Originally Posted by
BikEthan
So I'm going to do this crazy commute at least a couple times this season maybe a couple times a week if I'm not going to die. Involves back roads and Rt. 117 from Berlin, MA to the Longwood Medical area in Boston. A little over 34 miles each way. I'd be leaving at about 5:30 AM to get to work on time.
Yes it's long, no I won't be doing his more than a few times a week at most and probably not round trip on the same day unless I'm feeling particularly energetic that day. I'm mostly concerned with safety and traffic. Mainly I don't want to end up on narrow roads that are frequently traveled by large trucks.
Thanks!
Hi BikEthan,
Haven't seen you around on the Forums since you moved way out there. That Northwest sector out 117 and other parallel roads is a favored region for road cycling on Saturdays, so I can't speak about inbound weekday traffic. I imagine as you get near the city, commuter traffic will get heavier, but more alternative routes will be available.
My favorite map for the Metro Boston region is the local map from AAA, if you can get one. It covers a wide area, to just west of I-495, and is detailed enough to show a lot of nice back roads; the scale is 2.25 miles per inch. What are your alternative modes? As you may know, the Commuter Rail allows bikes on the train during off-peak hours, but all the early morning weekday inbound trains on the Fitchburg Line are peak, and the earliest non-peak outbound train is not until 7:35 PM.
Another source might be to post to the thread,
"Metro Boston:good ride today?" on the Northeast Regional Discussion Forum because a lot of those correspondents ride in the Western sectors. Good luck and let us know. It's finally that time of year for good long-distance commutes.