cdale56

The other day I went to Block Island. I love it out there. I have been down for 4 seasons with knee problems and this was the ride I thought about most while recovering from my latest knee surgery.

The main loop is only 17 miles or so, so riders looking for miles might not be interested. The loop is not exactly flat either and many inexperienced riders discover this quickly. The best thing is that there are several chances to stop right on the beach; this is a big draw for me because there are very few chances to have these nice rest stops on the southern New England Coast.

The island in early October is a great time to go and the heavy foot, bicycle car and moped traffic is much less. It is about the only place were one can ride for any distance with full ocean views, this is especially true on SE Block Island. Riding among the numerous ponds and high roads where having the ocean stretch out forever is so beautiful.

My plan was to do the loop 2 or 3 times but I ended up doing it once and just doing other loops down the middle of the island and stopping a lot to check the views out. The day was one those perfect days and I did not see a cloud all day. A slight breeze on this hot day was welcomed.

This trip I took the high speed ferry, mainly because of schedule times. It is half the time to get there (1/2 hours vs 1 hour) and it is pretty cool. never took it before. I sat on the bow where they store the bikes. better to have them there than on the traditional ferry where they tend to be tossed around a bit and just thrown on deck when other riders are looking for their own bikes.

I can't wait to get back there when my conditioning and strength are improved so I can enjoy it more.

mprelaw

Sounds like fun. I grew up in RI and I've never really been to the Block. If you're looking for a longer island ride, try Martha's Vineyard. A loop around the island should be pretty close to a metric--roughly 60 miles or so. Flat on the eastern half, rolling farther west. But actually, the toughest "climb" on the whole route might be leaving the harbor area, if you choose to head west via State Road, instead of heading along the beach road to Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.

Papa Tom

Hey, no need to apologize for only doing one lap. When you look back on an unforgettable ride, you won't remember whether you went around in circles once, twice, or a thousand times. Glad you enjoyed it. I really want to get there someday.

etw

I was on BI this summer. I had not been there in a few years years. It is a really lovely place. The loop is a really nice ride. I would love to be able to do it in the fall when it is less busy. It would be great to not have to dodge the traffic.