Is this commute insane (Boston area)?
08-20-09, 09:31 AM
#1
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Is this commute insane (Boston area)?
I may be shortly looking at a rather long commute in the Boston area, and am currently carless. While I'll probably eventually need one once the roads get icy (ugh), I'm thinking that I could maybe manage this by bike in the meantime.
The route would be : Brighton to Tyngsboro, for a total of about 25 miles each way (slightly shorter than the google map, once you account for actual addresses). The area is not well served by the MBTA; I could conceivably catch a train to Lowell and ride from there, but by the time I get downtown, I'm not sure it would be worth it.
I already commute every day by bicycle, but over a much shorter distance (~5 mi r/t), and do some longer rides for fun, but not usually this kind of distance, and not every day. However, bicycle is my primary means of transportation, so I'm pretty fit aside from some on and off again knee and back pain (nothing debilitating, though).
So:
1. Will this totally destroy my body/make me miserable?
2. Is the Google maps route reasonably safe (obviously I'd do a test run first)?
The route would be : Brighton to Tyngsboro, for a total of about 25 miles each way (slightly shorter than the google map, once you account for actual addresses). The area is not well served by the MBTA; I could conceivably catch a train to Lowell and ride from there, but by the time I get downtown, I'm not sure it would be worth it.
I already commute every day by bicycle, but over a much shorter distance (~5 mi r/t), and do some longer rides for fun, but not usually this kind of distance, and not every day. However, bicycle is my primary means of transportation, so I'm pretty fit aside from some on and off again knee and back pain (nothing debilitating, though).
So:
1. Will this totally destroy my body/make me miserable?
2. Is the Google maps route reasonably safe (obviously I'd do a test run first)?
08-21-09, 05:18 PM
#2
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I'd be concerned for a whole lot of reasons in doing a daily commute of 50mi's not the least of which would be my general well being. You'd up your riding to about 250mi/wk from where it it now which is huge. Consider other options like taking the commuter rail out to Ayer on the fitchburg line. From there you could ride the rail trail, which is nice and flat, into pepperel and from there you could ride to tynsboro. The problem will be timing as you're commuting in the wrong direction. Do you have to be in by 9am or is there flexibility? Do you have to do this by bike? Would ZipCar be a possibility?
08-22-09, 07:29 AM
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yep
plus everything around the AFB is crazy during peak commuting times
I guess my impression is I might enjoy something like this 2-3x/week depending on the time of day, but every day during heavy traffic would lead to my ruin.
plus everything around the AFB is crazy during peak commuting times
I guess my impression is I might enjoy something like this 2-3x/week depending on the time of day, but every day during heavy traffic would lead to my ruin.
08-22-09, 07:58 AM
#5
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Public Transportation in this state is a joke. I'm not sure who it serves but unless you live right near Boston, it ain't you! It takes a half hour longer (or more) and costs more in ticket price than it does in SUV gas to tke the Comuter Rail into Boston from my house AND there is no way to get any farther than North Station by 7am, so unless you work there youre not getting there on time if 7 is your start time. Want to go from Lowell to Haverhill by train? Forget it. It won't happen. You CAN take the bus (with one transfer). It takes FOUR times as long but you WILL save on gas.....
I would not take the rout outlined. Isn't there a railtrail that goes from Aelwief T station out to Concord? That might be a BIG help in shuttling you past a lot of the madness.
I would not take the rout outlined. Isn't there a railtrail that goes from Aelwief T station out to Concord? That might be a BIG help in shuttling you past a lot of the madness.
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08-22-09, 09:30 PM
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just move or get a car
08-30-09, 10:58 AM
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I may be shortly looking at a rather long commute in the Boston area, and am currently carless. While I'll probably eventually need one once the roads get icy (ugh), I'm thinking that I could maybe manage this by bike in the meantime.
The route would be : Brighton to Tyngsboro, for a total of about 25 miles each way (slightly shorter than the google map, once you account for actual addresses). The area is not well served by the MBTA; I could conceivably catch a train to Lowell and ride from there, but by the time I get downtown, I'm not sure it would be worth it.
I already commute every day by bicycle, but over a much shorter distance (~5 mi r/t), and do some longer rides for fun, but not usually this kind of distance, and not every day. However, bicycle is my primary means of transportation, so I'm pretty fit aside from some on and off again knee and back pain (nothing debilitating, though).
So:
1. Will this totally destroy my body/make me miserable?
2. Is the Google maps route reasonably safe (obviously I'd do a test run first)?
The route would be : Brighton to Tyngsboro, for a total of about 25 miles each way (slightly shorter than the google map, once you account for actual addresses). The area is not well served by the MBTA; I could conceivably catch a train to Lowell and ride from there, but by the time I get downtown, I'm not sure it would be worth it.
I already commute every day by bicycle, but over a much shorter distance (~5 mi r/t), and do some longer rides for fun, but not usually this kind of distance, and not every day. However, bicycle is my primary means of transportation, so I'm pretty fit aside from some on and off again knee and back pain (nothing debilitating, though).
So:
1. Will this totally destroy my body/make me miserable?
2. Is the Google maps route reasonably safe (obviously I'd do a test run first)?
Do you know that it gets dark by 4 PM in December? It does not get lightsome to 8 AM.
How long do you think this commute would take? I would budget at least two hours for you going each way.
the route is a very DIFFICULT route with poor to no shoulders, plus, there is lots of fast moving traffic.
Why Tyngsboro?
