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A scenic cycling tour of the Berkshires in Massachusetts
 An affordable basic tour with 4 days of cycling in the southern Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts with Bike New
England.
Available by group request. Price to be determined by size
of group.
included: Guided rides, dinners, and lodging.
 Day
1:
: Arrival and "Warm Up Ride": Our rooms at the Apple Tree Inn in Lenox are
ready for us at 1 pm on Friday afternoon. At 3 pm we'll set out for a short
warm-up ride, with a moderaltely challenging climb over nearby Lenox Mountain .
A scenic overlook at the summit offers an outstanding view of Stockbridge Bowl
and Monument Mountain, landmarks we'll be riding by in the upcoming two days.
After returning to the inn, you'll be our guests for dinner at the Church Street
Cafe in
Lenox.
Day 2: The
Tyringham Valley: This great 40
mile tour of some of the remoter areas of the Berkshires takes us from the Apple
Tree Inn through Lee and Stockbridge. A steady but gradual ascent on Monument
Valley Road brings us to Monterey, one of the "hilltowns" of the Berkshires.
We enjoy a thrilling descent into the Tyringham Valley, (stopping by
Santorella, "The Gingerbread
House), then stop in old-fashioned Lee for lunch. Our return
takes us through Lenoxdale into Lenox, and we finish up with a wonderful 5 miles
on beautiful Undermountain Road. Total 40 miles. Tonight we'll enjoy true
home made Italian food at Frankie's Ristorante
Italiano in Lenox.
 Day
3:
Alford
and the Taconic Range:
Today we'll ride along Stockbridge Bowl to Stockbridge, with the option of stopping to
visit Chesterwood, home of sculptor Daniel Chester French. We
continue on a wonderful loop along the rapids of the Housatonic River until we
get to the village of Housatonic. Passing by the Guthrie Center (
in the church featured in "Alice's Restaurant") the ride takes along the
edge of the Taconic Mountains through rural Alford. After climbing the rolling
hills of Alford, you'll enjoy a thrilling downhill ride on West Center road as
we had in to West Stockbridge for lunch. We head out of town with
a 2 mile moderate climb, and the option to stop for a visit at the
Berkshire
Botanical Garden. The total loop is 35 miles, with a van
lift recommended from West Stockbridge. We'll also be
near the Norman Rockwell
Museum, a popular Berkshire attraction, which you may
wish to stop in and visit during your stay in the Berkshires. Today's ride is
35 miles. After our return to the Apple Tree Inn, a room will be available for
showers. The ride ends in the early afternoon, and we say our farewells to the weekend-only participants.
 Day
4:
Mount
Everett and New York State For the "climbers", we have a 5
mile ascent along 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 past
remarkable Bash Bish Falls. We ride a few miles on the Harlem Valley Rail Trail
and then cycle several miles through upstate New York farm country,
before crossing the Taconic Mountains again on our return to Great Barrrington .
Today's ride is about 40 miles.
Alternative ride: Egremont hills and the Sheffield
Plains This easier 30 mile relatively flat ride take us
along back roads to Sheffield, Ashley Falls , (with a visit
to Bartholomew's
Cobble ) , with a few hills around North Egremont before our return to Great
Barrington.
Day 5: Umpachenee Falls
We start out along the
flood plain of the Housatonic River valley toward the southern foothills of the
Berkshires, riding through the villages of Sheffield, Mill River, Clayton, and
Southfield. If there is time for a longer route, we
suggest stopping for sandwiches at the
Southfield General Store, and a visit to the Buggy Whip Factory Antiques, which seems more
like a museum of colonial period antiques. After a stop at Umpachenee
Falls, we ride through the hamlet of Mill River on our return along the Housatonic River to Great Barrrington, and our farewells at noon .
Today's ride is 35-45 miles.
To inquire or reserve the tour: email Gordon at Bike New England,
or by cell phone (978) 979-6598 .
Road Bike Rentals: with straight handlebars, available with our tours at $25/day, or $100 /week.
email Bike New England
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