Moderate to easy riding suggestions out in Burlington Vermont 10/23-10/25

[Hilltopperny]

My riding has ceased to exist on a consistent level for the past couple of months. I just started a new job and am required to head to Burlington on the 23rd and I will be bringing a bicycle with me to ride during the down time. What kind of easy to moderate ride routes should I consider? I am good for 25-50ish miles, but my fitness is pretty much shot, so I would like to keep the climbing grades relatively low!

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[572cv]

Will you be in Burlington proper? South towards Shelburne, Charlotte, Hinesburg and beyond offers a lot of flat enough riding. Head south out of town on Spear or Dorset Street. Once you get to Irish Hill Road (perpendicular) you can either go straight, or west towards Shelburne Falls Village. You can keep going through Shelburne Falls , cross Rt 7 and head towards Charlotte closer to the lake, or turn south on Mt Philo Road. And once you get to Charotte, you begin to encounter nice gravel roads. I’ll try to remember to send some more particular road suggestions when I get back from my own trip in a few weeks. Hopefully there will be some decent weather at the end of October, but it does start getting dark early, so lights are always a good move!

[sasquatch16v]

The bike path that starts at the south end of Burlington and ends in the middle of lake champlain is a nice easy scenic ride. You can hop the bike ferry to south hero island and loop back on the road… or just turn around at the end and go back

[merlinmurph]

Originally Posted by sasquatch16v

The bike path that starts at the south end of Burlington and ends in the middle of lake champlain is a nice easy scenic ride. You can hop the bike ferry to south hero island and loop back on the road… or just turn around at the end and go back

Careful with the ferry. It's only open Fri 10-5 and Sat-Sun 10-6

http://localmotion.org

[Hilltopperny]

Thanks for the info! I'm staying at The Inn at Burlington, so that is where I will be riding from.

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[alessandro]

Hilltopperny, unfortunately the Local Motion Bike Ferry closes for the season on Oct. 14. But no matter: The ferry serves to cross a 200-foot gap in an old railroad causeway that runs through Lake Champlain, and the gap is a couple miles out in the lake, so you can still ride out on the causeway to the gap, and turn around and ride back. You're in the lake, with the Green Mountains on one side and the Adirondacks on the other. From your hotel, you can pick up the Burlington waterfront bike path at any point and ride north to the cut. Or stop before the cut. Something like this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oXUn9nEjcSe7cq5t5

That's about the flattest route you'll find.

For longer and hillier rides, check out these options. From this list https://thegmbc.com/map-and-cue-sheet-library/ (Champlain Valley section):
The Covered Bridges of Chittenden County covers some of the options 572cv mentioned, and has three different lengths:
https://thegmbc.com/touring/RoutesDa..._Chitt_Cty.pdf

Edit: Spear Street is closed between Lime Kiln Road and Carpenter Road. Take Dorset Street for that section instead.

This one has some excellent local gravel, although there are hills. They're short, but they do go up. Take Dorset Street to get there:
https://thegmbc.com/touring/RoutesDa...Back_Roads.pdf

For a pretty basic 25-mile ride, without a lot of hills, plus a stop at Spear's Corner Store for a refreshment, you could try this: https://maps.app.goo.gl/H9LNy4vRp2EK4ykV7. It would be a loop, but the section of Spear Street is closed because a culvert blew out in a July rainstorm. Good luck!