KING’S TOUR OF THE QUABBIN 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What time and where do we start?
A: Check-in opens at 6:45 a.m. at Hardwick Winery, 3305 Greenwich Rd., Hardwick, MA. We will not have group starts. Roll out whenever you are ready. Suggested start times are 7-8 a.m. for the road century and the Gravel Loop, and 8-9 a.m. for the road metric and Little Gravel.
Q: Will there be arrows or signs?
A: No, except for right at the beginning. Take a cue sheet at check-in, and/or use the following GPS routes. Our cue sheets have more info than the ridewithgps-generated cues, which don’t tell you where the rest stops are. Our cue sheets also have phone numbers for our crew, should you run into trouble. Plus, for the road routes, an inset map of the Quabbin Reservation, where the park roads get a little tricky, will show you how to get across Goodnough Dike, then up to the tower, and then down to Winsor Dam and the visitor center.
Road metric (64 miles, 4936 feet of climbing)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42382528
Rest stops at mile 28 (Rt. 202 in Pelham) and mile 48 (Petersham Common)
Road century (101 miles, 6225 feet of climbing)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42382603
Rest stops at mile 28 (Rt. 202 in Pelham), mile 58 (Leverett Village Co-op & Harvest Festival – you’ll get a $5 credit to spend here), and mile 85 (Petersham Common)
Gravel Loop (77 miles, 5992 feet of climbing)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/47076480
Rest stops at mile 29 (Rt. 202 in Pelham) and mile 60 (Petersham Common)
Little Gravel – hard finish (45 miles, 3420 feet of climbing)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48326584
Rest stop at mile 29 (Petersham Common)
Little Gravel – easy finish (43 miles, 3113 feet of climbing)
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44865808
Rest stop at mile 29 (Petersham Common)
Note that Little Gravel hard and easy routes are the same until about mile 40.
Also, we think RideWithGPS underestimates how much of the gravel routes are unpaved.
Q: What kind of tires should I have for the gravel route?
A: On a gravel or cross bike, 38mm to 50mm tires will be very good. Steve, the ride co-coordinator, rode the gravel routes just fine on 40mm. You could even go down to 32mm gravel tires if you’re a skilled rider. A light hardtail mountain bike with fast rolling tires will also do the trick.
Q: My buddies are procrastinators and might miss the deadline to register online. Can they still do the ride?
A: Yes. Riders can sign up at the start for $60 ($50 for Seven Hills Wheelmen members). Cash, credit cards, checks payable to Seven Hills Wheelmen, and PayPal payments will be accepted. Online registration is open until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. Pre-reg helps our crew get the right amount of food and drink, and it gets you all this important info to read BEFORE the ride.
Q: What do I need at check-in?
A: Please tell us the license plate number of the vehicle you arrived in, or at least the color, make & model. Checking the remaining cars toward the end of the day is one way we tell who hasn’t come back yet.
If you didn’t preregister, you’ll be asked to pay $50 (7HW members) or $60 (nonmembers) and to sign a liability waiver.
If you preregistered, we don’t need your online receipt.
Q: I signed up for the long route but might change my mind. Is that OK? When do I have to decide?
A: It’s no problem to change routes. We just ask that when you reach the next rest stop, you inform the staff. The two road routes are the same up to mile 28 (Pelham rest stop). The long and short gravel routes are the same up to mile 29 (Petersham Common). On the Little Gravel route, you decide at about mile 40 whether to do the hard finish or the easy finish.
Q: What if it rains?
A: Everyone gets wet. We cannot get the venue and muster all the volunteers for a rain date, so we deal with Mother Nature as best we can. Of course the weather may vary in the vast territory that our ride covers, and may change in a minute.
Q: What’s the pace?
A: You decide. It’s not a race.
Q: Will my cellphone work out there?
A: Not everywhere. It will work in certain places. Better to have it than not. The cue sheets will have phone numbers for our support crew.
Q: Do I have to check out at the finish?
A: Yes, you must. See the person with the clipboard at the finish and make sure we know you made it back. If some people don’t check out, how will our crew know when it’s OK to pack up and leave?
Q: What if I’m still on the road or trail at 5 p.m.?
A: Please call the HQ or Support number on your cue sheet at 5 p.m. if you’re not back at the winery. Otherwise we will send out a search party. If you’re doing OK and want to finish on your own two wheels, that’s fine, we just need to know.
Q: I loved the ride last time! Are the highlights still the same?
A: Yes and no. In addition to the Quabbin Reservoir itself, you’ll see plenty of lush forest, bucolic countryside and quaint New England towns, but you won’t see a covered bridge. Road riders will cross Goodnough Dike and climb to the Quabbin tower. The road metric century goes all the way around Quabbin Reservoir — which involves a long, roller-coaster stretch of Route 202. Road century riders will get great views of the Connecticut River from Mount Sugarloaf in Deerfield. The gravel routes are different from last year, in order to avoid DCR trails; they do not go to the Quabbin tower.
Q: What kind of food and drink will there be?
A: Bananas, Fig Newtons, granola bars, pretzels, that sort of thing, plus Gatorade and water. If you’re fussy, BYO. At the finish we’ll have more snacks, and you will get a drink voucher good for use that day at Hardwick Winery, which will be open until 6:00. We expect the Fry'd Guys food truck at the finish.
Q: My question isn’t answered here, nor at sevenhillswheelmen.org. Who can I hassle?
A: See Steve, Christine, Lynne, or any of the other Seven Hills Wheelmen volunteers at the ride start. We don’t recommend that you call or e-mail between now and ride day, as our crew is very busy getting everything ready for the ride.
Q: If I’m really tired or hurting, is there a shortcut?
A: Not on the long gravel route or the road metric. On the Little Gravel routes, about mile 40, you can choose a hard finish or an easy finish. On the road century, you could skip Mount Sugarloaf and shave about 3.5 miles and more than 400 feet of climbing. To do this, turn right at the traffic light at mile 42.6 in Sunderland instead of going straight (in other words, do not cross the Connecticut River), and go 0.6 miles to the next turn, which is: Bear left onto Falls Road.
Q: Can I shower and change clothes at the finish?
A: Shower, no — unless you bring a sun shower and can wash up in the parking area without committing indecent exposure. Hardwick Winery has bathrooms, open until 6 p.m.
Q: Can you recommend a restaurant on our way home?
A: There aren’t many places on the way to I-190 or I-290. Two casual places that we think will be open are:
Val’s Restaurant at 75 Reservoir St. (Route 31), Holden: Turn right from Route 122A onto Route 31 at the light at the Mobil station, go 0.2 mile, and Val’s will be in a little plaza on your right.
Stone Cow Brewery, 500B West St. (Route 122), Barre. Plenty of outdoor dining space. They typically have BBQ on the weekends in addition to pizza, burgers, fries, salads, and so forth. And beer.
Q: Why is it called the King’s Tour?
A: Dick Avery, the rider from Seven Hills Wheelmen who led a ride around the Quabbin in 1989 or so, was nicknamed the King. Actually, the Pole King, from his days installing and climbing telephone poles for the phone company and installing the lights on the ski slopes at Wachusett Mountain. Dick died in 2019, and we miss him.
Q: The Quabbin Reservoir is amazing. Where can I learn more about it?
A: The visitor center next to Winsor Dam is a good start. Even if you can only stop for five minutes during the bike ride, it’s worth poking your head in the front door to see the display on where the water goes. The Friends of Quabbin website offers lots of info, pictures and resources, including a book list.
Q: How can I join Seven Hills Wheelmen?
A: For $25 per household, you get advance notice of rides, discounts at area bike shops, $10 off the King’s Tour of the Quabbin, and fun, fitness, and camaraderie. Join the club or renew your membership Oct. 1 or after and your membership will be good through Dec. 31, 2025.
Q: Seven Hills Wheelmen rocks! What other events do you have?
A: The George Street Bike Challenge for Major Taylor in late July is our (almost) annual fundraiser for the Major Taylor Association. It’s an uphill time trial in downtown Worcester. See how fast you can pedal up a short, steep hill that was a proving ground for 1899 world cycling champion Major Taylor, aka “the Worcester Whirlwind.” One rider at a time against the clock. At the conclusion of the contest, we raffle off a bike and other cool prizes.