
A
six day tour of the beautiful Berkshires
for
intermediate to advanced cyclists
The
mix of beautiful valleys, mountains and farmlands in the Berkshires
makes it one of the most popular cycling destinations in the American
Northeast. Our six day tour take us to the Berkshires' most
popular attractions , with 5 nights, 6 days based in
Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Daily Ride
options are 35-50 miles, with rolling hills and
a few good climbs, designed for upper
intermediate to advanced cyclists. Road or light
hybrid bikes are required, and all roads are paved. Our
rides are on safe
quiet country roads with very little traffic. There will be two
guides on bicycles; van support will be provided only when needed. To fully enjoy this tour, participants should be
capable of riding the short or long loop each day
Sunday June 5 - Friday June 11, 2010
Sunday Sept. 5 - Friday Sept. 10, 2010
.
Sunday
Day 1: Great Barrington. We'll be staying at the Days
Inn in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. After
checking in at 1:00 on Sunday afternoon, we'll set out on a gentle 15
mile "Get Acquainted" ride through Great Barrington and on to nearby
North Egremont. Dinner each night is at one of Great Barrington's many
restaurants. During your free time this week, you'll enjoy
walking along this charming town's tree-lined
streets. Make sure to spend one evening at the Mahaiwe Theater Performing Arts Center
Monday, Day 2
Tuesday, Day 3 :
Wednesday,
Day 4: Barthomews Cobble and Twin Lakes This easy ride
take us along back roads to Sheffield and Ashley Falls , where we'll
visit Bartholomew's Cobble
, an unusual limestone formation with plants and ferns that are
generally found several hundred miles north of this area .
We'll ride past the Colonel
John Ashley House built in 1735 and said to be the oldest complete
house in the Berkshires. We return to the inn for a
free afternoon.
Advanced cyclists version: Mount Everett , New York State, Connecticut. For the "climbers", we have a 5 mile ascent
toward the second highest mountain in Massachusetts, Mount Everett.
After reaching rural Mount Washington, you'll have a great descent to
Copake in New York State, riding near Bash Bish Falls. We continue a
few miles on the Harlem Valley
Rail Trail and cross into Connecticut, then join the above tour at
Twin Lakes. This full day 55 mile ride is for advanced cyclists.
Thursday,
Day 5: Stockbridge and the Norman Rockwell Museum
Today's ride takes us past Butternut
Ski Basin before we turn on Monument Valley Road to popular Stockbridge, MA where
you may wish to visit the Norman
Rockwell Museum. and Chesterwood,
the studio of
Friday, Day 6: Beartown State Forest We'll
set off a bit early for this 18 mile ride so that we arrive back to the
inn in time for checkout. Along the way, we'll make a brief stop
at the Berkshire Fish Hatchery in Hartsville. We head back through
Beartown State Forest with a challenging quarter mile climb and easy
descent-- what better way to finish a tour of the Berkshires? We
return to Great Barrington for our farewells.
What's Included?
Price
$995 / person. Add$350 for single occupancy.(Please
request quote from Bike New England for groups. A $100 deposit is
required to hold your reservation. Full payment is due two months
before start date. You may cancel up to 2 weeks before the start
date with full refund minus deposit. Partial refunds afterwards minus
our obligations to inns.
Lodging: 5 nights at the Days Inn in Great Barrington, MA
Meals: Continental breakfasts .We pay for our own lunches and dinners.
Rides: Rides generally start about 9 am. You will be led by Bike New England owner Gordon Harris and Berkshire guide Barbara Lampron. Maps and cue sheets are provided for each ride. Van support is provided only when necessary. Both guides generally ride out from the inn with participants, offering a short and long version each day.
Bike Rentals: Bike Rentals: Jamis Coda hybrid roadbikes with straight handlebars are available for $100 /week.
Other Activities:
Bicycle Shipping and rental: Assembly, transportation of your bikes is available for an additional charge.
Getting There: Great Barrington is at the intersection of Rts. 7 and 23 in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, approximately 150 miles from New York City and Boston.
Pickup and return to Logan Airport in Boston is available for a $100 extra charge.
Register
for this tour with no payment until your registration is
confirmed
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