|
MassBike Fall Bike Rally
|
|
|
MassBike Fall Bike Rally
|
The Massbike Fall Bike Rally is an all-day biking extravaganza that will take place on Sunday, October 5th at the scenic Friendly Crossways hostel in Harvard, MA. This event is designed for everyone from serious cyclists to families to casual recreational cyclists. It is also a fundraiser for an important cause: all the money raised will go to supporting MassBike's kid-centric advocacy and education. MassBike hopes to raise $20,000, which could leverage an additional $200,000 in the form of a federal grant.
Event Registration -- Two Methods
1. Print out this form and mail it to us with your payment or
2. Register on line at this link. Note that before registering for the event you must first sign up as a member of BikeReg.com.
All rally participants must collect pledges (you can pledge yourself). Read why you should pledge to MassBike. Print out and circulate the sponsorship form (pdf). Pre-registration is only $5 for MassBike members with a $50 pledge or donation minimum. Families and non-members pay $20 for pre-registration, also with a $50 pledge or donation minimum. Non-members will also receive a one year membership in MassBike with their registration. Day of event registration is $25. The event takes place rain or shine, but we're seriously hoping for shine!
The Bike Rally will raise money for an important cause: starting the first ever state-wide kids bike education program in Massachusetts schools. Kids currently receive little to no instruction about safe bicycling, and are the most at-risk group for serious injuries. If MassBike raises $20,000 at the Bike Rally, it could create a $200,000 program in the form of a federal grant.
Follow this link for more information about the site.
Directions by Car:
From the East (e.g. Boston or Cambridge): Take Rt. 2 West. At the Concord rotary, go halfway around to continue on Rt. 2 (not Rt. 2A). Take Exit 39 (Taylor St., Littleton/Boxboro). Turn left onto Taylor St., continue for just under a mile then turn left onto Whitcomb Ave., (there's a "Peace of Mind" child day care center at the corner of Taylor and Whitcomb Ave.). Whitcomb Ave. in Littleton will turn into Littleton County Rd. in Harvard after about 1.7 miles. Keep going! Ignore the house numbers. The hostel is located another 1/3 mile down the road at 247 Littleton County Rd. on the right.
From the West: Take Rt. 2 east to Exit 39 (Taylor St., Littleton/Boxboro exit). Turn left onto Taylor St., and follow directions above.
From I-495, North or South: Exit 29B to Rt. 2 West, stay in the right lane and almost immediately take Exit 39, and follow directions above.
From points South or West: Take the MassPike (I-90) east to the Auburn Exit to I-290 East through Worcester. About 5 miles beyond Worcester exit for I-495 North and follow directions above.
Directions by Bike + Commuter Rail:
Note: we can pick you up at the Commuter Rail with your bike if you contact us in advance. Please call 617-542-2453 or bikeinfo@massbike.org to reserve a space on the shuttle.
You can take your bicycle on the train. Take the Fitchburg Line from North Station (9:30 am) or Porter Square (9:40 am) to the South Acton station (last stop, 10:25 am). Note: you must be early to catch the train -- there is no other option if you miss it. From South Acton it's at least 8.5 mi to the hostel. The most direct route is to turn L from Railroad St to Main St (Rt. 27 N), then immediately L on Central St. Turn L on Rt 111 W (Mass Ave) and continue for several miles. After crossing I-495, bear R on Woodchuck Hill Rd where Rt 111 turns sharply left. First R on Slough Rd, bear R on Oak Hill Rd, which becomes Littleton County Rd. The hostel is on the left, about 0.25 mi further.
Here is a slightly longer but more highly recommended route, based on Rubel BikeMaps' Eastern Mass. map: Turn L from Railroad St to Main St (Rt. 27 N), then immediately L on Central St. Turn L on Summer St. At the Y intersection, bear R on Liberty Square Rd, which will soon cross Rt 111. Continue for several miles across I-495 and Rt 2, immediately after which bear L on Porter Rd. At the T intersection, turn L on Whitcomb Ave, and the hostel is 2 miles further down the Rd, as described in the directions From the East above.
For the return trip, you can either take the 4:20 train from South Acton or the 6:02 train from Littleton. The Littleton station is about 2.5 miles from the hostel.
Directions by Bike from Boston:
Get a copy of Rubel BikeMaps' Eastern Mass. map. It's about 30 mi from Harvard Square to Harvard, Mass. Probably the nicest route would be going through Lincoln, Concord, Acton, and Littleton. One problem is that Rt 2A has an unpaved, unridable shoulder, and a good deal of traffic, and avoiding it between Concord and Acton requires a substantial detour (the Adventure Cycling MV route shown on the Eastern Mass. map is one option). One way which you can't get lost is to take Rt. 117 from downtown Waltham to Bolton. Just after the center of Bolton, turn R on Harvard Rd, which becomes Bolton Rd in Harvard. bear R on Slough Rd, bear R on Oak Hill Rd, and continue straight on Littleton County Rd. The hostel is on the left, about 0.25 mi further.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer at this awesome new event, please contact Karin at 617-629-4960 or oberon119@hotmail.com.