TNR Weekend Edition - Gloucester/Rockport from Salem

Join the TNR crowd for a special weekend edition ride on Saturday Sept 27 when we'll tour coastal Cape Ann. This route features great coastal views along seaside roads that are quieter in the fall. We'll cover Manchester by the Sea, Magnolia, Gloucester, Rockport, and Essex over a 56 mile course. Overall, the route climbs about 2000 ft, which is moderate for a ride of this length.

Our lunch stop will be at Fresco's in Rockport (slightly more than halfway), where you can get take-out or eat your own packed lunch on the beach. For those interested, we can stop at one of the taverns in Salem post-ride.

The route starts at Salem Common and can be accessed by car or by the MBTA commuter rail ( the train leaves North Station at 9:30 with a 10:02 arrival time in Salem). Trains head back to Boston from Salem at 3:40 pm and hourly thereafter. If you feel that you've had enough riding after lunch, you can take the commuter rail back to Salem or Boston from Rockport at 2 pm.

This is intended to be a fun, scenic ride and not a sprint. I plan to ride at an average pace of 13-14 mph, though faster on some stretches. If there is a group that wants to ride faster, we'll meet you at lunch.

If you sign-up, show up. There are way too many meet-up members who sign up for rides with little actual commitment. I see a lot of events where only about half the folks who sign up actually follow through. This practice needs to end.

This is a no-drop ride, but you should be in good riding condition with a road bike. Make sure that your bike is in good working order before you leave home. Helmets required. You are responsible for your own safety.

The departure time will be 10:30 from Salem sharp so folks can make the 3:40 or 4:40 return to Boston. I will offer a brief safety talk before at 10:20.

If rain is in the forecast, I will cancel the ride by 5 pm on Friday night.

Registration closes at midnight on Wednesday before the ride. If there are fewer than 4 riders, I will cancel.

I'm not going to cap this ride. We can spread out at the start if there is a large contingent.