy Verner.

This international annual event originated in Dallas Texas in 2003. It celebrates those who have lost their lives while riding and offers a gesture of support to their friends and family. The ride is also a platform for the recognition of those who incorporate cycling into daily life.

This year’s hero is 6 year old Anthony Martinez. Anthony was hit and killed  by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle on Thanksgiving day, 2011, in Oxnard, California.

“Alone we are but a whisper. But, on May 16 in the early evening we will speak loudly through a silence that will resonate around the world. It’s our hope we can change our laws, courts, and the perceptions of our legal right to the roads, and motorists’ legal responsibility to share the road.”

Chris Phelan, Founder, Ride of Silence.

Ride for Silence:  Manchester, Vermont

Date: May 16th
Location: Battenkill Sports Bike Shop
Start time: 6PM
Ride Leader: Amy Verner
Distance: 10 Miles
Pace: 12 miles per hour

Ride of Silence: Website
Ride of Silence: Facebook
Ride of Silence: Twitter

This ride begins and ends at the Battenkill Sports Bike shop on route 11/30 in Manchester, Vermont.

The route heads north on 7A to East Dorset, then over to Dorset and north to Pawlet. Continuing through the Mettowee Valley through to West Pawlet it then swings around toward Rupert, Sandgate, Arlington, and then north again toward Manchester.

There is sustained dirt road climbing from Rupert to Sandgate and generally good pavement throughout. Beware of sketchier pavement along the 9 mile strip of route 153 running between West Pawlet and Rupert.

There are places to fuel in the center of Pawlet, West Pawlet, and West Rupert at the intersection of West Sandgate Rd. A favorite fueling place is the Wayside Country Store on route 313 in West Arlington.

Enjoy the journey and please ride responsibly.

• Distance: 64 miles
• Climbing: 3800 feet

Download the cue sheet here => MMBC - Road Ride 1

To view a larger map click ‘View Full Route’

This route closely tracks the road stage of the Tour of The Dragons on mostly paved road. There are two dirt sections. It starts at the Dana Thompson Recreation Park in Manchester, runs north to Pawlet, then loops south passing through Rupert, Sunderland, Arlington. The ride ends where it starts at the park in Manchester.

Please ride responsibly.

• Distance: 65 Miles
• Climbing: 4,850 feet

Download the cue sheet for this ride here: MMBC - Road Ride 4

To view a larger map click ‘View Full Route’

“We all want to promote cycling in our region. Events like this offer a positive economic boost and volunteers are essential to ensuring a safe and well-run event. If we succeed at this together the region prospers.”  Jim Marshall, Race Director, Tour of The Dragons

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Mark your calendar for May 5 and 6 the date for this year’s 2012 Tour of the Dragons stage race in Bennington, and Manchester, Vermont. To provide a safe and successful event community help is needed. Please consider volunteering as a Road Marshal donating just a few hours to fill this critically important role. You will have fun, meet great people, be inspired.

What does a Road Marshal do?

• Directs racers safely through intersections along the course.
• Works with a police officer at certain intersections to ensure racer safety.
• Maintains contact with race personnel from the race course.

To get the process rolling and register as a road marshal please go to this link.

Thank you!

Tour of the Dragons Website is here.
Tour of The Dragons Volunteer information page is here.
Volunteer Registration Here

Photo Credit: © Leyla Torres

I learned how to ride a bike in the heat and humidity of Armero, Colombia.

Armero was a town in the west central region of the country that was known for it’s cotton production. My childhood memories of Armero are wonderful.

I particularly remember being eleven years old, and, while visiting relatives on vacation, learning how to ride a bike from my cousin Alexander.

After those lessons I rode infrequently. My parents thought it was unsafe for children to ride bicycles where we lived in Bogota. Unfortunately Armero no longer exists.  On November 13, 1985, in the middle of the night, the town  and 23,000 of its residents perished in a flood of mud and melted snow following the eruption of the Nevada del Ruiz volcano.

Many years later, after moving from New York City to Arlington, Vermont, I found myself living on a lovely street in this small town, which in some ways is similar to Armero. When I eventually bought a bike from Robin and Amy at Battenkill Sports, I discovered my new home was a perfect place to ride, which I do three or four times a week from late spring to early fall.

Some days I ride for fitness. On other days I bring my camera and take lots of pictures. I particularly like the early spring, when the budding trees and other plants are so vibrant, bright and fresh. With the early warm weather this year, I’m pedaling about a bit sooner than usual.

Here I’d like to share a few pictures I’ve taken during some of my rides.

On Sunday April 15, 2012 there will be a bike swap at Battenkill Sports Bike Shop in Manchester, Vermont. This event is run as a tag sale and benefit fundraiser for the Community Food Cupboard.

Time: 9:30 – 4:00pm

SELLERS: Bring your bicycles to the shop at 9AM to be tagged and placed on the lawn.

BUYERS: Bicycles are available for sale from 9:30am – 4pm.

Bicycles are sold ‘AS IS’ with proceeds from sales going to the sellers.

Sellers and buyers are asked to make a voluntary contribution -cash or check only, to the Community Food Cupboard. Contributions from sellers and buyers will be matched with funds from the Feinstein Foundation.

Bikes being donated directly to the Community Food Cupboard and needing repair should be brought to the bike shop before 9AM.

Questions? Please call 802-362-2734

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SATURDAY APRIL 14, 2012 – SUNDAY APRIL 15, 2012

The 2012 ‘Tour of the Battenkill’ bike race is taking place in Cambridge NY. this Saturday and Sunday.

America’s largest one-day Pro/Am cycling race. Racers compete over 62 – 124 miles on a rolling terrain of dirt and paved roads through the Battenkill Valley in Southern Washington County, New York.

In 2011 the race attracted roughly 2,500 amateur and professional cyclists from the United States and other nations.

Saturday April 14th: The first field of the Pro/AM race begins in Cambridge at 8AM. Fields start every 10 minutes with the last field leaving at 2:40PM.

Sunday April 15th: The UCI Pro race starts in the middle of Cambidge at 12 noon. The total race distance is two 62 mile laps for a total of 124 miles. The field will complete the first lap at approximately 2:20 and the anticipated finish is around 4:30.

The event website is found here.

CUE SHEETS

2012 Course Map showing 2011 Route – 62 miles
2012 Course with Pro/1 & Cat 2 Loop – 80 miles
Tour of the Battenkill Professional Invitational (UCI 1.2) – 124 miles

Here’s a summer cycling event right in our backyard that might hold some interest for casual to experienced touring cyclists.

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The 6th Annual Mass BikePike Tour  is a 4 day bicycle ride through scenic western Massachusetts scheduled for August 2 – 5, 2012.

Each day’s scheduled route includes either a long (45-70 miles) or short (25-45 miles) ride, with shorter options for newer riders. Planned routes will pass through towns of western Massachusetts including Great Barrington, Williamstown, Lenox, North Adams, as well as Bennington, VT, and Chatham, NY.

The tour includes daily breakfasts and dinners, rest stops along the route, and support vehicles. Camping facilities are provided, but there are B&B’s or “Comfy Campers” available for those who might like to sleep in style.

• One of Bicycling Magazine’s “Top ten multi-day tours”
• Named to spryliving.com’s “America’s best bike rides”
• Featured in Adventure Cycling Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Hartford Courant, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, the Springfield Republican, and the Berkshire Eagle

Website: http://www.massbikepike.org
Signup: http://www.massbikepike.org/signUp.html
Ride Preview: http://www.massbikepike.org/theRide.html
Ride Planning: http://www.massbikepike.org/planning.html
FAQ’s: http://www.massbikepike.org/faqs.html
For event related questions, sponsorship information, or volunteer opportunities please contact: bruce@massbikepike.org

Now here is a statistic to be embraced and celebrated.

In the  April 2012 edition of The Battenkill Business Journal there is a report from the “Outdoor Industry Foundation” indicating that of all Vermonters participating in outdoor activities, more people ride bicycles than the combined total of those who Ski, Snowboard, or Snowshoe.

• 25% Either Ski, Snowboard, or Snowshoe
• 29% Ride a Bike

This supports the value and justification of our efforts to bring attention to the Manchester , Vermont region as a cycling destination. And by the way, I’m pretty sure we can “View Wildlife” while we’re biking. Happy Pedaling!

Photographing a sunrise from the summit of a Equinox  is something I’ve always wanted to do. Recently I was invited by of a monastery staff member to fulfill this desire and fortunately it was on one of the warm pre-spring mornings we experienced this year. Those days offered a small window for some very pleasant riding. I hope many took advantage of the opportunity and enjoyed it as much as I did. Not to worry, more warm weather is on the way!

FYI: Mark your calendar for the Gear Up For Lyme Hillclimb fundraiser on August 4th. Register here for the event and pass the word.

Photo Credit:  © John Sutton 2012