Offering 6,000 feet of climbing and some of the most picturesque views in Central Massachusetts, the annual King's Tour of the Quabbin road bike ride is both challenging and beautiful.
“There's no avoiding hills in Central Massachusetts,” said Lynne Tolman of Seven Hills Wheelmen, which runs the event. “But the scenery at the Quabbin is worth the effort. We go on some pretty backroads. There's a mix of farms and waterfront. The urban part is downtown Ware.”
The century ride will be held June 4. The annual event began about 16 years ago when Dick “The King” Avery was challenged by a few friends in Seven Hills Wheelmen.
In the early years, there were about two or three dozen riders, Tolman said. By 1997, there were 122 riders. In 1998, despite torrential downpours, 16 cyclists rode the course. In 1999, there were 123 riders. Then another record was set in 2000, with 160 cyclists. The record was broken again in 2003, when 280 showed up to tackle the rolling hills around the Quabbin. Last year, 230 cyclists participated.
“It started as a dare, and it's turned into our biggest event,” Tolman said.
The event is a recreational ride, not a race, and is a great opportunity to bicycle a scenic route with little traffic.
Seven Hills Wheelmen offers three options, a double metric century, 200 kilometers or 125 miles; a century, 100 miles; and a metric century, 100 kilometers or 62 miles.
All three courses start at Naquag Elementary School on Route 122A (Main Street) in Rutland and offer plenty of ascents. The century has about 6,000 feet of climbing.
From Rutland, all the routes head uphill on Route 122 to Barre and then clockwise around the Quabbin Reservoir. The metric century splits off in Ware, with a spectacular downhill return to Hardwick via the covered bridge in the Gilbertville section of Hardwick. The metric century riders then enjoy a flat stretch of Route 32 into South Barre before the final climbs in Oakham and Rutland.
The century and double metric century riders climb from Route 9 to the lookout tower in the Quabbin Reservation at the 44-mile mark, then descend to Belchertown, where the two long routes diverge. The century riders face 20 miles of roller-coaster hills heading north on Route 202, while the double metric course heads into Amherst and loops back through Shutesbury and Wendell with some gentler grades.
The routes are basically the same as previous years, but the bike club is tweaking the courses a bit because of possible road construction on Route 122 in Oakham.
The double metric century begins at 7 a.m., the century at 8 a.m. and the metric century at 9 a.m. The ride costs $10 and is held rain or shine. There is no preregistration. Cue sheets are available, and snacks are provided.
Watermelon, as is the tradition, will be served after the event by the first one back.
To get to the Naquag Elementary School on Route 122A, take I-190 to Exit 2, follow the signs to Holden and go west on West Mountain Street/Doyle Street, left onto Shrewsbury Street, right onto Main Street/Route 122A; stay on Route 122A north into Rutland and the school is at the top of the hill on the left.
For more information, visit www.sevenhillswheelmen.org.