rumrunn6

anyone ride around the island twice?

rumrunn6

lol. to answer my own question, I recently read someone circumnavigating the island & getting up to 73 miles. heading out there today, to stay w/ extended family 2 nites. Wifey says to bring the bike in case I feel like I need a getaway. of course I imagine the biggest, longest ride. but in reality, I might just do the usual ride from this house, OB to Edgartown, a straight shot South/North, out & back. but I dream ...

Ghazmh

Haven’t done twice on the same day, although I may just enjoy that. I have circumnavigated the island and also done a mini circumnavigation of the state forest in the middle of the island coupled with adding a diversion to South Beach in Edgartown. Along with the 3 miles to and from the ferry terminal from the parking lot I use I easily get in the low 70’s. Sometimes higher.

https://www.strava.com/activities/3792338317

for whatever reason this particular ride last year I didn’t take the Menemsha bike ferry. It may have been too early in the morning.

autonomy

The most I've done was this 50-miler:

I am of the opinion that Edgartown/W Tisbury Rd. is one of, if not THE worst road I've ridden in this state. It's not scenic, there's too much traffic, and it never ends. The bike 'trail' that runs next to it isn't any better since the pavement is so broken. If you were to add some north-south routes you'd definitely get up to 70+ mi.

rumrunn6

got out on State Rd & North Rd last week. on State Rd you get a little pavement to the right of the fog line. on North Rd there's nothing right of the fog line except sand & grass. this was on State Rd. fun fun






I will say this tho, I enjoyed riding on the roads I normally drive. I felt more connected to the geography. lived more "in the moment" rather than whizzing by it. living in the moment has been a recent goal of mine the past year or so

rumrunn6

nice to know! someone would have to do all that twice to get a century in. I'll just take that one off my bucket list, thank you very much ;-)

rumrunn6

you two are my hero. I see good cyclists out there & think to myself wow, wouldn't it be nice to ride so much, so easily!

autonomy

That's my problem with riding on the Cape or The Islands - it's great if you hit it during a good time, like a lazy September weekend or an early summer Sunday. There are limited ways to get from one place to another and the roads are usually narrow, so at other times there are just too many big and sometimes unfriendly construction, logistics, and such vehicles that just take away from the experience greatly, at least for me. Thus my Strava route posted above attempts to avoid as many such roads (e.g. State Rd) as possible. Totally agree on noticing much more on the bike rather than 'whizzing' by it in the driver seat.

Heh, that's flattering, but my route is easy to misinterpret. It was by no means an easy day: left the house at 6am, didn't really plan to go to Edgartown from Aquinnah - wife thought it was just a couple miles away from Chilmark instead of 15), so it was a heck of a slog to get there. Then a mad sunset dash to get on the 2nd to last ferry (amazing to be on the top deck in the dark, could even see the Milky Way), and then biking in the dark (good thing I brought a light) back to the car - so add another ~6 miles RT to the bike parking lot. Got home at like 11, completely beat but with memories!

rumrunn6

wow, that's a long day, I would never do that, hehe
yeah I was thinking OB to Aquinnah, but I had recently had a good time with 25ish miles so I planned a similar ride. Google maps is my friend
on more than 1 occasion we've missed a ferry at either VH or OB & had to do a mad scramble bike ride to the other port. we never get to the ferry early. wutz up w/ that?
so you don't take the dreaded shuttle bus w/ your bike? the shuttle bus is so much fun, NOT






waiting to board

always fun to get away. last October we took the car. no food service. in June I got my beer & hot dogs. this trip no food service, ugh. but it's always good to get away

autonomy

Hehehe, the mad scramble to the other port is very familiar to me! First time ever wife and I did take the shuttle, but never after that. It was as much of a confusing mess as getting on the ferry with bikes (really, despite so many people traveling with bikes you still don't have a good system?). Took too long and on the way back they tried to put us on a bike-specific bus that was going somewhere else completely - apparently, there's a different lot you're supposed to park in if you have a bike? Fine if you're staying overnight, but not for a daytrip.
Plenty of parking lots along the Shining Sea, you're on your own schedule, and you don't have to bump elbows with everyone else on the bus? Shhh, don't let the secret out!

VH to Aquinnah round trip is about 36 miles? Not a short ride, but if broken up into 2 segments and you're spending a chunk of time in the middle on the beach, not so bad!

rumrunn6

hmmm ... & VH to Aquinnah doesn't sound bad for me, but I would be going from OB so a handful of extra miles. Wifey would never do it. btw - last October for our anniversary we stayed at the Duck Inn (BnB) for 3 nites, a short walk to the beach there. I would love to stay there during a summer month for a week or two!

autonomy

OB to Lighthouse Beach would be a much shorter ride and more pleasant

rumrunn6

ahhh interesting. we had the pleasure of celebrating New Year's Eve 1999-2000 at The Harbor View Hotel with approx. 17 family & extended family members. we were truly blessed with the family elders' generosity. great breakfasts there. one morning, some of us walked to & around Edgartown Harbor Light but we never made it to the beach. looks lovely in satellite view! but yes, riding OB to Edgartown is much more humane. South Beach is a good one too, if you like waves

rumrunn6

ahhh interesting. we had the pleasure of celebrating New Year's Eve 1999-2000 at The Harbor View Hotel with approx. 17 family & extended family members. we were truly blessed with the family elders' generosity. great breakfasts there. one morning, some of us walked to & around Edgartown Harbor Light but we never made it to the beach. looks lovely in satellite view! but yes, riding OB to Edgartown is much more humane. South Beach is a good one too, (further but straight & flat) if you like waves

rumrunn6

got out there 5 times in 13 months this past year. only rode twice, once w/ Wifey, once alone. maybe next year we'll do more
got out to the Harbor View Hotel by the Edgartown Lighthouse for our anniversary, w/her cousins celebrating the same thing. ate at the Bettini restaurant $100 buck pr head! they had the indoor ventilation on high! chilly! got to see a bride & groom, who no doubt, will be back at some point for some anniversary themselves!

rumrunn6

plotting w/ family & extended family to borrow a house in OB at the end of June, can hardly believe it. something to look forward to. this trip will be different as we are going Wednesday to Wednesday so we'll be there during 1 weekend where we can enjoy ourselves while others coming & going will be stressed. $548 for 2 cars round trip yikes. the beer will be flowing

rumrunn6

ha! just came across this post. so much to anticipation, planning, execution & wrap-up. so much effort for a mere week. we had a great time & I got several rides in. re-discovered some wide trails parallel to some roads & even got to play in the woods a little bit










no future plans, at this time ... ;-( but I'm an optimist! ;-)