This will be our last bulk email for our Labor Day weekend. We are super excited and very much looking forward to spending the weekend with you in the woods.
If you have not done so, be sure to take a look at this page: Joining Us for an Adventure and scroll down to the Joining us for a Bike Packing Trip section.
If you have not yet done so, signing the 2026 Rider Waiver is also required. To do so, click here.
Here is a quick rundown of the schedule:
Day 1
- 9:30am – Begin gathering at Vermont Bicycle Shop.
- 10:00am – Depart Vermont Bicycle Shop
- 11:00am-ish* – Meet with our friends at the Plainfield Park and Ride. 2 important notes:
–Please email us if you plan to meet us in Plainfield so that we can share contact info with each other.
–Do not leave anything of value in your car, do not leave any bags or other items out in the open or visible in your car.
* Our arrival may be impacted by any number of variables including flat tires or other mechanical issues. We’ll do our best to communicate as we ride from Barre to Plainfield. - 11:15am-ish – Wheels roll from Plainfield. Riders meeting us at the Park and Ride should be ready to roll at 11:15, so come early and be prepared.
- 1:15-2:00pm – Arrive at Ricker Pond State Park Bitter Sweet Lean-To and Knox Mtn Cabin camp sites.
Day 2
Day 2 is a relaxed schedule. We’ll wake up as we please and make a campfire breakfast before we head out for the day on adventures. There are lots of adventures to have in Groton State Forest, so feel free to explore and do what you please. We will be hosting a 25 mile gravel/slight whackadoo/adventure ride (See the route ‘Rather Be Alive’ below). Another group will be discussing a more relaxed rail bed ride option as well.
For those riding the ‘Rather Be Alive’ route:
- 10-10:30ish – Wheels roll from camp.
- 11:15-11:30 – Stop at the newly reopened general store at Boulder Beach!!
- 2:30-2:45 – Stop at the Upper Valley Grill (the Red Store) for snacks and camp supplies.
- 3:00-3:30 – Arrive back at camp.
If you plan to come out and meet us for the day, it’s best to meet us before 10am as other activities will most likely begin after that. If you drive out and want to have camp fire breakfast with us, be sure to bring your own food. We’ll be packing in our own food on bicycles and we won’t have the capacity to bring enough food to share.
Day 3
Traditionally we go out to breakfast at the Upper Valley Grill in the morning, then head back to camp to pack up and depart. While we like to be leisurely, we also like to be respectful of park staff as check out time is 11:00am. So we do our best to be done with breakfast, be all packed up, and be rolling out of camp no later than 10:30am.
- 10:30am – Depart campsites
- 12:30pm – Arrive at Plainfield Park and Ride*
- 2:30pm – Arrive at Vermont Bicycle Shop*
* Our arrival may be impacted by any number of variables including flat tires or other mechanical issues.
For those interested in the Day 2 gravel adventure ride, he is a route preview: