Northeast - Connecticut Riders

Just wanted to see who from CT is around, and where everyone rides :)

I'm in Farmington, do most of my rides in the area. Use the rail-trail into Avon. I'm not from here, so hills suck. Plus I'm about 50 lbs overweight.

Eating right is wrong for me. Did I mention I'm from New Orleans originally?

;)

Farmington is a nice area....and fairly flat as well. I grew up a bit south of ya, in Southington (which actually means "south of Farmington"....little history lesson for ya).

When I started riding again last August, after coming back from a shin injury (ending my running "career"), I was 180 pounds, my heaviest ever. A far cry from 11 years earlier and 135 pounds soaking wet, and in pretty decent riding shape. Ah well....I'll be happy to get back to 145 or so....at 160 right now.

I ride throughout the northeastern part of CT....but stay mostly in the Willimantic, Mansfield, Ashford, Phoenixville, Chaplin, Windham (North/South) areas. I've been as far north as Stafford (sorta near the MA border), and as far south as Norwich.

When I go up to the campground in Granville, MA (just to the west of Southwick), I ride all through that area and into CT (Granby, etc.).

Did you leave New Orleans pre or post Katrina?

Norwich/New London area.

Crap Farmington is flat? I'm in trouble.

We left back in 2002. Back in 1999 or 2000 we evacuated for a few days, and when we came back I started to look for a job out of town.

Are you going to do the 2 Ferrys ride in Rocky Hill? That's probably a piece of cake for you.

Crap Farmington is flat? I'm in trouble.

Fairly flat, yeah....

Head to the northwest a bit to the corner of the state....or the Barkhamsted area. There's a bit 'o climbing for ya....


We left back in 2002. Back in 1999 or 2000 we evacuated for a few days, and when we came back I started to look for a job out of town.

Are you going to do the 2 Ferrys ride in Rocky Hill? That's probably a piece of cake for you.

Nah, I'm signed up for a century in Sept. that goes from Vernon, VT to Vernon, CT.

http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=3730

When is the Rocky Hill ride?

Norwich/New London area.

Where do you ride in New London?

(NEw London)I don't. I head up to your area a lot. Baltic, Franklin, Willimantic, Mansfield etc... I ride near my house in Noriwch a lot too. A little in Mystic and Ledyard.

Just wanted to see who from CT is around, and where everyone rides :)

From Mystic, and I tend to ride in North, up to Norwich, and east to the beaches in Rhode Island. occassionally I'll venture to East Lyme or Old Lyme, but only if I start my ride from the New London side of the Thames. I pretty much stay in the southeastern portion of the state during the summer...

I need my knees and heart to work for another 40+ years, so I'll take it easy getting up to Barkhamstead, Winsted, heck Litchfield ;)

==

2 Ferry's is on September 30th. Its a metric, and I think its pretty hilly, but I'm a flatlander.

===

I've heard riding in Mystic is pretty nice. Little traffic on most roads.

I think I might be busy that weekend....but if I'm not, 62 miles shouldn't be too bad. Got any info on it?

I commute from Ellington to Hartford by bike 3 to 5 days a week. We like the rail trails for family recreation. A lot of work has been done in the past few years on the east coast greenway in Northeastern CT. The Vernon rail trails and the Airline trail are great. Any sort of road riding will be beautiful in NE CT, but this makes us more nervous with 5 kids along. There are also lots of trails in the Soapstone mountain area for mtb as well; of course the kids aren't old enough for this yet.

What's the East Coast greenway?

What's the East Coast greenway?

I think it's a political name. See this web site: http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=1390&q=259684 Request the free map at this link if you don't have it. It has a lot of good information.

I've heard riding in Mystic is pretty nice. Little traffic on most roads.

Its pretty nice, I enjoy my 5:30Am rides when the tourists are all still asleep and the roads are quietest. We have a group that meets every weekday morning at about that time to go out for an hour or so. Biking along the Mystic river at 5:30 when it is still with no boat traffic and a calm river at sunrise is pretty nice. But I would say the best riding is to be had prior to Memorial Day and after Labor Day. That is pretty much the bulk of our tourist season in between those dates... damn tourists... (no offense to those of you who visit)

I think I might be busy that weekend....but if I'm not, 62 miles shouldn't be too bad. Got any info on it?

Crap! I was wrong, its the 24th

Crap! I was wrong, its the 24th (http://cyclingconcepts.com/Two_Ferry_Metric_Century_2006/index.htm)


I am out of town the week before so no riding, that's going to be a rough one for me. I better get out and ride ... now!

SpongeDad and I are cycling in the Berkshires (or whatever they're called in Northwestern CT) this weekend. So if you're there, and see ~8 dorky middle-aged riders, we'd be in that group -- don't forget to wave!

SpongeDad and I are cycling in the Berkshires (or whatever they're called in Northwestern CT) this weekend. So if you're there, and see ~8 dorky middle-aged riders, we'd be in that group -- don't forget to wave!

HEy Bibi!:D

Where in the Berkshires...and which day?

I won't have my bike with me this weekend (recovery week)....good luck with some of the climbs :)

I think my schedule has freed up the end of Sept., so I may do that ride.

Oh, and I already have that CT bike map....

Howdy. I am from Burlington.

Weekday after work rides are usually at Huntington (right next to my work), Nassahegan (my back yard) or Nepaug (up the street). Sometimes I will get out to the West Hartford Reservoir, but not that often.

Weekend rides on the other hand I try to get away from those places. My favorite ride in CT has to be Middlesex. I just rode Meshomasic sunday, that place is amazing. We hit Trumbull and Westwoods somewhat regularly as well. Case and Penwood on a less frequent basis.

But I am always looking for new places to ride!

Edit: just noticed that you might have been looking for more the road biker aspect of things :(

GuitarWizard, what kind of music are you into?

My son's a guitarist in name, but is probably more of a bass player in spirit. We like the English stuff, Muse, Stone Roses, Kasabian, Oasis... etc.

And to bring this back on topic, damn rain! I won't ride in the rain. When is it going to stop?

==
Anybody ride in Rhode Island? We checked out URI today and it looks like a nice place to ride.

SpongeDad and I are cycling in the Berkshires (or whatever they're called in Northwestern CT) this weekend. So if you're there, and see ~8 dorky middle-aged riders, we'd be in that group -- don't forget to wave!

you're coming to my neck o' the woods and you weren't going to say anything?

GuitarWizard, what kind of music are you into?

My son's a guitarist in name, but is probably more of a bass player in spirit. We like the English stuff, Muse, Stone Roses, Kasabian, Oasis... etc.

And to bring this back on topic, damn rain! I won't ride in the rain. When is it going to stop?

==
Anybody ride in Rhode Island? We checked out URI today and it looks like a nice place to ride.

For guitar-oriented type stuff, I like Joe Stump, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Adrian Legg, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, etc.....basically I like anyone who is very talented and sounds good.

Bands....most notable are Godsmack, U2, Metallica (Black album and older), Filter, The Hollies, Oasis, Van Halen.....and some others that aren't coming to mind. I also like a bunch of other stuff, but usually only a few songs here and there from a multitude of different artists. I used to always buy CD's just for 1 or 2 songs.

Rhode Island, I'd stick to the "western" part of the state. They have pretty much the worst drivers in the country there. I work in Cranston, RI and live in CT - I'm no longer surprised by what I see on the roads any longer. A buddy of mine at work wants me to join his team for next year, though.....group rides will be a bit of a PITA if I do that, since I'd have to drive an hour just to get to the starting point.

How far is the team from URI?

I'm pretty sure all drivers are bad, everywhere you go.

I heard you can't ride from URI to Newport because they don't allow bikes on the bridges. That's pretty sad.

I've driven all over the country (literally), and RI drivers are the worst. I'm almost convinced that people are automatically issued a license at 16 years old, no testing necessary.

I wouldn't really want to ride to Newport to begin with.....area is a bit busy in regards to traffic. However, Jamestown wouldn't be too bad for a leisurely ride. There's actually a bike race there in Oct. that I'm debating entering.

The team is all over.....Arc En Ciel is the name of the team. Their group rides on Saturday mornings are in the southern part of the state from what I understand.

I've only been to RI twice, once was Friday on the way to URI. Didn't notice how bad they were, but I'll take your word for it.

Newport - probably a good idea. I need to work on my RI geography a bit more, and if he ends up going there, I'm sure I will.

From Mystic, and I tend to ride in North, up to Norwich, and east to the beaches in Rhode Island. occassionally I'll venture to East Lyme or Old Lyme, but only if I start my ride from the New London side of the Thames. I pretty much stay in the southeastern portion of the state during the summer...

I'm from East Lyme! Does anyone know how to get from New London to Groton without going way north? Is there even a way? because the bridge is a highway : (

You can access the sidewalk that crosses the bridge off of Mohegan Ave, just down the hill from the USCG Academy. Going south, take a right on Bailey Circle. The path to the bridge is at the end of the circle. On the Groton side of the bridge, the sidewalk drops sharply with a hard left turn, be CAREFUL!
I have not been there since about 1999, so my memory is a little fuzzy after this point. Look for the path that takes you under the bridge. You will come out on a sidewalk that parallels the highway exit ramp for Bridge St, right by Pauls TV.

Hi All,

I live in Oxford which is about 1/2 between Bridgeport & Waterbury if you're driving on Route 8. Plenty o' hills here. Used to live in Woodbury which is a couple towns north....I still ride north into Litchfield county when I have time for a 3-5 hour ride. Litchfield County rocks !!! One of my favorite rides is to go from my house in Oxford up and around Lake Waramaug in Washington/Kent and back through Roxbury. Route 317 from Roxbury back into Woodbury has some serious hills !!...especially if you've already got 50 miles in your legs...
Sounds like most of your guys are north or east of me....
Well it's good to hear from some other CT folks anyways !!

J.

Wow....the northwestern part of the state has a ton of climbing...someday I shall make my way out there.

Looking to do a long loop around the Barkhamsted Reservior (where they run the Tokeneke Road Race) this weekend....my second attempt at it. First attempt ended up in heat exhaustion on a climb in triple digit temps. That loop has a bit of climbing.

Did I tell you guys I switched from my old Trek 1000 to a newer Trek 1200. The bike needed new components, so we did Campy shifters and Shimano in the back, FSA ...blah blah blah.

i'm a big guy, 235 lbs or so...or less today. So when I'm riding around here in the hills I was doing about 13.3 mph on average for my hilly ride. New bike, average is now at 14.4, but last couple of rides were at 15.4 for the same courses that would be 13.3.

now I'm more fit, but I wasn't doing this at the end of last season. So my conclusion, its all about the bike ;)

Hey Guys,

Just found a site that's great for marking out your routes and getting elevation gains, etc.

Check out my thread from Road Cycling:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=224827

I've marked a couple routes in Oxford already but you can also see other routes by other CT riders grouped by town. I think you'll like it.

J. :D

Hi all,
I live and bike on the shoreline east of New Haven. I like the backroads and ride for recreation. When my family and I go cycling we go to the Rail Trail in Hamden, often to the Airline Trail in East Hampton, the Northampton, Mass trail and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in NY just past Sharon, CT. My wife and I will ride the local roads but I will not take the family out unless we go to a rail trail. People drive so badly and do not look or care for cyclists. I am originally from SE CT and enjoyed riding there also.

Hey Guys,

Just found a site that's great for marking out your routes and getting elevation gains, etc.

Check out my thread from Road Cycling:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=224827

I've marked a couple routes in Oxford already but you can also see other routes by other CT riders grouped by town. I think you'll like it.

J. :D

I have a bunch of routes on RouteSlip....good stuff.

I'm from East Lyme! Does anyone know how to get from New London to Groton without going way north? Is there even a way? because the bridge is a highway : (


There is walkway on the very northern part of the northernmost(southbound) NL/Groton bridge.

I tried to GMAP it out and here it is the route I would take from Niantic to Rte 184 in Groton. You could just stay on Rte 156.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=420870.

It is a crappy approach to the bridge and bike path itself and narrow and all that, but unlike the big bridges here in RI you can at least get cross them legally.

Did I tell you guys I switched from my old Trek 1000 to a newer Trek 1200. The bike needed new components, so we did Campy shifters and Shimano in the back, FSA ...blah blah blah.

i'm a big guy, 235 lbs or so...or less today. So when I'm riding around here in the hills I was doing about 13.3 mph on average for my hilly ride. New bike, average is now at 14.4, but last couple of rides were at 15.4 for the same courses that would be 13.3.

now I'm more fit, but I wasn't doing this at the end of last season. So my conclusion, its all about the bike ;)

Really gotta love the added mental boost you get with new equipment :)

I live in Tolland, and most of my rides take me into Coventry, Ellington, Stafford or Willington. As it's been said already, you either get used to riding hills around here or you don't ride. Route 74 and Route 44 from Tolland out to Ashford is a beeyatch.

GuitarWizard - You have the same great commute as me. I work in Providence. Fortunately on the western end though so I don't have to deal with the mayhem at the 6/10 and 95/195 connectors.

Heh....I work at Citizens Bank. I drive a black VW Jetta GLI 1.8T....just in case you see one flying up on you in the rear-view mirror :D.

Yeah, Rte. 44 is a lot of fun. I did a nice loop the other day starting at my house on Rte. 195 and heading into Mansfield through the state park, and then down Rte. 203 in North Windham into South Windham, took a left on Rte. 32 to Rte. 207 in Franklin...took Rte. 207 up to Rte. 87. Took Rte. 87 up to Rte. 66 in Columbia, and then took a right on Rte. 6. Then took a left back onto Rte. 32 in Willimantic, and took that up to Rte. 44. Took a right on Rte. 44 over to Rte. 195, and took a right on 195 back to my house in Willimantic. A nice little ride.....great loop with a bit of climbing, but not too bad.

Hey! What's up Magyar!? How you been?

I ride a lot with the TCC club out of the Willimantic, North Windham area as well.I live in Norwich though, so my weeknight rides are closer to my house.

I've seen the TCC riders around, but have yet to ride with 'em. I'm thinking of joining a team out of RI though, actually.....my buddy at work is on it.

Hey! What's up Magyar!? How you been?

Hey cycle17, good to hear from you. Things have been good. You?

Any plans for a twenty-something degree ride this year after Thanksgiving?

Hey cycle17, good to hear from you. Things have been good. You?

Any plans for a twenty-something degree ride this year after Thanksgiving?


I've been good.

As far as the November ride...I'd be up for it with similar weather conditions (or better) this year. A few people from my club have expressed interest as well. Could become a tradition.:p Let's talk when November rolls around.

Take Care

I've driven all over the country (literally), and RI drivers are the worst. I'm almost convinced that people are automatically issued a license at 16 years old, no testing necessary.

I wouldn't really want to ride to Newport to begin with.....area is a bit busy in regards to traffic. However, Jamestown wouldn't be too bad for a leisurely ride. There's actually a bike race there in Oct. that I'm debating entering.

The team is all over.....Arc En Ciel is the name of the team. Their group rides on Saturday mornings are in the southern part of the state from what I understand.

http://www.heartheissues.com/driversbystate.html

This supports the bad RI driver theory, though, having been born, breed, schooled, and currently working in CT, I see little difference between the NE state drivers. My commute takes me through SE CT and I have had some very bad experiences there, and where I live-1 mile from the RI/CT border- two of my worst experiences with malicious drivers here in RI had CT plates.

Yeah....CT drivers don't know what the left lane is used for - many think it's the slow lane, which creates a lot of aggrivated drivers behind them, and then erratic driving from those trying to get around 'em.

RI drivers just plain don't know how to drive.

MA drivers can drive, they just drive a bit faster. Nothing wrong with that.

Maine drivers aren't too bad....I like to refer to the Maine Turnpike as the New England Autobahn.

New Hampshire is a bit iffy...have to be careful since probably half of 'em don't have insurance.

Vermonters aren't bad, they just drive slow.

a link for you Nutemeggers ;)

http://www.ctbikeroutes.org/index.php


Thanks for the link Botto. :)

I forget....where are you now and what is your connection to the New England area ??

You've had a couple good suggestions lately across several threads....:p

Just ordered The Rider by Tim Krabbe !

Just finished Armstrong's War...I thought is was great....I am rereading several chapters regarding the mountain stages each night until The Rider gets here......
I give the book 5 "woof shrugs"...:D

Rhode Island, I'd stick to the "western" part of the state. They have pretty much the worst drivers in the country there.

Hey All, Saw this thread and had to chime in. I grew up in Winsted, and DID actually ride a bike a bit growing up. Recently ended up in Newport RI, so I can definately relate to the bad drivers here. But I think some of the credit I give to CT is because Winsted is so empty of people anyways. Bad drivers farther apart from each other seem like better drivers.

I now live in Newport, and can attest that you arent allowed to ride a bike over either the Jamestown or Newport bridges, but RIPTA (our bus company) has bike racks, and I think bikes ride free, though the bikers themselves still have to pay, of course. I wouldnt recommend Newport for any serious mileage, being an island full of rhode island drivers, but I do see some roadies cruising around Ocean Drive occasionally.

Did any of you Nutmeggers ride in the 'Tour of Litchfield Hills?' I did the 30 miler this year... Wow, rte 202 to Litchfield has some tough climbs! Lots O' fun though.

Just saw this thread! I ride offroad at Nassahegan and Middlesex, occassionally venturing into NY for some Ninham action. On the skinny tires I mainly commute to Farmington as the schedule allows, and do the occassional alleycat in Hartford, New Haven, or even Boston.

Maybe I'll catch you in F'ton. I'm on a red Trek 1200, big guy, moving rather slowly.

;)

I'd like to do the Tour of the Litchfield Hills next year....

I'd like to do the Tour of the Litchfield Hills next year....


Me too !!!
I want to ride through Cornwall and those other towns.
Right now I don't have time to get farther north than Washington & Roxbury when riding from my house....

Nicest solo ride I did this past Summer was from my house, through Southbury, Woodbury, Washington, around Lake Waramaug and then back through Washington, Roxbury (killer hills on RT 317), back home to Oxford....a hair under 70 miles and just gorgeous scenery the entire length !!! :)