Reading, Cavendish, Chester,

Baltimore, Weathersfield

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Very early in this route, you climb Tarbell Hill, which is a constant and challenging climb of 1.53 miles with over 500 feet of elevation gain and an average slope of 6.5% grade. Once up in the heights, however, it is a steady up and down, mostly down, until you reach mile 14, where you begin to climb, and climb, and climb some more. Then it is a screeching down, and lowland hills before coming back to start.

At the beginning of this ride, Tarbell Hill twists back and forth on gravel following the brook. On East Road, itflattens out on a wide gravel road. Given the elevation of about 1,000 feet, you get decent scenery to the south.

At Cavandish Center you head south, still on gravel, and downhill. You switch roads a
couple times before ending up in Cavandish village at the Town office and Route 131. Cross
Route 131 and head down Cavandish Gulf Road. This is a nice gravel road in the bottom of a gulf. It rides at times next to the stream, and crosses the railroad tracks a few time along the way with lovely forest and stream views.

That brings you to VT Route 103, and you head south downhill to Gassetts village on pavement. You take a left on VT Route 10 (paved), to a left on Chandler Road. This is where the down hill ends and you begin climbing and you continue climbing for almost 5 miles.

The scenery is good in this section, beautiful stone walls, a mixture of residences including a stone house now and then. You get more views to the east as you get higher. Harris Road ends, you are on Baltimore road until it goes right and Graves Road goes straight.

Baltimore and Graves has some nice scenery, you are at high elevation getting a few views. Graves Road is a class 4 and drops 600 feet in elevation in a short distance. Graves turns into Quarry Road and continues to Route 106 in Perkinsville.

In Perkinsville you can take Upper Falls road along the Black River, north to a covered bridge that
gets you across the river to Route 131. That’s the end of the gravel. You have to ride pavement
back to the bottom of Tarbell Hill. There is a store on the corner of 131 and 106.

Strava says the ride is 24% paved, 46% gravel and 20% unspecified. I would say the breakout is more like 24% paved, 70% gravel and 6% class 4. Even with the paved sections I rate this a great ride.