Great River Ride 2025
GRR 2025
A Fundraiser for the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail Inc.
The Great River Ride 2025 offers great routes, great scenery, great rest stops and great post-ride gathering with entertainment.
October 12, 2025
Register for the Great River Ride at BikeReg.com The Great River Ride has been rated as "one of the best century rides in the USA" by Bicycling Magazine and the League of American Bicyclists. "Gorgeous but grueling" is Bicycling's description for what we believe is the most challenging century in New England. This is a must do event for any cyclist. Done it before? Come again, each year or two the route changes slightly offering new vistas and new challenges. Can't wait till October? Visit our Berkshire Brevet page for a series of Spring events.
For 2025 the Great River Ride will be the major fundraiser for the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail.
Choose between four road rides; , 101 miles, 85 miles,62 miles,40 miles, a 72 mile gravel ride or a 28 mile Vineyard Ride. You will encounter knee-popping hills, breathtaking views, awesome descents, and gorgeous fall foliage as you tour the hilltowns of the Eastern Berkshires. Add in miles of stone walls, waterfalls, plenty of New England white churches, loads of colonial homes, historic keystone arches, a wild and scenic river, and did I mention hills. But that's not all, we've got rest stops staffed with friendly cyclists and good food, including our famous "Baked Potato" stop on the gravel route as well as the 62, 85 and 108 mile route.
The Westfield River, the Great River in the river ride, is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River. The GRR long routes wander the course of this scenic river as well as portions of Historic Route 20 to give you a unique cycling experience.
The GRR Gravel Route is a mix of pavement, gravel, dirt and seasonal roads that we’ve enjoyed fall riding on for over 50 years. The 72 mile route has several gravel/dirt sections for 40% of the total route. The route will take you through the remote Knightville Basin and Chesterfield Gorge with stunning vistas along the East Branch of the Westfield River. You’ll pass through the Knightville Meadows, the Rainbow Pool, the Little Gorge and the Chesterfield Gorge on your ride. Most climbs are paved but Thayer Rd. is a moderately difficult climb of 1.4 miles on dirt ranging from 10% to 7%. A long descent to River Rd. follows a seasonal road with some steep downgrades. The final gravel climb up Maynard Rd. has grades up to 18%. Be prepared to handle mechanical problems, and flats, cell phone coverage is limited.. Several miles of the route follows a gated road closed to motor vehicles. Tire widths of 38mm or wider are recommended. Fallen leaves will hide loose and bony surfaces, so caution on descents is advised.
The 28 mile Vineyard Ride and the 40mile road ride utilizes the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail and the New Haven/Northampton Canal Trail to visit the Brignole Vineyard for a snack stop (wine will be available for purchase).
2025 Notes updated 10-9-2025
Dear Riders,
Thank you for registering for the 2025 Great River ride. Final cues and GPS files , route maps and elevation profiles are attached for download to your GPS device. Printed cue sheets will be available at registration check-in. If you choose to change your ride distance you can do this at registration sign-in the morning of the event.
Start times for the various routes are listed. If you choose to start early you will likely arrive at a rest stop before it is staffed.
Recommended Start Times
RUSA 200K 6:00 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52948637
100 mile 7:00 - 8:00 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52945080
Gravel 7:30 - 8:30 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52938170
80 mile 8:30 - 9:30 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52955922
Metric 62 mile 8:30 - 9:30 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52948141
40 mile 10:30 - 11:30 AM https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52914984
Bike Trail Vineyard 11:00 - Noon Two files
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52881384 & https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52881368
Please be aware long distance routes have significant changes from past years due to extensive road construction which includes deep surface reconstruction on previous year’s routes. Our goal is to provide a safe cycling experience while retaining the characteristics that have made the GRR an outstanding event. While we needed to remove River Road from our routes this year, all long distance road routes will have the famed Jacob’s Ladder descent and the well liked baked potato stop.
We recommend all riders carry a spare tube and inflation device. Be prepared for the possibility of rain and chilly start temperatures. We recommend a headlight and tail light in case of a foggy start and/or rain.
Routes are marked but open to traffic. All are fully paved with the exception of the Gravel route. The RUSA 200K is not marked. You are required to obey all Mass. traffic laws. Helmets are required. RUSA 200K riders are required to have headlights, tail lights, reflective wear and reflective ankle bands. Please use care on descents and control your speed, you may experience wet leaves and rough road sections. The RUSA 200K, 100 mile, 85 mile and Gravel routes have bailout points to shorten the ride if necessary.
Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday,
Don & Mary New Horizons Bikes
Route
The GRR is a recreational ride on hilly and winding roads. Riders of all ages and abilities are welcome.
34 x 28 is recommended but strong cyclists will find a 39 x 23 adequate.
2025 Cue and GPS files
2025 200K Brevet https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52948637
2025 GRR Century https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52945080
2025 GRR 80 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52955922
2025 GRR Metric https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52948141
2025 GRR Gravel https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52938170
2025 GRR 40 mile 2025 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52914984
2025 GRR Vineyard Ride 28 miles
outbound Part 1 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52881384
Inbound Part 2 https://ridewithgps.com/routes/52881368
https://www.bikereg.com/great-river-ride
benefits the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail
Location
Sons of Erin , William St., Westfield, MA
Directions to the GRR start:
From the Mass. Pike I - 90, Take exit 41 formerly exit 3, Right on to Rte. 202/10 South for 2 miles, immediately over Great River Bridge take a Left on to Meadow St., 0.4 miles Left into Sons of Erin Parking.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sons+of+Erin/@42.12441,-72.73955,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x5d1a507a0806c388