Monthly Rides for November, 2024

Description: Team RABA, i.e. RABA's official Bike MS team, will have our first training/social ride of the season leaving from Stone Brewery lower parking lot. All paces are welcome and we will organize groups by pace at the start. We hope you will join Team RABA, but we welcome everyone to join us for our training/social rides. We will have a 40 mile route that is primarily on the road or you can do an out and back on the Virginia Capital Trail. Bike MS will provide a stocked rest stop for the road route. Post ride we will gather at Stone Brewery for drinks and lunch.

Map/ Cue Sheet: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47606961

Ride Start and End: 16 Nicholson St, Richmond, VA

Description: Gravel (or MTB) ride at Bear Creek State Park. Being a Virginia State Park, you will either need a State Park Parking pass, or stop at the entrance office and pay $6 per car. You could ride these roads with a road bike with minimum 28mm tire width, but wider is much better.

Office is at (Coordinates= 37.532025, -78.273210)

Cell phone coverage can be spotty to load coordinates prior to leaving civilization.

Pace for gravel rides is it’s own animal, if you average 19 mph on the road you will typically average 14 mph on gravel, if you average 14-15mph on the road you will typically average 10-11 mph on gravel.

We typically ride the 43 mile route, so I have listed that first. If you cut off the Northern Loop it can be a 28 mile ride. These are true gravel roads 10-12Ft wide, with zero single-track. 2024 UPDATE, they have paved the Northern loop of this Route, and while still pretty, a larger % is NOT Gravel so I think down to a 40% total of gravel for the 43mile Route.

Jan is hoping to get some leaders to step up for different paces and both distances. Let him know of your willingness.

Map/ Cue Sheet: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/41675468

Ride Start and End: Bear Creek State Park- Coordinates 37.528262,-78.270419

Description: This event is an old tradition in RABA. Bud Vye organized this for a long time before handing it over to Wes. We want a strong showing for RABA!

Wes does need to get a sign-up list started for this event, as we are limited to how many people can participate. If you want to ride, please let him know! We also need 2 people willing to walk and carry the RABA banner.

The parade is not a normal club ride. We will be part of the Ashland Olde Time Holiday Parade. They have set aside 20 spots for our members to come and ride in the parade. Please contact Wes if you want to ride. He will generate an email with directions to our staging area once the parade officials send it to him. The parade starts at 2 pm, but riders need to be there by 1:45 pm, or the police may not let you into the staging area.

It moves at a blistering 5 to 10 mph top speed with frequent stops. You will be cheered at, waved to, and applauded; not something we cyclists are used to. The route is less than 2 miles long. You will need to find somewhere to park. I recommend parking by the Starbucks and Food Lion on the other side of Rt.1, then riding to the staging area. SAFETY: Please be considerate of others. Also, communicate with each other and use signals for the cars. This is a slow-paced ride with sudden stops and children everywhere.