Be sure to add Sunday, October 1st to your calendar, and cross the Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride off of your biking bucket list!

Now in its 17th year, the Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride traverses the most beautiful landscapes on the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Its 100-mile, 75-mile, and 35-mile overlapping cycling routes wind past the coastal farmlands of Little Compton, windswept beaches of Westport and Dartmouth, iconic bike paths and cranberry bogs of Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. Enjoy lunch provided by local food trucks at Eastover Farm, then head over the Bourne Bridge to the picturesque Shining Sea Bikeway and celebrate at the Woods Hole Finish Line Party.

You’ll also be helping to protect each beautiful sight you ride past; funds raised from the Watershed Ride go directly towards the Buzzards Bay Coalition’s efforts to protect and preserve the bay and its watershed.

The Watershed Ride is not timed, and is welcoming to elite cyclists and recreational riders alike – it is meant to bring our community together for a worthy cause and to enjoy our bay in a whole new way.

Register to ride by clicking here, and then, it’s time to train. If you’d like to preview some of the most beautiful sections of the Ride before October 1st, we’ve created 4 scenic training routes to showcase the course:

1. Phoenix Bike Trail – (4.5 miles one way) Beginning at the parking area on Main Street, take the bike path through residential neighborhoods to busy Sconticut Neck Road. There’s a traffic signal and marked crosswalk here, but please take caution when crossing the road. The bike path continues past homes, farms, and forest to the Mattapoisett town line, where it transitions into the Mattapoisett Rail Trail. If you’d like to tack on an extra 3.5 miles, you can celebrate with a treat from Oxford Creamery! More info
2. Shining Sea Bikeway – (10.7 miles one way) This paved, multi-use trail is more than simply a place to go bicycling, running, and rollerblading – it’s a gateway to hidden views of Cape Cod’s shining seas, from the harbors and salt marshes of Buzzards Bay to the sand and surf of Vineyard Sound. More info
3. Buzzards Bay Brewing Loop – (13.5 miles round trip) Start and end your ride at Buzzards Bay Brewing. Enjoy coastal views at Horseneck Beach State Reservation, and sneak a preview of the Watershed Ride 75-mile start line. Insider tip – plan to arrive back at the brewery in time for their weekly live music to round out your ride! More info
4. Rise and Ride Route – (26.2 miles round trip) Fuel up for your ride at Coastal Roasters coffee shop, then coast by stunning waterfront views of Rhode Island toward Sakonnet Point, the start line for the Watershed Ride’s 100-mile course. More Info