deburn

Hi, I recently moved to Stoneham, and I'm looking for rides that are in the 20-40 mile range (and more once I build up some miles.) Ideally, these are rides that I don't have to drive to.

I am familiar with the Minuteman Trail and rides in Concord, Weston etc. but getting there from where I live is not convenient, so I'm hoping to find other options that are closer.

Also, I am going to start riding from Stoneham to Community Rowing which is at 20 Nonantum Rd in Brighton. Google Maps recommends this route

Is that a good route, or is there a better option? Thanks!

markdel

Head over into Wakefield around the lake, down Lowell St to Vernon St to get outside 128, and from there into the Lynnfield and North Reading areas. Some good riding over that way. Check out the NSC website for other rides that are accessible from that general area.

Leebo

You can cut through Winchester toward Lexington, Bedford etc from Stoneham. Start there. There are better options for less traffic and better roads, North and west of Boston too. Try the NEBC, North East Bike Club.

deburn

Thanks for the suggestions and sorry for the delayed response. I rode with NSC for the first time this past week. It's a great group, and I'm looking forward to riding more with them

deburn

Thanks Leebo. I rode to Community Rowing using biking directions from Google Maps. There was a lot of traffic (which is to be expected.) I have not heard of NEBC, but I will look them up

Leebo

Do you mountain bike at all? The Fells is right next door to you, great hiking as well.

Jim from Boston

Hi deburn,

FYA, A few years ago I wrote a compendium of cycling in Boston for a cyclist in Saugus who had moved here from Hawaii. I know you are not new to the area because when I wrote an Introduction to Bike Forums when I joined in 2008, you wrote a gracious welcoming post, but I’ve not seen posts by you since.

Sincerely,

Jim

That Greater Boston Roll Call was 11 pages long, and of the few pages I perused, I noted Bishbike, buzzman, and sherbornpeddler.

deburn

I love having the Fells so close and I hike there all the time. Used to mountain bike a while back, but not feeling it right now

deburn

Jim you must have a great memory! Your comment about the scarcity of my posts made me look through my comment history. I have a few in 2012, I think one in 2010 but the rest of them are 2009 and earlier.

A lot of stuff happened over the past few years. Piecing together what I can remember, I started mountain biking quite avidly for a while, and so I stopped visiting bikeforums. Then I stopped mountain biking as well and was mostly doing short rides with the family. It's only after moving to Stoneham recently that I've started getting excited about biking again - and I'm glad to be back.

I did see your compendium for the guy from Hawaii, and I've since done a couple of rides with North Shore Cyclists who seem to be a great bunch.

Jim from Boston

Hey deburn,

Thanks for that gracious reply. Perhaps you would be interested in the thread, “Metro Boston: Good ride today?,” the apparent successor to the “Greater Boston Roll Call.” See this representative recent post and a few preceding ones with pictures.

A lot certainly has happened since 2008, and FYA, I have updated my cycling bio on a few occasions if interested.

Sincerely,

Jim

deburn

Thanks for the update, Jim, and also for the reminder to subscribe to the Metro Boston thread

1989Pre 

Deburn, Markdel is heading you in the right direction. If you decide against the Wakefield route some day, what I'd do is head straight up Main St. (RT 28) into Reading and North Reading, and then jump on 114 into Middleton and then if you want to keep going, up into Georgetown and Rowley. That's a 60-miler right there.
Leebo's idea is pretty good: Once you get over to Bedford, you can aim for Billerica. The air starts getting clean there, and you are in the hills.

deburn

That's a good idea for a nice loop, thanks

Leeob, I looked up NEBC, but it looks like they're all about racing...