Panic

I've only been to RI twice, once was Friday on the way to URI. Didn't notice how bad they were, but I'll take your word for it.

Newport - probably a good idea. I need to work on my RI geography a bit more, and if he ends up going there, I'm sure I will.

nathank8792

I'm from East Lyme! Does anyone know how to get from New London to Groton without going way north? Is there even a way? because the bridge is a highway : (

johnnyk

You can access the sidewalk that crosses the bridge off of Mohegan Ave, just down the hill from the USCG Academy. Going south, take a right on Bailey Circle. The path to the bridge is at the end of the circle. On the Groton side of the bridge, the sidewalk drops sharply with a hard left turn, be CAREFUL!
I have not been there since about 1999, so my memory is a little fuzzy after this point. Look for the path that takes you under the bridge. You will come out on a sidewalk that parallels the highway exit ramp for Bridge St, right by Pauls TV.

JoeOxfordCT

Hi All,

I live in Oxford which is about 1/2 between Bridgeport & Waterbury if you're driving on Route 8. Plenty o' hills here. Used to live in Woodbury which is a couple towns north....I still ride north into Litchfield county when I have time for a 3-5 hour ride. Litchfield County rocks !!! One of my favorite rides is to go from my house in Oxford up and around Lake Waramaug in Washington/Kent and back through Roxbury. Route 317 from Roxbury back into Woodbury has some serious hills !!...especially if you've already got 50 miles in your legs...
Sounds like most of your guys are north or east of me....
Well it's good to hear from some other CT folks anyways !!

J.

GuitarWizard

Wow....the northwestern part of the state has a ton of climbing...someday I shall make my way out there.

Looking to do a long loop around the Barkhamsted Reservior (where they run the Tokeneke Road Race) this weekend....my second attempt at it. First attempt ended up in heat exhaustion on a climb in triple digit temps. That loop has a bit of climbing.

Panic

Did I tell you guys I switched from my old Trek 1000 to a newer Trek 1200. The bike needed new components, so we did Campy shifters and Shimano in the back, FSA ...blah blah blah.

i'm a big guy, 235 lbs or so...or less today. So when I'm riding around here in the hills I was doing about 13.3 mph on average for my hilly ride. New bike, average is now at 14.4, but last couple of rides were at 15.4 for the same courses that would be 13.3.

now I'm more fit, but I wasn't doing this at the end of last season. So my conclusion, its all about the bike

JoeOxfordCT

Hey Guys,

Just found a site that's great for marking out your routes and getting elevation gains, etc.

Check out my thread from Road Cycling:

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/224827-where-do-you-folks-get-maps-elevation-profiles.html

I've marked a couple routes in Oxford already but you can also see other routes by other CT riders grouped by town. I think you'll like it.

J.

jacksbike

Hi all,
I live and bike on the shoreline east of New Haven. I like the backroads and ride for recreation. When my family and I go cycling we go to the Rail Trail in Hamden, often to the Airline Trail in East Hampton, the Northampton, Mass trail and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in NY just past Sharon, CT. My wife and I will ride the local roads but I will not take the family out unless we go to a rail trail. People drive so badly and do not look or care for cyclists. I am originally from SE CT and enjoyed riding there also.

GuitarWizard

I have a bunch of routes on RouteSlip....good stuff.

cdale56

There is walkway on the very northern part of the northernmost(southbound) NL/Groton bridge.

I tried to GMAP it out and here it is the route I would take from Niantic to Rte 184 in Groton. You could just stay on Rte 156.

https://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=420870.

It is a crappy approach to the bridge and bike path itself and narrow and all that, but unlike the big bridges here in RI you can at least get cross them legally.

GuitarWizard

Really gotta love the added mental boost you get with new equipment

magyar

I live in Tolland, and most of my rides take me into Coventry, Ellington, Stafford or Willington. As it's been said already, you either get used to riding hills around here or you don't ride. Route 74 and Route 44 from Tolland out to Ashford is a beeyatch.

GuitarWizard - You have the same great commute as me. I work in Providence. Fortunately on the western end though so I don't have to deal with the mayhem at the 6/10 and 95/195 connectors.

GuitarWizard

Heh....I work at Citizens Bank. I drive a black VW Jetta GLI 1.8T....just in case you see one flying up on you in the rear-view mirror .

Yeah, Rte. 44 is a lot of fun. I did a nice loop the other day starting at my house on Rte. 195 and heading into Mansfield through the state park, and then down Rte. 203 in North Windham into South Windham, took a left on Rte. 32 to Rte. 207 in Franklin...took Rte. 207 up to Rte. 87. Took Rte. 87 up to Rte. 66 in Columbia, and then took a right on Rte. 6. Then took a left back onto Rte. 32 in Willimantic, and took that up to Rte. 44. Took a right on Rte. 44 over to Rte. 195, and took a right on 195 back to my house in Willimantic. A nice little ride.....great loop with a bit of climbing, but not too bad.

cycle17

Hey! What's up Magyar!? How you been?

I ride a lot with the TCC club out of the Willimantic, North Windham area as well.I live in Norwich though, so my weeknight rides are closer to my house.

GuitarWizard

I've seen the TCC riders around, but have yet to ride with 'em. I'm thinking of joining a team out of RI though, actually.....my buddy at work is on it.

magyar

Hey cycle17, good to hear from you. Things have been good. You?

Any plans for a twenty-something degree ride this year after Thanksgiving?

cycle17

I've been good.

As far as the November ride...I'd be up for it with similar weather conditions (or better) this year. A few people from my club have expressed interest as well. Could become a tradition. Let's talk when November rolls around.

Take Care

cdale56

https://www.heartheissues.com/driversbystate.html

This supports the bad RI driver theory, though, having been born, breed, schooled, and currently working in CT, I see little difference between the NE state drivers. My commute takes me through SE CT and I have had some very bad experiences there, and where I live-1 mile from the RI/CT border- two of my worst experiences with malicious drivers here in RI had CT plates.

GuitarWizard

Yeah....CT drivers don't know what the left lane is used for - many think it's the slow lane, which creates a lot of aggrivated drivers behind them, and then erratic driving from those trying to get around 'em.

RI drivers just plain don't know how to drive.

MA drivers can drive, they just drive a bit faster. Nothing wrong with that.

Maine drivers aren't too bad....I like to refer to the Maine Turnpike as the New England Autobahn.

New Hampshire is a bit iffy...have to be careful since probably half of 'em don't have insurance.

Vermonters aren't bad, they just drive slow.

JoeOxfordCT

Thanks for the link Botto.

I forget....where are you now and what is your connection to the New England area ??

You've had a couple good suggestions lately across several threads....

Just ordered The Rider by Tim Krabbe !

Just finished Armstrong's War...I thought is was great....I am rereading several chapters regarding the mountain stages each night until The Rider gets here......
I give the book 5 "woof shrugs"...

Viggen Ed

Hey All, Saw this thread and had to chime in. I grew up in Winsted, and DID actually ride a bike a bit growing up. Recently ended up in Newport RI, so I can definately relate to the bad drivers here. But I think some of the credit I give to CT is because Winsted is so empty of people anyways. Bad drivers farther apart from each other seem like better drivers.

I now live in Newport, and can attest that you arent allowed to ride a bike over either the Jamestown or Newport bridges, but RIPTA (our bus company) has bike racks, and I think bikes ride free, though the bikers themselves still have to pay, of course. I wouldnt recommend Newport for any serious mileage, being an island full of rhode island drivers, but I do see some roadies cruising around Ocean Drive occasionally.

Did any of you Nutmeggers ride in the 'Tour of Litchfield Hills?' I did the 30 miler this year... Wow, rte 202 to Litchfield has some tough climbs! Lots O' fun though.

Aeroplane

Just saw this thread! I ride offroad at Nassahegan and Middlesex, occassionally venturing into NY for some Ninham action. On the skinny tires I mainly commute to Farmington as the schedule allows, and do the occassional alleycat in Hartford, New Haven, or even Boston.

Panic

Maybe I'll catch you in F'ton. I'm on a red Trek 1200, big guy, moving rather slowly.

GuitarWizard

I'd like to do the Tour of the Litchfield Hills next year....

JoeOxfordCT

Me too !!!
I want to ride through Cornwall and those other towns.
Right now I don't have time to get farther north than Washington & Roxbury when riding from my house....

Nicest solo ride I did this past Summer was from my house, through Southbury, Woodbury, Washington, around Lake Waramaug and then back through Washington, Roxbury (killer hills on RT 317), back home to Oxford....a hair under 70 miles and just gorgeous scenery the entire length !!!