CT: help planning a route from MA-CT state line to New Haven/Shoreline

[fprintf]

I have been thinking about riding from the CT shoreline to the MA state border and back. The shortest distance is from New Haven harbor to the notch near Granby. I am having some trouble with the portion of the route from Hamden to New Haven due to considerations of safety and traffic and if anyone knows these areas I'd love some help.

So let's say I make it as far as Cheshire or Hamden from the MA state line. Where to next? I could add on 20 miles by going East to Wallingford, and then south through Northford to Branford or East Haven. But as it is, the most direct route is 126 miles round trip... 146 miles would just be a killer ride.

I'd think riding down Rte. 10 pretty much all the way to the Yale campus would be fastest - the trouble is, just past Hamden High School it looks really sketchy, and I do not want to carry my .45 on my bike nor 5 sets of inner tubes because of all the glass.

edit: I am not looking to set any records, but the shoreline destination of the intersection of S. Water St. and Howard St. on New Haven harbor seemed a good destination point to use. It was what was used on the S-N-S record attempt as documented at http://www.ultracycling.com/records/connecticut_record2006.html

Thoughts? I chose New Haven and Rte. 10 because a) I live in Cheshire and could ride Cheshire-New Haven - Cheshire - Granby - Cheshire rather than driving to the State line or shoreline to begin the ride. Plus it seems to be the most direct North - South routing.

[murbike]

I have been thinking about riding from the CT shoreline to the MA state border and back. The shortest distance is from New Haven harbor to the notch near Granby. I am having some trouble with the portion of the route from Hamden to New Haven due to considerations of safety and traffic and if anyone knows these areas I'd love some help.

So let's say I make it as far as Cheshire or Hamden from the MA state line. Where to next? I could add on 20 miles by going East to Wallingford, and then south through Northford to Branford or East Haven. But as it is, the most direct route is 126 miles round trip... 146 miles would just be a killer ride.

I'd think riding down Rte. 10 pretty much all the way to the Yale campus would be fastest - the trouble is, just past Hamden High School it looks really sketchy, and I do not want to carry my .45 on my bike nor 5 sets of inner tubes because of all the glass.

edit: I am not looking to set any records, but the shoreline destination of the intersection of S. Water St. and Howard St. on New Haven harbor seemed a good destination point to use. It was what was used on the S-N-S record attempt as documented at http://www.ultracycling.com/records/connecticut_record2006.html

Thoughts? I chose New Haven and Rte. 10 because a) I live in Cheshire and could ride Cheshire-New Haven - Cheshire - Granby - Cheshire rather than driving to the State line or shoreline to begin the ride. Plus it seems to be the most direct North - South routing.

We ride from West Hartford/Newington to Branford yearly. Here's the route we took one year:
http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=80251

Alternatively, and a little more towards New Haven is Rt 17. We took that last year, and 77 is the better ride.

Also, from here, I've ridden to Northampton, Ma, passing through Granby and the notch.

Going both ways, the only sketchy area was Middletown, and that was cause there were so many hippies.

If you want, I can combine the ride from here (Newington) to Branford, and my ride from here to Northampton (unmapped at this time). Both rides were great, and I can tell you about any part of them.

Let me know, either by PM or by replying, and I'd be happy to do it.

IMO, going through New Haven can be hairy, but doable. For less stress and traffic, I recommend going to Branford or East Haven.

[botto]

at least one of these ride maps should help.

http://www.yale.edu/cycling/20077/

[Ya Tu Sabes]

I ride in New Haven all the time and Dixwell Ave. is really not that sketchy, especially in the daytime. You could also cut over to Whitney Ave. and ride into downtown that way. It's a little less busy, a little prettier, and about the same distance.

[cdale56]

fprintf:

Did you ever do this ride?

I was in New Haven yesterday for the NH Century and was wondering how your ride went?

[fprintf]

I have not yet done the ride. The past two weekends I have done parts of the route... from Cheshire down to the coastline in New Haven harbor, and then from Cheshire up to Farmington yesterday. I am afraid I am not in good enough shape thus far, as I seem to lose steam about 50 miles into any ride. I suspect if I continue making my rides a bit longer each week and get back to 18 miles every other day, that I'll be ready by September. 126 miles is a rather long way!

BTW, the route through New Haven that I was worried about isn't too bad. It is a bit frustrating because of a) the road surfaces being horrible and b) the f****** traffic lights! It took me almost 3 1/4 hours total time @ 16.5 mph average riding speed to do the 40 miles from Cheshire to New Haven and back.

[slugman]

I'd just like to take belated offense at the Middletown hippie comment :mad: ;)
ok, you do have to watch out for those Wesleyan kids and the grads who stuck around.

I grew up in Middletown and lived in West Haven a few years, doing the up and back ride on 17 many times. Never really had trouble back then other then the time I broke a spoke (riding a 30 year old bike at the time), but riding around Boston for the past 5 years (and hit twice in the last 2) so maybe I just have ptss.
To add semi-useful info, a bit fuzzy memory of the last time I drove on 10 is that it wasn't horrible though maybe lacking in shoulder space in parts. Never was concerned riding through New Haven in any area really, though I suppose school in Worcester immunized me a bit.

[murbike]

I'd just like to take belated offense at the Middletown hippie comment :mad: ;)
ok, you do have to watch out for those Wesleyan kids and the grads who stuck around.

I grew up in Middletown and lived in West Haven a few years, doing the up and back ride on 17 many times. Never really had trouble back then other then the time I broke a spoke (riding a 30 year old bike at the time), but riding around Boston for the past 5 years (and hit twice in the last 2) so maybe I just have ptss.
To add semi-useful info, a bit fuzzy memory of the last time I drove on 10 is that it wasn't horrible though maybe lacking in shoulder space in parts. Never was concerned riding through New Haven in any area really, though I suppose school in Worcester immunized me a bit.

No offense meant. Perhaps I should have said 'hippies on the Wesleyan Campus'.

[Fishy]

Connecticut prints up a pretty good bike map with suggested routes and loops.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=1380&q=259662

David Balzer, the state's bike and ped coordinator, was very accommodating when I asked about routes for an eastern seaboard trip we're taking in the fall. He also was very prompt in sending me a hard copy of the map. Might be worth your while to email him.

[bktourer1]

Blazer never answers my e-mails and once he told me there were no new maps and they didn't know if they would be making more. One cross state route shows you can cross rt 190 but the signs there now read no bicycles. They are though in the process of fixing the issues of that bridge.

[Fishy]

I'd try again - I got a couple of maps from him about three weeks ago.

[professorbob]

The FV Greenway goes almost uninterrupted from E. Granby, near the border to Unionville. Get out a map and see if you can find a decent way to hook up to the Cheshire trail. I might be wrong, but I've heard that it goes all the way to New Haven.

[slugman]

If you can't get an answer I could see if my Dad can find what you need when he get's back from traveling (it's not a vacation when you're retired he tells me). He used to be an engineer at the CT DOT and would bike to work on occasion. He probably has a number of the older state bike maps around as it is.