Northeast - Good northeastern ct cylcing roads?

What are some good cycling roads in North-Eastern CT. Most of the roads I have found mostly suck. The terrain is good but the tar is crappy, the shoulders are small or nonexistent, and gravel is everyone. Any suggestions appreciated

There aren't all that many that i've found. But Rt. 44 tends to be pretty good. I usually just ride around off of the back roads and get myself good and lost so it's more fun to be out in nature and to find your way back. Plus it's a great way to learn the roads of the area. I do most of my riding in NE CT around Uconn, so anything I'd be able to offer would be within about a 35 mile radius thereof.

ya 44 is a great road...I ride it almost every day. I have also noticed that rt. 169 from Canterbury to pomfret is really nice. I just wish that there were more biG clmbs and less rolling hills around here.

You need to drive a couple of hours north to the White Mountains region for some really kick ***** hills (check out Kancamagus highway NH-112). Otherwise, the elevation gain is just the same.

Check out http://motionbased.com/ for some routes in your area that others have done. To have wider search area, enter the county and state names (ie, windham connecticut)

Found this site awhile back. They have rides with cue sheet listings.
http://www.ctbikeroutes.org

Depends on how far you want to go. Also, do know that the terrain is hilly-sometimes quite difficult. First thing you should do is pop into a bike shop. They've all got books on good bike routes in CT and New England. I teach at UConn and one of the routes I do after class is to go start on 195, then go down Gurlyville Rd (great downhill run) turn right when you get to Gurlyville, follow it back until it eventually links up with 195 again. Then you climb several miles to the top. I'm a clydesdale, so it's a good workout for me. Also, Rt. 32 in either direction is good. Try a loop up to Stafford Springs, or if you're adventurous enough, up to Brimfield Mass. Rt. 74 is also good. I tend to stay away from 44 due to fast traffic. The area around Coventry is also nice. If you're up in the Woodstock area, there's beautiful biking up there. Don't give up on the area-you need to explore a little more. Good luck!

Thanks for all the tips, the problem is I don't have my license yet (16) so any riding I do needs to basically be form my house, but I am finding some new good roads, 244 by vineyard valley golf course is nice with a decent climb also 169 going into pomfret has a decent climb. Finally 44 from eastford has a decently long 6% grade that can be quite challenging at the end of a long ride.

The area around Somers, Crystal Lake and Stafford Springs has wonderful roads for riding, with little traffic, great scenery, and plenty of hills of all sizes.

Check this out...

Ashford Metric Century

www.ashfordmetriccentury.wordpress.com

Date is Oct. 5, 2008

This will show you some good roads to ride in the Quiet Corner...

Just did a ride that took me through Northeastern CT. I was kind of flying blind, without a map- just a cue sheet I'd made up the night before. I stopped at "The Silver Bike" in Putnam for a couple of tubes and hoped for a map or at least some route info but, alas, they were out of maps. I did 44, I missed the turn on Deerfield Road (244) but it looked nice when I crossed it at the other end on Eastford Road. Westford Road was not bad and I followed that through to Turnpike Road and Ruby Road. All of which made for nice riding and with a good map could probably be linked fairly easily for a loop. I followed more back roads up to route 190, which got busy and downright creepy getting across the CT River- can anyone recommend a better bridge?

I liked that area and if you're looking for climbs just continue north into Mass. and Route 57 around Granville, and any of the roads north off of 57 will give you some good climbs.

[QUOTE=buzzman;7218007]..... I followed more back roads up to route 190, which got busy and downright creepy getting across the CT River- can anyone recommend a better bridge?
QUOTE]

There's a bridge further south from Route 190 that is a better choice to ride over the CT River. The bridge is on Route 140 and connects East Windsor and Windsor Locks. Once over the bridge you can proceed north on Rt 159 towards MA.

There's construction on the Route 190 bridge presently and is expected to continue for awhile apparently:

ENFIELD/SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT

The Department of Transportation announced today work has begun on projects to rehabilitate the bridge carrying Route 190 over the Connecticut River and to construct a multi-use trail along both sides of the river spanning the bridge.

Bridge work involves widening embankments to carry the new bikeway and repairing the existing superstructure. The proposed multi use trail will run between Route 159 in Suffield to the intersection of Franklin and Pearl Streets in the Thompsonville section of Enfield.

The scheduled project completion date is August 12, 2010.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=2135&Q=412764

[QUOTE=buzzman;7218007]..... I followed more back roads up to route 190, which got busy and downright creepy getting across the CT River- can anyone recommend a better bridge?
QUOTE]

There's a bridge further south from Route 190 that is a better choice to ride over the CT River. The bridge is on Route 140 and connects East Windsor and Windsor Locks. Once over the bridge you can proceed north on Rt 159 towards MA.

There's construction on the Route 190 bridge presently and is expected to continue for awhile apparently:

ENFIELD/SUFFIELD, CONNECTICUT

The Department of Transportation announced today work has begun on projects to rehabilitate the bridge carrying Route 190 over the Connecticut River and to construct a multi-use trail along both sides of the river spanning the bridge.

Bridge work involves widening embankments to carry the new bikeway and repairing the existing superstructure. The proposed multi use trail will run between Route 159 in Suffield to the intersection of Franklin and Pearl Streets in the Thompsonville section of Enfield.

The scheduled project completion date is August 12, 2010.

http://www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?A=2135&Q=412764

hey, thanks so much for the info!:)

I noticed them working on what looked like a bike path on the western side of the bridge and was tempted to try to dirt road ride it I was so desperate to not ride on that horrible road but it was just unridable.

The MUP will be a vast improvement over the existing conditions.

the CT DOT has bicycle route maps, though not having looked at mine recently, I don't think it tells you road conditions or shoulder width. It's just kind of a suitability map, and probably based on CT's idea, but it might be a start.

Also ACA's Atlantic Coastal route goes through NE CT, but just to get into Massachusets by Webster and that lake with the super long name :-)

Jay