LindaB

We're currently planning to head south from Concord MA, following MA-126, then connecting to the Blackstone River Bikeway and into Providence. Here's what we have so far: ridewithgps.com/routes/7920591 . When viewed in Google street view, 126 doesn't look like a great place to ride. Opinions? Alternate roads? We'll be making this trip on Friday Sept. 4, 2015 as part of a longer unsagged tour. Accommodations in Concord and Providence already booked, so the start/finish can't change. Thanks!

berner

Hi LindaB. I'm surprised you have not received a response with route advice. I'm not familiar with roads in that area but I've found the Rubel bike specific maps to be generally reliable but a bit dated now. If you are not familiar with them, these maps show cycling suitable routes for much of Mass. Rubel Bikemaps Regional Bicycle Maps & Recreation Maps They can be found in many bike shops and at REI. Good luck

LindaB

Thanks, Berner for replying! I've been wondering whether anyone bikes in that area at all... The Rubel Bikemaps website show the Western Massachusetts and Central Massachusetts maps as unavailable. REI on line doesn't have them at all, and I doubt if my locate REI here in California would carry them... Do you know of any other bicycle forums where Northeasterns might hang out??

Jim from Boston

I just saw this thread yesterday, and had to find my map to reply. My favorite map for the Metro Boston area is the AAA Metropolitan Boston map. It covers a wide area, including west beyond Concord and south to Blackstone and the Rhode Island border. The scale is small enough to show many excellent cycling backroads, as thin gray or black routes. I do have extra maps.

As you may not already know (posting from California), Metro Boston has very confusing, seemingly haphazard roads. Many streets, particularly the one you are riding on are not marked; they surreptiously change names; and in rotary intersections it's easy to lose your sense of direction. So I supplement the paper map with my I-phone, at least to identify where I am on the map. Nonetheless, cycling here is scenic and superb, IMO (as a cross country cyclist).

I have ridden Rte 126 on many occasions, from Concord to as far south as Bellingham, but usually on Saturday mornings. Traffic IME is “moderate” if you will, say compared to Rte 27, and road surface is OK. As an urban cyclist, I’m not too finicky about suburban roads unless really bad. The road is residential suburban from south of Wayland and “gritty urban” in Framingham and Ashland, but north and south of there is exurban, and pretty enjoyable. In Concord it passes the famous Walden Pond, and I recall it particularly pleasant south of Holliston. (I rode the Framingham-Ashland segment just this past Saturday.)

One other rich source of Metro Boston advice is the active thread also on this Northeast Regional Discussion subforum, Metro Boston: Good ride today?, the de facto Metro Boston thread. It’s particularly focused on the Metrowest Region, as described in My Compendium to Road Cycling in Metro Boston:

but some subscribers post about more southerly areas including the Blackstone Valley. So try that source; we love to give advice.

PS: The contiguous residential suburban, and "gritty urban" segments of Rte 126 mentioned above, together are about five miles, and certainly not more than about ten miles in length. The gritty urban segment is also pretty safe; it's the downtown of Framingham.

I mention this segment because the character of the road is different from the mostly exurban feel of much of Rte 126. I still consider it rideable.

berner

Jim from Boston has given you fair warning about Boston area roads. I rode today, 40 miles in the Rehoboth area and, yep, I got lost, sort off. Several of the town or county roads I was on did not have signs which caused some uncertainty resulting in a slightly shorter distance than was planned. Fortunately, every roads leads somewhere and I eventually ambled back to known territory. I wasn't scared a bit.

LindaB

Thanks Jim & Berner. I'm feeling a lot better about just riding 126 - though will look for some side roads. Most look like they involve quite a few extra miles. As for the AAA map - I already have the one you describe, Jim, with the city of Boston on one side, and the greater Boston area (and a bit of Rhode Island) on the reverse.
I've spent several hours reading posts on the Metro Boston: Good ride today? thread. I'd seen that title before and just ignored it - assumed it would just be ride reports in the city. Good to know I can post a question within that thread. Haven't quite figured out how to search within the whole thread. We'll each have a Garmin of a variety of vintages (mine is an Edge 810), so once we decide on a route, following it will be fairly easy even if 126 isn't signed as such.

Little Darwin

Just to jump in... I haven't done any road riding in that area, but did ride the Blackstone trail, and it is a very nice ride. I don't know what the distance is from the south end to Providence, but if you will be doing riding in that area, the East Bay Trail from East Providence is a nice casual ride. Plenty to see and do on that trail.

welshTerrier2

My bike club does frequent rides between Concord, Ma and Ashland, Ma which is on your way towards Providence. I built a route for you at the following link to get you from Concord to the northern end of the Blackstone River Bikeway in Woonsocket, RI:

Concord, Ma to Blackstone River Bikeway

Here's another link that takes you south on the Blackstone River Bikeway until it ends. Then, the route travels over the streets to Providence to the start of the East Bay Bike Path in India Point Park. Disclaimer: I've never ridden the roads between the two paths. The ride from Concord, Ma to Providence over this route is just about 70 miles if you exclude the East Bay Bike Path (which takes you south of Providence).

Blackstone River Bikeway through East Bay Bike Path

Both bike paths are spectacular. The East Bay takes you all the way down to Bristol, RI which is just north of Newport.

Hope this helps. There's some great scenery built into the route between Concord, Ma and Woonsocket, RI. In my view, this is a much nicer route than Route 126. The scenery is much better and there is way less traffic.

LindaB

WelshTerrier2 - Thank you so much for preparing these routes for us! I excite to look at them in detail - will do so tonight. I figured there had to be a better way than 126. Linda

Jim from Boston

Hi wT2 and Linda,

When I read you were going from Concord to Providence via Rte 126, I did think it was odd to go south, and then east rather than southeast. I was not familiar with the Blackstone River Bikeway and did not realize it started in Woonsocket, rather than in the Blackstone Valley, far south from Concord, and far west from Providence.

I enjoyed looking at the route by wT2, and I am particularly familiar with the area around Holliston going through Norfolk. Just this past Saturday morning I rode Rte 1A through Walpole into Norfolk and Wrentham for a few miles and then doubled back and onto Rte 115. Rte 115 is a really nice cycling road, but I would caution that the segment of Rte 1A as routed is narrow and fairly heavily trafficked. It was getting busier even on a Saturday AM before 8:00, and you will be traveling on a Friday, presumably later in the day. It looks like that segment is about 3-4 miles. The turnoff to Rte 121 at “Wampum Corners” puts you on a nicer road (as I did it on a previous Saturday AM last year).

Nearby Wampum Corners is the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, if you are into shopping, but most of its traffic is by car; I have never visited myself.

I hope you post about your trip back to this thread, at least to confirm the advice given. I have myself have related my impressions to natives of other cities I have visited. BTW, Linda, thanks for posting to that thread, ”Good method/practice of navigation”; I particularly agree:

And thanks, wT2, for the new routes to Holliston, and into northern RI. I now hope to visit the Blackstone River Bikeway sometime.

FYA, I usually pass through Holliston on various rides to Norwood that pass through Hopkinton. Earlier this year I was driving on the Mass Pike returning from Connecticut, and I heard about the bus that caught fire on eastbound Mass Pike in Newton and shut it down, with major backups in my direction, during the rush hour.

So I got off onto I-495 to Hopkinton, and took my bike route on country roads with minimal traffic and traffic lights, and went unencumbered to my destination of Norwood. One of the unintended benefits of cycling is learning of these backroads, as alternative routes from the freeways. Otherwise I would get hopelessly lost off the highways because

welshTerrier2

Hi Linda and Jim.

I haven't ridden that Route 1A stretch in a very long time. Based on Jim's feedback, I modified the route to eliminate as much of Route 1A and Route 121 as possible.

Those Wrentham outlet stores bring all kinds of traffic to the area. The date Linda specified for her trip is the Friday before the long, Labor Day weekend. That is usually one of the worst traffic days of the year. The more you can stay off the main arteries, the better off you'll be.

- wT2

LindaB

Again, my thanks, WelshTerrier2 and Jim; there is nothing like local advice! In answer to your question, I'll definitely post to this thread after our trip to let you know how it goes and how the traffic is that day. Given the state of my memory these days, I've added a note to my calendar to do so after we get back on Sept 19th. I'm still considering doing a crazyguyonabike blog, as I've done for a few other trips.
LindaB

berner

I've ridden the Blackstone River Bike Path section a number of times and it is a very pretty section directly alongside the river but it is short at a mere 9 miles. South from the south end of this bike path to Providence I have not ridden at all so cannot speak about it. You might take a look at the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation website for information on linking bike paths as they should be marked. Bike Rhode Island - Rhode Island Rhode Island Department of Transportation And if you get near Bristol send me a PM.
Bern

LindaB

Thanks yet again, Berner! We have the bicycle map the Rhode Island Dept of Transportation mails out - not exactly current, but have also looked at the website. Will make a note to pm you if we're coming through Bristol!

welshTerrier2

Did this ride ever happen? If so, how did it go?

Jim from Boston

See Linda's recent post on the Metro Boston thread.

LindaB

Thanks for following up, welsh Terrier2 and Jim from Boston!

We had a wonderful time!! I'm in the process of creating a crazyguyonabike.com trip report, and will post the link here when it's done. As usual busy with real life which is slowing things down! Our trip was in three parts: the Boston -Concord - Providence-Newport-New Bedford- Cape Cod ride, done self-supported by 4 of us in 9 leisurely days with much great site-seeing and fabulous weather! We found Massachusetts and Rhode Island drivers very courteous, with just a few exceptions. Scenery and points of interest were great, too. Especially enjoyed the town of Fairhaven, where we were treated to a complete tour of the historic sites and beautiful stone buildings by a local cyclist. The next two parts were on Cape Cod, including Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Provincetown among other places. Only Provincetown was new to Bill & me on the Cape. Two members of our California bike club (DavisBikeClub.org) planned this part, as they are very familiar with the Cape. These 9 days were van-sagged, and enjoyed with a total of 13 members of our club.

The route we finally used for early legs of the trip that I asked about on this and the Metro Boston list are in these files:
Boston - Concord BOS Universities Concord - A bike ride in Boston, MA (T from airport to end of line at Bowdoin, cycle through Cambridge, Minuteman Trail). Great route, but a little off through MIT campus; wouldn't hesitate to follow rest of it again.
Concord - Woonsocket Concord Woonsocket Rev 3 - Concord, MA (revised many times by one of our group, Bruce - worked very well!
Woonsocket - Providence Woonsocket Providence - A bike ride in Woonsocket, RI (again pulled together by Bruce, and worked very well.

Thanks again for the help - nothing like local advice! I'll post the trip report address, hopefully in the next couple of days...
LindaB

Jim from Boston

Hi Linda (and WelshTerrier2),

I hope you saw my reply on the Metro Boston thread. I really have to learn how to use Ride with GPS; your Concord-Woonsocket segment looked great. Other than Rtes 126 and 117, the only low volume road I was familiar with is Pond St in Franklin…a favorite of mine.

I look forward to the full report.

Sincerely,

Jim

PS: One problem I have with Ride with GPS postings is that the red line obscures road names.

I went back to find the Woodmere Crossover of Mass Pike and noted that you were also on Salem End Rd, another favorite route, actually a designated scenic road that I ride further west to it's end then on to Hopkinton, site of the start of the Boston Marathon. I seem to have read once that it got the name of Salem End Rd, because a judge in the Salem Witch trial moved out there.

I googled it and found:

"Salem was a dangerous and unforgiving village in 1692. The Witch Hysteria was in full swing and the simple pointing of fingers was all it took for 19 men and women to lose their lives at the end of the hangman’s rope on Gallows Hill.

The shadow of the rope fell particularly harsh on the daughters of William Towne of Topsfield. All three sisters were soon accused of witchcraft and jailed. Only one made it out alive. She escaped to Framingham and lived in inhospitable caves for a winter – Witch Caves – forming an expatriate community the following spring with other refugees in a place named after them: Salem End Road.

From Topsfield, to Salem’s Court, to Salem End Road. The caves are empty and cold now. Yet the houses they built the following years in Salem End still stand, and their names woven deep into the community as the years passed: Nurse, Easty, Cloyes, and Towne. It was a dangerous time. This is their story....

Witch Caves, Salem End Road, Esty

In the neighboring town of Ashland, as is so typical around here, the road name changes, to "Oregon." On Oregon Road, in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood is the Oregon Club, a steakhouse that used to be a speakeasy during Prohibition.

I may be now providing "TMI," but this is why I love "showing" people around Metro Boston, because I learn so much.

LindaB

At long last I can post the link to a report on our Boston - Concord - Providence - Cape Cod bike trip in September 2015: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/mass2015.
As for rwgps routes (Ridewithgps.com) and the red line obscuring the road names - you can use the + and - keys to enlarge or reduce the scale of the map so you can see a particular part clearly. Also, if it's your own route you can change the line color - I'm not sure if you can when viewing another person's route. I've never had a problem seeing the names - just use the + to zoom in.

Interesting to know why Salem End Rd. had that name! Thanks for the background.
Linda

Jim from Boston

Hi Linda,

I perused your trip account. Nicely written, and the pictures readily capture the New England milleu, from urban to countryside and seaside.

JfB