The Andover Cycling Club (ACC) had a great first summer. Through last spring and early summer, Drew Donaldson, Chris Grotnes, Jeremy Menard, Brian Gilman, Josh Norris, and Ryan Murphy worked together to form a youth cycling club in Andover. With the help of Tom Frantz and the Andover Recreation Committee, the club was formed for kids in the third grade and up with the goal of increasing cycling awareness, getting kids on bikes, improving riding skills, and creating opportunities for kids to have fun on their bikes.  

The ACC had an information tent and a bike raffle on the Village Green over the Fourth of July that created exposure and prompted club membership. In all, 17 Andover youth joined the club and were enrolled in a Summer Ride Program that concentrated on mountain biking.

The Summer Ride Program met on Thursday nights for five weeks, and the group worked on basic mountain biking skills, rider safety, and of course had a lot of fun. All the ACC riders improved their riding skills, and by the end of the five weeks were riding in the range of six to nine miles.

Since the completion of the Summer Ride Program, the club has met informally on Thursdays, as the coaches and riders want to continue to ride together and explore the trails of Andover and the Northern Rail Trail. This fall the club hopes to travel to places like Franklin Falls in Franklin or Highlands Mountain Bike Park in Northfield.  

For more information about the ACC or possible fall membership, contact the club at  AndoverRecCycling@nullgmail.com.