Full Event Details on the Grafton County Grand Ronde

 

Saturday June 28th will be the 1st Grafton County Grand Ronde:

The ride starts & ends at 973 Quincy Road in Rumney, NH

From exit 26 of I-93 take Teney Mt. Highway/ Route 25 approx. 3 miles to Smith Bridge Road, take a right turn, cross Smith Bridge, merge left onto Quincy Road,

Follow Quincy Road past the Plymouth Airfield, the driveway & parking in the 2nd right past East Rumney Road. A signpost with a green Raleigh bicycle also marks the drive way.

Ride start time is 5:30 a.m.

The long course is 142 miles & charted at this link: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4741117

The petite course is still 99 miles and charted at this link: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4741062

The extra long (what are they insane doing loops around Landaff) course is charted here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3600512

Course Description & Equipment Recommendations:

What sort of bike is suitable for this course? The course is over 60% dirt roads & jeep track. Some of it is rough. Some of it is rocky. I recommend a minimum of 27mm tires. Personally I would not run less than 30mm tires on this route, most will be comfortable on 30-35mm. A wide clearance road bike, a cyclocross bike, a brevet bike, or a touring bike would all make suitable choices.

The course also has 5 major climbs & numerous small climbs. Total elevation gain is 12,500 feet on the long route and 8700 feet on the petite route. The steepest pitches are 13-15% grades. The longest climb is 4.5 miles and starts at mile 115 (Long Pond). A minimum of 38x27 gearing is recommended. Personally I will ride this with 34x28 as my low gear, some may want more gears.

Provisions, Supplies, & Food after the Ride:

This is a self supported ride. We will have a minimum of 4 stops at country stores on the long route. Those stores include:

The Newfound Grocery (mile 24)

The Lyme Country Store (mile 64)

The Brick Store (mile 105)

The Warren Village Market (mile 128)




Bring cash &/or a credit card to purchase provisions. Several other convenience stores are on or close to the route. The route charts note some of them above. However, be prepared to ride 2 hours or more between stores. Some of this route is on remote back country roads.

Please also bring at least two tubes, a pump, a mini tool and a phone. I highly encourage every one to ride with a partner or two. If you get stuck you are responsible for getting a ride back to Rumney.  You are responsible for you on this ride.

Back in Rumney I will have a grill, a cooler, and some of my favorite snacks. I encourage you to bring a favorite beverage to put in the cooler before the ride. I also encourage you to bring a favorite post ride food to share & a lawn chair. We will relax, eat grilled foods, and swap ride stories. There is a swimming hole nearby at Stinson Brook & a couple of local spots for ice cream.

Hope to see you Saturday for a beautiful New Hampshire dirt road adventure.

Coming next year...

Something Grand is being planned: