Cycling in Boston

[nroche31]

Hello, moving to Boston in the fall to attend Boston University. Just wondering what the best shops are and how the riding is in and around Boston. I assume there are some great routes along the coast? thanks for any suggestions!

[sweet_johnny]

Congrats on attending BU! I just wrapped up my Masters in Education there and it was a great experience.

Where are you coming from? Knowing where are you moving from might help me compare your current riding situation to Boston.

The closest bike shop to BU is probably Landry's. They're located on Comm. Ave, in the BU West area. I've only been in there once or twice, so other's can comment how service, etc.

As for riding, I think you're going to be hard pressed to find a nice ride along the coast in the Boston area. The general consensus is that the good riding from Boston is west and north. The traffic starts to mellow out around Newton, Watertown, Waltham, and Belmont. Generally speaking, anything west of I-95 and you're fine.

I'd be surprised if BU doesn't have a cycling team or club. First thing I'd do is find out who rides at BU and when they ride. My cycling friends from ASU are my best friends and I look back on the memories of group rides stopping by my house to get my hungover ass out for a ride very fondly.

[EPIC! Stratton]

I've lived in Boston since Aug '07 and did both my masters at BU (MTS and MPH). Work over at the BU Med campus now.

Shops: Boston and the surrounding area (Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, etc) have a wealth of excellent bike shops ranging from your small 1-2 person "Mom and Pop" shop, to a the local chain, to corporate stores. It all comes down to what's convenient to where you live, and what you're looking for. Each shop seems to have their own niche, albeit with some cross over. I've worked in a couple of these and helped out at others. It all comes down to what you want and who you like working with. To give you an idea, here's a list of shops ranging from smaller to larger and corporate. Not a complete.

Hub Bicycle
Somervelo
Harris Cyclery
Bicycle Belle
Ride Studio Cafe
Superb
Cambridge Bikes
Wheelworks
Landry's
Back Bay Cycling
Community Bicycle
Bikes not Bombs
Broadway Bicycle
Giant
Cannondale
REI
EMS


We also have loads of builders here (Geekhouse, Royal H, Seven, Honey, etc).

Re Riding: I prefer West and North of the city, but Southwest is some nice riding as well (Dover area). North shore is lousy up until you hit Gloucester in my opinion, and then it gets nicer. South shore is kinda lousy until Plymouth and then onto the Cape. It's easy to find a 70 mile loop were you're never more than 15-20 miles from home. Lots of group rides in the area as well (Ride Studio has them, as do a number of local clubs and teams).

[MattTuck]

I used to live near Harvard Square in Cambridge. I did a lot of riding along both sides of the river. It seemed the easiest to manage before/after work.

If you need to access the minute man trail (to get to the better riding), I'd suggest riding along the river out to Watertown center, then riding up Mt. Auburn Street, taking a left on Common Street, following it through Belmont and then heading up Park Ave (a hill) and then dropping down into Arlington to pick up the rail trail here. (http://binged.it/1Jc1cox) I'm sure there are other faster ways (like riding on Alewife Brook Parkway, etc.), but I think this way is enjoyable and doesn't have a ton of traffic save for a few spots.

[sandyrs]

I've lived in the area for a couple years now. The good riding is absolutely west and northwest of the city but you can get a decent loop through Blue Hills dead south of the city. BU isn't positioned ideally for getting out of the city to the good riding but you should be fine. BU definitely has a cycling club too. I've warmed up after a rainy race in their van.

Feel free to PM me if you have more specific questions. People in Boston have widely differing ideas about what makes a good ride (see: the Green Line Velo group ride vs. the Ride Studio Cafe ones) and based on what you're looking for I can probably recommend more specific groups to look into getting in touch with.

[br995]

Welcome to Boston. Screw you.

Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way - which shop I recommend depends on the type of cyclist you are and where you live.

Type A personality? Landry's near BU.
Grizzled, safety-vest wearing commuter and/or Champion Of Bicycle RIghts? Cambridge Bikes. In...Cambridge.
Sweet fixie tarck kid? Superb, also near BU.
Dude who does most of your own wrenching but wants a shop to order parts through? Somervelo. In...Somerville.
Guy who orders everything online but wants a local shop to get a bike for your girlfriend? Ace Wheelworks in Somerville.

There are some really incredible, really beautiful areas and some really nice roads near Boston, you just have to know how to find them. And usually it's 15-20 miles before you get to them (not so bad though if you're out for 50+ miles).

As far as ride suggestions go, Eric is spot on - north and west of the city are best (Lexington and then out from there). Look up Ride Studio Cafe and follow their emails and social media for rides to join and GPS files of good riding in the area. Avoid directly south of the city, but southwest isn't too bad near Dover (that's my go-to 40 mile loop from Somerville). Bikes Not Bombs has found some good routes over the years for their charity rides, so look those up. Same with the MassBike centuries.

If you have specific length rides in mind and want some GPX files, PM me and I can send some suggestions.

Finally, if you're interested in a local place to talk bikes and maybe (occasionally) (rarely) find social events, hit up bostonfixed.us/forum. Lots of weirdos on there and we'll haze you when you join, but a good source of local knowledge from people who love and live bikes (I'd say most don't own cars).

[nroche31]

Thank you for all the recommendations! I will be attending the College of Fine Arts at BU with an emphasis in Painting. I am moving from Dubuque, IA which is a small river town situated on the Mississippi River. There is a great mix of hilly, rolling terrain and some fantastic climbs. I will definitely have to adjust to riding in more congested, urban areas. I am still a novice and so I am hesitant to join some of the group rides however I guess I have to start somewhere. When it comes to bike shops, I prefer the smaller shops that carry more than just Trek and Giant. I frequent Cronometro and Machinery Row in Madison, WI quite often. Thanks again for all the help!