Boston Weekday Morning Club/Group/Shop Rides??
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Boston Weekday Morning Club/Group/Shop Rides??
We are visiting Boston the first week in August. I am an avid road cyclist, and my usual vacation strategy is to find a group ride in the morning so I can spend the rest of the day with the family. Earlier is better. We have rented a 1 BR apartment in Beacon Hill which will be our base for the week.
I know that most weekday club rides are in the afternoon/evening, but before I go on an exhaustive google search, does anyone have knowledge of some early morning weekday rides? I am happy going on a moderate pace, but must be on the road. Flexible mileage but ideally 35-50.
Doug
I know that most weekday club rides are in the afternoon/evening, but before I go on an exhaustive google search, does anyone have knowledge of some early morning weekday rides? I am happy going on a moderate pace, but must be on the road. Flexible mileage but ideally 35-50.
Doug
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We are visiting Boston the first week in August. I am an avid road cyclist, and my usual vacation strategy is to find a group ride in the morning so I can spend the rest of the day with the family. Earlier is better. We have rented a 1 BR apartment in Beacon Hill which will be our base for the week.
I know that most weekday club rides are in the afternoon/evening, but before I go on an exhaustive google search, does anyone have knowledge of some early morning weekday rides? I am happy going on a moderate pace, but must be on the road. Flexible mileage but ideally 35-50.
Doug
I know that most weekday club rides are in the afternoon/evening, but before I go on an exhaustive google search, does anyone have knowledge of some early morning weekday rides? I am happy going on a moderate pace, but must be on the road. Flexible mileage but ideally 35-50.
Doug
I recall your previous thread a couple monhts ago about coming to Boston, and in my reply, I referred to my compendium of Boston Road cycling, since updated to include MUPS. In it I mention a few premier bike shops in the Metro area. Two that are closest to Beacon Hill are Back Bay Bikes and Community Bike Supply. I also suggested two local groups, Mass Bike, and the Charles River Wheelman as resources, as well as the ”Metro Boston:Good ride today?” thread on this Northeast Regional Discussion Forum.
Your current query reminded me about the ”Crack o’ Dawn” Riders who leave every day, I think, at 5:45 AM from the Newton City Hall, about ten miles from Beacon Hill; see their website. I also called my friend Daniel the racer, and he suggested:
Originally Posted by Daniel
Here is what I remember:
Tuesday / Thursday: 545 Velo Ride 5:45am
Wednesday: Wednesday 545 Hill ride: 5:45am Meet in Belmont near Belmont Wheel Works and Rt 60
Otherwise the loops that are good are:
TNW - Brookline, MA (CRW42)
TNW - Brookline, MA (CRW28 / Tuesday Night Worlds)
Thanks for being the Boston ambassador!
Tuesday / Thursday: 545 Velo Ride 5:45am
Wednesday: Wednesday 545 Hill ride: 5:45am Meet in Belmont near Belmont Wheel Works and Rt 60
Otherwise the loops that are good are:
TNW - Brookline, MA (CRW42)
TNW - Brookline, MA (CRW28 / Tuesday Night Worlds)
Thanks for being the Boston ambassador!
I sporadically commute from Kenmore Square, which is about a mile from Beacon Hill, to a southwestern suburb, and during the summer I extend my commute to about 25 miles, through the arguably best cycling area around, and with notice could ride out with you, but then would need to leave you to find your way back. I like to leave at about 5:30 AM at the latest.
BTW, if interested I did post this summer to a BF father of a family coming to Boston for a whirlwind visit, with some suggestions about Boston.
Sincerely,
Jim
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-23-15 at 06:01 PM.
#3
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^^ Thanks for the info! I will investigate. The 5:30AM option might be a bit too early for me, my ideal situation would be a 50 mile ride starting at 7:30AM and finishing around 10:30AM when the rest of the family wakes up.
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…BTW, I don’t know how your family is about travelling, but I personally cannot see enough when I visit somewhere. I’m up about 5 AM to start off with a bike ride, and try to keep on going until about 11 PM. Last year I went to a meeting in Philadelphia and brought my 25 year old son. I would come back to the Hotel around 11 AM and find him still in bed.
...We are go getters when it comes to vacationing. I'll be up by 6 everyday. My son will get up around the same time usually. My wife and daughter love to sleep, but they like doing as much as we can on vacation.
I know some people like to relax on vacations. We just aren't those people. We want to experience as much as possible! …
I know some people like to relax on vacations. We just aren't those people. We want to experience as much as possible! …
PS: Remember, your preferred riding time is during Boston's AM rush hour, and usual daily active traffic. You have to get pretty far out of town to avoid that, if it is a concern. It certainly limits unencumbered long rides.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-23-15 at 06:52 PM. Reason: added PS
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Understood. I know it may be a challenge. My club in West Chester, PA often has informal (but still posted on the website) weekday rides starting at 8 or 9AM, so I am hoping to find something similar. Fingers crossed. If not, I can always go for a run instead. But cycling is more fun than running.
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…Remember, your preferred riding time is during Boston's AM rush hour, and usual daily active traffic. You have to get pretty far out of town to avoid that, if it is a concern. It certainly limits unencumbered long rides.
Understood. I know it may be a challenge. My club in West Chester, PA often has informal (but still posted on the website) weekday rides starting at 8 or 9AM, so I am hoping to find something similar. Fingers crossed. If not, I can always go for a run instead. But cycling is more fun than running.
One ride you might find interesting is on the Minuteman Bikepath in Arlington, about fve miles or so from Beacon Hill; a pretty direct drive. Or you can take your bike on the the subway Red Line from the Charles Street-MGH stop near Beacon Hill after about 9:00 AM to the Alewife stop, which is near the start. It’s an 11 mile well-paved continuous path, and probably not heavily used on a weekday AM. See these recent photos. It ends in Bedford, with really nice road cycling from there.
We're currently planning to head south from Concord MA, following MA-126, then connecting to the Blackstone River Bikeway and into Providence.…When viewed in Google street view, 126 doesn't look like a great place to ride. Opinions? Alternate roads? …Thanks!
…I have ridden Rte 126 on many occasions, from Concord to as far south as Bellingham…..In Concord it passes the famous Walden Pond, and I recall it particularly pleasant south of Holliston. (I rode the Framingham-Ashland segment just this past Saturday.)…
My bike club does frequent rides between Concord, Ma and Ashland, Ma which is on your way towards Providence. I built a route for you at the following link to get you from Concord to the northern end of the Blackstone River Bikeway in Woonsocket, RI…
Hope this helps. There's some great scenery built into the route between Concord, Ma and Woonsocket, RI. In my view, this is a much nicer route than Route 126. The scenery is much better and there is way less traffic.
Hope this helps. There's some great scenery built into the route between Concord, Ma and Woonsocket, RI. In my view, this is a much nicer route than Route 126. The scenery is much better and there is way less traffic.
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Doug
FYI, the Charles River Wheelmen have several rides each week, shown here. The CRW Wednesday Wheelers send out emails to members on Sunday with details, but I know the 8/5 ride is going to be down towards Cape Code. Contact me if you'd like more details.
Regardless, enjoy your visit.
Doug
FYI, the Charles River Wheelmen have several rides each week, shown here. The CRW Wednesday Wheelers send out emails to members on Sunday with details, but I know the 8/5 ride is going to be down towards Cape Code. Contact me if you'd like more details.
Regardless, enjoy your visit.
Doug
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Doug
FYI, the Charles River Wheelmen have several rides each week, shown here. The CRW Wednesday Wheelers send out emails to members on Sunday with details, but I know the 8/5 ride is going to be down towards Cape Code. Contact me if you'd like more details.
Regardless, enjoy your visit.
Doug
FYI, the Charles River Wheelmen have several rides each week, shown here. The CRW Wednesday Wheelers send out emails to members on Sunday with details, but I know the 8/5 ride is going to be down towards Cape Code. Contact me if you'd like more details.
Regardless, enjoy your visit.
Doug
Doug
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OK next dumb question. If it's 7:30AM on a weekday and I hop onto the Charles River Bike Path heading west, with a goal of just cruising at say 17-20MPH is that going to work or will there be way too many obstacles?? Is the North or South side better for my purposes??
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But FWIW, I think that aforementioned Minuteman path is better for a fast-paced free-flowing ride. You may want to post your question to the Metro Boston thread for more opinions too.
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I think the path would be pretty active at that time on a weekday, though west of Mass Ave it may be less populated. I think the south (Boston) side is better for riding, and both sides get unraveled a bit in Cambridge. Ultimately you get to Watertown, and the path is harder to find, and unpaved, to Waltham, though street riding is more tolerable once in Watertown and Newton.
But FWIW, I think that aforementioned Minuteman path is better for a fast-paced free-flowing ride. You may want to post your question to the Metro Boston thread for more opinions too.
But FWIW, I think that aforementioned Minuteman path is better for a fast-paced free-flowing ride. You may want to post your question to the Metro Boston thread for more opinions too.
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If you would be comfortable with urban riding,it is a fairly direct route of about 5, less than 10 miles on Mass Ave through Cambridge to the Minuteman Bike Path. Mass Ave is a well-traversed commuter cycle route, with as I have heard, strict enforcement of traffic laws for cyclists. Part of Mass Ave could be detoured on the Charles River Path to Harvard Square at least, and some Metro Boston subscribers have described other routes to the Path.
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Now I only ride in-town once or twice a year. On routes that others have carefully plotted. But I will always have a soft spot for Cambridge (I went to Harvard).
I think you should be able to go as far West as Bridge Street (Watertown? Newton?) and come back on the other side on bike paths. There is a convenient pedestrian/bike bridge over Storrow Drive near the sail boats near Charles Street. My eastern limit would probably be the Museum of Science, but Longfellow Bridge would be easier (unless it's under construction).
-----------------
But, just a reminder, if you can finagle it, the CRW routes are all aimed at avoiding traffic, maximizing beauty, and throwing in some hills. You need not join, but they'd like you to sign a release and they insist you wear a helmet.
- This is the best urban ride I've done. Do some repeats on the hill at mile 15 - that'll put hair on your chest.
- This ride I've never done on a bike, but it's a wonder. You return by taking a ferry.
- This is probably my favorite ride, but it starts 25 miles west of Boston.
Have a blast!
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As an aside to the OP, thanks for those routes.
Re#1, Boston is my stomping grounds, as a reverse commuter from Kenmore Square to Norwood and road cyclist, and I know those streets well. I’m always looking for new, expanded routes, and you have some novel segments. For example, instead of passing straight through Quincy on Hancock, I will check out that Quincy Shore route.
I also know well that uphill climb on Brush Hill Road in Milton.
Re #2 , a one-day ride to P-town has long been a goal of mine, then to stay an extra day and ferry home. So far my one-day ride to the Cape has been on Rte 28 to Woods Hole, then ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. I thought Rte 28 was a pretty decent route on a summer Saturday AM, because of I-495 to carry auto traffic.
RE#3, that sector of Metro Boston is also a favorite destination for a 70+ mile ride from Boston. Since I mainly ride via paper maps (just got a smart phone with GPS last year), my routes are pretty direct: Mass Ave to Lexngtion, then Rte 225 past Forge Village, on to Harvard, and back to Boston via Rte 111. As you had described in a previous Road Cycling post,
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