I have given the next dates for these events when I know them; otherwise, I indicate the most recent date. The town where they start and end is indicated in parentheses. Rides are listed chronologically; note that some rides move between the last week of one month and the first week of the next, depending on when the weekend falls.
Most websites provide route maps or cue sheets for the rides, so they can provide useful suggestions for routes to follow even if you don’t want to participate in the organized event.
If you know of a ride that I have not listed, please let me know!
2014-09-08: Updated to include the Pedal Poker Run on Oct. 12.
March (and through September)
Berkshire Brevets series (Westfield): A series of rides from 100 to 600 km, sanctioned by Randonneurs USA and, in some cases, by the Audax Club Parisien. The traditional 100 km Populaire is held St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with the Super Randonneur series from early April through June. Details are posted on the New Horizons Bikes website.
May
Katelynn’s Ride (Amherst), Sunday, May 31, 2015. A charity ride for several children’s cancer organizations. Rides of 10, 25, 50, and 100 miles.
June
Steph’s Wild Ride (Northampton), Saturday, June 7, 2014. A charity ride that raises funds to assist families of children with cancer in the Valley. 25-mile and metric century (100 km/62 mile) options. There’s a motorcycle version, too, bringing together two groups of two-wheeled enthusiasts.
King’s Tour of the Quabbin (Rutland), Sunday, June 8, 2014. Not strictly speaking a ride that starts in the Pioneer Valley, but the ride around the Quabbin Reservoir brings riders into the Valley. Rides of 62, 100, and 125 miles.
July
JAM Grand Fundo/Grand Hundo (Southampton), Saturday, July 19, 2014. Fundraiser for the JAM Fund, which provides grants for cyclists under 25 years old. The Grand Fundo ride is 64 miles; in 2014 other options included the 38-mile Mini Fundo and the 84-mile Grand Hundo. Rides are challenging for their length, with substantial climbing and some nasty hills: the Fundo gains 5300 feet and the Hundo, 7600.
August
D2R2 – the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnée (Deerfield), Saturday, Aug. 23, 2014. A benefit for the Franklin Land Trust, D2R2 involves rides from 100 km (62 miles) to 180 km (112 miles) on the challenging dirt roads of Franklin County and southern Vermont. There’s also a 40-mile family Green River Tour, which follows the mostly flat Green River Road (also dirt). Registration for the randonnées is capped at 1,000 riders total.
Wheeling for Healing Bike Ride (Greenfield), Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014. Fundraiser for Baystate Health Foundation. Rides of 3, 10, 25, and 50 miles. The 25-mile ride has some hills; the 50-miler, many.
September
Connecticut Valley Century (COVAC) Benefit Bike Ride (Hatfield), Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014. Proceeds benefit the Amherst Rotary Club’s Good Works Fund. Rides of 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles, mostly flat.
BikeFest and Tour of the Valley (Florence/Northampton), Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. Organized by the Northampton Cycling Club. Ride options: 8, 25, 45, 72, and 104 miles. The longer rides involve a challenging amount of climbing.
Will Bike 4 Food (Hatfield), Sunday, Sept. 28, 2014. Charity ride for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Rides of 10, 25, 50, and 100 miles. The longer rides are hilly.
October
Sunderland Clover Century (Sunderland), October 4, 2014. Rides of 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles, arranged so that there are four 25-mile loops that start and end in town. Riders can mix and match loops for rides up to 100 miles. Organized in conjunction with the town’s annual fall festival; information is usually posted sometime in late August or September.
Great River Ride (Westfield), Sunday, October 12, 2014. Rides of 15, 25, 35, 62, 85, 111, and 125 miles (more options than in the past), along the different branches of the Westfield River. The longer rides are challenging (the 111-mile ride last year involved 8,800 feet of climbing). The longer distances are RUSA-sanctioned Populaires; new for 2014 is an ACP-sanctioned 200K brevet.
4th annual Pedal Poker Run (Northampton), Sunday, October 12, 2014. 10- and 50-mile rides. Charity event supporting Valley CDC. Participants draw five cards over the course of the ride, with prizes for the best poker hands.
Organized bike rides in the Pioneer Valley by Brian W. Ogilvie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
