A Memorial Weekend - Part II

May 26, 2024

On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend we parked at the Long Trail Brewery in Bridgewater, Vermont to do a little gravel riding. 

2023 D2R2 Pre-Game Ride

I was the first to arrive from the Team Karl's Sausage Kitchen at D2R2 and met up with Zac at the registration tent and invited him to camp with us.  Will arrived after I set up camp and the three of us set off on our annual Pre-Game ride.

Borscht Belt Metric Century

Gavin and I drove to The Great Pumpkin Cabin in Smallwood, NY early Sunday morning for 60+ mile ride in the Catskills.  We got off to a delayed start due to Gavin getting snow stuck in his cleats and he couldn't get clipped in. By the time we started rolling my fingers were freezing and I was trying to warm them up as were riding.

Photo Cred: Gavin Arneth

The night before I finally replaced my Continental Grand Prix 4000sII tires with new ones. While we rode out from Gavin's cabin I noticed a hop in the front wheel.  I stopped to check it out and found that the bead had come unseated. I had to use a CO2 cartridge to re-inflate the tube and this time it held.

 

When we got to While Sulphur Springs we turned onto Dahlia road and started climbing but at 15 miles in we came to a hill that we weren't expecting and stopped for a snack . It's a Class 3 hill with a max grade of 12%. Gavin led the way up most of the hill but had to stop 3/4s of the way up so I went up ahead of him.

It was a tough climb but you felt great when you got to the top

Then we had a really nice downhill descent along the Little Beaver Kill. We came out onto Old Route 17 and our route took us to Livingston Manor where we stopped for hot chocolate a the Brandenburg Bakery.

From there we rode parallel to Highway 17 and then came back to Old Route 17.  We stayed on this until we got to Roscoe and then eventually stopped at the Roscoe Brewing Company for lunch.

Gavin went for the Brown Ale while I went for the lowest alcohol beer, the Wheat Beer. It didn't have that German style wheat flavor, rather more of an American style flavor - it sucked.

Lunch, however, was awesome. We both had the 3 Chili Cheese and Bacon Grilled Cheese sandwich. 

Back on the bikes we decided to call an audible and take the fastest way back to the cabin which turned out to be almost the same distance if we had stayed on the original course. The big difference was missing the big climbs, going from the Beaver Kill river valley to the Willowemoc river valley and then climb out from there and eventually make our way to Liberty. From there we followed Rt 55 back to Smallwood.

I am glad I didn't wash my bike after last weekend's ride because today the bike just got dirtier.

True to Brew: Fuzzy Baby Ducks Gravel Grinder

Two years ago I went on a True to Brew ride with the True Cyclery crew but I am not sure what happened last year, somehow I missed all their rides.  I got the invite from Karl and I said I am not missing this one!

Karl, owner of the True Cyclery and True to Brew Ride Leader explains the ride:
"Gonna ride some trails and dirt roads and then stop at a brewery"

Dreux, Jack and Braxston were down with that

So were Nancy, Matt and Kristen.

We left the shop and headed to East Rocks Park.  Making a sharp turn we started climbing a trail that just went up and up.  Taylor (pictured below) just hammered up it like it was nothing.

And of courser, there was more climbing

After East Rocks, we took a round about way to West Rocks.  Along the way, we climbed up Woodin Street, which at it's steepest point, after the Parkway, is 12%!  Then it was down into West Rocks State Park.  This time, we took the trail west of Lake Wintergreen and climb up was pretty brutal.

Time for a break in West Rocks and a little decision making about the best way to get to the Shadowlands.

We decided to ride the trail with the most obstacles

It was almost impossible to go underneath this tree

But we made it in varying ways.

Unbelievably, there were no flats on this ride

However, there was one mechanical and it was major.

Nancy hit a stick that tore her rear derailleur hanger clean off! Karl was able to rig her bike as a singlespeed.

Then we were off to the Shadowlands

The Shadowlands is essentially the backside of West Rocks State Park which is a trail system made up of mostly all old Woods Roads.  Very cyclocross friendly trails.

From here we rode north and then looped back and south on Downs Road. Another hidden gem, closed to all traffic but perfect for this kind of ride.  We then worked our way south hitting Sperry Road, which is another dirt road also closed to traffic.  Then we hit a few trails in Woodbridge.

One of the trail followed some powerlines for a bit and then we veered off onto a dirt road that had its share of mud bogs.  I walked the first one but blasted through the second one which was pretty deep.  My waterproof boots had no problem and but other riders weren't so lucky.

Regrouping after the mud bogs we left this fun place and headed towards the Racebrook Tract.

Nancy was hammering every hill on her new singlespeed and there were many buckets in her accomplishments!

With the sun out, jackets were shed.  Racebrook Tract was really good.  From here it was mostly downhill to the New England Brewing Company, the Beer Stop.

Finally we got to the brewery and there was a cyclist discount on pours.

I had a pint of Fuzzy Baby Ducks and Spin Cycle.  I ended up filling my growler with 32 oz of Spin Cycle and rode back to the shop with it in my seat pack.

Veraciously Oof

A staple in my weekly rides with the Newtown Lunartics has been riding to the Ovens of France bakery in Woodbury usually before work starting at 5:30 am from Cover Two in Sandy Hook.  With the onset of winter, the colder morning temperatures has forced many us to riding trainers in the morning instead of the roads. This has pushed us to start waiting for Saturdays and leaving later in the morning when it has warmed up a little bit.

With temperatures in the upper 30s, Mike and I climbed up to the top of Spruce Brook Mountain and visited with the cows.  They aren't at all shy.  I see these cows in pictures from other cyclists on the interwebs.  They are famous!

I call this cow Porche because his/her tag is 911

These little Dogies were all bunched up checking us out

We got to Ovens of France, what we now call OOF, in record time and or course I had the Ham and Cheese Croissant which is simply delicious.  Since I hadn't had breakfast yet it was even more tasty. The French Roast was equally savory. As always, I purchased two almond croissants for my wife and daughter and tucked it into my jersey pouch.

Riding back to Newtown we took the I-84 Rochambeau Bridge bike path to by pass riding back through Sandy Hook Center.  At the bottom of the path, at root has grown underneath the asphalt and pushed it up forming a little jump.  I bunny hopped over this but Mike wasn't so lucky.

After Mike replaced his tube we rode through a few neighborhoods to get over to Toddy Hill Road and then made our way into Monroe.  The flat tire set us back a bit and we had to call an audible to make up some time so we rode down Jockey Hollow to Pepper Street.  Rather than ride down Rt 25 we were initially going to take the Rail Trail to Purdy Hill but then I remembered Old Newtown Road.  

The brew master was really cool and let us bring our bikes inside.  Mike and I both ordered flytes. He went with the best IPAs and got the Freddy Stout, Dopplebock, Aint No Sunshine Dark IPA and the Problem Child IPA.  They were all great but I decided to fill my half growler with the Dopplebock.

The ride back was colder due to the head wind from the north but the beer made me impervious to the cold. 

 Just to be safe from any leakage I seal my growler with electrical tape

Roubaix to Brew: Big Elm Brewery Gravel Grinder

Today's ride was inspired by the True to Brew ride and the Captain Lawrence Singlespeed Century that I took part in last month.  The idea behind a Roubaix to Brew ride is to find a route less traveled with a brewery destination.  To help in the planning, I have created the second edition of my Gravel Road map called Roubaix to Brew.  This ride and those that follow are essentially a gravel grinder with a beer stop, however, the real accomplishment is to carry some sort substantive take away from the brewery, like a 4 or 6 pack of cans, a bomber or growler to the end of the ride.

Today's ride started in Copake Falls, which has a pretty good parking area for the Harlem Valley Rail Trail and the Depot Deli is right there in case you need something to eat or drink.  We started out with five riders: Jeff, Andy, Ralph, Paul and myself and we headed down to the end of the Rail Trail and then up this farm road which went through an orchard that I originally had on my gravel map but have taken it off because there are gates indicating private property.  

The first climb of the ride was Sunset Rock Road, a gravel road has an average 12% grade and a nasty switch back with a grade of 20%.  Once on top of the mountain we worked our way over to East Street and then headed down through the Catamount Pass.

Looking north from here you just make out East Mountain State Forest

That is the back side of the Butternut Ski Area

Which is wear I learned to ski and in Mt Washington, MA, is the home of Camp Hi-Rock, where I went when I was a kid.

On the way down Jeff got a flat



It must have happened when we were bombing down West Street.

When I originally planned this ride it was going the other direction but with the change it meant we had to kill an hour before the brewery opened so we headed down to Connecticut and followed the route between Washining and Washinee lakes.

Between the Lakes Road cuts through the middle of Twin Lakes



Lake Washinne was smooth as glass

From Between the Lakes we bombed down through Wildcat Hollow and then turned north on Housatonic River Road.  In the past, I have always ridden this south but this time we were riding the dirt road north.  Then we went down Rt 44 that turned onto Twin Lakes Road.  We followed that to Weatogue Road which continues into Massachusetts and becomes dirt.  Then we took Rannapo to Bull Hill (dirt) to Silver Street and straight to the brewery!

Brewery opened at noon and we got there at 11:50. We parted company with Jeff and Ralph who had other afternoon obligations so that just Paul, Andy and myself.

I ordered, from left to right:

413 Farmhouse Ale

God Save the Queen ESB

Gerry Dog Stout

Transformer IPL

Not much in the way of food except pretzels.  They did break out cheese, pretzels, chocolate and pepperoni for patrons to snack on.  I filled my half growler with the 413 Farmhouse Ale.

Paul and Andy

Myself and Paul

I brought electrical tape and sealed the growler shut because who knows what was going to happen on the remainder of the dirt roads that we had yet to ride.

Upon leaving the brewery we followed the original route back down to Connecticut and between the lakes again. 

View of Bear Mountain from Barnum Road

Ironically I hit a PR on the Between the Lakes segment, carrying 32 oz of beer.

Private driveway and the old Central New England Right of Way



Rt 44 was recently paved and it was:

Black Butter!



After a pit stop at the Sweet William Baker it was onwards and upwards to Mt Riga



With the setting sun the lower part was kind of chilly but once back in the sun it was really nice!





For the first time we encountered a gate blocking the road about a half mile from the state line.