Challenge Ride

If you are up to it, this is your chance to ride mega miles, or just spend the day socializing. How you spend the day is entirely up to you. Some opt for riding 24 hours, others just part of it, still others come just for the party. This is the club's annual picnic/ride held at Farmington Town Park in where else?... Farmington. The park sits in the middle of a figure eight loop, with each loop being 25 miles. This way you are never more than 12.5 miles from the start (or finish depending on how tired you are). What better way to challenge yourself to ride farther than you ever have before without getting too far out and wondering how you are going to make it back? After each loop there will always be food, beverages and encouragement waiting.

For night time riding, lights are a must, and reflective gear is recommended as well. For safety reasons, everyone must ride the night loop after dark which is only 12.5 miles. This not only makes it easier to keep track of where everyone is, but the route is set up entirely with right hand turns and only crosses one major intersection. This loop is often used during the day as well for families not wanting to ride the longer loops. All the loops except the night loop can be ridden in either direction.

Riding starts as early as 7am and continues for 24 hours rain or shine if there are willing bodies. We ask that everyone bring a dish to pass (beverages and tableware provided). The ride is not supported other than with encouragement, except at night when a "chase" car drives the route to make sure everyone is accounted for.

With special permission from the town of Farmington, the event has always been offered as a 24 hour event, except for the year one of our members was killed by a drunk driver while riding north of Albany in an ultra marathon event. In memory of him and his love of ultra marathoning, the event was renamed and is officially known as the Andrew Spiller Memorial Challenge ride.