Looking for *SCENIC* rides just north of Boston...

[Bluesman]

Greetings,

I am in Everett and if I want to go out on a quick 1 hour run, there is really slim pickin' around my house.

I run by spot pond, down the Fellsway, Main Street out to Reading, up 93 to 125, but I am hurting running the same roads over and over.

I am not looking for roads to fly on, just light traffic, scenic, relaxing roads to enjoy my ride that aren't full of trucks and potholes that I don't have to drive 50 miles to get too...

I envy you guys out in Western MA and NH. The roads are right at your door.

Later,

[hohum]

Hey man, I feel your pain. To be dead honest, your best bet is to fly out Rt 2 west to at least 126... you can find some decent scenic light traffic roads by that point. I end up going for quick blasts through the the fells, and south border rd and the likes when I can't do the 20 miles to west of 128..

Cheers,
Chris

[bemused]

I know whatcha mean... at least, in Salem, I'm only about a half-hour away from some slightly nicer stretches of road directly north of me. problem is, even they are short stretches broken up by by bunches of villages, tracts, industrial areas, etc. and often, plenty of SUV soccer moms...

if you ever fight your way up 1A as far as Beverly, you can find some of those short stretches up thisaways...

[Sbk12rs]

Very simple !!!! Head out rt 2 and take your first exit right ,,,, after going over 128 concord area . There you can spend hours in that small area Concord , Bedford , Chelmsford , Westford . i have done it plenty ,, I live in Lowell .

[Suf Daddy]

Gloucester: Cape Ann baby
Bust down 128 to the VERY end. Do a loop (LEFT) through Rockport and 129 then come back towards 128 on the Crane's Beach side through Lanesville and Annisquam. You'll have done a sorta figure 8.
Then cross the first rotary by the Friendly's and take a right towards downtown. Then go right at the high school sign (small on telephone post) and continue into Mangolia, Manchester by the Sea and into Beverly on 129?

You can bust out onto 128 anytime to get back home.

Gotta worn ya: Visibility is limited and the roads can be wet/slick from the ocean. No 50-60 MPH there. 40 CAN BE PUSHING IT IN SEVERAL SPOTS.

Ipswich off of Rt 1 along 1A and Telegraph road?
-Suf Daddy

[bemused]

Originally posted by Suf Daddy
Gloucester: Cape Ann baby
Bust down 128 to the VERY end. Do a loop (LEFT) through Rockport and 129 then come back towards 128 on the Crane's Beach side through Lanesville and Annisquam. You'll have done a sorta figure 8.
Then cross the first rotary by the Friendly's and take a right towards downtown. Then go right at the high school sign (small on telephone post) and continue into Mangolia, Manchester by the Sea and into Beverly on 129?

You can bust out onto 128 anytime to get back home.

Gotta worn ya: Visibility is limited and the roads can be wet/slick from the ocean. No 50-60 MPH there. 40 CAN BE PUSHING IT IN SEVERAL SPOTS.
-Suf Daddy

not to mention slow-crawlin' cages, cyclists, joggers, mule trains, herds o' turtles, slow boats to China, etc, etc....

don't get me wrong: it's very scenic, lotsa big purdy houses. sometimes when I'm in the mood for a lazy cruise w/ the wife, we'll wind our way up there. but don't expect to do much real RIDING on Rte. 129, or in Gloucester / Rockport. In my experience, you gotta head inland a bit to find some open roads.

[Rye]

Did just that yesterday when i got back. Alice and I went up 127 through Manchester all the way through Gloucester (Bass rocks). Then just slabbed it back to Peabody. Just a couple decent turns but more of a casual 2 hr. putt putt. Weather was fine!

[TLRMan]

Originally posted by Rye
Did just that yesterday when i got back. Alice and I went up 127 through Manchester all the way through Gloucester (Bass rocks). Then just slabbed it back to Peabody. Just a couple decent turns but more of a casual 2 hr. putt putt. Weather was fine!

And you didn't swing by the house to see if I wanted to go???

[Rye]

Sorry homes! Wasn't thinkin' BTW....you got it on the road?

[OreoGaborio]

Topsfield (my home town), Boxford, W. Boxford, Georgetown, Andover

if anyone wants to meet at Masconomet HS one day, gimme a shout & i'll lead ya through some decent roads that have very light traffic. Not SUPER twistie, but some good stuff

[stoinkythepig]

If you are going to do the Concord, Bedford, Chelmsford, Westford scene, do yourself a favor and go just a leeeetle further into Dunstable and Groton. Heavenly back roads there.

[TLRMan]

Originally posted by Rye
Sorry homes! Wasn't thinkin' BTW....you got it on the road?

Been on the road for a while now...Went up to visit Jay and do the "Weirs Beach" loop last Thurday...Only time I could get off from work. Look me up, we can grab a cup in Wakefield or something....

[TLRMan]

Originally posted by OreoGaborio
Topsfield (my home town), Boxford, W. Boxford, Georgetown, Andover

if anyone wants to meet at Masconomet HS one day, gimme a shout & i'll lead ya through some decent roads that have very
light traffic. Not SUPER twistie, but some good stuff

Pete, that's my playground too! Boxford Cops don't like us tearing up their roads though...and Topsfield already totalled 2 cruisers chasing bikes...LOL

[OreoGaborio]

Originally posted by TLRMan
Pete, that's my playground too! Boxford Cops don't like us tearing up their roads though...and Topsfield already totalled 2 cruisers chasing bikes...LOL

HAH! NO SHIT!!!

good roads though, huh? i live right up the street from Masco so i can go in any direction & find some fun roads. Look up Lockwood Lane if you're not familiar w/ it. Just be carefull of one REEEAAALLLY fuckin tight 90 degree turn that's usually a little sandy. if you're going in the wrong direction, you can't see it untill you're right on top of it. There's hatchmarks on the pavement though to let you know somethin's up... you just don't know what untill you're on top of the corner

[IllKneeGrow]

I think it's rt 127 that you can ride up from grloucester to rockport. It is a pretty nice road especially if you get it when there isn't a lot of traffic. It has some nices views of the coast line and some twisties here and there, it's a pretty good ride that could take you an 2 hours there and back.

You can easily access it off of 128 if you want, but you miss out on about half of the route if you do that.

[hohum]

Yeah, but the other ways to get there? 1A? No thanks! 1? No thanks!

Dunno, not really much good riding around here with no traffic/nice views/twisties... thats what the great white north is for!

Cheers,
Chris

[IllKneeGrow]

Nothing wrong with 1A atleast until you get past the lynnway. Thats when I just go right up the coast into salem and the roads are not that bad there.

[hohum]

True dat, but getting past the lynnway can take 30 minutes! (and boy do the cops around there frown on lane splitting!)

Cheers,
Chris

[IllKneeGrow]

That is true. I went early in the morning so I didn't have to worry about that much traffic. As long as you get past the lynnway before wal-mart and the merchant market opens up your good!