[CRASH!]

I've been planning to do some riding in Western Mass and I'm looking for some advice.

Yesterday, driving (unfortunately not riding) back from the long weekend in the Adirondacks, I discovered that bit of Rt 2 that stradles the MA/MY border! That's gotta go into my ride plan.

I'm thinking too about Notch Road over Mt. Greylock. Any opinions on this? How's the pavement? Are those turns worth it, or do you just have to pick your way around too much?

Rockwell Rd and Goodell Rds look good on the map. Any comments?

Then, should I string together some roads south of Mt. Greylock, head over to NY or up to VT?

I'm happy to discover myself, but it's 2 hours from my house just to get to the area so I'd appreciate some local help in order to get the most of my excursions.

 

[Tarik]

Don, I don't know anything about the roads you mentioned, but just this weekend I rode from Northampton to Lee and found a few excellent roads to ride. Route 66/112/20/8 are all newly paved, very well kept and they're a blast to ride (fast, winding and beautiful).
I think 112 heads up in to VT and the views are beautiful.
I live out this way, and if anyone ever wants to hook up for a ride on any of these back roads, I'm game.
Just my unrelated $0.02, but it is W/MA
T.

 

[CRASH!]

Those roads all look nice and squiggley on Mapquest. Rt 9 up in that area looks good too. Any opinions?

 

[Keith]

I've done a number of rides through this area and have a few suggestions.

Probably the best route for sportbike style turns is Route 116 between Deerfield and Ashfield. It

 

[CRASH!]

Yo hulk!

Thank for the tips. I don't have a map out so I can't put your recommendations in context at the moment.

T33, Rachel and I did a ride out there last summer (afterr this thread started). It was a great day. Looking forward to putting it on my agenda again this summer.

Where abouts do you live? Maybe you can do some leading for us ;D

T is in Northampton so he's almost local. I'm north of Boston and Rachel is im Cambridge. But Rach and I like early morning starts so we're happy to be in the AO around 8AM, before the beerdrinkers and hellraisers get up! Not that we're agin' beer drinking and hell raising, but everything in it's place

 

[Keith]

T33, Rachel and I did a ride out there last summer (afterr this thread started). It was a great day. Looking forward to putting it on my agenda again this summer.

Where abouts do you live? Maybe you can do some leading for us

T is in Northampton so he's almost local. I'm north of Boston and Rachel is im Cambridge. But Rach and I like early morning starts so we're happy to be in the AO around 8AM, before the beerdrinkers and hellraisers get up! Not that we're agin' beer drinking and hell raising, but everything in it's place

I live in Greenfield but work in Northampton so I've probably crossed paths with T.

A ride would be a lot of fun! I'd be happy to lead. There are also some excellent roads around the Quabbin area that would be a little closer for you guys too.

If you get a chance, check out the new issue of Roadrunner on the newstand. There are some great routes there.

It would be fun to ride you folks. You don't sound like squids. ;D

 

[CRASH!]

Excellent 8)

Now we just gotta wait for the melt.....

 

[Tarik]

If you like getting up at 5am to ride, Don is your man [smiley=laugh.gif] You guys will have fun. [smiley=laugh.gif]

 

[CRASH!]

ALRIGHT! Another sport who doesn't whine about gettin' up!

Rachel and Todne are both enthusiastic about my "crack of dawn" rides. Seems it's the guys who're always moanin' in the morning.

Besides the fact that I've got a family and I'd like to get a long ride in and return while there's still a good part of the day left, there's good reason even for single peeps to do the early bird thing...

there is NO traffic first thing Sunday morning. What could be better? Do some SERIOUS road carving and have a second breakfast about 11:30. Cruise home gently when the masses start clogging the roads.

My best day in terms of mileage was solo; everyone else bailed on me. I rolled out shortly after 6, blasted out Rt 2, around the hairpin, up to VT 100, back through Keene, NH and I'm not really sure where else, stopping for buscuits and gravy at a VT diner, a cup of coffee at McDs in Greenfield, a chat with a guy on a Bimota SB8R at the hairpin, a couple gas stops and back home about 1:30. 362 mi on the odo. With all those stops, I still AVERAGED nearly 50 mph, mostly on 2-lane roads. You can't leave your house at 9 or 10 and do that!

 

[Keith]

That's a great route you took. A lot of twisties, but a nice share of straight, wide roads. There are a lot of beautiful rides like that around Keene. Rte. 63, 10, 12, etc.

 

[CRASH!]

Yeah, I know a few back roads up around Keend 'cause we have friends who live up near Allstead. They're NH hippies and wouldn't appreciate a bunch of flatlanders on Ducatis ripping up their neighborhood, but we won't stop in to say hi... They'll never know ;D

I've gotta stop in on a friend in Stratton; rumor is he dropped out of the rat race and bought the general store up there. It'd be fun to rumble up with a bunch of hooligans and invade his store!

 

[NICK]

i just went to stratton last weekend and saw a few roads that would be worth the trip. even with the US open the roads were not crowded. i would be interested in any spring rides when it gets a little warmer. im in central mass.

 

[CRASH!]

Cool.

We'll have to put something together. Meet in Greenfield and rip from there! If we're lucky, we'll bump into each otherr on Rt. 2.

 

[NICK]

sounds like a plan, all except for the snow tomorrow part! i thought we were done!

 

[fastbike]

I'd like to get in on this if you don't mind another rider. I live a few miles north of Don and don't mind getting up early to ride. I lived in Greenfield about 25 years ago and haven't been back much. I do make a yearly overnight pilgrimage up Rt 100 in Vt.

Cool.

We'll have to put something together. Meet in Greenfield and rip from there! If we're lucky, we'll bump into each otherr on Rt. 2.

 

[CRASH!]

I'd like to get in on this if you don't mind another rider. I live a few miles north of Don and don't mind getting up early to ride. I lived in Greenfield about 25 years ago and haven't been back much. I do make a yearly overnight pilgrimage up Rt 100 in Vt.

It's a little early (read cold) for specifics, but what's worked for us in the past is to meet on Littleton Common for rides out West. This works for city slickers and those of us up north. Even Tim has met us from RI for some of these rides. Last western Mass ride, we then picked up westerners in Greenfield. Stringing together too many meeting points tends to add a lot of overhead to the ride.

Vermont and western NH rides started at Littleton too since we generally blast Rt2 or cruise 119 to get west.

For White Mountain rides, we've met at the first NH rest stop on I-93.

Other options are always open. These are just some arrangements that have worked out ok over the past couple years.

 

[fastbike]

I hear that (the cold part). Littleton Common works fine (Don't I ride through Littleton Common to get to MotoMarket in Acton, i.e. the Great Road exit?)

It's a little early (read cold) for specifics, but what's worked for us in the past is to meet on Littleton Common for rides out West. Vermont and western NH rides started at Littleton too since we generally blast Rt2 or cruise 119 to get west.

 

[CRASH!]

Yep. That's the exit.

I have looked for a coffee shop in the vicinity... unsucessfully.
So coffee at the gas station and wait on the benches in the Common. Best I could do.

It's really an excellent meet for heading West. Good coffee would make it perfect ;D

 

[fastbike]

Well then, I'm ready for better weather and the word.
Hoping the weather cooperates soon. I've got a track day in two weeks and would like a few more miles on the bike (300 right now). Could change Weds/Thur.

Yep. That's the exit.

I have looked for a coffee shop in the vicinity... unsucessfully.
So coffee at the gas station and wait on the benches in the Common. Best I could do.

It's really an excellent meet for heading West. Good coffee would make it perfect ;D

 

[CRASH!]

Larry,

you doing the April 21st BCM V&V track day?

I thought long and hard about that one, but I was worried the weather might not cooperate that early in the year. I booked Monster Track Day in August.

Good luck piling some more miles on the bike. It'd be good to get the 600 mi checkup in before opening her up on the track!