CANCELED
The weather has been unkind in recent years and there is a consensus forecast for heavy rain Saturday through the night into Sunday morning. This will make for very sloppy trail conditions on top of the melting snow and possibly a soaled cold ride. Sadly the waffle makers were ready and the cider was being mulled, but the conditions are not suitable for 50-100 riders. Although there is no scheduled rain date, we will watch February trail conditions and may call a less formal ride a few days before.

The Deep Freeze Fat Bike Ruckus is a group ride designed to meet others riders and enjoy a jovial fat bike atmosphere. There will be periodic stops to regroup, take photos, and enjoy some scenic vistas.

Sunday, January 26th * 9:00am

NOTE: Changes to the ride, including cancellations, will be posted to the Facebook event. Please check before riding.

The Courses
We are planning on having two courses available – 8-10 miles and 16-19 miles – both will consist of mostly double-track, fire roads, and some limited technical singletrack suitable for all abilities. The courses will be available on RidewithGPS for download before the weekend.

We will need additional ride leaders and sweepers. Please contact me if you can help.

Schedule

• 9:00 AM Recommended Ride Arrival Time
• 9:00-9:30 AM Get equipment ready, sign waiver, fill water bottles, ride announcements
• 9:30 AM Long and Short Courses Ride Departure Time
• 12:00 AM Approximate Short Course Return Time
• 12:30 PM Approximate Long Course Return Time

What to bring

• Fat bike in good working order
• Spare tube and tools to fix a flat if necessary
• Food & water – Bottle or hydration pack and snacks
• Helmet and proper clothing

Please note that if you need to leave early or turn around please be prepared to make your own way back to the start. The course is within a compact geographical area and both the trails and local roads will quickly get you back to Sherborn. Please be prepared to fix a flat tire but there will also be plenty of riders to assist with expertise and supplies.

Save time by signing NEMBA’s Annual Ride Waiver ahead of time – https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/5925c20b85636/kiosk/

Parking
There are approximately 12 spaces in our lot which will fill up early. Use the parking lot down Cemetery Lane across the street for easy access to the Velo Studio, or use the rear parking lot at Pine Hill Elementary School at 10 Pine Hill Lane. The ride leaves the shop and passes through the school lot, so if you are running late you won’t miss the start before 9:30.

We will be using the “Drop the 2nd Rider” technique. Here is the NEMBA description:

“…at every corner or intersection the leader will ask the second rider to stop and wait until they see the sweep rider and then take off in front of them. This means that every rider gets to ride second, third, fourth and at every position in the pack except first and last. It means that everyone gets to take an occasional breather while they are waiting for the sweep rider. But most importantly it means that nobody ever gets lost because there will always be someone waiting at every intersection and corner to point out the right route.”