Anyone ridden Boston to NY City?

[donrhummy]

Has anyone ridden from boston to nyc? Or even in between? I'm looking for good routes and what areas/streets to stay away from.

[bmike]

i think there are a bunch of SS / FG riders that have done this. might want to post over there.

[spokenword]

I did the reverse, NY > BOS. It was a few years ago and the details are a little fuzzy. Basically, you can take this route (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=336697) from Boston to Providence. Then, use the Providence state bike map (http://www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/ristatebikemap.pdf) to piece together a path to Connecticut (following the Coventry Greenway from Providence to Rt. 14 is a good bet), then use the Transalt CT bike map (http://www.transalt.org/info/mapct.html) to navigate CT (we'd do Norwich > Middletown > New Haven > Danbury > NY state border), then use the TransAlt Westchester map (http://www.transalt.org/info/westchester.pdf) to get you the rest of the way.

It's a bit of a sprawl-y route as you'll be hitting metropolitan suburbs through most of the segments in MA and RI. CT is scenic, though. An alternate, if you don't mind hill climbing, is to head west from Boston towards Oxford, then south to CT, skipping RI entirely. The sections between Natick / Southboro > Hopkinton > Sutton > Oxford are gorgeous but rolling. The Boston > Providence route, by contrast is reasonably flat, and you won't really hit any serious climbs until you get to CT.

[donrhummy]

I did the reverse, NY > BOS. It was a few years ago and the details are a little fuzzy. Basically, you can take this route (http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=336697) from Boston to Providence. Then, use the Providence state bike map (http://www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/ristatebikemap.pdf) to piece together a path to Connecticut (following the Coventry Greenway from Providence to Rt. 14 is a good bet), then use the Transalt CT bike map (http://www.transalt.org/info/mapct.html) to navigate CT (we'd do Norwich > Middletown > New Haven > Danbury > NY state border), then use the TransAlt Westchester map (http://www.transalt.org/info/westchester.pdf) to get you the rest of the way.

It's a bit of a sprawl-y route as you'll be hitting metropolitan suburbs through most of the segments in MA and RI. CT is scenic, though. An alternate, if you don't mind hill climbing, is to head west from Boston towards Oxford, then south to CT, skipping RI entirely. The sections between Natick / Southboro > Hopkinton > Sutton > Oxford are gorgeous but rolling. The Boston > Providence route, by contrast is reasonably flat, and you won't really hit any serious climbs until you get to CT.


Thanks! i'll take a look at those. As for the "serious climbs" what do you define as such? I might not be averse to that but if there's a bunch of mt. washingtons, then I'd never make it.

[spokenword]

Thanks! i'll take a look at those. As for the "serious climbs" what do you define as such? I might not be averse to that but if there's a bunch of mt. washingtons, then I'd never make it.
take a look at the elevation profile for this century (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Metrowest-Century), particularly everything between miles 32 and 42, before the route heads north. Everything between mile 42 and Oxford is like that. Bunch of 300 to 400 ft. climbs in series for ~20 miles. Not Mt. Washingtons, but it certainly makes you earn your dinner. Also, rather do-able if you're riding light, granny gear territory if you're planning on doing it fully loaded.

[touringtotri]

I've never ridden anything like that but I do live in CT and if I were you I'd try to go south early, perhaps in RI and consider doing some extra miles to avoid the hills of northern CT. Although if you stay north you will avoid a lot more urban areas. There's a ridge in central CT plus tons of rollers in eastern CT, but it's probably better than the birkshires.


Also, I'm not sure if you meant in one day or not, but if it's not in one day just go for the most rural/safe route. Hills are part of life, you just don't want them to kill you on a long day.

[donrhummy]

The hills are not what worry me. I just want to bike through nice areas that are very bikable.