Dutchess Fall Foliage Ride (featuring fresh routes) - SATURDAY

Join us for a spectacular fall foliage ride on the dirt roads of Dutchess County. We’ll be riding fresh routes to keep things interesting! The trees should have nice fall color, which will be an extra treat. We will have the usual three pace groups (short, medium, long) and expect all groups to end at around the same time. All routes end at Kelly’s Creamery & Food Truck, so everyone can celebrate together at the end of the ride.

*** STRAVA IS NOW REMOVING EXTERNAL LINKS ***

YOU CAN FIND ALL OF THE ROUTE LINKS AND GOOGLE MAPS LINKS ON THE GrNY Website: "grny dot org" (you'll have to assemble the link yourself!)

Train riders: Our apologies, but driving will be required. The earliest trains arrive very late in the morning, run on a 2-hour schedule, and take almost 2.5 hours of travel time from Grand Central.

Drivers: If you want to kindly offer a ride, please write a note in the comment section (e.g., “I’ll be leaving from ___ and have room for one rider”). The “event discussion” messages are only visible on the website, not the app, but people will be notified by email of new posts if they are RSVPed for the ride.

DETAILS:
-Start Time: 8:45am *wheels rolling*, so plan to arrive early.

-Start Location: Dover Plains Train Station. Use the parking lot on Market Street. Do NOT use the parking lot on Railroad street. Google maps link:

-Refueling: See routes for details. Either gas station convenience stores (short/medium) or grocery store (long). Bring plenty of calories and water! In particular, the Medium group won’t be stopping to refuel until mile 38.

-End of Ride Gathering: Kelly’s Creamery & Kelly’s Husband’s Food Truck for food and drinks. Google maps link: See "grny dot org"

Routes: See "grny dot org"
Long (64 mi, >5300 ft):
Medium (54 mi, >4200 ft) :
Short (42.8 mi, >3400 ft):

Notes:
- All routes will overlap for the first 20 to 28 miles. This should make it easy to drop back if you choose the wrong pace group.
- Again, bring plenty of food and water, particularly for the medium route!

QUESTIONS? You can email Steve at: track dot smart at gmail dot com (you'll have to put the pieces together).

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DISCLAIMER: This is totally informal. You ride at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety. You are expected to be self-sufficient. We cannot guarantee the condition or safety of roads and trails. Nor can we control the behavior of other riders. This is not a supported event. We expect everyone to be an experienced cyclist who can repair a flat, carry appropriate food and hydration, and navigate independently if they lose the group.
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PACE GROUPS
- Long (60-65+ miles, faster speed, and killer climbs): Led by Steve. 17+ mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo rides); 19-20mph (NYCC standards); >14MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

- Medium (45-55 miles, moderate speed, skips some of the deadliest climbs): Kathy will lead these rides, which will still be challenging, but travel at a slower speed. Pace expectation: 14 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes);l 16-17 mph (NYCC standards); ~12 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

- Short (40-45 miles, no-drop): Ralph will typically lead these rides. This group will stop more often to rest, take photos, and enjoy the scenery, riding at a friendly, no-drop pace. Pace expectation: 12-13 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes); 14-15 mph (NYCC standards); 10 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

“Strava speed” = actual recorded average speed for long, solo paved rides on relatively flat terrain (i.e., not group rides with drafting).

EXAMPLE RIDES FOR EACH PACE GROUP
It is difficult to describe pace for rides that include dirt, pavement, and substantial climbing. You can compare these examples to your own gravel rides over similar distances and elevation gains. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ELEVATION GAIN. THESE WILL BE HILLY RIDES.

Long: 63 miles, 6300 ft climbing, >14 MPH
– Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023394582

Medium: 47 miles, 4500 ft climbing, ~12 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023193918

Short: 45 miles, 3600 ft climbing, ~10.5 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9197009980

[These examples are from last year’s SGS rides]

RIDE ORGANIZATION
We will have at least one place to buy food and drink on each ride, but we are only doing grab-and-go during the ride itself (e.g., Gatorade + portable snacks). Each group will have a few “wait for everyone” stops. That said, the Long and Medium groups will not wait for riders who are considerably behind the pace. The Short group will be no-drop — with some limits. If you are walking the hills and suffering, even at the slower ride pace, please take a shortcut back to the start and tell the rest of the group to travel without you. We can all hangout after the ride.

THREE REQUESTS
1) Choose a ride group based on your riding speed, not distance. We want the groups to finish around the same time, so we can all hang out post-ride. We understand you can go the longer distance, but it will be more fun if people ride together (rather than get dropped) and then hangout for food and drink after the ride.

2) Ride safely! Please read our ride guidelines: Key points:
– Control your speed when traveling downhill. Racing downhill is how many serious injuries happen. If you’d like to ride hard, save it for the climbs! Then wait at the top.
– Being predictable to other riders and cars will keep everyone safer. Never pass a rider on the right. If you want to pass, call out, and then pass on their left (like a car).
– You need some form of off-line navigation and should have a backup navigation plan. Why? Many areas won’t have cell coverage. And phone batteries can die during long rides. Examples of offline navigation: Dedicated bike computer (Garmin, Wahoo, etc); Phone with paid subscription to Ride with GPS or Strava and remembering to download to route for offline usage before the ride; Paper map + cue sheets.

3) Don't blow up your pace group
- If one or two riders are traveling much faster than the group leader, others will chase them. Then everybody will get strung out riding alone.
- If you are faster than the group average, wait at the top of hills and after major road crossings.
- If there are big speed differences within a group, the group will subdivide at the first catch-up stop. This way everybody will have somebody to ride with.

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• Cyclo Saurus (Steve)
  Organizer
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