The 2011 Season. - Let other riders know when you are passing them. Avoid passing on the right.

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1 May 2011 The 2011 Season Although we have had a wet April, the bike season is beginning. The Tuesday night rides in Manchester and Thursday night rides in Essex have started, and Thursday night rides in Stony Creek will start on May 19 th. If you could not make the April 10 th ride for leaders in training, you can contact Rick Merritt to explain the bicycling leader guidelines. We would love to have new and existing members support the club by leading at least one ride a season. You can also ask if you can co-lead a ride with a current leader. By being a leader, you can pick the pace, time, location, terrain, etc. As we start the current cycling season, the committee would like to remind everyone the importance of following the rules of the road and good group riding etiquette and communication, which are outlined below. Hand signals and verbal signals Right turn, left turn Slowing, stopping Pointing at obstacles and calling them out (you need to point before going by the obstacle or you are not giving the rider behind you enough warning) Car back Move over for obstacles ahead (example, Walker up ) - Let other riders know when you are passing them. Avoid passing on the right. On the Road: Share the Road. The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists. Obey all traffic control devices. Your bicycle is a moving vehicle and needs to stop at red lights, and do not run red lights. You put yourself and others at risk when you do so. Don t use aerobars when in a group. You need to have good control of your bike and have your brakes within close reach. Ride with Traffic: on the right hand side with the flow of traffic, using the furthest right lane. Ride Predictably: In a straight line, do not swerve in the road or between parked cars, check for traffic before entering street or intersections, anticipate hazards and adjust your position accordingly. Happy, Safe Cycling The AMC Bicycling Committee

2 MAY RIDES Participants are asked to provide their own cue/ride sheets unless otherwise noted. Directions, cue/ride sheets, and description may be found at All rides are listed on the Web at ct-amc.org/cycling/bikelistings.htm and include the specific link to the cue sheet. Tuesday Manchester, CT** May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (RC,TR,FL/RL CUE 11-22mph) Rides of miles. Manchester, Connecticut, East of River, CT. Prompt 6p.m. start. Meet at Jo-Ann s Fabrics: I-84 Exit 62, left at end of ramp, then left at 3rd light, shopping center on right Jo Ann s Fabric L Wayne Tursi ( Before 9PM), bicycling@ct-amc.org L Judy Borrmann ( Before PM) L Rick Merritt ( Before 9PM), bicycling@ct-amc.org L Ray Taksar ( Before 9PM) L David Waldburger ( Before 9PM) ** Tuesday rides will be from beginning of April until the end of October. Thursday Stony Creek, Branford, CT** May (SO, Fl/RL, RG/CUE 12mph) 15 miles, Connecticut, West of River, CT. Meet 6 p.m. to ride at 6:10 p.m. from Stony Creek Market, 178 Thimble Island Rd., Branford. Ride about 15 miles on some nice roads along the shoreline. We'll travel at a moderate pace and not leave anyone behind. I-95 Exit 56. From I-95 South, left off the exit and left onto Leetes Island Rd. From I-95 North, right onto Leetes Island Road. Both directions: At the intersection with Rt. 146, go straight onto Thimble Island Rd. Stony Creek Market is on the left at the head of the harbor, shortly past the railroad overpass. Rain cancels. L Mike Cohen ( before 9:00pm, mrc06405@gmail.com) ** This ride will take place through Thursday, September 1. Mileage will increase as the days get longer. Stop for pizza after the ride starting on June 2.._,_. Thursday Essex, CT** May 5, 12, 19, 26 (RC, FL/RL, 13-17mph) Rides of miles. Essex, Connecticut, West of River, CT. Wheels start spinning. Prompt 6pm start. Show-and-Go, several rides of various distances. Meet at old CPL at Essex, Exit 3 off Route 9, next to Fire Station. No cue sheet, regroup, no one dropped. Rain cancels. L Finlay Ferguson ( before 9pm, finlayferguson@msn.com), L Beverly Medlin ( before 9pm, kayaker767@gmail.com) L Mark Henebry ( before 9pm, mhenebry@sbcglobal.net) ** Thursday rides will be from beginning of April until the end of August. Sun. May 1. Bethlehem and Back, Litchfield, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (RC, HL, RG Cue, 13mph) 30 miles. Meet at 10:15 a.m. to ride at 10:30 a.m. from Topsmead State Forest, 46 Chase Rd., Litchfield. Take Rt. 8 Exit 42 (Rt. 118 Harwinton/Litchfield). Go west on Rt. 118 toward Litchfield for about two miles. Turn left on Clark Rd (sign for Wisdom House). Go right at end onto East Litchfield Rd. Take first left (about 1 mile) onto Buell Rd, then first right (about 0.3 mi.) onto Chase Rd and into Topsmead. Parking area is on right in about 0.2 miles. Tour the scenic Litchfield Hills with views of Topsmead State Forest (a former country estate), White Memorial preserve, and Bantam Lake. Our destination is "Daffodil Hill," a 10-acre hillside with thousands of daffodils. Be sure to bring your camera. The route has 2,200 ft. of elevation gain, or 74 ft. of climbing per mile. There is about 2 miles of dirt roads along the way, including the road on which the daffodils are located. The leader will have plenty of cue sheets, but a preview is available at the web address listed

3 MAY RIDES Mon., May. 2. Clyde's Connecticut River Tour, Deep River, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (So,RG,FL/RL,Cue,10-13mph) 31.4 miles. 10:00a.m. start. Meet at the Deep River Library parking lot on Village Street, Deep River. Take Route 9, Exit 5 to the bottom of the ramp and turn towards Deep River on Route 80 (Elm Street). Follow 0.7 miles into the center of Deep River and turn left at the traffic light onto Route 154 (Main Street). Travel 200 yards and turn left onto Village Street. Deep River Library and parking lot will be on the right. Mostly flat ride, starting in Deep River and meandering down to Saybrook Point (a possible lunch or snack stop) by way of Essex and Old Saybrook. Rain/wet roads cancels. Bring cue sheet-see link below. L Jo Ann Hewett ( Before 9PM, joannbiker@comcast.net), L George Burger Sat., May 7. Scenic Simsbury, Simsbury, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, FL/RL, RG Cue 10-12mph) 19 miles. Meet for 10am start at International Skating Center of Connecticut, 1375 Hopmeadow Street, Routes 10 & 202, Simsbury. This is a shorter, companion ride to the SCCC's Scenic Simsbury, Southwick & Suffield Ride. The ride is over mostly flat terrain and travels through portions of Simsbury, Granby and East Granby on mostly secondary (back) roads with just a little bit of riding on busier state roads. The ride passes the Barndoor Hills Road entrance to the McLean Game Refuge and the Simsbury Airport amongst other interesting venues. Route sheet below L Leo Peon, (leo.peon@snet.net) Sat. May 7. Glastonbury Mansion and Orchard Ride, Glastonbury, CT, East of the River, CT. (SO, RL/HL, CUE 11-14mph) 30 miles. Meet at 10:00am for 10:15am start. Rolling to hilly with some large hills. Ride the back roads of Glastonbury, visiting fruit orchards, passing by mansions and cruise along the Connecticut River. Ride will take you through Glastonbury to South Glastonbury and back. Start at Highland Market Parking lot in the Buckingham section of Glastonbury on Route 83 (Hebron Avenue). Cue sheet to be supplied by leader. L Bruce Ebbets ( Before 9pm), Rain cancels. Sun., May 8. Middlefield, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO, RL/HL mph) 35 miles. Rolling to hilly with an option to cut out 5 miles in the middle and still end with the rest of the group. - (13 mph average) - Middlefield-Durham-Middlefield Loop Meet at 11:00am, for an 11:15am start from Lake Beseck Beach Parking Lot, Lake Shore Drive, Middlefield, CT. Leader will provide cue sheets. Rain cancels. L Susan Grant ( , before 9pm, sremele@comcast.net) Mon., May. 9. Carol's Simsbury Ride #3, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (RC,FL/RL,CUE, RG, mph) 30.1mi. Meet for prompt 10:00am start at Simsbury Commons (shopping plaza) on Rt.167 at intersection of Route44 and 167(Bushy Hill Rd.) in Simsbury. This is a pleasant and interesting ride through Simsbury and Granby, passing by sections of the McLean Game Refuge, riding along portions of the Farmington Valley Greenway with views of the expansive Imperial Nurseries, and a stop at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. Rain cancels. If weather is doubtful, leader by 7:30 morning of the ride. Print own cue sheet. L Joy Himmelfarb ( Before 9PM, joyhimmelfarb@comcast.net) Tues., May. 10. Tour of South Windsor, South Windsor, Connecticut, East of River, CT. (SO, FL/RL, RG Cue, 10-12mph) 32 miles. Meet for 10am start at Rye Street Park, South Windsor: from Rte. 194 in South Windsor, go north on Rye Street for 1.1 miles, turn right at top of hill onto paved road at sign for Rye Street Park and Cemetery. A scenic tour of the back roads, farmland, scenic vistas, horse farms and tobacco fields through S. Windsor, E. Windsor, Enfield, Somers and Ellington. This is a very mellow, lovely ride, one of our favorites. Link to route sheet below. L Leo Peon, (leo.peon@snet.net) Sun., May. 15. Saybrook Point to Essex Loop, Connecticut, East of River, CT. (SO,FL,Cue, 12-14mph) 30.2 miles Meet for a prompt 9:30 am start at Saybrook Point (Rt. 154) parking lot. This is a scenic ride over mostly flat terrain with spectacular views of Long Island Sound. Come join us for a fun and social day. Please bring your own ride cue sheet (see link below) but if you forget our conscientious co-leader will make sure you will not be left wondering. L Barbara Rutigliano ( Before 9PM), CL Ray Taksar ( Before 9PM)

4 Appalachian Mountain Club Connecticut Chapter 32 Highland Ave. Redding, CT Abbreviation Legend CPL Commuter Parking Lot CUE Cue Sheet Provided FL Flat Terrain HI/HL Hilly Terrain L/CL Leader/Co-Leader LE Leisurely Pace MB/MTN Mountain Bike MP Map RC Recreational ride RG Regroup during ride RL/RO Rolling terrain SASE Self-Addressed Stamp Envelope SO Social Ride SW Sweep stays with slower riders TR Training ADV Advanced Riders Bicycle Committee 2011 Rick Merritt, Committee Co-Chair Bruce Ebbets, Committee Co-Chair Tom Ebersold, Committee Member Susan Grant, Committee Member Jo Ann Hewett, Ride Coordinator Terri Pappagallo, Newsletter Editor Wayne Tursi, Committee Member and CT Chapter Vice Chair Web Site For post-publication updates, check the Bicycling calendar on-line at: click on the Bicycling button. Short Notice Rides To subscribe to ct-amc.bicycling, the notification of upcoming rides that don t make the deadlines for AMC Outdoors and AMC Cyclist, go to the website, type your address in the box of upcoming rides by and click on join now. You will receive a confirmation message from Yahoo. Follow the instructions in the message to confirm that you want to join the list..

5 MAY RIDES & WEEKEND EXCURSIONS Mon., May. 16. Shade & Shore Meander -Madison, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SOFl/Rl, Cue, RG, 10-12mph) 30.4 miles. Prompt 10:00am start. Starting Location: I-95 Exit 61 CPL (Rt. 79/Durham Rd) in Madison. This is a ride over mostly flat to rolling terrain through sections of Madison and Clinton with stops at the Clinton Town Dock and Meig's Point in Hammonasset State Park. The first part of the ride takes a generally inland route while the latter part travels along the shoreline. Bring cue sheet from link below. L Barb Frey ( Before 9PM) Sat., May. 21. Ruth & Howard's Stony Creek/Guilford Ride, Branford, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO,Fl/Rl, Cue,RG,10-12 mph) 27.3 miles. Prompt 9:00AM start. Meet : I-95 Exit 56 CPL (Leete's Island Road) in Branford. This is a mostly flat ride (with a bit of rolling terrain) through portions of Branford and Guilford with lots of ocean views and a visit to Stony Creek. Bring cue sheet-link below. L Barb Frey ( Before 9PM) May Memorial Three-Day Biking Weekend, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (NH), Seacoast, New Hampshire (NH). Bike scenic coast of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. Flat to rolling roads, 20-65mile options. Stay in lovely fully-furnished 3-bedroom beach cottages, 4-5 per cottage, heated pool; just bring towels. $190 incl. 3 nights w/breakfast, Friday happy hour, cook-out Saturday pasta dinner Sunday night. To register, send address, AMC ID# & check payable to Rick Merritt. L Rick Merritt ( before 9pm, bicycling@ct-amc.org), L Susan Grant ( ), L Bruce Ebbets ( ), R Rick Merritt (122 E. Center St., Manchester, CT 06040) Mon., May. 23. Madison & Guilford Suburbia, N. Madison, Connecticut, West of River, CT. (SO,FL/Rl,Cue, 10-12mph) 33.7miles. Prompt 10:00AM start. Meet at Roberts Food Market (in N. Madison) parking lot on Rt. 80, just east of Rt. 79/80 traffic circle. This is a flat to rolling ride with a few moderate hilly sections; the ride is mostly in Guilford with some interesting pastoral views along with some excellent views of Long Island Sound. There is lots of variety on this ride. Bring cue sheet-see link below. L Barb Frey ( Before 9PM) This is not an AMC sponsored ride, but we are listing it for informational purposes National Trails Day - Saturday June 4, Join the Farmington Valley Trail Council for its 15th Annual Trails-in-Motion. Details and online registration are available at: All events start and end at Iron Horse Blvd., Simsbury, CT. September Upper Connecticut River Valley Biking, Fairlee, Vermont (VT), Green Mountains, Vermont (VT). Ride options 20-65mile along country roads. Stay at Hulbert Outdoor Center in 3-4 bedroom cabins, 2/room. Cost is $145 including 2 nights lodging, 2 full breakfasts, Saturday dinner, bedding & towel. Optional Friday ride. Send address/ / phone to register w/check for full amount payable to Finlay Ferguson. Fee nonrefundable unless leaders find replacement. L Finlay Ferguson ( Before 9PM, finlayferguson@msn.com), L Mark Henebry, R Finlay Ferguson (46 Mitchel Terrace, Ivoryton, CT 06442)

MAY RIDES. Weeknight Bike Rides Tuesday Manchester, CT Weeknight Bike Rides Thursday Essex CT

MAY RIDES. Weeknight Bike Rides Tuesday Manchester, CT** Weeknight Bike Rides Thursday Essex CT** May 2010 Cherry Blossom Bike Trip in April. On the trail headed to Mount Vernon. We had an especially good trip even though we missed the blossoms. The weather was spectacular every day with constant sun