Unsupported tour of New English

[mcccxxv]

I am preparing for an unsupported bicycle tour around New England later this Summer. I am still working on the route details and sightseeing locations, borrowing from different sources. My next step is to figure out lodging locations.

I am sharing the route details below for you to view and download. You may use it for your own tour, or share some of your experience along this route and low cost lodging options (camp sites, hostels, HotShowers.com, B&Bs, etc).

Here are the details of 13 days:

• Day 1, 88 miles from Middletown, CT, to Sheffield, MA, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=isldmjplbayclmrj
• Day 2, 72 miles to Bennington, VT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tbcisvtwgtbiloku
• Day 3, 86 miles to Middlebury, VT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zxsbulqtbtyaiyin
• Day 4, 100 miles to St Albans, VT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=bhaipgeymzbgoxif
• Day 5, 70 miles to Montréal, QC (use local subway for last few miles to get into the city), route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dpfqakqzhhyqvbno
• Day 6, 73 miles to Richford, VT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rywazxwzbweotbzz
• Day 7, 86 miles to Lyndonville, VT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=pmvwoabyusbxstya
• Day 8, 80 miles to Conway, NH, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=unzluivrldtlmlak
• Day 9, 66 miles to Sanford, ME (rent a car and drive to Bar Harbor, ME), route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wsgnczhjfllatuww
• Day 10, rest in Bar Harbor
• Day 11, 84 miles to Derry, NH, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ybkxoqijxpasmvyg
• Day 12, 64 miles to Boston, MA, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zcrxzirxhmclpful
• Day 13, 103 miles from Westborough, MA (take commuter rail from Boston) to Middletown, CT, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=kbbrwpfzrvaxguin

I will update this posting later as I prepare more details about this route.

[Air]

Awesome!!! Good luck, can't wait to hear about it!

[Spartan112]

Nice. You last leg takes you through a good section of my riding area.

[Air]

Question - are you building in enough rest? That seems like a lot of mileage in a short amount of time with only one rest day.

I've been flirting with the touring idea which is why I ask.

[bktourer1]

Keep in mind the commuter trains out of boston are only available to you off peak hrs. Don't even think of getting on at other times. I have some cue sheets from Potsmouth NH to Boston and onto Worcester if you are interested

[mcccxxv]

Question - are you building in enough rest? That seems like a lot of mileage in a short amount of time with only one rest day.

I've been flirting with the touring idea which is why I ask.

The itinerary and mileage are good for my taste. There are a couple of difficult days that I may still adjust (I have 14 days vacation, riding only 12, resting 1, and 1 is contingency).

If you are thinking about touring, I would experiment first with may be a weekend (Sat & Sun) or long weekend (Fri-Sun). Not only you get a feel for your ability, but also you develop a checklist of what you need to carry on the road (keep it super light).

[mcccxxv]

Keep in mind the commuter trains out of boston are only available to you off peak hrs. Don't even think of getting on at other times. I have some cue sheets from Potsmouth NH to Boston and onto Worcester if you are interested

I will be going out of Boston, so there should be no problem getting the bike on the Commuter Rail, since it is in reverse commute, no?

I am reading on MBTA web site (http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/bikes/) that "Bikes are allowed anytime except during weekday rush hours (morning inbound and evening outbound)".

No matter. I would certainly like to take a look at your cue sheets, and any recommendations for lodging between Portsmouth & Boston. I am trying to stay outside of Portsmouth, a little closer to Boston. The route I am taking seems to have very few options.

FYI, I am using the Adventure Cycling Atlantic route.

[johnnyk]

mcccxxv,

PM sent.

John

[sherbornpeddler]

very cool. I'm contemplating and recruiting a ~460 mile ride from NE of Quebec to outside of Boston this summer. How did you select your route? Destinations, scenery on route, sleep arrangements (tent, motel) pavement, traffic, climbing to avoid, target or ignore?

I have limited time so prioritize traffic (aka safety), quicker (aka direct + avoiding hill climbing), credit card accessible bed and shower (aka motels). I plan very limited gear.

[mcccxxv]

I mainly have the route for now and still working on the lodging arrangement.

For the route, it was a combination of state bicycle maps, local bike club recommendations, and Adventure Cycling routes.

In New Hampshire, I used the bicycle maps at http://www.nh.gov/dot/nhbikeped/maps.htm.

For Maine, I contacted the state visitor center and they sent me some cycling maps, and got help from local cyclists that I contacted on the web.

From around Portland, I picked up the Adventure Cycling Atlantic route http://www.adventurecycling.org/rout...anticcoast.cfm.

I also looked at the Lonely Planet New England guide for scenic routes, areas to visit, places to eat, and camping options.

This has not been easy, and it is still work in progress.

I will certainly share more as I figure it out. Please do the same.

See my earlier posting for the route map that I have so far.

[bktourer1]

Here's my route to Boston:
You may wish to consider a route change to the Atlantic Coast Route that will be a little more in keep with the route name. This change will take a rider along a little less traveled path and further along the eastern seaboard.

The route will be a little flatter and, several State Parks, campgrounds and amenities along the way.

From Portsmouth N. H along Rt. 1A South, several State Parks with water, toilets and one park in particular has an off- road path part of the way.
Groceries can be had in Hampton Beach along with banks, motels, B&B’s
Along 1A in Seabrook, you pass a fairly large supermarket.
Salisbury S. P. in MA. Is not far from Seabrook.

Leaving Salisbury, along Rt. 110 West, to Ferry Road. Turn LEFT onto Ferry Road and follow to end, to reconnect to Rt. 1A and cross bridge into Newburyport. Check out Plum Point NPS

Follow 1A South towards Rowley. Connect to Rt. 133 to Ipswich (hilly) and on to Gloucester (hilly) 2 campgrounds in Gloucester. Cape Ann CG is along a hilly winding road and he campsites are up a steep hill. Showers, store. Beach about a mile away. Services in town. I only passed the other campground so I don’t know what services they have. Motels nearby and the MBTA Commuter train is nearby with bikes allowed only on off peak hours.

Leaving Gloucester, take Rt. 133 to Magnolia (1 hill) and follow to Rt. 127 South towards Beverly. Some facilities in Beverly. Follow towards Rt. 1A and cross over bridge into Salem. Hotels / Motel and 1 town campground ( Winter Island)
Free showers, boat landing, store, beach on-site. Tourist trolley comes into the campground. When coming into Salem, look for the power station smokestack and head in its direction. Many services in Salem. ( I will send the Salem section as soon as I can get it scanned).

The Reubels bike maps can get you around without using the “T” from Revere Beach

I used the “T’ to get into Boston. The Beachmont station has an elevator to get you to the train platform. Taking the Blue line puts you near Boston’s South Station and the North Station is about a mile away. From here you can connect to the Boston Spur. If one would wish to, they could take the commuter train (off peak) to Worcester. Heading towards Sturbridge there are motels along Rt12 and Wells State Park for camping off RT. 49. In Sturbridge, routing can be made to get one towards Stafford Springs in Conn.

[kweichsel]

[*]Day 12, 64 miles to Boston, MA, route map on http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zcrxzirxhmclpful

I've done some rides from Boston to Nashua, NH on a route similar to your day 12 plan. If you want a bit more scenery and history, go through Concord and take Lexington Road and Rte 2A to Lexington along the Minuteman National Historic Park. Sure, that's a couple miles longer, but it's quieter than the Great Road from Bedford, and considerably more scenic.

You could either take Route 62 (Concord road) from Bedford or Concord St from Carlisle (becomes Lowell Rd). There is a bridge under repairs, so Lowell road is currently the only way to cross the river by car in Concord. If you run into traffic, you can take your bike through the Old North Bridge park, where the battle of Concord took place.

The whole area is very popular with local cyclists and you'll probably see a lot of us out there with you!