Touring - Cape Cod cycling

Hi. We have a free week in August and are thinking about a bike tour in Cape Cod. I've never been there and we used to tour before children so anxious to find easy riding, not spend all day on the bike and sightsee a bit too. We will take a tandem with husband and 6 year old and road bike for me. Anyone done this, have experience, have suggestions....anything? Maybe a mix of camping and cheapish motels if possible, no more than 40 miles/day (this is flexible) - about 5 days of cycling.
Thanks!

I haven't done anything like that, but I think that inexpensive and Cape Cod don't go together in the summer...

The cycling will be easy (pretty flat) and there are plenty of places to stay... Someone else may know of good low cost places to stay, but I went there after Labor Day, did some biking and spent about $150 per night. After Labor Day is off season. Of course, I was in a nice B&B. :)

There are plenty of bike trails, so you don't even have to fight traffic very much.

This page from www.biketouringtips.com has 4 links to biking in Massachusetts (http://www.biketouringtips.com/searchTips.html?country=United%20States&state=Massachusetts&place=&id=&subtopic=). Two of the links point to Cape Cod information.

Ray

The Cape, and/or Martha's Vineyard is a lovely place, but as has been mentioned, there's no such thing as doing it on the cheap in the summertime. If that puts a damper on the whole Cape idea, a wonderful alternative would be to drive up to the Maritime Provinces of Canada (of course, requiring a little more driving/gasoline), and bike on lovely Prince Edward Island for a week. It's like biking in a storybook of emerald green fields and gorgeous Atlantic beaches. The home of "Ann of Green Gables" overlooking the beautiful ocean at Cavendish might even be of interest to a 6 year old. (Maybe not?) I believe I remember that PEI has the warmest ocean waters north of Maryland. I enjoyed biking PEI and Nova Scotia so much that after first touring there in 1982 I went back to do it again in '96. A beautiful place to bike with family.

Just a thought.

All the best,

I suggest avoiding Martha's Vineyard in the summer. While doing day trips around Cape Cod -- which was very pleasant riding, albeit an expensive place -- I took the ferry to MV, rode for 10 or 15 minutes, and then turned around. The traffic in MV was too intense!

I considered PEI and appreciate everyones thoughts about the Cape - I thought about the traffic but looked at all the trails and figured we might be able to link it all up with minimal road use...its early. I'm researching it....

its called a tent, makes the most expensive place cheap. Coffee still cost 1.50 and gas still costs 3 bucks/gallon...Hotels are the only thing expensive...
I've spent a lot of time on the cape...even know of a place where you can get dollar draughts (in the summer!)

I can and will gladly answer any questions about Cape Riding. There are some really good family oriented off and on road, rides. I have a couple of entries in my blog about cape riding, HERE (http://amidnightrider.blogspot.com/2007/09/myles-standish-state-forrest.html), and HERE (http://amidnightrider.blogspot.com/2007/09/rollin-and-tumblin-on-cape-cod-canal.html).

Staying off Cape is a much better and cheaper alternative. There are many ferries available to get to the cape and the islands like This one (http://amidnightrider.blogspot.com/2007/08/seafaring-biker.html),near the end of the entry.

In 1982 and again in 2000 I cycled on the Rail Trail, which runs in a northeasterly (or southwesterly) direction near the elbow of the Cape. It's paved, though the pavement in some spots is lumpy because of tree roots pushing up. Regardless, I enjoyed it both times. It keeps you off the roads (with an intersection now and then), and goes through wooded areas and past cranberry beds. If you are travelling with kids, you won't be in a hurry, so just slow down when you get to the bumps.

There is another paved bicycle trail along the canal that separates the Cape from the mainland. I believe that the trail is on both sides, but I only cycled on the east side.

Have fun, and make reservations early!

Ken

The cape cod rail trail has been repaved in the past 2 years. Get the Rubels bike maps for the cape.
Ride to Falmouth and park at the trailhead for the Sining Sea path to Woods Hole. 45 min. ferry to
Martha's Vineyard and you can tour the entire island in 1 day. One campground on the Island.

There are a couple of campgrounds in the Falmouth area.

Thanks. We're definitely considering camping MOSt nights - maybe one or 2 nights in a hotel. We also know people with a home ?Dennis?