Anyone bike commute from North Shore of Boston?

[moose8]

Last year I move to the suburbs after 15 years of city living (and using a bike as my primary mode of transport) and now I just ride to the train station in the morning. I'm trying to figure out if bike commuting the whole way a few times a week might be a possibility, but I can't figure out a good route that's not traffic laden.

I was wondering if anyone here has encountered this commute before and might be able to offer pointers. I'd be coming from around the Hamilton/Wenham line (and that's the train stop I normally take).

Thanks

[OtayBW]

Oh boy...I lived in MA for 10 years, though not with a commute to Boston. Still, at first glance, I can't even imagine how you do a commute from the North Shore (the North END maybe...HAR!). I'll be interested to hear the responses.

[blindwilly]

i know there is a MUP that goes from revere to malden but you would most likely be going out of your way and there is still plenty of traffic to contend with getting to and from the trail.

[fmradio516]

Ive ridden from the city up to Ipswich a few times. Rt 1A most of the way. You go through revere beach and whatnot right outside the city. Really nice ride. Love doing it. Would be fine to commute on that.

[Babrassiler]

When I lived in Beverly I regularly bike commuted to Cambridge. I more or less followed the google maps route, except I went through Charlestown and over the pedestrian bridge that comes out by the EF building. The first section of the Northern Strand trail is gravel and isn’t the most direct route. The second section is paved, avoids the hills in Everett but has quite a few intersections that are dangerous.

[moose8]

Ive ridden from the city up to Ipswich a few times. Rt 1A most of the way. You go through revere beach and whatnot right outside the city. Really nice ride. Love doing it. Would be fine to commute on that.

You are braver than me. I had no problem biking all over the city but 1A is something else - I live off it and the cars go fast and careless and there are a lot of pull ins and outs for gas stations/stores/etc. Some guy crossed a double yellow line while looking for his tablet on the passenger seat and totaled my car and messed up my back. All I kept thinking is if I’d been on a bike the jerk would have killed me. So no 1A for me.

I’m thinking there just may not be a route I’m comfortable with.

[fmradio516]

You are braver than me. I had no problem biking all over the city but 1A is something else - I live off it and the cars go fast and careless and there are a lot of pull ins and outs for gas stations/stores/etc. Some guy crossed a double yellow line while looking for his tablet on the passenger seat and totaled my car and messed up my back. All I kept thinking is if I’d been on a bike the jerk would have killed me. So no 1A for me.

I’m thinking there just may not be a route I’m comfortable with.

Route 1 is different than 1A. Much different :)

I wouldnt even think about riding on 1. Thats a scary thought. 1A is actually really nice. Super long, empty roads. Lots to see, too.

[moose8]

Route 1 is different than 1A. Much different :)

I wouldnt even think about riding on 1. Thats a scary thought. 1A is actually really nice. Super long, empty roads. Lots to see, too.

I'm talking route 1A where I live. In no way is it a safe biking road. Other sections may be, but certainly not the stretch from Beverly to Ipswich on a weekday - while there are shoulders, car drift into them all the time and move very fast and there are a ton of people constantly pulling out onto it. I had a head on collision on 1A and on a bike I would have been dead through no fault of my own so I may be a bit sensitive to it. I am not familiar with any of it south of Beverly though. Route 1 would fall under an absolute never no go.

[fmradio516]

I'm talking route 1A where I live. In no way is it a safe biking road. Other sections may be, but certainly not the stretch from Beverly to Ipswich on a weekday - while there are shoulders, car drift into them all the time and move very fast and there are a ton of people constantly pulling out onto it. I had a head on collision on 1A and on a bike I would have been dead through no fault of my own so I may be a bit sensitive to it. I am not familiar with any of it south of Beverly though. Route 1 would fall under an absolute never no go.



I guess I've never ridden through on a week day. Or maybe I'm just accustomed to commuting in downtown Boston everyday during rush hour. Everywhere else seems great to me.


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[moose8]

I guess I've never ridden through on a week day. Or maybe I'm just accustomed to commuting in downtown Boston everyday during rush hour. Everywhere else seems great to me.


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Commuted through downtown boston for probably at least 11 years by bike in addition to using my bike for everything else - vehicles aren't going 50mph regularly which makes everything seem much more high stakes. I feel like boston as a city for biking isn't as bad as everyone thinks it may be, but you have to be comfortable being pretty aggressive and taking lanes and the like where appropriate - I found it absolutely brutal the first couple of years and had a few close calls, but fortunately nothing serious and for the most part preventable had I been riding more defensively. Suburbs are something else with everyone on their phones and driving much faster.