Speaking of bikes

[insignia11.livejournal.com]

I'd like to take a ride after work, what are some nice routes (other then the Minuteman Bike Trail) to just ride around Somerville and neighboring towns? Maybe I’ll just ride and try to get lost and find my way home, that is always fun.

Comments

[ron_newman]

I like Mystic Valley Parkway, between West Medford and Winchester Center.

To get there from Davis Square, take College Avenue to Boston Avenue, then make the first left (Arlington Street) after you cross the Mystic River. Arlington Street makes a right turn and becomes the parkway.

[dmaze]

Starting from Davis, one of my typical after-work rides works like this: go out College Ave., and continue on College Ave. through the Powder House Rotary. (This takes guts.) At the light, bear left on to Boston Ave. Ride all the way to the end of Boston Ave., then turn right and make an immediate left on to Grove St. Ride this another two miles into Winchester. At the weird double-rotary thing, make what's effectively a hard left on to Bacon St. downhill. Cross under the commuter rail and make a left turn on to Mystic Valley Pkwy. Ride back about two miles to the rotary at High St. Turn left (not crossing the river), and then turn right at Boston Ave. and head back towards Somerville.

This runs about 10 miles. It's not bad as hilliness goes, but not totally flat either.

[srakkt.livejournal.com]

I enjoy the Fitchburg Connector Path, which runs from Alewife into Belmont. It isn't paved, and it's difficult to find the first time. It's also narrow enough that passing pedestrians (usually none, sometimes one or two commuters) can be tricky.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that is a nice one. And then you could turn and ride around the reservoir, maybe over to the Mt. Auburn cemetery...

[ron_newman]

but you can't ride in the cemetery. If you try, they'll chase you down and make you park your bike in the rack, just inside the front gate. I've never understood why they let people drive cars in the cemetery, but not bikes.

Forest Hills cemetery, on the other hand, welcomes bikes.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Is this distinct from the Minuteman Trail, which runs from Davis to Belmont? So far as I can tell from checking Google there is no "Fitchburg Connector Path", but I could be mistaken.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=42.396888,-71.149521&spn=0.011441,0.027101&t=h&z=16&msid=112382396479617139582.00044ca91b54565ef2d29

[ron_newman]

The Minuteman goes from Alewife to Bedford. The Fitchburg Connector path goes from Alewife to Brighton Street (or is it Blanchard Road?) in Belmont.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

I totally knew that. Really. :)

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Amazingly the Fitchburg Cut-off is even written up in wikipedia with a bit of history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitchburg_Cutoff_Path

[ceo]

To nitpick, the Minuteman Trail runs from Alewife to Bedford. The Linear Park runs from Davis to Alewife (on top of the Red Line).

[haptotrope.livejournal.com]

Is there a way to get to this path without foraging the bogs of eternal stench stream that cuts the access next to the alewife spiral garage?

[ron_newman]

If you mean "fording", yes, there is a small bridge across the stream. From Alewife station, you want the dirt path that's between the T station's loop-de-loop entrance and the private parking garage just south of it. Basically here.

[nonnihil.livejournal.com]

Trying with varied success to bike to Woburn a few times (ironically, in order to buy a car...) was some of the most delightful biking I've done in the area. Unfortunately I did it with only a partial map and no sense of direction whatsoever so I can't give directions. I took a different route each time, but it was never unpleasant and often quite nice.

[ron_newman]

Take Mystic Valley Parkway (see my comment above) to Winchester Center, then go north on Main Street, then west on Lake Street. Shortly after you turn onto Lake, you'll see a sign for the "Horn Pond Bikeway". This is a mix of narrow paved trails and ordinary residential streets. When you get to the end of it, you'll be at Horn Pond on Woburn.

The road along the west side of Horn Pond has been closed to automobile traffic for years, and is now solely for pedestrians and bicyclists. Enjoy it!

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Oh my yes, Horn Pond is beautiful, and surprisingly close.

[ron_newman]

I think it's way cool that you can leave the Minuteman Bikeway at Arlington Heights and, after a few minutes' ride up Lowell Street, see this and this. You can almost believe you've ridden out to some rural Midwestern cornfield.

[derekp.livejournal.com]

Depends on how far you want to go. There's a pretty popular loop out to Concord Center or even further. Once you get out into Lexington/Bedford/Concord/Carslile, the rides are really nice and very pretty this time of year.

I base my rides out there by a variation of the loops I ride with QuadCycles on the weekend. Here's the loop they ride: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Bobby-Mac-s-Quadcycle-Arlington-Bike-Club-Ride

Roads in that area that I particularly like: Mill Street (Lexington, I think), Strawberry Hill (Concord/Acton), River/Monument Street (Carslile/Concord)...

If you're in to road riding at all, you might want to check out the group ride that leaves from Quad Cycles in Arlington Heights at 9:30AM Sat/Sun. Most folks are spandex clad, but there are multiple groups of varying ability (anywhere from 12MPH to 20+).

[yttrai.livejournal.com]

From Davis/Porter/Ball, you can get up to Winthrop via your favourite means (Boston, Elm, Broadway, College, they all work), and then head across the Mystic River. Cross 16, and when you get to the 60 rotary you CAN go down High street, but the Residents Only restriction on Rural Road seems pretty loose when applied to bikes. When Rural ends take a right on Lawrence then a left on Governor's. When Governor's ends BOOM! You are at the Fells. It might be 15 minutes from Davis, probably less.

You might think you are not a mountain biker, but the wide firetrail paths in the Fells are also legal for bikes, and are insanely relaxing if you are out for a pleasure ride. And of course, the actual mountain bike loop can be done in about an hour once you are familiar with it - the sun sets late enough that if you leave work at 5 and go straight there, depending on where you work, you can get it all in and be home by dark.

[ron_newman]

Thanks. Is this less hilly than taking Governors Ave straight out of Medford Square?

[yttrai.livejournal.com]

Erm.

Well, from the rotary from the Fells is going to be the same elevation change no matter what.

But the way home is all downhill! Silver lining?

:D

[ron_newman]

This page describes two unpaved trails that start in Bedford, where the paved Minuteman Bikeway ends. One of them goes west to Old North Bridge in Concord, while the other goes north just beyond the Billerica town line. From that page, you can download handy PDF guides to each trail.

These trails are one reason that I like riding a hybrid. I couldn't really recommend them (especially the Concord one) for a road bike with skinny tires.

[teele-sq.livejournal.com]

If you're interested in trail rides, the Middlesex Fells (in Medford) are really nice in my opinion.

http://www.fellsbiker.com/

[fefie.livejournal.com]

The Phoenix issue that came out yesterday has their annual Bicycle Bible supplement with info about favorite ride routes, Bike Week activities, bike shops, and advocacy, etc.