Conference noted::bicycle

    How far out into the Berkshires are you considering?  The 600Km brevet
    for BMB went from Hanscom field out to Pittsfield and back. 
    Participate had 40 hours (wall time, continuous moving clock) to
    complete the ride.
    
    For the most part, I would say that Route 2 is out.  Decide if you are
    going to around the North or South end of the Quabbin, and find out
    where you are going to cross the Connecticut River.  Most likely you'll
    take some combination of Routes 117 & 62 to get to Barre.  From there
    the route will depend on which way you go around the Quabbin.
    
    Rich

    Thanks Rich!  That's a good start.  We would be going North of the
    Quabbin so looking at a map, it looks like we would be taking Rt.32/122
    but that's where we get stuck again.  Route 32/122 then merges into Rt.
    2.  Is Rt. 2 O.K. trafficwise from Athol to Shelbourne Falls?  From
    Shelbourne Falls we can take Rt. 112 to Rt 116.
    
    	Thanks Again!

     It's 2A I believe you wan to pick up. Rte 32 does dump onto 2A.
    
     2A will connect you with Rte 202 which runs right along Quabbin
    after New Salem and into Belchertown where you can get onto Rte. 9.
    This can bring you back toward Rte 32. (I'm pretty sure they
    intersect).
    
     I've done the loop from Gardner.

    Re: .3
    
    	"2A will connect you with Rte 202 which runs right along Quabbin
    	after New Salem and into Belchertown where you can get onto Rte. 9.
    	This can bring you back toward Rte 32. (I'm pretty sure they
    	intersect)."
    
    Yes, but they were asking about getting to the Berkshires, not about
    making a complete loop around the Quabbin reservoir.
    
Lew Lasher

     Rte 2A will get you to Rte 202... I believe 2A doubles with other
    smaller Rtes. (e.g. 119?) at some points until you hit the Acton area.

    In August I rode from Shelburne Falls to Townsend Ma by taking route 2
    to the point east of Athol where route 2 becomes a divided highway. At
    that point, I followed route 2a through Gardner and Fitchburg, then
    north on route 13 to route 119 and Townsend. 
    
    The route was fine except for about 16 miles of route 2 through Erving. 
    That section is narrow, winding and heavily traveled by trailer trucks. 
    The trucks really move and often can't move over because of other traffic 
    coming in the opposite direction. At one point, a trucker waiting at road 
    construction shouted to me that I was about to die. Obviously I didn't
    die but I REALLY didn't enjoy riding that section. 
    
    If I were to ride to Shelburne falls, I'd probably go north of Quabbin 
    through Amherst to Deerfield and then follow the Deerfield river to 
    Shelburne Falls. For my return route, I might take route 2 to Miller's
    Falls then go north on route 9 (I think) to Hinsdale NH. At Hindsdale
    I'd pick up route 119 that can be followed back to Concord (Ma.).
     
    Jack 
       

    Re: .6
    
    	"... take route 2 to Miller's Falls then go north on route 9
    	(I think) to Hinsdale NH. At Hindsdale I'd pick up route 119 that
    	can be followed back to Concord (Ma.)."
    
    From Millers Falls, Massachusetts to Hinsdale, New Hampshire is route
    63.  A shortcut to 119 east is Route 10.
    
Lew Lasher

    I suppose it depends on where in the Berkshires you want to go as well
    as how far your group wants to travel per day and in total.
    
    I have been told that Route 116 through Plainfield has been repaved
    so that would be a nice route if you circled the Quabbin either North
    or South to get to it and that would avoid much of Rt 2 and 2A.
    
    ed

>    I suppose it depends on where in the Berkshires you want to go as well
>    as how far your group wants to travel per day and in total.

yes, this is what i was going to ask. i am from berkshire county which is a 
beautiful section of massachusetts.

i can suggest a few approaches to northern berkshire county. they are rt 2 from
greenfield, rt 116 from amherst or rt 9 from northhampton.

rt 9 from northhampton is an excellent biking road. it's nothing like rt 9 in
metro boston. it's a two lane road with *really* wide shoulders and gentle hills
(by berkshire county standards). it isn't particularly scenic though.

both rt 2 and rt 116 rides are more hilly. rt 116 has more constant rolling
hills with a few long ones and rt 2 is more varied. on rt 2 you climb for a mile
out of greenfield then it's rolling hills and some false flats to charlemont and
then you hit the mohawk trail. the climb up the trail is 5 to 8 miles depending
on where you say it starts. it starts gradually for the first few miles in
charlemont and then rises sharply.

if you choose to use rt 2 beware of a stretch east of greenfield where the rt
goes onto I-91 for a short distance. there's a way to get around this stretch.
going west on rt 2. you'll cross the CT. river and then come to a light where
you want to take the alternate rt (rt 2a) into greenfield and then cut over to
rt 2 at "the rotary". rt 2a goes directly from that light to the rotary with rt
2. 

karol

ps. if your destination is the berkshires there is no way to avoid hills. the
easiest way in that i can think of is rt 9.

    Thanks for all the advice so far!
    
    The ultimate destination is in the Hawley area.  I'm not sure exactly
    where in that area.  My friend made the house arrangements.  We were 
    estimating it would be around 100 miles and we planned to do it in 
    one day.  We're driving back on Sunday/Monday!
    
    	Thanks Again!