Deerfield Dirt-Road Randonnee (D2R2)
Each August close to 1,500 bicyclists descend on Franklin County to participate in the nation’s largest dirt-road cycling event, the Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnée. Hosted by Franklin Land Trust (FLT), last year the ride attracted cyclists from 26 states and 5 countries. “D2R2,” as the ride has been nicknamed, offers EIGHT dirt-road courses ranging in length from a16 mile Family Ride to the 180K challenging course. All routes begin at Old Deerfield and thread through agricultural land and forests in western Massachusetts and southern Vermont. The short course has a flat run up the Green River valley, whereas the long course is regarded as perhaps the hardest century ride in the world.
Randonneuring is a vintage French format in which riders are challenged with hard courses but encouraged to keep the atmosphere social. There are no prizes, and riders start in small groups at their leisure; however, the ride is timed and many participants aim to better their time from a previous year. The randonneuring style also engenders a level of self-reliance – riders must navigate the course and perform their own repairs.The course will use the narrowest and most scenic roads available for riders.
Date and Time
Saturday Aug 19, 2017
Saturday, August 19, begins at 6:30 a.m.
Location
Begins at Mill Village Road in Deerfield.