TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
Worcester, Mass.
August 2, 1998

Centuries celebrate cycling season in New England

   You don't have to worry about the year 2000 bug on your bike computer. But funny things can happen when the odometer reading for the day turns the corner from 99.9 miles to 100.
   Completing a "century" ride (100 miles in a day) has been known to produce euphoria, sore leg muscles and a bottomless hunger. The antidote is to stretch, refuel and celebrate -- you've been bitten by the century bug.
   As for the millennium bug, with the following 100-milers (and 100Ks) scheduled in New England, you could rack up 10 centuries (a "millennium"?) long before the year 2000.
   The Blazing Saddles and Tri-State Seacoast centuries give you a choice of riding Saturday or Sunday. A few of the centuries are fund-raisers, but for most you don't have to collect pledges. In some cases the entry fee includes goodies such as a T-shirt, water bottle or post-ride feast. Most centuries start at 7:30 or 8 a.m., with later starts for shorter options. These are not races.
   If a mailing address is listed, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for an entry form.
 
   Aug. 15 -- STEEPLE CHASE BIKE TOUR, 20, 50 or 100 miles, St. Mary's at Jillson Square, Jackson and Valley streets, Willimantic, Conn.; $20 to register, $25 day of event, $50 fund-raising minimum for Windham Area Interfaith Ministry and Perception Programs Inc. (ppi@neca.com), 860-450-7122.
 
   Aug. 15 -- APPLE COUNTRY CENTURY, 25, 50 100 or 100+ miles (add Middlebury and Brandon Gaps), Churchill House Inn, Route 73, Brandon, Vt.; $20, $25 day of event. Churchill House Inn (rciatt@sover.net), 802-247-3300.
 
   Aug. 29 -- Merrymeeting Wheelers' DAN MICHAUD CENTURY FOR CANCER, 50 or 100 miles, Gazebo, Maine Street, Brunswick, Maine; $20 to register, $50 fund-raising minimum for Maine Children's Cancer Program. Bob Bruce, 207-882-7206.
 
   Aug. 29 -- MAD RIVER VALLEY CENTURY, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Mad River Bike Shop, Routes 100 & 17, Waitsfield, Vt.; $30, $35 after Aug. 19. Hyde Away Inn (hydeaway@madriver.com), RR1 Box 65, Waitsfield, VT 05673, 800-777-HYDE or 802-496-2322.
 
   Aug. 29 & 30 -- North Shore Cyclists' BLAZING SADDLES CENTURY, 25, 62 or 100 miles, National Corporate Park (Salomon), Route 133, Georgetown, Mass.; $10 members, $12 nonmembers, before Aug. 22; $15 day of ride. Tony Salerno (Litespd1@aol.com), 781-289-3934.
 
   Aug. 30 -- VERNON TO VERNON, 80 or 100 miles from Vernon, Vt., to Vernon, Conn.; bus to start from Cycle Center, Route 30 Post Road Plaza, Vernon, Conn., leaves at 6:30 a.m. with bicycle loading on Aug. 29; $40 by Aug. 11. Mark Cunningham (mailto:%20MCunningham@ccc.GerberTechnology.com), Cycle Center, 860-872-7740.
 
   Sept. 12 -- NASHOBA VALLEY PEDALERS Fall Century, 25, 50, 62 or 100 miles, Metrowest YMCA Wayland Community Pool, Route 126, Wayland, Mass.; $12, $8 quarter century. NVP, 508-266-1687.
 
   Sept. 12 -- QUIET CORNER CYCLING CLASSIC, 12, 26, 50 or 100 miles, Davis Park, Route 12, Killingly, Conn.; $20, benefits Camp Quinebaug for special needs children. Peter Deary, 860-564-3238.
 
   Sept. 13 -- Leadership Dynamics' SPECIAL BIKE RIDE, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Wachusett Village Inn and Conference Center, Village Inn Road, Westminster; $25 by Sept. 1 or $50 in pledges for Special Olympics. Chris Wells (specialride@net1plus.com), 978-827-3264.
 
   Sept. 13 -- Narragansett Bay Wheelmen's THE FLATTEST CENTURY IN THE EAST, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Tiverton High School, North Brayton Road, Tiverton, R.I.; $20 NBW members, $25 nonmembers, by Aug. 23. NBW TFCE, PO Box 428, Tiverton, RI 02878. 401-435-4012.
 
   Sept. 13 -- MAINE FREEWHEELERS CENTURY, 62 or 100 miles, Maine Square Mall, Hogan Road, Bangor, Maine; $10. Maine Freewheelers, PO Box 2037, Bangor, ME 04402-2307. Harrison Clark (mhc2bgr@aol.com), 207-942-7974.
 
   Sept. 19 -- Casco Bay Bicycle Club's WHITE MOUNTAIN CENTURY, 100 miles, Covered Bridge parking lot, Kancamagus Highway (Route 112), Conway, N.H.; $15, $17 after Sept. 13. Rachel Farrington, 207-865-3950 or 207-797-5551.
 
   Sept. 19 -- OCEANSIDE BIKE FEST, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Duxbury Middle School, 131 St. George St., Duxbury, Mass.; $20 to register, $25 after Aug. 7, $50 fund-raising minimum for National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 508-291-2169.
 
   Sept. 20 -- Franklin-Hampshire Freewheelers' CONNECTICUT VALLEY CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Hadley Village Barn Shops, Route 9 and Bay Road, Hadley, Mass; $5 FHF members, $10 nonmembers. Sally Peters, 23 Gaston St., Easthampton, MA 01027, 413-527-4877.
 
   Sept. 20 -- Charles River Wheelmen's SOUHEGAN RIVER TOUR, 25, 50, 62 or 100 miles, Hart Barn Ski Touring Center, Lowell Road, Carlisle, Mass.; $8 CRW members, $10 nonmembers by Sept. 14, all $10 day of ride. Mail check to Jack Donohue (jdonohue@world.std.com), 26 Fox Run Road, Bedford, MA 01730, 781-275-3991. CRW Hotline 617-325-BIKE.
 
   Sept. 20 -- TWO FERRY METRIC CENTURY, 100 kilometers, Cycling Concepts, 825 Cromwell Ave., Rocky Hill, Conn.; $13, $15 after Sept. 15. Cheryl Parker, 860-563-6667.
 
   Sept. 26 -- Terry and Ben Classen Memorial NORTHEAST KINGDOM LAKES CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Crystal Lake State Park, Route 16, Barton, Vt.; $25, $30 after Sept. 20, benefits Orleans County Citizen Advocacy. Joan Alexander, 802-525-6212.
 
   Sept. 26 -- Stowe Bike Club's INTERNATIONAL FALL CENTURY, 62 or 100 miles, Johnson State College, Route 15, Johnson, Vt.; $25. Bill Cannon (janetbill@aol.com), 802-229-0192.
 
   Sept. 26 & 27 -- Granite State Wheelmen's TRI-STATE SEACOAST CENTURY, 25, 50, 62, 75 or 100 miles, Hampton Beach State Park, Route 1A, Hampton Beach, N.H.; $15, $20 after Sept 1. Dave Topham (DSTopham@mediaone.net), 603-898-5479.
 
   Sept. 27 -- Seven Hills Wheelmen's MAJOR TAYLOR CENTURY, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Chocksett Inn, 59 Laurelwood Road, Sterling, Mass.; $10. Lynne Tolman (LTolman@ma.ultranet.com), 508-831-0301.
 
   Sept. 27 -- Mad About Cycling's DON McCULLOCH MEMORIAL RIDE TO EAT, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Route 28, Falmouth, Mass.; $22 members, $25 nonmembers by Sept. 10. Mad About Cycling, 167 Wild Harbor Road, Falmouth, MA 02556, 888-235-2300.
 
   Oct. 4 -- Pequot Cyclists' TOUR OF EASTERN CONNECTICUT, 25, 50 or 100 miles, Groton Cyclery, 1360 Route 184, Groton, Conn.; $20 century, $25 after Sept. 20. Ray Foss (rfoss@groton.k12.ct.us), 860-376-2717.
 
   Oct. 4 -- SLATE COVERED BRIDGE CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Swanzey Town Hall, Route 32, West Swanzey, N.H.; $10, $15 after Sept. 25. Penny and Rich Rogers (rcrogers@top.monad.net), 454 Homestead Ave., West Swanzey, NH 03469, 603-352-6085.
 
   Oct. 4 -- Maine Freewheelers' CADILLAC MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Acadia National Park Visitors Center, Mount Desert Island, Maine; free. Tony and Anne Mourkas (mourkas@telplus.net), 171 Patterson Road, Hampden, ME 04444, 207-862-5990.
 
   Oct. 11 -- Northeast Sport Cyclists' GREAT RIVER RIDE, 25, 62 or 100 miles, Park Square, Westfield, Mass; $20. New Horizons, 413-562-5237.
 
   TIP OF THE HELMET -- To Paul Martin of Fraser, Colo., a newcomer to bicycle racing who won both the time trial and the road race in his category in the National Cycling Championships for the Disabled last month in Tallahassee, Fla. Martin, 31, who lost his lower left leg in an auto accident six years ago, grew up in Gardner and was an all-star goalie for Gardner High School's hockey team. He also completed the Transcontinental Triathlon for Life this year, qualified last month for the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii, and is a member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

Lynne Tolman's bicycling column archives
Lynne Tolman's home page