Originally Posted by CrimsonCyclist
I'm a new cyclist living in Boston and wonder where my fellow Bostonian cyclists ride. I have a Rubel bike map, but the maps doesn't tell me the conditions of the roads, how scenic they are, etc...
If you live in or near Boston, what are some of your favorite routes? I don't have a car, so please don't recommend somewhere too far.
Thanks.
I live in Arlington, just north of Cambridge. If you can make your way out Mass Ave through Cambridge without getting killed, you will be at a really good starting point for western suburb rides. My usual no-brainer ride is to head up Mass Ave into Lexington, then take Route 2A out to Concord. 2A can be a little busy, but it is a very popular bike route. A nice variation is to turn right onto Hanscom Field road and follow Virginia Road towards Concord.
If you are ambitious, from Concord you can take Monument Street past North Bridge to Route 225, then up to Carlisle and back around to Concord Center.
Even just looping up around Lexington and back is a nice ride.
If you like hills, Arlington has a lot of them. The access road beside Route 2 is a nice 1 mile long climb that will get the blood flowing. Park Avenue from Mass Ave in Arlington Heights up to Route 2 is also a nice climb.
For a list of rides with cue sheets, visit the Charles River Wheelmen site,
www.crw.org where they have a repository of rides in a lot of areas around Boston.
Good luck and welcome.