Originally Posted by brianogilvie

Amen to that--116 can have a lot of traffic on weekends, but the shoulders are wide and drivers around here are pretty attentive. From Northampton, though, I'd take the bike path to Maple Street in Florence, then take that north to North Farms Road, Mountain Road, Webber Road, and Conway Road. Or take the bike path past Look Park to Leeds, then River Road and High Street through Williamsburg. Much less traffic and very picturesque.

As someone who lives east of the river, I'll add that it's flat in Hadley and Sunderland, but go further east and you get into the Pelham Hills. Pelham, Shutesbury, Leverett, and Wendell have some lovely climbing.



You're welcome! If you want to get a good tour of the area, here's a brief description, with a link to a map, of one of my favorite rides.