The number 100 looms large this time of year. New England cyclists
have more choices than ever for biking a "century," 100 miles in a day, or a
"metric century," 100 kilometers (62 miles).
The calendar is long, so
introductory remarks must be brief. The main thing is not to be daunted by the
distance. These rides are not races, so pace yourself and enjoy the scenery, the
food and the camaraderie.
A few of the centuries are fund-raisers,
but for most you don't have to collect pledges. In some cases the entry fee
includes goodies such as a T-shirt, water bottle or post-ride feast.
Most centuries start at 7:30 or 8 a.m., with later starts for shorter options.
If a mailing address is listed, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for an
entry form.
Aug. 8 -- MOUNT GREYLOCK CENTURY, Berkshire Cycling Association, 50 or 100 miles, Allendale Shopping Center, Routes 8 and 9, Pittsfield, Mass.; $15 before Aug. 1; $17 day of ride; mail check to Joe Bazzano, 29 Harding St., Pittsfield, MA 01201. Contact: Joe Bazzano, (413) 442-4626, bcn.net/~jskulpin/century.html .
Aug. 14 -- APPLE COUNTRY CENTURY, 25, 50 100 or 100+ miles (add Middlebury and Brandon Gaps), Churchill House Inn, Route 73, Brandon, Vt.; $20, $25 day of event. Contact: Churchill House Inn, http://www.inntoinn.com/, rciatt@sover.net , (802) 247-3300.
Aug. 15 -- MORRIS FARM COUNTRYSIDE RIDE, Casco Bay Bicycle Club, 18, 50 or 100 miles, Morris Farm, Route 27, Wiscasset, Maine; $15; children under 12, $10. Contact: Mark Wheeler, (207) 443-5712.
Aug. 21 -- STEEPLE CHASE BIKE TOUR, 20, 50 or 100 miles, Windham Mills, 320 Main St., Willimantic, Conn.; $20 to register, $25 after Aug. 14, plus $50 suggested fund-raising minimum for Windham Area Interfaith Ministry and Perception Programs Inc., PO Box 407, Willimantic, CT 06226. Contact: (860) 450-7122.
Aug. 28 -- DAN MICHAUD CENTURY, Merrymeeting Wheelers, 50 or 100 miles, Gazebo, Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine; $20 to register, $50 fund-raising minimum for Maine Cancer Research and Education Fund. Contact: Bob Bruce, (207) 882-7206.
Aug. 28 -- MAD RIVER VALLEY CENTURY, 50 or 100 miles, Mad River Cyclery, Routes 100 & 17, Waitsfield, Vt.; $30, $35 after Aug. 14. Contact: Hyde Away Inn, hydeaway@madriver.com, RR1 Box 65, Waitsfield, VT 05673, (800) 777-HYDE or (802) 496-2322.
Aug. 28 -- BLAZING SADDLES CENTURY, North Shore Cyclists, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Georgetown High School, Winter Street, Georgetown, Mass.; $14 before Aug. 22; $15 day of ride. Contact: Tony Salerno, litespd1@aol.com, 978-352-2524.
Sept. 11 -- NASHOBA VALLEY PEDALERS FALL CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Metrowest YMCA Wayland Community Pool, Route 126, Wayland, Mass.; members, $10, $12 after Sept. 4; nonmembers, $12, $15 after Sept. 4. Contact: Amy Crawley, aac@thecia.net, (978) 897-5592.
Sept. 11 -- QUIET CORNER CYCLING CLASSIC, 12, 26, 50 or 100 miles, Davis Park, Route 12, Killingly, Conn.; $20, benefits Camp Quinebaug for special needs children. Contact: Peter Deary, sunnyside.farms@snet.net, (860) 564-3238.
Sept. 12 -- THE FLATTEST CENTURY IN THE EAST, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Tiverton High School, North Brayton Road, Tiverton, R.I.; $20 Narragansett Bay Wheelmen members, $25 nonmembers, postmarked by Aug. 23; mail check to NBW TFCE, PO Box 428, Tiverton, RI 02878. Contact: (401) 435-4012, http://www.nbwclub.org/ .
Sept. 12 -- CONNECTICUT VALLEY CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Hadley Village Barn Shops, Route 9 and Bay Road, Hadley, Mass.; $5 Franklin-Hampshire Freewheelers members, $10 nonmembers. Sally Peters, sallybikes@aol.com, (413) 527-4877.
Sept. 12 -- SOUHEGAN RIVER TOUR, 25, 50, 62 or 100 miles, Hart Barn Ski Touring Center, Lowell Road, Carlisle, Mass.; $8 Charles River Wheelmen members, $10 nonmembers; day of ride, $12 members, $14 nonmembers. Contact: Ken Hablow, khablow@khgraphics.com mailto:khablow@khgraphics.com , (781) 647-0233, http://www.crw.org/ .
Sept. 18 -- WHITE MOUNTAIN CENTURY, Casco Bay Bicycle Club, 100 miles, Covered Bridge parking lot, Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), Conway, N.H.; $15, $17 after Sept. 12. Contact: Rachel Farrington, (207) 865-3950.
Sept. 18 -- OCEANSIDE BIKE FEST, 50, 75 or 100 kilometers, Duxbury Middle School, 131 St. George St., Duxbury, Mass.; $25 to register, $75 fund-raising minimum for National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Contact: (508) 291-2169 or Field Glover, Field.Glover@mam.nmss.org , (800) 639-3501, http://www.msbiketours.org/ .
Sept. 18 -- NORTHEAST KINGDOM LAKES CENTURY in memory of Terry and Ben Classen, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Crystal Lake State Park, Route 16, Barton, Vt.; $25, $30 after Sept. 10, benefits Orleans County Citizen Advocacy. Contact: Joan Alexander, (802) 525-6212.
Sept. 19 -- TWO FERRY METRIC CENTURY, 100 kilometers, Cycling Concepts, 825 Cromwell Ave., Rocky Hill, Conn.; $15. Contact: Cheryl Parker, mparker62@aol.com, (860) 563-6667, cyclingconcepts.com .
Sept. 19 -- DON McCULLOCH MEMORIAL RIDE, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Route 28, Falmouth, Mass.; $22 members, $25 nonmembers by Sept. 7. Contact: Mad About Cycling, mac@cape.com, 13 Bell Rd., Bourne, MA 02532, (888) 235-2300 or (508) 759-3723.
Sept. 19 -- MAINE FREEWHEELERS CENTURY, 62 or 100 miles, Train Station Building, Front Street, Bangor, Maine; $10. Contact: Harrison Clark, mhc3bgr@aol.com, (207) 942-7974.
Sept. 25 -- INTERNATIONAL FALL CENTURY, Stowe Bike Club, 62 or 100 miles, Johnson State College, Route 15, Johnson, Vt.; $25. Contact: Bill Cannon, janetbill@aol.com, (802) 253-4368.
Sept. 25 -- FRYEBURG FROLIC CENTURY, Casco Bay Bicycle Club, 100 miles, Westbrook High School, Spring Street, Westbrook, Maine; $15, $17 after Sept. 18. Contact: Maggie Guthrie, (207) 772-3860.
Sept. 25 & 26 -- TRI-STATE SEACOAST CENTURY, 25, 50, 62, 75 or 100 miles, Hampton Beach State Park, Route 1A, Hampton Beach, N.H.; $15. Contact: Peter DeSantis, 4R Walton Circle, Londonderry, NH 03053, (603) 432-7540, peter.desantis@gte.net, or Granite State Wheelmen, geocities.com/Colosseum/loge/9605 .
Sept. 26 -- MAJOR TAYLOR CENTURY, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Sovittaja Finnish Society (Finn Park), Finn Park Road, Rutland, Mass.; $10; post-ride cookout to benefit Major Taylor statue fund, $15. Contact: Kyle Haggerty, khaggert@aol.com, (508) 248-0982, or Seven Hills Wheelmen, members.aol.com/shwworc/.
Oct. 2 -- ENERGY & ELEGANCE IN THE BERKSHIRES, 50 or 100 miles (including Mount Greylock), Butternut Basin Ski Resort, Great Barrington, Mass.; $40 to register, $100 fund-raising minimum for National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Contact: Nancy Dlugoenski, nancy.dlugoenski@mam.nmss.org, (413) 659-0036, http://www.msbiketours.org/ .
Oct. 3 -- VERNON TO VERNON, 80 or 100 miles from Vernon, Vt., to Vernon, Conn.; bus to start from Cycle Center, Route 30 Post Road Plaza, Vernon, Conn., leaves at 6:30 a.m. with bicycle loading on Oct. 2; $50 by Sept. 17. Contact: Susanne Robinson, srobinson2@massmutual.com, (860) 987-6726.
Oct. 3 -- SPECIAL BIKE RIDE, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Wachusett Village Inn and Conference Center, Village Inn Road, Westminster, Mass.; $25 by Sept. 24 or $50 in pledges for Special Olympics. Contact: Chris Wells, cwells@lavigneinc.com, (978) 827-3264, http://www.leadershipdynamicsinc.com/.
Oct. 3 -- TEC CENTURY, 25, 40. 62 or 100 miles, Groton Cyclery, 1360 Route 184, Groton, Conn.; $6-12. Contact: Pequot Cyclists, PequotCyclists@ctol.net, (860) 376-2717, www.ctol.net/~knrf.
Oct. 3 -- COVERED BRIDGE CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Swanzey Town Hall, Route 32, West Swanzey, N.H.; $10, $15 after Sept. 25. Contact: Penny and Rich Rogers, rcrogers@top.monad.net, 454 Homestead Ave., West Swanzey, NH 03469, (603) 352-6085.
Oct. 3 -- CADILLAC MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE, Maine Freewheelers, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Acadia National Park Visitors Center, Mount Desert Island, Maine; free. Contact: Tony and Anne Mourkas, mourkas@telplusnet, 171 Patterson Road, Hampden, ME 04444, (207) 862-5990.
Oct. 10 -- GREAT RIVER RIDE, Northeast Sport Cyclists, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Park Square, Westfield, Mass.; $25. Contact: New Horizons, (413) 562-5237.
Oct. 10 -- ROUNDQUABBIN, 100 kilometers around Quabbin Reservoir. Watch for
details in The Ride magazine, http://www.ridezine.com/.
~~~
TIP OF THE HELMET -- To 40-year-old Ed Kross of Framingham for completing
the grueling Race Across America. Kross
biked across the finish line in Savannah, Ga., last Sunday afternoon, placing
ninth out of 13 solo finishers. It took him 10 days, 2 hours to cover the 2,938
miles from Irvine, Calif.
Danny Chew, 36, of Pittsburgh, Pa., won the
race in 8 days, 7.5 hours. Chew, who also won it in 1996, finished just one hour
ahead of 1997 winner Wolfgang Fasching, 31, from Austria.