Aeolian Harp 200km-Aug 8, 2026

Start Location: Dunkin Donut, 44 Main St., Lincoln, NH
Start Time: 7am
Length: 200k (125mi)
Time Limit: 13.5 hours
Lights & Reflective Gear: Required. Sunset is just before the time cutoff at 8:00pm, and we ask all riders to be carrying a reflective sash or vest, reflective ankle bands, and front and rear lights, even if you expect to finish much earlier.
Ride Leader:  Roger Hillas
Sanctioning: ACP
Cue Sheet: See RWGPS Link Below
Online Map/GPS: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/54197277
Registration: To Be Updated

Route Description

Aeolian Harp starts from the Dunkin’ at 44 Main Street in Lincoln NH at 07:00. The store itself opens at 05:00, so you’ll have plenty of time to get your Dunkin’ on before you start.

Watch out for the two sets of train tracks just after the start, the second set diagonal and dangerous. Otherwise, it’s all downhill . . . for the first mile. The climbing starts slowly as you cross US 3 in Woodstock, then gets harder as you turn left onto NH 118 and ascend Gonzo Pass. The pass is stepped, so you gets some moments of respite on the way up, but it tops out at 2,535′, close to 1,600′ feet above where you started.

Be careful descending the other side. The pavement is good, except at the top, but the grades are steep and there are some decreasing radius turns midway down.

A mellow section that traces the Baker River downstream from Warren to Wentworth passes the AppleKnockers control at mile 18.0. This is a good chance to take a nature break, if you need one, or to top up on supplies.

At mile 21.2, you’ll turn right onto NH 25A, the Meldrim Thomson Scenic Highway. The road climbs past ponds and summer camps to the shoulder of Mt. Cube. Don’t miss the right turn onto scenic Dame Hill Road at mile 30.9. A quick climb up the eponymous hill and you’ll be able to coast much of the way to the Connecticut River town of Orford. After you turn right on NH 10 at mile 35.2, be sure to look to your right and take in Orford Ridge, a set of seven houses built between 1773 and 1839 in the style of Charles Bullfinch.

A quick trip across the Connecticut River takes you to Fairlee VT just before mile 36. You’ll have several food options here, from coffee shop to country store to Wing’s Supermarket as you leave town. There won’t be any resupply points for the next twenty miles, so if in doubt fuel up in Fairlee.

Another mellow section down the Connecticut River Valley is followed at mile 44.3 by a short, sharp climb up to Thetford Hill, an equally sharp descent to Thetford Center, and then another sharp climb and descent that leads to Rices Mill.

From there you’ll climb, gradually at first, through South Strafford and Strafford. If you’re running out of gas, be sure to stop at Coburn’s Store (mile 53.4) before the climbing gets steep. The descent from mile 60.4, where the climb tops out, to Tunbridge, home of the World’s Fair, is straightforward but relative steep, so take care.

Tunbridge General Store at mile 64.4 is a good choice if you want a sit-down lunch. It has a deli and old posters from the Fair in additional to the usual general store stuff. From Tunbridge, you’ll ride up the White River Valley to Chelsea before turning east to undertake the climb, steep at first but leveling out at the top, to Vershire Heights. Near the bottom of the climb you’ll pass on your right Densmore Road, where Ward McCain’s Aeolian (Wind) Harp was originally located.

On a ride that has many scenic attractions, the segment from Vershire Heights to South Corinth particularly stands out, perhaps because it tends downwards and will give you an opportunity to look around and enjoy what you are doing.

The traffic on Waits River Road (VT 25) from mile 88.4 to 92.7 is fast moving, but you’ll be riding downhill with a decent margin, so it shouldn’t bother you too much.

The open control in Bradford (mile 93.8) is your last change to resupply, other than a convenience store off route in North Haverhill NH at mile 103. From Bradford, the route heads north on US 5. How much traffic there is will depend on whether the parallel section of Interstate 91 is closed, as it was in 2025 for bridge repair and cliff stabilization.

Just after mile 100, you’ll take the mild river crossing at Newbury and then head north on NH 10. Like US 5, NH 10 has fast-moving traffic but normally not too much of it. The margins are narrower than they were on US 5, so keep your wits about you.

When you turn right onto Benton Road (NH 116) at North Haverhill, you will be mostly done with traffic. You’ll climb slowly but steadily from there to past Benton, then descend briefly before turning right on NH 112 and starting the final climb up Kinsman Notch the easy way. As that climb tops out, be sure to take in the magical late afternoon scene, with Beaver Pond and the lower flank of Mt. Moosilauke on your right and the Cannon Range on your left.

A screaming descent–watch out for random pedestrians and traffic at the Lost River Campground (mile 122.4)–leads to a rolling section to Woodstock. Enjoy the chance to rest from your exertion, but then keep your wits about you as you climb through the chaotic late-afternoon traffic in Lincoln to finish under the old Loon Mt. gondola car at Lahout’s.