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2001 Past Massachusetts Bicycle Events

Sunday, January 7, 9:45 am, Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop at 64 South St. in Jamaica Plain

The Emerald Necklace Greenway project will host its third monthly ride on the Emerald Necklace from Jamaica Plain to the Charles River and back. We will follow the Necklace from Franklin Park to the Charles River, on off-road paths where they exist, over at least 90% of the distance. We will probably return via the Southwest Corridor bikepath. For additional information, contact Jeff Ferris at (617)522-7082, or e-mail Doug Mink at dmink@massbike.org.

Emerald Necklace Greenway Ride

Sunday, February 4, 9:45 am, Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop at 64 South St. in Jamaica Plain

Emerald Necklace Greenway Ride

Sunday, March 4, 9:45 am, Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop at 64 South St. in Jamaica Plain

The Emerald Necklace Greenway project will host its fifth monthly ride on the Emerald Necklace from Jamaica Plain to the Charles River and back. We will follow the Necklace from Franklin Park to the Charles River, on off-road paths where they exist, over at least 90% of the distance. We may return via the Southwest Corridor bikepath. For additional information, contact Jeff Ferris at (617)522-7082, or e-mail Doug Mink at dmink@massbike.org.

Boston City Council Hearing on Bicycling

Tuesday, March 13, 4:30 pm Boston City Hall in the Ianella Chamber on the fifth floor of Boston City Hall

A hearing by the City Council to "review the current and proposed bicycle policies and to determine budget needs for FY01, to include whether a full-time bicycle coordinator position has been budgeted for FY01," sponsored by Councilor Michael Ross.

Slide Show and Talk by Planner Ben Hamilton Baillie

Thursday, March 15, 7:30 pm Watertown High School Lecture Hall.

The Watertown Bicycle Committee, Watertown Arts on the Charles (WATCH), and Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety have joined together to bring Ben Hamilton Baillie, currently a Loeb Fellow at Harvard's Graduate School of Design, to Watertown. He has studied streets in Europe, especially in Denmark and the Netherlands, in which car traffic is allowed to mix with other activities. He describes a street that "becomes what it should be - a social space, where people can sit, talk, watch the world go by."

The slide presentation comes at an opportune moment in Watertown's history when unprecedented new developments are being considered and reviewed by various town committees. Town Planning Director, Mark Boyle, will introduce Mr. Hamilton-Baillie and present current community projects that are on the drawing board. The examples that Mr. Hamilton-Baillie presents provide a vision of interventions that can make our community more livable; these include pedestrian friendly streets, safe routes to schools, bicycle networks and public art.

Boston Critical Mass Ride

Friday, March 30, 5:30 pm at Copley Square (Boylston between Clarendon and Dartmouth)

"Critical Mass is a party on two wheels to celebrate bicycling - a fast, friendly, clean, efficient, healthy, cheap, sensible, and fun way to get around the city."

MassBike in no way endorses this event, and we would really prefer that cyclists on the ride paid a bit more attention to traffic laws, but this is the major monthly get-together for the prople who are actually cycling the streets of Boston every day.

Emerald Necklace Greenway Ride

Sunday, April 1, 9:45 am, Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop at 64 South St. in Jamaica Plain

Boston Earth Day South Bay Harbortrail Ride

Saturday, April 21, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., Boston Water and Sewer Commission Building 980 Harrison Avenue, Roxbury

Hear about the South Bay Harbortrail, the proposed pedestrian and bicycle path connecting Roxbury to the South Boston Waterfront and the Boston Harbor Islands.

Enjoy a fair of fun, hands-on activities for kids and adults that bring the Boston Harbor Islands to Roxbury: tales of the islands; maps, exploration and discovery; decorating, and more.

Join the South Bay Harbor Trail coalition on a pedestrian and bicycle tour of the proposed South Bay Harbor Trail route to Fan Pier, South Boston Waterfront.

For more information, call Brad Swing, Office of Environmental Services, at (617) 635-1210.

Bike Africa Presentation

Wednesday, April 25, 7:30 pm, at Bikes Not Bombs, 59 Amory St. #103, Roxbury

Come learn about biking in Africa! Charlene Brant, Physical Education Teacher and Coach at Milton Academy, is recently back from a Bike Africa tour with the International Bike Fund. This is an organization that promotes sustainable transportation and cultural exchange in Africa. Charlene and 5 other cyslists completed a 2 week trip 300 miles through the beautiful rural southwest of Uganda. Bikes Not Bombs sponsored Charlene with a bicycle and our teen shop staff and some of our Wednesday night volunteers helped her to rebuild in preparation for the trek. She took lots of pictures, and she's excited to share slides and stories with us on Wednesday evening! Refreshments will be provided.

Boston Critical Mass Ride

Friday, April 27, 5:30 pm at Copley Square (Boylston between Clarendon and Dartmouth)

"Critical Mass is a party on two wheels to celebrate bicycling - a fast, friendly, clean, efficient, healthy, cheap, sensible, and fun way to get around the city."

Emerald Necklace Greenway Ride

Sunday, May 6, 9:45 am, Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop at 64 South St. in Jamaica Plain (Yahoo map)

Bike Week 2001

Saturday, May 12 - Sunday, May 20, 2001

Check this web page for events all over Massachusetts!

Check this web page for events in the Pioneer Valley!

Emerald Necklace Greenway Festival

Sunday, May 13, 2001, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Francis Parkman Drive, Jamaica Pla in (Yahoo map)

Kick off Bike Week with MassBike's Emerald Necklace Greenway Project and other Boston bicycle and pedestrian groups as we celebrate America's oldest greenway and work to make it whole again.

Boston Critical Mass Ride

Friday, May 25, 5:30 pm at Copley Square (Boylston between Clarendon and Dartmouth)

"Critical Mass is a party on two wheels to celebrate bicycling - a fast, friendly, clean, efficient, healthy, cheap, sensible, and fun way to get around the city."

MassBike in no way endorses this event, and we would really prefer that cyclists on the ride paid a lot more attention to traffic laws, but this is the major monthly get-together for the prople who are actually cycling the streets of Boston every day. There were some problems at the April ride, so it would be a good idea to go to this ride planning to obey traffic laws.

9th Annual Bike to the Sea Day

Sunday, June 3, 2001, 9 am from the Dockside Restaurant in Malden 229 Centre Street, Malden MA 02148 (Yahoo map)

The ninth annual Bike to the Sea ride returns to the beach this year with a new route and a new host. This year's ride will begin at 9 am from the Dockside Restaurant in Malden and will travel to the Dockside Restaurant on Nahant Beach. Riders will enjoy views of the Rumney Marsh in Revere, the Saugus River and the Lynn waterfront as they travel 20-miles to and from the beach. A light brunch will be served at the Dockside in Nahant while riders enjoy the beach.

Bike to the Sea encourages families and individuals to join us for this recreational group ride. Registration costs $15 for individuals and $35 for a family of four. Register by May 19th for free T-shirts.

Print and mail the online registration form or call (781) 397-6893.

Volunteer by May 19 and receive $10 off of registration.

Rolling Blackout Bike Ride and Sunset Picnic

Thursday, June 21

6:30pm, meet on the Esplanade at the Arthur Fiedler head statue

7:30pm, meet in the Cambridge Common, at the statue in the center

The "rolling blackout", on the first day of Summer, is an evening when people all over the US will be voluntarily cutting their electricity usage down to the bare minimum, to send a message to the President that we want to conserve our natural resources, not ravage them.

To celebrate this evening, Random Turtle Productions thought that a bike ride and sunset picnic would do just nicely.

The ride will take us down Mass Ave, from Boston, into Cambridge, and on down to Arlington. We will end up in a hilltop park in Arlington which overlooks much of Cambridge and Boston. Bring picnic food, non-alcoholic drink, and blankets if you like. Some light snacks will be provided, but the more the merrier. Also, be prepared for quite a hill climb. (No one should feel ashamed if they decide to walk it.) Other than the hill, it will be a slow, nonchallenging ride. So come with us, and spend the evening relying on your own energy, not big oil!

For more info check out the website: http://home.mindspring.com/~turtlex/ .

Neponset River Greenway Festival

Sunday, June 24, 2001, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Milton Landing (across the river from Dorchester Lower Mills)

Kickoff of a summer-long festival with music, food, and activities

Neponset River Greenway Downstream Bike Tour

Wednesday, June 27, 2001, 6:45 pm at the bridge in Mattapan Square

Join Greenway Council member Doug Mink for a trip down the soon-to-be-paved trail from Central Ave. to Victory Road Park and back, a total distance of less than 10 miles. Some will be off-road, so fat tires are recommended. Helmets are required.

Boston Critical Mass Ride

Friday, June 29, 5:30 pm at Copley Square (Boylston between Clarendon and Dartmouth)

"Critical Mass is a party on two wheels to celebrate bicycling - a fast, friendly, clean, efficient, healthy, cheap, sensible, and fun way to get around the city."

Neponset River Greenway Upstream Bike Tour

Wednesday, July 11, 2001, 6:15 pm at the bridge in Mattapan Square

Join Greenway Council member Doug Mink for a trip up the river to Paul's Bridge and back, a total distance of less than 10 miles. We might go off-road a bit, so fat tires would help, but thin tires are really OK for this trip. Helmets are required.

MapQuest map

Bike Quincy Family Ride

Saturday, July 21, 2001 at 10:30 a.m. (rain date Sunday, July 22)

A 3-mile family ride starting at the magnificent Squantum Point Park, on the waterfront adjacent to Marina Bay in North Quincy/Squantum. It will be followed around noon by a tour of the park (built over an old runway and rich in aviation history) by its landscape designer. There also will be a $10 helmet sale through the Kiwanis.

For details and directions, check out the Bike Quincy web site, or contact Diane Daniel, Didaniel@aol.com.

Kahpree Hodge Memorial Benefit Ride

Sunday, July 22, 2001, 9:45, Bikes Not Bombs, 59 Amory St. in Roxbury

A fun and fulfilling ride through the Boston area to celebrate the memory of Kahprei Hodge, who died on December 22nd, 1999. Kahprei had commited much of his youthful life to community service at Bikes Not Bombs and elsewhere. We invite those of you who knew Kahprei, or who are helping to raise scholarship funds, to honor his life and ride with us.

The route will pass through places and neighborhoods where Kahprei lived, worked, and played. We will also visit the cemetery in Hyde Park where Kahprei's gravesite is located. The ride will be led by experienced cyclists and will total about 15 miles at an easy pace. A picnic lunch will be provided for riders. (Please call 617-442-0004 in advance if you'd like lunch provided, so we know how many to plan for.)

Please collect pledges in memory of Kahprei to award scholarships to two high school seniors who, like Kahprei, have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to their communities. You can pick up a pledge form at Bikes Not Bombs, download one from www.bikesnotbombs.org, or send an email to us at bnbrox@igc.org requesting us to email you a "pdf" version of the form, which you can then print using Acrobat Reader. You can also collect pledges without a pledge sheet; get the donor's name, address, amount pledged, and optionally, phone and email.

Ride begins promptly at 10:00. Dress appropriately for the weather and please have your bike in good riding condition. Helmets are required. BNB can loan you a helmet for the ride if you need one.

Bike to the Sea Newburyport Bike Ride

Sunday, July 22, 11:00 am at Maudsley State Park in Newburyport

Join Bike to the Sea for a ~16 mile ride around Newburyport with visits to Maudsley State Park with its wonderful carriage trails and to Plum Island with its wonderful views of shorebirds. We'll ride the carriage paths and picnic at Maudsley and then roll over to Plum Island after lunch.

By Auto - Take I-95 to Route 113 Exit, Head west on 113 and turn right on Gypsy-Hoyt Lane.

Ride & Rail Option - Catch the 9:49 am train from Lynn to Newburyport & return on the 2:48 pm train. Meeting locations - 8:30 am - 83 Jacob St, Malden

9:00 am Vitale Park , Saugus

9:45 am Lynn MBTA Station Thanks to MassBike you no longer need a Bikes on the T pass but you will need the $5 fare each way.

For more information, contact Steve Winslow steve9@shore.net.

MassBike Freedom Ride

Saturday, August 18, Northampton

7:00-9:00am: 62- and 100-mile rides from First Churches in Northampton

9:00-11:00am (start times): 20-mile family ride from First Churches in Northampton

1:30-4:30pm: bike safety rodeo in City Hall parking lot or Goth St. between Main St. and the Police Station.

Click here for more information.

Fifth Annual Larz Anderson National Bicycle Show & Swap

Sunday, August 19, 10am to 4pm on the grounds of the Larz Anderson Museum of Transportation in Brookline, Massachusetts

The largest show in the Northeast will feature an extraordinary exhibition of bicycles from all periods, a bicycle swap meet, displays and clinics by cycling vendors and organizations, and a special celebration of the Modern American Bicycle Frame Builder.

Admission is $5.00 for Adults and $3.00 for Children (6-16), Students with ID or Seniors (65+). Children under 5 are free. Admission to the event includes entry to the Museum exhibits. Patrons are encouraged to bring a picnic, chairs and blanket, and stay for the whole day.

Senate President Tom Birmingham's Tour de Mass

Tuesday, August 21 in Great Barrington to Thursday, August 30 in Sandwich.

Tuesday, August 21: Great Barrington to Westfield
Wednesday, August 22: Westfield to Agawam
Thursday, August 23: Springfield to Sturbridge
Friday, August 24: Sturbridge to Worcester
Monday, August 27: Worcester to Wellesley
Tuesday, August 28: Wellesley to Brockton
Wednesday, August 29: Taunton to New Bedford
Thursday, August 30: New Bedford to Sandwich

Join Tom on one of the eight legs or all of them. There will be approximately four stops per day for water/rest/food and events. Amateur riders welcome! All riders will receive a free T-shirt and have a chance to meet Tom. Food and water will also be supplied. Please arrange for your own transportation to and from.

or more detailed information, and day by day cue sheets, go to: http://www.massbikeboston.org/projects/tourdemass.htm. See John Allen's photos of the ride here.

Mother Brook Ride

Saturday, October 13, 10:00 am River St. at Turtle Pond Parkway, Hyde Park [map]

Join us for a 10-mile fall foliage ride, cosponsored with the Neponset River Greenway Council and the Boston Natural Areas Fund, along one of the Neponset River's major tributaries, Mother Brook. We will mostly be riding on streets, some of which have quite a bit of traffic, though most are quiet. We'll also ride on some of the nicer paths in Stony Brook Reservation. Mother Brook flows out of the Charles River in Dedham, right across the VFW Parkway from the Dedham Mall. The connection, the first industrial canal in North America, was dug in 1639, in order to power the first water-powered mill in New England, which opened in 1641.

Helmets are required. For further information, contact Doug Mink, dmink@massbike.org.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy New England Office Reception

Thursday, October 11, 6:30-8:30pm, Union Station, Worcester

Keith Laughlin, David Burwell's successor as President of RTC, will be on hand as will Worcester officials and Craig Della Penna, RTC's New England coordinator.

Call 508-755-3300 for more information.

8th Annual Tour de Somerville

Saturday, October 13th 10am, Seven Hills Park, Davis Sq., behind Somerville Theater

Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Community Path and the Somerville bike committee.

Join us for a free fun bike ride from West to East and back again. New route this year. All ages event- explore Somerville by bike, including the route of the proposed community path extension to Boston.

Arrive early for free checkup by Park Sales, 510 Somerville Ave.

Refreshments courtesy of Redbones, Davis Sq.- Home of the Bike Valet

Rain date is Sunday, Oct 14.

For more information, contact Joel Bennett friendspath@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are needed to help organize this event. Reply to friendspath@yahoo.com or call Joel 617-776-7769 .

Bike to the Sea Fall Colors Ride

Sunday October 14, 11:00 am, Pine Banks Park, Main Street, Malden/Melrose (across from Hunt Photo).

On this 15 mile ride. enjoy the wonderful fall colors by touring Forestdale Cemetary, Pine Banks Park, the Breakheart Reservation and Lake Quannapowitt then join us for a muffin at the Gingerbread Construction Company in Wakefield.

Boston Tour de Graves

Sunday, October 28, 10:00 am, Central Burying Ground, on the Boylston Street side of the Boston Common, near the intersection of Tremont Street.

A 20-mile bike tour of the City's historic cemeteries sponsored by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. We are planning on going together in one group.

The registration fee for the ride is $25, which includes a T-shirt and lunch at Mount Hope Cemetery. Additional T-shirts are available for $15. The pre- registration deadline is Wednesday, October 24.

The proceeds of the Tour de Graves go to the Historic Burying Grounds Initiative whose mission is the comprehensive restoration, ongoing conservation and heritage interpretation of Boston?s historic burying grounds. Since its inception, HBGI has completed over $4 million in preservation projects in its burying grounds.

To get a registration form or more information, contact Kelly Thomas, KTHOMAS@ci.boston.ma.us.

Neponset Trail Pavement Celebration

Saturday, November 10, 10:00 am, Central Avenue, Milton, at the trailhead across the Neponset River from the River St. Osco.

A less-than-10-mile bike tour on the recently-laid base layer of the Neponset Trail.

The people of the lower Neponset Valley, the Boston Natural Areas Fund, the Trust for Public Land, and, last, but not least, the Metropolitan District Commission have worked for many years on this trail. Join them to celebrate the realization of a dream, and find out what projects are next to complete a link from Castle Island to the Blue Hills.

For more information, contact Doug Mink, dmink@massbike.org.

Click here for a map to the start.

National Unity Ride Fundraisers

November 11, 8:15 am, various sites

Proceeds from these Unity Rides will benefit victims of the terrorist attacks on Sept 11th. Spread the word, and join one of the Unity Rides.

Participants may make personal contributions or get friends to sponsor them. All proceeds will go directly to The United Way September 11th Fund.

Suggested contributions:

$50 for adults

$25 for students and children 6-16yrs

voluntary for children under 6yrs

Arlington:Arlington High School, Massachusetts Avenue

We will ride along the bike path to the Storrow drive bike path via Central St, Oxford St, and Mass Ave. Once we get to the Storrow Drive bike path we will ride to the Lederman Field, where we will have lunch and a finishing celebration. We will ride back to Arlington on the same route.

Leaders: Lauren Hefferon, Cathy Bryant, Tom Engel, Bruce Lederer, Erin Caplice, Kim Sousa

Framingham: Landry's Bicycles, 303 Worcester Road, Framingham

Free refreshments and bike inspections provided before the ride, so come early.

(Route 9 Westbound at Route 126). Bathrooms and parking available.

We will ride to Walden Pond, one of the most cherished natural and literary places on Earth. At Walden, we will stop to reflect on this special place and to share a brief reading from Henry David Thoreau's "Walden." (Bathrooms available at the rest stop.) We will return to Framingham on a scenic route through conservation lands in Lincoln, Sudbury, and Wayland.

25 miles of gently rolling roads (no big hills)

All riders making a donation to the United Way's September 11th Fund will receive a free Landry's waterbottle.

Leaders: Jack Johnson, Peter Henry, Tom Henry, and friends.

Stow: Center School, located on Rt. 117 in Stow, Massachusetts.

Come for a ride in the country! From the Center School on Rt 117 in Stow, we will proceed down Packard Rd to Taylor Rd, enjoying some rolling hills. Taylor takes us to Eldridge Rd. and into the Town of Harvard at Stow Rd. Some moderate hills will take us to Rt. 111 and into the Town Center of Harvard. At the Town Center, we will travel on Rt 110 towards Bolton, taking us through Still River, where we will enjoy great views to the West, with some moderate hills (if it's a clear day, we will see Mt. Wachusett). At the intersection of Rt 110 and Rt 117 (at Bolton Orchards) we will travel East on Rt 117 through Bolton Center. After the Town Center we will take a left onto Sugar Rd and pass (and maybe stop in) Herbert Candies. Sugar Rd. will cross over 495 and after we enjoy a nice downhill, we will take a left onto East End Rd. This becomes Stow Rd after we enter the Town of Harvard again. We will take a right onto Finn Rd, which takes us to Harvard Rd in Stow. At the end of Harvard Rd, we'll turn left onto Rt 117 East and back to the Center School.

20 miles with some moderate hills, but the views are worth it!

Families with Bike trailers are welcome. Helmets required.

Leader: Colleen Terry 978-897-0164, terrygreene@earthlink.com

Bike Night 2001

Tuesday, November 27, 6:00-10:00 pm, Cambridge Brewing Company, One Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA

Bike Night will once again bring together the full spectrum of the bicycle movement's stakeholders in our annual celebration of MassBike's accomplishments. We will report on the state of cycling in Massachusetts, recognize outstanding contributors, and hear from both industry and government leaders who support our efforts.

For a PDF copy of the invitation and registration form, click here.

Tickets for Bike Night cost $20 for members and $25 for non-members. We are asking Hosts to contribute either $100, for which you will receive 5 tickets, or become an Influence Pedaler Host for $250 and receive 10 tickets, and our eternal gratitude and recognition on our Bike Night web page and event program.

If you are interested in joining our Host Committee, donating auction merchandise, or becoming a Bike Night sponsor, please contact: Larry Slotnick, Bike Night Director, 617-437-6680 or slotnick@thecia.net.

Ciclismo Classico's 5th Annual Jingle Ride

Sunday, December 16, 10:00 am, Carberry's Bakery, 600 Mass Ave. in Arlington Center

A leisurely, festive and FREE 10-22 mile urban-Santa bike ride along the Charles River Bike Path and through some of Boston's most charming and holiday-decked out streets climaxing with capuccino & cannolis in Boston's Historic Quincy Market. The total distance will depend on the chill factor but the FUN factor will be HIGH no matter how far we go! Bring Jingle Bells for your booties (so we can jingle en masse as we spin through the streets) and we'll provide the candy canes and Christmas tunes. PLEASE dress the Christmas part in red, green or other festive fare. Remember those layers!

Hot coffee and muffins will be served to get us ready for the ride. If you would like to meet us downtown, we will gather in front of Quincy Market at 12:00 PM for lunch. Dress ready to ride in the cold.... Remember we're elves! Please bring a friend or two or three!

FREE Ciclismo waterbottle (with a Santa surprise inside) to the FIRST 30 Jingle Riders that arrive in Costume!

It's FREE but all participants should bring a new children's book for ages 4-13 to be donated to the Italian Home, a nonprofit residential treatment facility in Jamaica Plain that provides housing, counseling and special education for emotionally disturbed children of all races and nationalities.

Please wear as much green or red as possible as well as any other festive XMAS cycling attire. Bring your bike lock as we'll stop to give candy canes to the kids we meet along the way and we9ll stop for hot toddies and other Italian goodies for ourselves. At our Quincy Market grand finale we will award a Ciclismo Classico cycling jersey and other surprises to the best dressed cycling elves.

Please R.S.V.P by Wednesday December 11, 2001 by email: erin@ciclismoclassico.com or by phone: 1-800-866-7314.

Last updated December 17, 2001 by Doug Mink