Good ride routes in southern Connecticut

[Dave M]

I’m visiting family in Westport this weekend. Looking to get in a couple 2-3 hour rides on good roads, but I don’t really know the area. Anyone have route recommendations I could load into the Garmin? Thanks!

[Jeff Weir]

Blooming Metric route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21180937

[carpediemracing]

Some specifics. If you're starting from center of town...

Head north on 57 and cut out at 136 or Lyons Plains Road. 57 is a bit busy but it's the quickest way to that 136/Lyons Plain road route out to the reservoir. If you're doing that try Lyons Plains, go middle at the 3 way fork at the north end, and ride up the west side of reservoir. It's basically uphill while going north.

Head up / over 107 or 58 to 302, then bear right when the road is sweeping up left, onto Hattertown Rd. Bear right on Poverty Hollow, a very fast winding road. it's mainly a south bound road so there's elevation loss so it's fast.

If you want to kill your legs go right on Church St, it's about the steepest hill in the area, and it puts you onto 58 if you so desire. But Poverty Hollow is a great road.

Follow it to 136, turn right, and you're back down towards main st Westport.

You can head down Main St Westport (the one way bit - you'll have to bear left to get to/across Route 1), ride through Compo Beach, follow Greens Farms Road to Bronson then Redding road. That will get you to 136. I guess if you're on the way back down from Bethel you can skip 136 and do the Bronson / Greens Farms / 136 into the center of town. Most people do the short stuff in the Compo-Sherwood-Southport order, not the other way around.

[fmradio516]

Subscribed! Im moving to Orange in a couple months and will be in need of some rides as well.

[Mr. Pink]

Blooming Metric route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21180937

Yup, pretty much.

[redir]

Head north! It's been so long since I lived there but I used to ride from Bethel to Westport on roads through Putnam and West Redding. Very beautiful there.

[redir]

Blooming Metric route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21180937

Yup that's the place.

[EDS]

Blooming Metric route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21180937

Never done this ride but it goes right by the house we are buying. Definitely need to load this into my bike computer. Thank you.

[carpediemracing]

I'll post some of the areas I rode a lot.

More north, head up and over to Ridgefield from the 57/reservoir bit (Saugatuck Reservoir). Head west on 107, cut through to the right before Route 7 so you end up across the street from 102 (Branchville Rd). It's one of the longer climbs in the area, although a bit narrow.

At the top of 102 keep going through into Ridgefield (take a right before 35 and go parallel, it's quieter), get onto 116 and head northeast. I'd go onto 121 and turn around somewhere, I forget where. There's a car dealership with a showroom on the 2nd floor, that's about where I'd somehow loop back.

That whole area in NY northeast of Ridgefield is relatively quiet and offers great riding.

I live north of Hartford now, and my ride to my childhood house (my brother and his family live there now) would be (reversed) head down 102, north on 7, right on Wooster Heights (just as the highway starts), get over to Federal Rd however possible, ride up 202 for forever (cross Route 8 way north, then up 179 typically). Each way it's 80 miles.

Back in the Westport area, I loved to ride out and back on the "beach route", so starting in Westport go out Compo, Sherwood, Southport. I'd usually turn around and head back, depending on length of ride. Compo loop was 45-60 min, Southport much longer.

Long time ago we held a road race starting at Weston HS, headed north on 57, bear right on 53, right on Valley Forge (the road next to the reservoir), down to Lyons Plains Rd, onto Cartridge and Good Hill, then right back onto 53 (base of a 0.8 mile climb, longest wide climb in that area). The Senior men did 3 laps I think, it's about 20-23 miles per lap.

The train station at Cannon Rd (just off of Route 7 in Wilton) is the station in the Cannondale logo (their first office was in the little cluster of buildings next to the station). Cannon is a decent climb heading away from Route 7 and links up into 57.

Furthest east I'd venture was Route 25 near Trumbull and 59. I haven't been on 59 in forever, nor 25, not sure how rideable they are now.

I regularly rode in New Canaan - 123 is like a superhighway going north, steady grades, wider shoulders. 124 parallels 123 but is narrower.

I used to do many rides in Stamford, typically heading north.137 or 104 heading north, going across 172, with little offshoots here and there. Some favorite roads - Laurel, Woodbine, Cascade, Lakeside, and Interlaken (parallels 137).

Used to do this short loop in Wilton, "Shartkozawa", as an appetizer for the upcoming season (usually 2nd week in Feb). Start in center of Wilton, go north on 33, then Belden Hill, right on Old Huckleberry (narrow, twisty), left Old Kingdom, right Huckleberry, right Valley, right Benedict Hill, left S Bald Hill, left-right to get to Bald Hill (turns to dirt), turns to Silver Spring (steep dirt hill after a short bridge) up to route 35, right on 35, right again on Olmstead - S Olmstead - St Johns - Silver Spring (same road as before), left on Ruscoe to get to 33, right on 33, head back to center of town. The return is very fast, basically all downhill.

Route for Tour de Greenwich is interesting, two very steep hills in about 20 miles. https://www.strava.com/routes/19017835

[echappist]

Subscribed! Im moving to Orange in a couple months and will be in need of some rides as well.

The Yale Cycling Club has a list of rides in the area (http://www.yalecycling.org/ride-maps). Most of them head north and east though.

[fmradio516]

The Yale Cycling Club has a list of rides in the area (http://www.yalecycling.org/ride-maps). Most of them head north and east though.

Thanks! Bookmarked! Looks like i can get my feet wet with the ice cream ride.

[Joe.kozlowski91]

This is one I just put together, it's killer!

https://www.strava.com/routes/27626295

[Joe.kozlowski91]

I'll post some of the areas I rode a lot.

More north, head up and over to Ridgefield from the 57/reservoir bit (Saugatuck Reservoir). Head west on 107, cut through to the right before Route 7 so you end up across the street from 102 (Branchville Rd). It's one of the longer climbs in the area, although a bit narrow.

At the top of 102 keep going through into Ridgefield (take a right before 35 and go parallel, it's quieter), get onto 116 and head northeast. I'd go onto 121 and turn around somewhere, I forget where. There's a car dealership with a showroom on the 2nd floor, that's about where I'd somehow loop back.

That whole area in NY northeast of Ridgefield is relatively quiet and offers great riding.

I live north of Hartford now, and my ride to my childhood house (my brother and his family live there now) would be (reversed) head down 102, north on 7, right on Wooster Heights (just as the highway starts), get over to Federal Rd however possible, ride up 202 for forever (cross Route 8 way north, then up 179 typically). Each way it's 80 miles.

Back in the Westport area, I loved to ride out and back on the "beach route", so starting in Westport go out Compo, Sherwood, Southport. I'd usually turn around and head back, depending on length of ride. Compo loop was 45-60 min, Southport much longer.

Long time ago we held a road race starting at Weston HS, headed north on 57, bear right on 53, right on Valley Forge (the road next to the reservoir), down to Lyons Plains Rd, onto Cartridge and Good Hill, then right back onto 53 (base of a 0.8 mile climb, longest wide climb in that area). The Senior men did 3 laps I think, it's about 20-23 miles per lap.

The train station at Cannon Rd (just off of Route 7 in Wilton) is the station in the Cannondale logo (their first office was in the little cluster of buildings next to the station). Cannon is a decent climb heading away from Route 7 and links up into 57.

Furthest east I'd venture was Route 25 near Trumbull and 59. I haven't been on 59 in forever, nor 25, not sure how rideable they are now.

I regularly rode in New Canaan - 123 is like a superhighway going north, steady grades, wider shoulders. 124 parallels 123 but is narrower.

I used to do many rides in Stamford, typically heading north.137 or 104 heading north, going across 172, with little offshoots here and there. Some favorite roads - Laurel, Woodbine, Cascade, Lakeside, and Interlaken (parallels 137).

Used to do this short loop in Wilton, "Shartkozawa", as an appetizer for the upcoming season (usually 2nd week in Feb). Start in center of Wilton, go north on 33, then Belden Hill, right on Old Huckleberry (narrow, twisty), left Old Kingdom, right Huckleberry, right Valley, right Benedict Hill, left S Bald Hill, left-right to get to Bald Hill (turns to dirt), turns to Silver Spring (steep dirt hill after a short bridge) up to route 35, right on 35, right again on Olmstead - S Olmstead - St Johns - Silver Spring (same road as before), left on Ruscoe to get to 33, right on 33, head back to center of town. The return is very fast, basically all downhill.

Route for Tour de Greenwich is interesting, two very steep hills in about 20 miles. https://www.strava.com/routes/19017835

Lol this is basically my life now. All great suggestions!

[Dave M]

Folks, this is excellent. I’m definitely going to check out the Bloomin Metric route. Thanks!

[CKT88]

Blooming Metric route
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21180937

Ditto this...

[Mr. Pink]

I do a variation on that Bloomin' metric route (actually the older route from 15-20 years ago), only the upper part, and it's pretty awesome. Theres not much in the way of delis or stops, except for a great one at Center Rd. And Westport Rd. In Easton. They have a nice espresso machine, a rarity up there.

[Dave M]

Ride report: due to time constraints yesterday, I did the lower loop of the Bloomin Century route yesterday. Super nice. Thanks Paceliners!

[Mr. Pink]

Well, if you liked that, the upper part is better. Enjoy.