Routes in New England good for road bikes?
07-28-19, 10:56 AM
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Routes in New England good for road bikes?
Hello. I am thinking about taking a solo trip up to New England to get away from it all. I have a road bike and would love to get some rides in to see the sites. Can anybody recommend any good routes for a road bike? Very interested in Maine as I’ve never been there. But Vermont as well would be helpful. Thanks.
07-28-19, 11:34 AM
#2
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Lots of good riding in New England. Here are a bunch from the Maine DOT:
Explore Maine by Bike
And from throughout New England:
https://bikenewengland.com/
Explore Maine by Bike
And from throughout New England:
https://bikenewengland.com/
07-28-19, 12:15 PM
#3
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Recently I spent 3 weeks biking in the central Maine area. I lived in Maine for many years.
What type of biking/terrain are looking for.?? Maine has it all.
I highly recommend visiting the many small towns. Traffic can be a rare sight on the rural roads. Rolling hills that will make you smile for the rest of your life.
I can help you with your routes. Send me a PM and we can talk by phone or email if you'd like some "hands on" advice on biking in Maine.
What type of biking/terrain are looking for.?? Maine has it all.
I highly recommend visiting the many small towns. Traffic can be a rare sight on the rural roads. Rolling hills that will make you smile for the rest of your life.
I can help you with your routes. Send me a PM and we can talk by phone or email if you'd like some "hands on" advice on biking in Maine.
07-28-19, 12:19 PM
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Thanks for the replies. That link is great and I will research from it.
BirdsBikeBinocs, I will actually pm you in a bit indeed. I could use some guidance I’m thinking, thanks. I’ll shoot you one a bit later.
BirdsBikeBinocs, I will actually pm you in a bit indeed. I could use some guidance I’m thinking, thanks. I’ll shoot you one a bit later.
07-28-19, 02:38 PM
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Vermont has country stores at about every intersection. They see a lot of cyclists so stock water, Cliff Bars or just can make sandwiches.
I love Maine, upstate NY as well, but Vermont is my favorite for road cycling.
For Vermont you could pick about any town, Ludlow, Weston, Grafton, Middlebury, Rochester, and just ride. Or North East Kingdom which has an extensive system of my. Bike trails as well. West side of the Green Mt’s towards NY is a bit flatter. There’s a state bike map. Shows the gravel roads as well.
https://www.vermontvacation.com/~/me...016.ashx?la=en
I love Maine, upstate NY as well, but Vermont is my favorite for road cycling.
For Vermont you could pick about any town, Ludlow, Weston, Grafton, Middlebury, Rochester, and just ride. Or North East Kingdom which has an extensive system of my. Bike trails as well. West side of the Green Mt’s towards NY is a bit flatter. There’s a state bike map. Shows the gravel roads as well.
https://www.vermontvacation.com/~/me...016.ashx?la=en
07-29-19, 06:07 AM
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Lake Champlain Bikeways :: Vermont, New York, and Québec in one bicycling adventure
You could make Burlington, VT your base. Lot's to do there, and there is a municipal campground near the town center if you don't want to pay for a hotel.
You have to be careful in VT. You can hit dirt roads in a lot of areas. Personally, I find many of those roads to be the most peaceful and scenic.
You could make Burlington, VT your base. Lot's to do there, and there is a municipal campground near the town center if you don't want to pay for a hotel.
You have to be careful in VT. You can hit dirt roads in a lot of areas. Personally, I find many of those roads to be the most peaceful and scenic.
07-29-19, 06:10 AM
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07-29-19, 10:00 AM
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This is a great thread. I love New England, and the last two times I went through there, once for an extended leaf-peeping trip hrough Upstate NY and New England, I did a lot of riding. I can't remember routes or anything, because I just used Garmin Connect and local websites for whatever states and cities I was passing through to find routes. But threads like this are a great resource, as is the one people really helped me with for a PA trip I planned. I will definitely use this thread as a resource next time I am in New England with the ol' bicycle. 
07-29-19, 12:18 PM
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Hello. I am thinking about taking a solo trip up to New England to get away from it all. I have a road bike and would love to get some rides in to see the sites. Can anybody recommend any good routes for a road bike? Very interested in Maine as I’ve never been there. But Vermont as well would be helpful. Thanks.
07-29-19, 07:59 PM
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Pictures from Maine. I biked 17 of 21 days. Out of this world....
07-30-19, 06:50 AM
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Actually, would you be willing to post them in this thread? I know I would be interested in having them in public forum, as I love New England and I'm sure others intending to ride in your area would also benefit from them.
07-30-19, 07:37 AM
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Most of them that I do are in the 20-40 mi. range. OK?
Likes For bruce19:
07-30-19, 10:04 AM
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Those are some nice courses. Decent miles, some climbing, and from what I remember about the parts of Connecticut way east of the major cities like Bridgeport, getting up toward Rhode Island, that should also be some stunning scenery. Oh, and extra points for posting them in a file that could easily be sent to my Garmin or I assume importable to Garmin Connect, so I can store the course on the site and my Edge 1000.
Honestly, I wish more people would do this in threads like this for people who also love to travel. I may start contributing some of my NY City and Long Island courses in the forum, since I have been cycling here my whole life, and I really know all the ins and outs of The Big Apple.
Honestly, I wish more people would do this in threads like this for people who also love to travel. I may start contributing some of my NY City and Long Island courses in the forum, since I have been cycling here my whole life, and I really know all the ins and outs of The Big Apple.
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07-30-19, 11:03 AM
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BTW...Having ridden on both sides of the Green Mountains, I can confirm that Steve B. is right about it being flatter on the west side. Last year, after leaving Burlington, I followed the VT 22A corridor until Orwell, headed a bit east and then continued south, picking up the D&H Trail south of Blissville to Poultney, which is about 1 mile from the NY border. Thence to Dorset by mostly VT 30. Certainly not flat, but there were no long, hard climbs. It wasn't until leaving Manchester via VT 30 that I had to do a hard climb. 6 or 7 miles, IIRC. Then I had a nice, net elevation loss all the way to Brattleboro.
07-30-19, 12:08 PM
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For what it’s worth, I will be looking to mainly do loops I suppose. Unless there are spots I can park, take train w/bike in tow up to a spot, and bike it back. I’ve done that in the Hudson valley with success.
Pm’s coming soon
Pm’s coming soon
07-30-19, 02:18 PM
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Routes in New England good for road bikes?
@Michael8585, as the OP, you don’t show your location, but likely outside of New England I presume, and I presume you are seeking rural routes. Your OP and the responses seem to studiously avoid Massachusetts.
Now, I am a “city slicker” and I have posted:
So FWIW, I posted to this Touring Forum thread:
Hello. I am thinking about taking a solo trip up to New England to get away from it all. I have a road bike and would love to get some rides in to see the sites.
Can anybody recommend any good routes for a road bike? Very interested in Maine as I’ve never been there. But Vermont as well would be helpful. Thanks.
Can anybody recommend any good routes for a road bike? Very interested in Maine as I’ve never been there. But Vermont as well would be helpful. Thanks.
Those are some nice courses. Decent miles, some climbing, and from what I remember about the parts of Connecticut way east of the major cities like Bridgeport, getting up toward Rhode Island, that should also be some stunning scenery. …
Now, I am a “city slicker” and I have posted:
“Suggestions for next epic ride”
Personally. I'm very happy cycling in Metro Boston, and have posted an informal Cycling Guide to Metro Boston that would make a nice hub and spoke tour of nine days (and is easily accessible from Washington, DC).
It may seem parochial, but I think the cycling around here is great. One can be in scenic countryside within about one hour from downtown, while passing through an interesting, compact urban and suburban scene.
Furthermore you can extend your range with a convenient Commuter Rail that allows fully-assembled bikes during off-peak hours. In Spring through Fall it’s a temperate climate.
Besides the cycling, Boston is such a popular tourist destination that there will always be something interesting to do off the bike…culture, nightlife, sports and so forth....
If you’ve never been here before, the experience may be even more…epic.
Personally. I'm very happy cycling in Metro Boston, and have posted an informal Cycling Guide to Metro Boston that would make a nice hub and spoke tour of nine days (and is easily accessible from Washington, DC).
It may seem parochial, but I think the cycling around here is great. One can be in scenic countryside within about one hour from downtown, while passing through an interesting, compact urban and suburban scene.
Furthermore you can extend your range with a convenient Commuter Rail that allows fully-assembled bikes during off-peak hours. In Spring through Fall it’s a temperate climate.
Besides the cycling, Boston is such a popular tourist destination that there will always be something interesting to do off the bike…culture, nightlife, sports and so forth....
If you’ve never been here before, the experience may be even more…epic.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-30-19 at 02:23 PM.
07-30-19, 03:04 PM
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…Honestly, I wish more people would do this in threads like this for people who also love to travel.
I may start contributing some of my NY City and Long Island courses in the forum, since I have been cycling here my whole life, and I really know all the ins and outs of The Big Apple.
I may start contributing some of my NY City and Long Island courses in the forum, since I have been cycling here my whole life, and I really know all the ins and outs of The Big Apple.
I just finished replying to this post on the Touring Forum "Where to cycle from Chicago" with this comment,
So I’m starting a thread to catalog cycling possibilities in various cities. If there is enough interest, I’ll list the cities reviewed in this opening post. See if we can keep this thread bumped by adding cities.
Cities Reviewed (in order of post numbers):
On a general note, I think it would be a great service by various BF subscribers to provide write-ups for visiting cyclists about their cities. For example, I wrote a post in reply to a similar query about riding in Boston that I have frequently cited as a “Cyclist’s Guide to Metro Boston.”
It’s intended for the visiting cyclist who wants to know where to ride, and how to get around by bike. Mine is mainly written for roadie / tourists, who want to get in a substantial ride in interesting areas.
@ Papa Tom has attempted a similar thread for Long Island,”Would Anybody Mind A Few Threads About "Casual" Rides In Our Region?.” A sticky on the Touring Forum would be a nice storehouse for such posts.
It’s intended for the visiting cyclist who wants to know where to ride, and how to get around by bike. Mine is mainly written for roadie / tourists, who want to get in a substantial ride in interesting areas.
@ Papa Tom has attempted a similar thread for Long Island,”Would Anybody Mind A Few Threads About "Casual" Rides In Our Region?.” A sticky on the Touring Forum would be a nice storehouse for such posts.
Cities Reviewed (in order of post numbers):
- Boston, MA
- Boyne City, MI
- Edwardsville, IL (near St. Louis, MO)
- Tampa, FL
- Southern California/Los Angeles
- Seattle, WA
- Fort Worth, TX
- ...
- ...
- ...
- town in northwestern Oregon
- Columbus, OH
- Philadelphia, PA
- ...
- Encinitas / San Diego County, CA
- Lebanon, CT
- Benton, AK
- Atlanta, GA
- Fort Worth, TX, continued (with a great video)
- Left Coast USA
- the area around Narrangansett Bay, RI
- Los Angeles, CA
- Monterey Bay, CA
- Lincoln, NE
- Indianapolis and Carmel, IN
- Shoreview, MN (near St. Paul), Marco Island, FL, New York City, NY, and the Netherlands
- Des Moines, IA
- Rossland, British Columbia (near the US border)
- Lancaster, England
- SoCal (LA)
- Phoenix, AZ
- ...
- Detroit, MI (Moving to Detroit)
- Denver, CO (Moving to Denver in Jan!)
- New York City (Go West from the George Washington Bridge)
- Philadelphia (ride from Philadelphia to New York)
- ...
07-30-19, 05:09 PM
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Jim thanks for the posts, man. I live in Queens. Looking to get away from city life for a bit. I’m certainly not discounting Mass. I guess I’ve been there more in my life than other states up there, which is why I haven’t mentioned it. I certainly wouldn’t discount a nice ride over that way if I have the time though.
07-31-19, 04:55 AM
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Jim thanks for the posts, man. I live in Queens. Looking to get away from city life for a bit. I’m certainly not discounting Mass. I guess I’ve been there more in my life than other states up there, which is why I haven’t mentioned it. I certainly wouldn’t discount a nice ride over that way if I have the time though.
Central Mass is valley, and hills, (and former valley). Riding to or around Quabbin Reservoir recommended.
Western Mass has Berkshire mountains. For a challenging contemplative day, ride through Savoy Forest. The highest mountain in Mass is Mount Greylock on the other side of the valley.
-mr. bill
Last edited by mr_bill; 07-31-19 at 05:49 AM.
07-31-19, 09:11 AM
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There’s a lot of great riding all thru the Berkshires, just pick a road. West of the I91 corridor and east of Rt 7 as well as NE of Amherst around the Quabbin Res. or east of Deerfield.
Access by Amtrak would be the train that goes up the Conn. river valley to Burlington, the Vermonter, has a number of stops in Mass and Vermont. The Amtrak website showing that the Vermonter accepts carry-on bikes (up to 3 per train) so no packed bike requirement. Best to make a reservation.
They also have a NYC to Rutland train - The Ethan Allen, but there’s no info as to the bike policy, but is suspect it requires a bike packed in a box as checked baggage. This train runs up the Hudson to Albany and eventually to Rutland.
Access by Amtrak would be the train that goes up the Conn. river valley to Burlington, the Vermonter, has a number of stops in Mass and Vermont. The Amtrak website showing that the Vermonter accepts carry-on bikes (up to 3 per train) so no packed bike requirement. Best to make a reservation.
They also have a NYC to Rutland train - The Ethan Allen, but there’s no info as to the bike policy, but is suspect it requires a bike packed in a box as checked baggage. This train runs up the Hudson to Albany and eventually to Rutland.
08-01-19, 04:57 AM
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Jim thanks for the posts, man. I live in Queens. Looking to get away from city life for a bit. I’m certainly not discounting Mass. I guess I’ve been there more in my life than other states up there, which is why I haven’t mentioned it.
I certainly wouldn’t discount a nice ride over that way if I have the time though.
I certainly wouldn’t discount a nice ride over that way if I have the time though.
It's mainly the downtown core of a few square miles, and freeways that are crazy, in an interesting way, at least to a resident (in Kenmore Square), but even then orders of magnitude less then Manhattan.
I have described my commute from downtown outbound to a suburb:
It may seem parochial, but I think the cycling around here is great.
One can be in scenic countryside within about one hour from downtown, while passing through an interesting, compact urban and suburban scene...
One can be in scenic countryside within about one hour from downtown, while passing through an interesting, compact urban and suburban scene...
…On a happier note, the Transportation Authority (MBTA) allows bikes on subways and commuter trains with certain restrictions and that's a nice way to get out of town without city riding. MBTA > Riding the T > Bikes on the T
ADDENDUM: See also this post about local bikepaths / MUPS in the City of Boston proper, and nearby.
I would describe the sectors as (mostly for road riding outside of Rte 128):
North Shore: Beautiful Atlantic coastline, especially north of Lynn, to include Nahant, Marblehead and Marblehead Neck, on through Salem, Beverly and into ritzy Beverly Farms, and up to seafaring Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, etc.
Northern Suburbs: Lynnfield, Reading, Wilmington, Woburn, down through Winchester, etc: Pleasant suburban to rural inland roads.
Western: Lincoln, Lexington, Concord, Wayland, etc: Very ritzy, buccolic and historic; very popular for riding. This area IMO has the steepest hills.
Metrowest: Framingham, Natick; pleasant suburbs though pretty commercial along Rte 9
Southwest: Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Medfield, Walpole, Westwood, etc: probably more popular than the western burbs; wealthy exurban to rural, moderately hilly country roads, horse farms, mansions.
South; Norwood, Canton, Randolph, etc: middle class suburbia…
South Shore beyond Quincy and Weymouth and into Hingham, Scituate, Marshfield, etc: Atlantic coastal, nice riding, though I find it hardest to get to because of confusing suburbs and pretty heavy and industrial sections, especially Weymouth …
EDIT: This summer (2011) I have found a pleasant alternate route to the South Shore via Rte 53 and Broad St in Weymouth, and this sector is now a desirable area to ride.
ADDENDUM: See also this post about local bikepaths / MUPS in the City of Boston proper, and nearby.
I would describe the sectors as (mostly for road riding outside of Rte 128):
North Shore: Beautiful Atlantic coastline, especially north of Lynn, to include Nahant, Marblehead and Marblehead Neck, on through Salem, Beverly and into ritzy Beverly Farms, and up to seafaring Gloucester, Rockport, Ipswich, etc.
Northern Suburbs: Lynnfield, Reading, Wilmington, Woburn, down through Winchester, etc: Pleasant suburban to rural inland roads.
Western: Lincoln, Lexington, Concord, Wayland, etc: Very ritzy, buccolic and historic; very popular for riding. This area IMO has the steepest hills.
Metrowest: Framingham, Natick; pleasant suburbs though pretty commercial along Rte 9
Southwest: Needham, Wellesley, Dover, Medfield, Walpole, Westwood, etc: probably more popular than the western burbs; wealthy exurban to rural, moderately hilly country roads, horse farms, mansions.
South; Norwood, Canton, Randolph, etc: middle class suburbia…
South Shore beyond Quincy and Weymouth and into Hingham, Scituate, Marshfield, etc: Atlantic coastal, nice riding, though I find it hardest to get to because of confusing suburbs and pretty heavy and industrial sections, especially Weymouth …
EDIT: This summer (2011) I have found a pleasant alternate route to the South Shore via Rte 53 and Broad St in Weymouth, and this sector is now a desirable area to ride.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 08-01-19 at 08:17 AM.