finelargeaxe

...as there anyone who can give me the RI cycling "lay o' the land", so to speak? They didn't have much riding in MI, especially in my hometown (the drivers there are openly hostile to riders, whether they'll admit it or not). I'm in Providence, if that helps.

Jim from Boston

Howdy neighbor,

I have never cycled in Rhode Island, but I know there is an annual popular “Flattest Century in the East” in September, with the Narrangansett Wheelman if I recall correctly.

BTW, I’m from Michigan (Detroit). I find cycling around here in Boston better than most urban areas I personally know of or read about, particularly in the suburbs, and I hope that holds for Providence. (That is, suburban riding is better here. The Northern Macomb suburbs around Detroit where I sometimes ride were notably hair-raising.) However, most of my riding is early morning. Where are you from in Michigan?

DowneasTTer

My wife and I try to go to the Providence area at least once each year on the way to the Cape. We mostly enjoy rail trails and the like and there are a few good ones in the area. Check out the East Bay Trail, the Blackstone River Greenway, the Washington Secondary Bike Path and finally the William C. O'Neal bike path. These are all paved rail trails and have great views and rides. You can find maps, reviews, photos, etc here: Bike, Walking, Hiking, Running, Snowmobile Trails and Trail Maps | TrailLink. You are in a great area for riding. New England has some of the best trails in the nation. Enjoy your new home.

finelargeaxe

Monroe. Basically, keep driving south out of Detroit. If you hit Toledo, you blinked at the wrong moment and missed it.

Any decent bike shops in the city? I'm going to have to get a new bike, my Schwinn S25 is currently still in MI, and I won't be able to go back for it until likely the end of July. (New job, yo!)

berner

I live in Bristol,about 20 minutes south of Providence in what is called the east bay area. Narragansett Bay Wheelmen The bike club here has rides every Sunday and often, cafe' rides to Bristol on the East Bay Bike Path. The club is happy to have guests just show up at any ride. Maps are handed out before the rides but rides are so well marked with paint arrows on the road surface, maps are hardly needed. There are no ride leaders so each rider proceeds at their own pace. Every ride has several alternate distances, say for example, 60, 40 and 25 miles, so the people of every ability can find a suitable distance. As the season progresses, rides get longer and several century rides are in the mix but with shorter distances also included. In general, rides toward the northern part of R. I. are hillier and the south is flatter. Ride descriptions in the website will tell you everything you need to know.

I'm asthmatic and slow but I frequently find people riding at my pace and we do ride more or less together. Dues are modest and the club donates substantial funds in the area of cycling advocacy so I feel it is worth supporting on this alone. Hope to see you on a ride.
Bern

hubcyclist

Not familiar with RI stuff, despite having lived nearby. I am planning on doing the flattest century in Sept, which is through SE Mass, down around the area where I grew up.

berner

The Flattest Century is a very popular event due to the easy, flat terrain and the level of support the club provides. Even families do the ride, sometimes the full century distance. There is a limit of 2000 cyclists, the number the club can support, and available spaces sell out in hours or in the first day or two. Keep an eye out in the club web site for the date in which spaces are offered to non-members.

mprelaw

Open registration (for non-members) opens at midnight on May 1st.

Paul J

W lived in Providence for several years and I worked in North Smithfield and commuted regularly. If you head west and north the traffic thins-out and you will find some great back roads to ride. Providence Bicycle has some resources on their website you can check out. Though it isn't west or north they have a Seekonk route that looks interesting. GPS Maps and Routes - Providence Bicycle

bktourer1

RI DOT has a great free map that they will mail you. Check their site

Moyene Corniche

For Bike shops in Providence, you can check out Providence Bicycle on Branch Ave they are located just west of the Rt 146 underpass...
There is also East Providence Cycle which is close to the bike path which heads out towards Warren...
There are couple shops on the side street off Wickenden, I have not checked them out...

Caster's is located off of 117 east in Warwick...

South in Wakefield, there is Steadman's right on Main St. I belong to this Club " Cox / Steadman's " there is a varied group of casual riders and racers, so you should be able to find cyclists to hook up with...

Couloirman

Do you road bike, mountain bike, or both? Do you have Strava? That is how I plan new rides in new areas-- just look at the most popular segments since a lot of people ride them for a reason!

The East Bay Bike Path is my favorite ride in the city, it never gets uncomfortably busy even on weekends. I ride it probably 3 times a week

Mountain bike: Big River or Arcadia are the best (Lincoln Woods a VERY distant 3rd). Big river is Exit 7 off the highway, just park in the park and ride lot and go nuts!

Bike shops: NBX bikes off Hope St is my favorite. Don and Freddy are total class acts and will help you out with everything.

finelargeaxe

I currently have NO bike (again, four states away from my ride), but I usually do mixed terrain stuff. My Schwinn S-25 saw mostly street use, but that's MICHIGAN street use, so...yeah.

What's "Strava"?

Mr Sinister

Thank you. As I started reading this thread I thought I missed the sign up date yet again. I hope you have your new bike now after last years crash, and hope to see you there.

Mr Sinister

Strava is a free site that if you have a smart phone and download the app will allow you to track your rides and post them online, you can also use a Garmin for this. Its really a great thing for free. They also have monthly challenges to do, so it helps to keep you somewhat motivated.

Running and Cycling GPS Tracker, Performance Analytics, Maps, Clubs and Competition | Strava

mprelaw

I'm registered, but I just had surgery to fix my shoulder injury from that crash. I finally had to stop riding late last fall. Just too painful with the reach and road vibrations. I hope to start riding again by Memorial Day. If I'm not up to the full century, I'll ride one of the shorter routes.

Mr Sinister

I remember you saying you had some shoulder pain last time I saw you on a NBW ride ( I think it was the one from walmart in Raynham not 100% sure though). I hope by that time I will also have the new bike I was looking at. But before then I hope to see you at a ride or a few.

mprelaw

i think it was a ride that started in Swansea. I was riding that antique red Schwinn. I think my days of riding an aggressive race geometry bike might be over, though. We'll see how much flexibility I have in the joint once I finish rehab.

I was still riding the Madone at the Raynham ride.