Great River Ride 2013

October 13, 2013

Join us Sunday October 13, 2013 for the 26th annual ultimate century ride. The Great River Ride has been rated as "one of the best century rides in the USA" by Bicycling Magazine and the League of American Bicyclists. "Gorgeous but gruelling" is Bicycling's description for what we believe is the most challenging century in New England. This is a must do event for any cyclist. Done it before? Come again, each year or two the route changes slightly offering new vistas and new challenges. Can't wait til October? Visit our Berkshire Brevet page for a series of Spring events.

Your entry allows the staff of New Horizons to pursue their bicycle advocacy efforts throughout the Pioneer Valley. New Horizons works with the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, MassBike, the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, City Goverments, and other organizations to improve cycling in the region. Accomplishments include:

• Share The Road Signs on Westfield streets
• Bike racks on PVTA Southern Tier routes
• Organizer of the Berkshire Brevet Randonneur Series
• Encouraged the city of Westfield to approve a $700,000 bond to complete Columbia Greenway design
• Assisted in the development and co-promoter of the 1^st 4 years of D2R2
• Encouraged the adoption of a resolution in support of Active Transportation by the city of Westfield
• Spearheaded the successful effort to prevent the sale of future Rail Trail Right of Way to a private developer in 2006, insuring the future of the Columbia Greenway.
• Introduced a zoning amendment (currently in Legislative & Ordinance Committee) to require bicycle parking in future commercial developments
• Founder and first chairperson of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail
• Founder of Westfield's original youth BMX racing program at the Westfield Fairgrounds.

New Horizons and the Great River Ride support the efforts to complete the Westfield's Rail Trail the Columbia Greenway and a  portion of your entry fee on all routes will benefit the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.

Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail exists to ensure that the Columbia Greenway project is realized. Specifically, Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail (FOCGRT) will advocate for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the future Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.

Choose between four rides; 111 miles, 85 miles, 62 miles, or 35 miles. Your entry fee includes a commemorative water bottle (First 400 Entrants), ride refreshments, a post-ride social with entertainment, and a chicken and pasta buffet. Riders registered before Sept. 22th can order a t-shirt.

You will encounter knee-popping hills, breathtaking views, awesome descents, and gorgeous fall foliage as you tour the hilltowns of the Eastern Berkshires. Add in miles of stone walls, waterfalls, plenty of New England white churches, loads of colonial homes, historic keystone arches, a wild and scenic river, and did I mention hills. But thats not all, we've got rest stops staffed with friendly cyclists and good food, including our famous "Baked Potato" stop, and a feast at the end, with a veggie lasagne to die for, loads of chicken and salad, and an awesome desert. Sometimes we're not sure whether riders come for the ride or just for the food.

The Westfield River, the Great River in the river ride, is a Federally designated Wild and Scenic River. The GRR wanders the course of this scenic river to give you a unique cycling experience. For 2012 we're using most of the original route, thanks to Mass Highways repaving projects. The Century will actually total 111 miles with bailout options and we've got the original 25 mile downhill run (mostly) to the finish. Click to view scenes along the GRR.