Originally Posted by
drechie
hope this is alright to post here - I'm interested in starting commuting to work. i live in very close to the "bedford" end of the minuteman bike path, and will be making my commute into cambridge, specifically harvard square via this path (presumably). I haven't stepped on a bike in approximately 5 years, and when I did, it was for leisure. I'm looking to buy a bike for under $300 - does anyone have any suggestions on what kind/style/make of bike would be best for this commute (25 mile roundtrip, 2-5 times a week)? and where a good place to search for such a bike would be? thank you!
Do you have an existing bike? Why not that? Otherwise, stop by Bikeway Source near you, and talk to them. They're friendly, and it's off season. You might get lucky. (An entry 2013 model, discounted, might be about in your budget.)
To Harvard Square, you've got a few obvious choices.
If you are on the Cambridge Common side of Harvard Square:
- Minuteman to Arlington Center to Mass Ave to Harvard Square. (Starting later this year, Mass Ave between Arlington Center and the Cambridge border will be under construction.)
- Minuteman to Alewife to Alewife Linear Park/Somerville Community Path to Mass Ave to Harvard Square. (Alewife Linear Park starts at the end of Minuteman, take a left just before the access road to the crossing, you'll go behind Alewife past the satellite entrance, Jerry's Pond will be on your right, make a left and go around Russell Field.)
If you are on the Central Square side of Harvard Square:
- Either of the above and continue through Harvard Square on Mass Ave.
- Or turn left at Porter Square (you'll need to be a confident street rider here) onto Somerville Ave, right on Beacon to right on Scott (just past American Academy of Arts and Sciences, it's a one-way except bicycles, a little legal salmon thrill on a substandard bike lane), continue on Irving which takes you to Cambridge Rindge & Latin, left on Cambridge right on Ellery will take you back to Mass Ave just past the Mass Ave/Mount Auburn St fork.
- Minuteman to Alewife to Alewife Linear Park/Somerville Community Path, cross Mass Ave continue on Somerville Community Path to Davis, Elm to Mossland to Beacon to right on Scott....
If you *do* choose to park your bike at Alewife, get a good lock, register your Charlie Card for the secure bike cages and *USE* the cages. (But you can probably bike to Harvard Square quicker than taking the T.)
Good luck.
-mr. bill