From: jhoe@athena.mit.edu (James C Hoe)
Subject: Re: need help finding Rides and Routes in the Cambridge, MA area
Summary: Summary of replies received
Keywords: rides, routes, Cambridge
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 22:41:26 GMT
Expires: Sat, 31 Oct 1992 05:00:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep8.214015.5742@athena.mit.edu> jhoe@athena.mit.edu (James C Hoe) writes:
>I am a new student at MIT this fall.  I am unfamiliar with the Cambridge
>area, and I am intimidated by the local driving style and techniques.
>I hope to get a few pointers on where I can ride a road bike safely 
>without resorting to riding on the side walk.  Suggestions for twenty to 
>thirty mile rides would be appreciated.  I don't have a car so it would 
>be nice if I can reach the route from MIT campus by bike (safely).
>
>My bike will be arriving by UPS soon.  I hope it gets here okay.
>
>James


I made the above request about a week ago and have received numerous 
very helpful suggestions.  I would like to thank all of you who
replied.  As requested by some of you, I have included a summary of the
replies I got as of today.




From: spratt@src.honeywell.com (Steve Pratt)

The routes that I took probably wouldn't be useful, even if I could
remember the details, since I left MIT 14 years ago.  But I couldn't help
but respond if only to communicate my sense of nostalgia surrounding two
particular destinations.

The first is generally up Mass Ave out to Lexington and Concord.  I
suspect that, with the intense development since I left the area, it will
probably not be that fun until you get to at least Arlington, but I hope
that it still thins out a little bit after that.  If you go all the way to
Concord and back, you will probably be pushing thirty miles.

The second is generally up the coast through Salem to Gloucester.  This is
more in the sixty range, round trip.  I believe that when we did it, we
planned it so that we met some other friends who were driving up, and got a
ride back with them after spending the day there.  If you did this, it
would, again, be around thirty miles.

Unfortunately, from my vague impressions, you probably have to get outside
of Route 128 now to get much in the way of truly relaxing cycling.  Please
let me know what you find out.  I may yet return for a reunion, and it
would be nice to get some cycling in if I'm in the area.

Steve Pratt                                spratt@src.honeywell.com
Honeywell Systems & Research Center        (612) 782-7267




From: joe@ima.isc.com

There's a map called `Boston's Bikemap' which shows a number of
routes around Boston and Cambridge.  You can find it at the Harvard
Square Map Store on Palmer St (that's the street that goes between
the Coop and the Coop book building).  There are also some good
tips on riding in traffic on the back of the map.  For longer
rides I use the Gousha Boston MetroMap.

Walden Pond is a nice ride from MIT; my usual route is to go to
Watertown Square (I start from Boston and take US route 20, lots
of cars and not very pretty; you could take the bike paths along
the Charles).  Continue on US 20 east about 1 km to Waverly Ave,
take a right and follow it to the end.  It stops at Trapelo Road--
note Belmont Wheelworks (a has-everything bike store) on your left.
Turn left on Trapelo Road and follow it through Waltham, across
128, and into Lincoln, where it will turn into Sandy Pond Road.
Follow Sandy Pond to Baker's Bridge Road (first left past the
DeCordova museum) and take a left.  This leads to MA 126, where
you take a right and continue to Walden Pond.

I usually continue on to Concord and take the Great Road (MA 2A)
and Mass Ave back through Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge.
(I'd be more specific, but I don't have a map with me.)

At the risk of sounding preachy, you're unlikely either to enjoy
cycling around this area or find it very convenient unless you
learn to ride in the traffic.  John Forrester's _Effective Cycling_
(MIT Press) is worth buying or borrowing from the library.

Good luck!
Joe Chapman	joe@ima.isc.com



From: Michael Greenwald <michaelg@CS.Stanford.EDU>

I commuted by road bike in Cambridge/Boston for 12 years.  I never got a
car.  The only issue is the winter, and it's not that bad --- although
you have to get used to getting to MIT with a line of dirty snow up
your spine.  You'll get used to the traffic (although, I have to admit
I was in about five accidents during those times: worst injury was a
badly broken collarbone.  One of those accidents was due to
pedestrians (you don't want to know), another was being rear-ended by
another bicyclist (!  tire-to-tire: a pretty narrow profile, I was
impressed), and one was due to a blowout causing me to lose control.
So the traffic itself isn't an issue, as long as you remember one
rule: there are some serious anti-bicycle motorists in the Boston
area, and the Motorist always wins.  Forget your ego.  If you're
forced off the road deliberately (rare, but it happens), the other guy
wins: the car can kill you.  Just forget it.)

As for rides, the best bet is to ask around at bike shops.  Check out
the "Broadway Bicycle School" (they've probably changed their name,
again, though).  In Cambridge, on Broadway, near Inman St.  Also, the
Bicycle Exchange (?I'm spacing out on the real name: I might be wrong.
It's in Harvard Square, near the intersection of Bow St. and Arrow St.
It's visible from Mass Ave, and it's two doors down from the Baskin &
Robbins on the corner).  Also International Bicycle, in Brighton.

There's also Fat City, and something else next door (Chris Chance and
company, who build their own bikes).  These are mostly mountain bikes,
but the people there should be able to give you pointers.

I'm out-of-date, but from Cambridge the following rides used to be
fun: 

Trapelo Road out to Walden Pond.  Pick up Trapelo Rd off of Belmont St
(Either take Mount Auburn up, or Brattle, or get to Fresh Pond and
cross over).  I don't think this is quite 20 miles round trip from MIT
(I'm really bad with calculating distances).

A short ride is up to Spy Pond, but the ride is boring and goes up
Mass Ave the whole way.

You can also take Trapelo Rdout to Concord; either hit the Sudbury
River and rent a canoe from the South Bridge Boat House (where Main
Street crosses the Sudbury river), or go to the minutemen monument.

Those are all in the Northwest direction.

If you want to go Southwest, there are bike paths along the Charles
River, and you can use those as a jumping off point.  I liked the ride
out to Wellesley College.  

There are nice places to ride down near Sharon, but it was far (for
me), and all of the direct routes I know take you through serious
traffic, and ugly places.  If you don't mind going out to
Wellesley/Natick/Needham, and circling then cutting back, it's an OK
ride.  A shorter way is going to Dedham, but the only time I tried it,
I got lost so I can't tell you anything about it.

There are plenty of places to bike; don't worry about my
recommendations, it's been a couple of years --- just ask at a bike
shop, or around MIT.  There are plenty of bikers.  You'll like it.




From: johnk@ai.mit.edu (John Keen)

I saw your inquiry on the net and thought I could give you some
helpful info.  There are several good rides in the Cambridge area.
In general, the best idea is to go west or south and then branch
out in any number of ways.  One route I like is to follow the
Charles River bike path out to Waltham, take side streets to Main
St and then get on to Rt 117 leading out to Walden Pond and Concord.
It's about 30 km out to Concord (a couple of km less to Walden Pond).
For variety, you can return via a different route by taking Trapelo
Rd back in to Waltham, and then catch the bike path back to MIT.
Round trip (~60 km), this takes about 3 hours if you move at a decent
pace.  

Another route is to go south along the riverway down by Jamaica Pond.
When it comes to an end, there is enough room alongside Rt 1 for you
to comfortably cycle down to Dedham or some place like that.  It's
about 15 km from MIT down to Dedham as I recall.  You can continue
further or turn around and come back for a 30 km round trip distance.



From either of these routes, you can improvise once you get outside
the city limits.

Hope this helps.

John



From: pamela@keps.kodak.com (Pamela Blalock)

Ask other students and at local bike shops.

Also there is a new path from Cambridge (Alewife T-station) to Lexington
and onto Bedford. It's quite crowded on sunny warm sundays, but offers
a nice route out to the burbs for some real rides.

Also check out the Charles River Wheelman for club rides on weekends. 
Call 325-BIKE to get a listing of weekly rides or info on joining.


-- 
Pamela Blalock                                     pamela@keps.kodak.com
Kodak Electronic Printing Systems, Inc             8 down, 4 to go!
164 Lexington Road, Billerica, MA 01821-3984       BMB mixed tandem finisher!




From: Jeff.Parker@East.Sun.COM (Jeff Parker - SunSoft)

There is a local Boston Bike map (about $3) that has good local routes.
You should be able to =ick it up at any of the good local bike shops.
There is also a map of "escape routes".  From MIT, I'd suggest

	Memorial drive on Sundays
	Bike path from Alewife T
	Trapello road out to Concord and around

That is, ride around the basin, or out to the North West.  
There are also some nice rides across the river: close by you'll find
Commonwealth ave through Newton and rides through SOuth Brookline.
THe blue hills is nice, though you will need a car.

				- jeff




From: Patrick Tufts <zippy@berry.cs.brandeis.edu>

Take the bike path along Mem Drive out to Watertown Square.  Follow
Rt. 16 out to Wellesley, or turn onto Rt. 30.

You can also take 30 out to where it crosses 128, and then follow
South Street in Waltham up to Rt. 20, which goes out to Walden Pond in
Lincoln.

--Pat





From: cwright@ee.WPI.EDU (Charles R Wright)

In article <1992Sep8.214015.5742@athena.mit.edu> you write:

Ride very defensively, wear a helmet, use hand signals, use a mirror.
Oh, and dress like a cyclist - that'll make them think you're serious.
(You probably don't need me to tell you this)

I lived in Lexington two years ago and rode a lot in that area.  I
recently bought bicycle route map at that map store across from the
Harvard Coop.  This map covered an area roughly inside Route 128.  I
have misplaced it at the moment, but based on my knowledge of the
roads in the area, they show some pretty nice routes.  Don't know
about number of miles, but you could piece a route together.

If you'd like, I can find the map and tell you what it was called.  My
interest is piqued enough now that I'll dig it up anyway!

Good luck finding nice routes in the area.  My impression of the
Boston/Cambridge area is that things are far too dense (traffic and
people) for long routes, but then again I never biked there.

Have fun!

Charles Wright




From: burkhardt@ll.mit.edu

   James,

   There are two good clubs in the area that can help you get started.  The
   Boston chapter of AYH is located on Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, and the
   Charles River Wheelmen have a phone number with a recorded message giving
   their mailing address and ride information.  The number is 617-325-BIKE.
   There is also an organization called the Boston Area Bicycle Coalition
   which has lobbied for and can provide information on the rules and regs
   pertaining to transporting a bike on the MTA and the Boston and Maine
   commuter rail (which can get you out to the burbs where the automobile
   density is lower). Good luck!
   					Bob Burkhardt





From: pzs@ficus.webo.dg.com (Peter Z. Simpson)

I believe Memorial Drive is closed to cars on Sundays. You might also
get in touch with the Charles River Wheelmen (sorry, no contact info,
but ask at a bike shop...CRW is the *big* group in eastern MA) about
their rides. AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club), in spite of its name,
also runs bike rides...they're in the phone book & at 5 Joy St,
Boston. Don't know about MIT, but maybe there's an outing club?

    Pete




      Peter Simpson, KA1AXY       (508) 870-9837  fax: (508) 898-4212
  Data General Corp.  E236    pzs@ficus.webo.dg.com [128.221.228.82]
  Westboro, MA  01580         #include  <std_disclaimer.h>   




From: rice@husc.harvard.edu

Get "Boston's Bikemap", $3.95 at bike shops, but 
be a skeptic in reading it.

You can get from MIT to Davis square by riding up
Cambridge to Beacon, then going Beacon to Elm,
in Somerville.

There's a bike path from Davis Square that goes to
the Alewife T Station.  From there you can pick up the
new, not-officially-open Minuteman Bike Path which goes
from Alewife to Bedford Mass, which is several miles
outside of Boston.  Be warned. The usual bike path 
hazards are applicable here!  But it's a way to get 
out of town without dealing with the likes of Mass Ave.

You can get off the Minuteman in Lexington or in Bedford 
and ride on secondary roads in the Lexington-Concord-Bedford 
area.  There are several good 20-40 mile rides out that way.

For some examples ...

Check out _Short Bike Rides in Greater Boston and Central 
Massachusetts_, available at Wordsworth Bookstore in 
Harvard Square for around $15. (And elsewhere, probably.)

Boston is a crazy place to cycle! 

There's great cycling on Cape Cod, by the way. 

Ken
-- 
----
internet: rice@mcz.harvard.edu rice@husc.harvard.edu
  bitnet: rice@husc.bitnet

From: hewett@cfa203.harvard.edu (Rob Hewett)

Well, you're sort of screwed in a way... 
One of the big problems with this area is the difficulty of getting
to the country.  And the local driving style is quite intimidating,
but it is manageable if you start with short routes you're
comfortable with, and begin to branch out.  I bike commuted around here
till I was 30, then finally chickened out and got a car:-).
Take a map.  Keep a notebook of your rides, and study the map afterward.
Wear a helmet, gloves, and perhaps more clothes than the weather
might seem to indicate (imho).  Pray...

However... you might begin by trying the River.  The south side is
the official Paul Dudley White Bikeway, but the north side is
also negotiable.  Inbound to Boston beware the usual clutter of
rollerbladers, etc.  Cross river at Science Museum.
Outbound beware some ~nasty street crossings,
and the insides of the auto guard rails, which look lethal to me.
It gets better the farther you go.  It goes all the way out to
Watertown Sq.  Try going out to W Sq on one side, and back on the
other.  There is actually some half decent riding in there.

If you find that works out for you, feel free to email me,
because the next step is to branch out from W Sq, toward Trapelo
Rd. or Concord Ave westbound.  There is nice riding in Lincoln,
Concord, Sudbury, etc.  The problem is getting there.

Egad, I forgot!  Opening officially in October, I think, is the
Minuteman Commuter Bikeway.  This is the absolute balls... a
railroad converted to a bike path.  Cambridge Alewife T Station to
Bedford, through Arlington and Lexington.  I've ridden the part in
Lex/Bed; it's really cool.  And from Bedford or Lex different rides
can branch out.  Problem for you is getting to Alewife.  It may be
that on Sundays, T lets you take bike on Red line... call the T and
ask.  Then it's easy, get on at Kendall.

To get from MIT to Porter Sq, I would take Hampshire/Beacon
rather than the River (long) or Mass Ave (a bit hair raising).
Or somehow get to Davis Sq. in Somerville (not far from Porter).
I think there is a bike path from Davis to Alewife.  Alewife proper
is not very bike friendly, being surrounded by heinous traffic
and a sub-working class neighborhood on the Rindge side.  Don't be daunted!
If you have some success with this (esp Davis-Alewife, which I haven't
de-bugged yet), please let me know.
I intend to begin commuting on the Minuteman once it officially opens.
Then I will blaze a survivable commute from Alewife to my work
near Harvard Sq.  I won't be alone either, I'll bet.

Good luck at MIT.  Back to work....

Rob (hewett@cfa.harvard.edu)

(ps a useful resource is the BABC - Boston Area Bicycle Coalition - 
they're probably in the phone book; see also Charles River Wheelmen
for organized rides and more)






From: jjansen@skibum.Prime.COM (Jay Jansen)

	Did you get any replies??

	I didn't see any posts.. 

	
	There is a path from Alwife (T station) to Bedford Ma. and beyond.
	I don't know exactly were MIT is in Cambridge.. so I don't know if 
	this is good for you.. But.. It's a REAL nice paved path that runs
	through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford .. and out to Concord.

	There are plenty of off road trails in Lexington that you can 
	play with.. 

	You might look around Fresh Pond.. I think there's some trails 
	in that area.. 

	If you find any interesting trails .. wound you let me know??

	I'm looking for paths coming into Cambridge from Arlington..

	-Jay




From: kagraves@Athena.MIT.EDU

First, you *do* want to get used to riding around on the streets: it's
the best way of getting anywhere.

Second: a very nice ride is along what used to be a railroad
right-of-way. It starts at the Alewife T station, and heads north-west
to Bedford, going through Arlington and Lexington.  Nicely paved, many
trees, no steep hills, and the various overpasses are almost finished.

If you don't mind keeping your pace slow enough to dodge pedestrians,
head out on the bikeway along Mem. Drive. (Yes, it is officially a
bikeway. Tends to be crowded with other sorts, but...)

Get a bikemap. (Most of the local bike shops sell them.) This will
tell you which roads are recommended for biking.

Hope this helps,
--kag





From: jjprior@Athena.MIT.EDU

Joining the MIT Cycling team would be a good way to learn some routes and
have some company on those 30-40mi rides.  We have an informational meeting
next week, on the 14th I think.  There is a variety of skill levels.  We
also get alot of breaks on equipment so you can get the stuff you need to
train/race effectively without going broke.

In general, we usually ride out of the city north-west out though Belmont
toward Concord. It takes about 25min to get out of the traffic.  After that
the riding is pretty good.

Let me know if you want more info.

Jack Prior





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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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From: "Philip Greenspun" <philg@martigny.ai.mit.edu>

You can ride to Walden Pond, take off your clothes and swim in the
water then ride back.  About 30 miles.  There is a great book called
"Short Bike Rides near Boston" or something, it is light blue and half
size.

Philip
Received: from ATHENA.MIT.EDU by po5.MIT.EDU (5.61/4.7) id AA14993; Wed, 9 Sep 92 09:30:14 EDT





From: Wanda M. Gleason <wandag@MEDIA-LAB.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>

There's a new bike path in Arlington which goes into Bedford.  I have
been told that it is about 26 miles long, although I haven't tried it
to find out if that is true.  The path starts near Alewife T station.

- Wanda




From: Joshua Simons <simons@Think.COM>

I would suggest heading west, rather than either north or south. You can
take the bike path on either side of the river out to Watertown and then
head off from there. Into Newton area, for example. Also, I think there
are a few books of bike rides that you can buy for the Boston area. I'd
check out a local bike place for something like this. Give International
Bicycle (Allston) a call. Or the Belmont Wheelworks. Both very good shops.
Not the closest to you, but arguably the best.

For a longer ride, you could follow the 'Bike 1' signs that go all the way
to Provincetown at the end of Cape Cod. A fun ride. I don't remember how
far it is...over a 100 miles certainly.

"Safe" seemed to be a watchword in your posting. I've been riding in Boston
and Cambridge for about 15 years. I've had once accident with a car and a
few other scrapes and bruises. Safe is a state of mind. Follow the rules
of the road and you are 99% of the way to keeping yourself in one piece.
I see too many cyclists around here going the wrong way down one-way
streets and not obeying traffic lights. Act like a vehicle. Under Massachusetts
law you ARE a vehicle and you are subject to Mass vehicular codes. I've
found that following the usual rules of the road (for cars) has kept me
in one piece so far.

One more thing. The bike paths are pretty good, but they tend to get
crowded by walkers and roller-bladers and whatnot. If you want to go
fast, go on off hours or stick to the upper end of the path where there
aren't that many pedestrians (up above Harvard).

Hope this helps.

-josh simons

simons@think.com
thinking machines corporation
245 first street					tel: 617.234.2844
cambridge, ma  02142-1214				fax: 617.234.4444





From: prevelig@eastman1.MIT.EDU (Peter Prevelige)

James.,

You will have to ride about 6-7 miles each way to get out of
Cambridge/Boston traffic, but there is some nice riding around. Out
through Belmont and Wellesley for example. Perhaps hook up with the
cycling team and learn some routes, maybe even try collegiate racing!






From: aviator@Athena.MIT.EDU

I work in Cambridge (don't let the athena account fool you), but I don't
bike here.  Just a few pointers: There is a bike path which runs from
Davis Square in Somerville to Alewife and another one from Alewife all
the way out to Bedford (that's gotta be 15 miles or so).  Now, you probably
don't want to go on a bike path, but it might be a safe way to get out
of the city to where you can do some safe road riding.  There are also
bike paths along the Charles River, but I'm not sure they lead to any
better biking areas.

Also, there's commuter rail from Porter Square which will take you out
to all sorts of nice areas out West (Weston, Lincoln, Concord, Acton,
Littleton, etc.)  That's where I bike (off-road, however).  They allow
bikes on the train (but not during rush-hour) with certain limitations.

Good bike stores: I really like Ace Wheelworks in Somerville (near
Porter Square).  For a real big store, try International Bicycles
near Commonwealth Ave in Allston.

...Joakim


-- 
Joakim Karlsson            | aviator@athena.mit.edu
Flying Fanatic in Training | Air: PP-ASEL  CAP: Freedom 110 Mobile  FCC: N1JHW
                 "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
                And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings"