TOSREC 2008

This Wednesday was the 3rd annual TOSREC.

In short: 7am Orient Pt to New London Ferry, start and end at New London, Ferry Dock. 169km / 2250hm.

Day of Ride Report:

4:30am Alarm!
4:40am..... time to get up and prepare&eat breakfast (no pre-ride secrets here) and get that bathroom business done. Py made one spare take along for the ferry sandwich. The bike and stuff was already pre-packed into the car. Filling up water bottles. Almost time, getting dressed up. A nice comfortable perfect ride day was expected.
5:30 take off to Orient Point - dark, not much going on.
6:28 arrival at the Ferry dock, OP.
... getting tickets, seams more expensive then in memories, but could be wrong. They also charge a bit for the bike, Argggg.
... the usual riders were almost all showing up at the same time at the ticket counter that early and well in time.
about 6:45 getting out the bike, putting bike shoes on, checking accessories, camera, etc...
... ready to board, they walk on the ferry boat and park the bikes.

close to departure, gates to the ferry ramp already closed, one or two expected riders still missing... but just shortly to departure, they made it last minute.

7:0? departure and sun rise. A smooth ride to New London. They occupied one just perfect fitting room on the boat and had some coffee. About 1h20 later

8:20 arrival in New London and roll off...

Slowly moving out of the dock aera towards the big bridge, a winding trail brings them up to the side path on the bridge and over, some jams due to two-way bike and other traffic on this narrow walk/ride way. Finally on the other side 'en route they warmed up and started moving North hitting and following scenic route 49. Short restroom(tree) stop at km 45, proceeding on 49 taking 12 to Plainfield and stopping at the Dunkin' in Canterbury for a Coffee/water refill at km 68 -- Py took a good number of long pulls. Here a few of the group

cut the route short while the others and Py proceeded little more North on 169, little less than last year, but instead followed the really great and very scenic zero traffic minor North Society Road until end, left into Windham and going little too far on Brooklyn Turnpike, back tracking, taking Pinch Rd to 97.

Looking at the map now, it would have been also possible to proceed from where they had been, may be next time a variation via end of Brooklyn, right on Back Rd, short section on 14 and 203 to Jerusalem Rd, following to Station and Waldo back on 97 or also checking out Decker Hill Rd?
Looks like this area has many many options of minor roads to offer (and get lost).

A few more nice smooth winding roads countless up and downs... but see the map below for details. At km 118 lunch stop. The 3pm ferry seam unreachable, so there is plenty of time for lunch, as the next boat is departing at 5pm. Py got a bowl of pasta -- came just right, Wednesday is Spaghetti day at this place :-)


View Larger Map

From there an easy ride back. With 169km the group rolled back on the ferry dock.

Enjoy a few more photos or follow the Link below for bigger and better photo displays:

View Album

Get your own

A great day for an excellent ride. Thx to all for making this day so much enjoyable!