Touring - New York to Boston, in 1 day?

Hi guys,

I grew up riding on the west coast (Northern CA) and recently moved out to NYC!
I've been looking up interesting routes (mapmyride/greenway/etc) around these parts, and the NYC-Boston ride looks great for spring.

I was getting basic data, and it's roughly 200 FLAT miles... I've done two double centuries within the last year (one was 200+ miles and the other 186...not really a double C) in northern CA with rolling hills and low-grade climbs (but still ~1500-2000 feet per 100 miles).

Has anyone done NYC to Boston or Boston to NYC in one day? On paper it looks very doable, I just would like some people with personal experience to chime in.

Thanks,
CGSR

Why in one day ?
IMHO- it is overly simplistic given the traffic dynamics.
Your start/end locations would make a huge difference in the travel time. For example in NYC would you be starting in lower Manhattan say near Battery Park or from Staten Is or the Bronx ? and going to where in Boston ? Eg, the Haymarket area or Back Bay ? Suggest a two day ride each way with time to take in the sights and perhaps a day layover in Boston.

really only to see if I can do it (if it's relatively doable, I shall attempt).

i was born in NYC and went to school in chestnut hill, ma so i've seen a good amount of what to see =p (but ill make the return trip the site seeing one as well).

im leaving the east village area

I think you are underestimating the mileage and/or the flatness. if you follow the coast its very long and if you head inland its all rolling hills.

I guess anything is possible. Flat is a very objective term; I live on the CT coastline, right on Rt. 1 (Boston Post Rd.) which I imagine you'd be riding on for a good portion of the way, and there are some decent hills you'd need to deal with. It'll get even hillier once you break away from the coast and head inland through eastern MA. Personally, I don't think I could do it.

I think you are underestimating the mileage and/or the flatness. if you follow the coast its very long and if you head inland its all rolling hills.

maybe so - just looking for people who have done it or attempted to do it...

like I said in my original post, on paper it looks easy...but paper can be deceiving =)

Do you have a specific route in mind? Traffic conditions could be the most annoying thing.

Speedo

I haven't done it in a day.

When I did the East Coast, I used parts of three days: Manhattan via Long Island to New London (112 miles) followed by New London to Wrentham (88 miles) and Wrentham to Chelmsford (53 miles). Wrentham to downtown Boston would have been ~25 miles and so if that was the only part of the trip, I could see doing it in two days - but I would have been hard-pressed to cover 225 miles with my loaded touring bike staying in summer daylight hours. However, your mileage may vary.

I look forward to the day where 320+ km in a day looks "very doable" to me.

Portland to Burlington, tough to do in a day tho.

I haven't done it. If I were, I'd consider taking a commuter train (either LIRR or MetroNorth) out of the city, just to avoid the worst of the urban riding. I'd probably prefer the Long Island route because you get to lower traffic roads sooner and would have some genuinely nice rural riding on the second half of it. The ferry to New London would be a nice rest.

I look forward to the day where 320+ km in a day looks "very doable" to me.

i find riding back to back to back to back to back 80-120 mile days MUCH MUCH more difficult

Maybe also try the long-distance forum for your query. I am assuming you don't plan to do this ride fully loaded :) and most of us in here like to stop and smell the roses - tour - as opposed to cover as much distance as possible.

Not that I don't like to occasionally do both. If your mileage is accurate it sounds doable. Sometimes its just more fun to try it out for yourself then get validation first, no? (of course always good to have a backup plan to get home if you can't make it, or a credit card to find a motel)

For those who live near mountains and steep grades 200 miles sounds do-able.. I've done 143 with some pretty incredible mountains.. Still, considering NYC congestion, Think I'd hitch my bike to a train at about Stamford, Cn.

A friend of mine has done the ride several times, and has written about it on his blog. Check out these posts:
http://bikefleet.blogspot.com/search/label/intercity

Nice post. Sounds hard!

For those who live near mountains and steep grades 200 miles sounds do-able.. I've done 143 with some pretty incredible mountains.. Still, considering NYC congestion, Think I'd hitch my bike to a train at about Stamford, Cn.

"It's 'CT', not 'Cn'", said the born-and-raised CT boy. :)

Some friends and I used to do this as a 2 day trip from NYC to Boston. We also made one significant change. We would go through LI and take the Orient Pt to New London ferry. I don't know if the 90 minute ferry ride would raise religious scruples with you about doing this trip by bike.

I've found real problems with going through CT. One really wants to put one's head down and move without thinking on a long distance ride. Following something simple like a US 1 sign is what one wants. HOWEVER, there are lots of towns and cities until New Haven. The towns have shopping centers, traffic lights and enough traffic to force you stop at those traffic lights. One simply cannot maintain a fast enough average speed to take advantage of the flat terrain. There are published bike routes that avoid most of US 1. They average about a turn per mile. The result is that slowing down so as not to miss a turn and again the average speed drops. If one tries for a route that is 5 or more miles north of the Sound, one finds that CT gets very hilly.

Those hills also mean that the shortest route is most likely the hilliest. The Greenway route goes through Hartford which translates into hills. Avoiding hills means staying as close to the Sound for as long as possible.

The route which we used to take from New London was as follows:
go across the Gold Star Bridge to Groton
take CT 184 to CT 216
take CT/RI 216 to RI 3
take RI 3 to RI 33
take RI 33 to RI 116
take RI 116 to RI 5
take RI 5 to RI 104
take RI 104 to RI 114
take RI114 to RI/MA 126
take RI/MA 126 to MA 109
take MA 109 to Boston City Limits
VFW Pkwy - Centre St - S Huntington Ave - follow trolley tracks to downtown Boston

This avoids all the traffic around Providence.

take RI 3 to RI 33
take RI 33 to RI 116
take RI 116 to RI 5
take RI 5 to RI 104
take RI 104 to RI 114
take RI114 to RI/MA 126

FWIW, IMO this is some of the nicest riding in RI too. A little hilly in areas, but the the steep hills are pretty short.

"It's 'CT', not 'Cn'", said the born-and-raised CT boy. :)

Funny, though, when I was born there, it was still "Conn." None of these new-fangled two letter abbreviations.

Ride from NYC to Boston sounds fun, but I'd think that if it were summer enough to have a lot of daylight hours you have humidity and skeeters to worry about. Makes me thankful to be in California...;)

NYC to Boston has been done a lot of times....with a lot of different routes. It can be done.

things to think about...

Are you tough enough to do this ride?

Do you have the right gear? (cold weather gear, saddle bag, multi water bottles, food, repair kit/tubes?)

Do you have good lighting? (I'd ride out of the East Village late at night/early in the morning, trying to finish in Boston before dark)

A 200 mile ride isn't that tough if you're ready for it.

Man, you're going to have so much fun!

Post you route afterward so others can try.

"It's 'CT', not 'Cn'", said the born-and-raised CT boy. :)

Thanks. Can't ever recall having to look up a CT zip or post a letter to CT... .. That information might come in handy someday... Even tho I've been there twice... Actually , I prefer to take the long hand route.= Connecticut... As for the ride, as a tourer type, I'm game .. Sounds easy, at least up to Stamford.. Routing one through the Bronx sounds difficult. Looked pretty chaotic to me. .. But, as to New England.. It's awesome.

Consider the South & North County Trails towards Putnam County and East on Rt6 towards Danbury and backroads ( I can supply) to the Farmington River Greenway Northeast to Simsbury. Backroads to Springfield MA and backroads to Boston. Get the Rubels bike maps for MA. Contact me offlist for my cues. Ex-NYC resident.

A friend of mine has done the ride several times, and has written about it on his blog. Check out these posts:
http://bikefleet.blogspot.com/search/label/intercity

That was a great read and inspiring!

A friend of mine has done the ride several times, and has written about it on his blog. Check out these posts:
http://bikefleet.blogspot.com/search/label/intercity

Out of everything, he most disliked the stretch between Bridgeport and New Haven. This is where I do all my commuting and recreational riding...!