Ride Information
Start Location: Pilgrim Monument, 1 High Pole Rd, Provincetown, MA. (Up on the hill overlooking the docks where the ferry arrives.)
Finish Location: Ted’s House in Providence, RI
Start Time: FRIDAY, August 28th, at 8 pm.
Length: 200k/125.1 miles
Time Limit: 200k: 13.5 hours
Lights & Reflective Gear: Required
Ride Leader: Ted
Sanctioning: ACP
Cue Sheet: See RWGPS
Online Map/GPS: Route on RWGPS
Registration: Registration on BikeReg
What is Unique about this ride: This ride is a one way night ride, under a full moon, from Provincetown, MA to Providence, RI. The ride is designed to avoid Cape Cod’s daytime traffic, and take advantage of cool evenings, bike paths and back roads. When you finish at my home in Providence there will be a big breakfast awaiting you. Are you in need of an August night time 200k to get ready for PBP 2027? Cape Cod should not be as cold as the coast of Brittany…
Route description: The ride leaves the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown starting along Cape Cod Bay, and then switching over to the Atlantic Ocean side. Next comes the inland portion of Cape Cod traveling the scrub woods and ponds along the Cape Cod Rail Trail. After the first control you will have the rollers of the Service Road leading to Sagamore and the crossing of the Cape Cod Canal via the Sagamore Bridge. The Cape Cod Canal path brings you to the town of Buzzards Bay, and the towns of Onset and Wareham. When you depart Wareham you head inland for the flat lands, woods and ponds that brings you to the Taunton River. There is 20 more miles of back roads that brings you to the final river crossing of the Seekonk River before you finish at my home and have a big breakfast.
Logistics about this ride: The start and finish are 200k apart from each other, so you need a plan about transport to the start, and from the finish.
Lets talk planning. There is ferry service from Boston to Provincetown (3x/day) that takes bicycles. There is MBTA commuter rail from Providence to Boston (Providence/Stoughton Line, roughly every 2 hours) that takes bicycles.
If your transport plan does not use a car then you will most likely take the Friday Ferry to the start, and after finishing the 200k you will take MBTA commuter rail back to Boston (or ride approximately 100k back to Boston).
If your transport plan is driving to the start (Provincetown) then you will most likely do the ride, then take the MBTA Commuter Rail back to Boston Saturday and then the Saturday Ferry to Provincetown to get back to your car.
If your transport plan is driving to the finish (Providence) then you will drive to the finish, park your car, take MBTA Commuter Rail to Boston, bicycle to the Seaport, Take the Friday Ferry to Provincetown, and bicycle to the start. When you finish the ride you will be where you parked your car
If your plan involves ferry service I highly recommend making a reservation in advance with Bay State Cruise Company – Provincetown Fast Ferry service.
Riders taking the ferry to the start should book tickets ahead of time, as tickets (and bicycle spots) can fill up. The 5:30 fast ferry from Boston (arrives P-town at 7:05 is the one that shoud get you there in good time for the start). Boston-based riders can then take the MBTA back to town. (Note: MBTA trains allow bikes on all trains on Saturday; if starting from Providence and taking the T to the ferry, make sure to take a train before the Friday evening rush hour bike restrictions apply.)