Cycling routes around Boston?

[Onno]

I'm heading to Boston this weekend to visit friends, and I want to bring bikes. My wife is a nervous rider in and around traffic, though, and thinks that because driving in Boston in nuts, biking must be even more nuts. Can anyone recommend riding routes that get us away from crazy traffic and lots of lights and intersections. We're staying in the Chestnut Hill area, so we'll already be out of the urban center.
(Somehow, my saying that if Kerry can bike in Boston we can too, didn't really fly....)

Thanks!
Onno

[Climb01742]

one thing many folks do is drive to concord, park near the center of town (there's a green with a water fountain) and just ride in any direction. on weekends, particularly in the morning, lots of riders meet or stop there. i'm sure many would be happy to give you suggested routes or ask you to ride with them. the roads around concord are not heavily trafficed and go through some pretty countryside.

as an option, there is a bike trail that begins (i believe) in arlington and goes out thru lexington to concord.

one caveat: boston drivers suck. only slightly worse than new york cabbies. be alert. and never wear a yankees cap. :p

[my2cents]

go to www.cycleloft.com and/or call them. they lead a ride out of burlington (other side of the city from where you will be) on saturdays that traverses the very roads climb speaks of. they generally break into 3 groups this time of year -- slow (16 mph average over 40 miles), intermediate = 18 mph, and fast = 20-22 mph average which might go longer than 40 this weekend. each group generally has at least a dozen riders. each group rides as a group, with the intermediate and slow groups learning/practicing paceline riding, etc. some of the best casual group rides around.

the sunday rides is a fast group only (though we sometimes don't go as fast as saturday's fast ride), usually doing 60 miles.

don't know if there will be a monday ride this year -- it being a holiday/dayoff for many.

[drd]

If you're going to be in Chestnut Hill, there's some great riding very close by in the starting in Newton and heading to the Needham/Dover area. I'm not a member, but the Charles River Wheelmen run Saturday morning rides from Newton. Even better, their routes are well marked and there are cue sheets available, so you ride whenever you want. The mark they use is a white upside down "T" with the T pointing in the direction you're suppose to go. The various distances have different routes, so sometimes there are multiple marks with 19, 28, 42, or 62 painted next to Ts pointing in different directions.

You can find the details in the "Saturday Morning Fitness Ride at Nahanton Park" section of this page:
http://crw.org/RecurringRide.htm

I regularly ride the 19, 28, and 42 mile routes, sometimes with other roads thrown in to mix things up. The 19 and 28 seem to stick to slightly more rural roads. The roads are mostly quite country roads, and 99% of the drivers are reasonable.

Here's a map that shows the routes:
http://www.markdionne.com/crw/nahanton.jpg

I'm away this weekend, otherwise I'd show you myself.
Good luck
Doug

[Onno]

This looks great! Thanks a lot.

Onno

[shinomaster]

My favorite ride would leave lexington center and go by Hanscome air base, to Concord and to either Sudbury or Carlisle. I miss that ride so much.. booo hoo..

Maybe later this summer I'll bring my red crotch rocket back home for a ride..

[Larry D]

There is a lot of good riding on the "North Shore" of Boston from Beverly along the coast out to Gloucester or up to Newburyport and through the Merrimack Valley.

If you get a chance pick up a copy of the Rubel Bike Maps. They are a great reference to which roads are bike friendly and where all the important things are like bike shops and ice cream stands.

There is also an event from the Tyler Hamilton Foundation at Watch City brewery in Waltham on Saturday for breakfast, to watch the TDF Prologue, a 40 bike ride and the unvailiong of their new Clavic Ale in honor of Tyler. Check out the thgis link for more details http://www.ecvcycling.org/news/2004/regional/thfwrb.html

Have a great time cycling in the Boston Area.

[bpm]

If you're going to be in Chestnut Hill, there's some great riding very close by in the starting in Newton and heading to the Needham/Dover area. I'm not a member, but the Charles River Wheelmen run Saturday morning rides from Newton. Even better, their routes are well marked and there are cue sheets available, so you ride whenever you want. The mark they use is a white upside down "T" with the T pointing in the direction you're suppose to go. The various distances have different routes, so sometimes there are multiple marks with 19, 28, 42, or 62 painted next to Ts pointing in different directions.

You can find the details in the "Saturday Morning Fitness Ride at Nahanton Park" section of this page:
http://crw.org/RecurringRide.htm

I regularly ride the 19, 28, and 42 mile routes, sometimes with other roads thrown in to mix things up. The 19 and 28 seem to stick to slightly more rural roads. The roads are mostly quite country roads, and 99% of the drivers are reasonable.

Here's a map that shows the routes:
http://www.markdionne.com/crw/nahanton.jpg

I'm away this weekend, otherwise I'd show you myself.
Good luck
Doug

One of the best aspects of this ride is that there are groups of all skill levels. You have people averaging close to 24 or 25 mph for 40 to 50 miles, and groups averaging around 14 mph for 19 miles, and almost anything in between. No matter what you are interested in doing, you're likely to find at least a couple people looking to do the same thing.