donrhummy

I'm looking for some roads where there's a minimum of stop signs, lights, pedestrian and car cross-traffic so I can bike at a good speed without having to constantly break and stop.

I've tried the bike path (from cambridge to lexington), but there are a LOT of places where it crosses streets with car traffic and has stop signs (in addition to the congested pedestrian traffic). Is there anything near the greater boston area that has at least a 20-mile stretch with almost no stops?

(Ideally something without broken down, potholed roads, but I know those are in short supply)

Thanks!

Camel

Not that I know of.

Hartmann

yeah I-95 and the Mass Turnpike

But seriously this is few stretches of road like that in Massachusetts

GuitarWizard

In eastern MA, yeah....you'll be hard-pressed to find anything, but western MA is a whole different ballgame . If you can drive to just outside the 495 beltway, you should be able to find some "adequate" roads.

blonduathlongrl

If you are willing to travel 45 minutes on a nice summer day.. you can ride in NH right at the mass border, by the ocean, the whole route is scenic, no stop, no intersections, no lights..

knoxg

Ha ha ha... Nothing!

Still, if you've got the time, you might want to take the MBTA out of the city and make some longer, less trafficed rides that way. I particularly like the ride from Newburyport to Glouster on 1A/133 and/or looping around Cape Ann. You could take the train to many points along the way to shorten that ride. Let's face it, it still has traffic and potholes that can swallow you and your bike if you drift into a moment of blissful biking sombulence.

If you are new to Boston, I can't recommend the Rubel Maps enough. They'll give you some great ideas and tips to spice up your riding. Also, just a heads up, the Minuteman trail has less interuptions and less bike, ped traffic between Lexington and Bedford. You won't be doing any races on it on a sunny, summer weekend, but still nice to be away from the Boston drivers.

Good luck!

Knox Gardner
www.bikenerd.blogspot.com

donrhummy

thanks guys! I did get the reubens map, and it's been pretty good from the standpoint of telling me basic ridable areas, but it doesn't account for insane numbers of traffic lights and cross-traffic - things that keep you from going all out.

Camel

If you just want to go all out, there are some ok rides in the burbs (ie Needham, Dover, etc). Not your initial criteria (stops/lights etc). But overall not bad. Check out the Charles River Wheel men, they've a rather nice set of local cue sheets on line (I think). They also have rides all year long (I think).