give me some MA ride ideas

[Spooler]

Hey everyone. I feel like I've been in a bit of a rut recently. Commute to and from work everyday on the bike, but when I go for a ride for pure pleasure I'm having trouble figuring out where to go. Living in Brookline, I feel pretty penned in by crowded suburbs, and when I get out to my old central MA area I just end up riding the same roads I've been on for years. So I'm looking for advice for quality rides anywhere in central/eastern MA, southern NH, southern ME. I have fridays off and would love a few day or half-day trips and ideas for scenic destinations. Thanks folks.

[Lxpony]

Where in central Massachusetts did u ride?

[Spooler]

mostly all around the wachusett area.

[boosten lebaron]

Go further out west. Once you hit 91 everything beyond that is like god's country. The mohawk is always fun. Most rides out here tend to end up in the north west corner of the state and dip into vt and ny. Not many cops to deal with either.

[Imbeek]

Go further out west. Once you hit 91 everything beyond that is like god's country. The mohawk is always fun. Most rides out here tend to end up in the north west corner of the state and dip into vt and ny. Not many cops to deal with either.

+1

I know it's not on your list, but try it, you'll like it

[Spooler]

I do a lot of back roads riding in upstate NY when I go to visit my family and always try to take the back roads through western MA to get there. I love it out that way. Definitely interested in exploring southern NH more, if anyone has suggestions. I think I'll be doing a weekend trip up around lake winnepesaukee and up to the white mountains. Two up with panniers and a top box. A practice run for my upcoming honeymoon when we'll be riding from central NY to Asheville, NC via the blueridge parkway...

[boosten lebaron]

I took my r1 from boston to mt washington last year and around the kanga highway via winnepesaukee. It was a nice ride. Lots of back roads too.

[breakdirt916]

well here's your first mistake - there's not much around worcester/central MA....you really gotta get out into northern NH, ME, or way out in Western MA for a ride

however, if you're looking to do a ride that gets you back to brookline by noon...

290W -> 140N -> take first right onto Colonial Drive-> take first left onto school street


Stay to the right to stay on Cross street (windy road) -> follow all the way to route 70

stay on 70 -> turn right onto 62 (go straight through 4 way intersection to stay on 62) -> turn right onto Sawyer Hill Road (be careful of sudden elevation change!)

at the end, turn left onto south street -> @ rotary take 3rd right onto River Road -> turn left onto gates pond road (you can drag your knee around the wide right turn) -> @ end, turn left back onto 62 -> turn right onto Sawyer Hill Road (be careful at street mergings, but this is a nice windy road) -> @ end turn right onto Wattaquadock road -> @ end turn right onto 117 -> turn right onto 85 -> take first right onto Mill Road -> @ end, take hard left back onto Sawyer Hill Road, follow back to 62...decide if ya want to go back home on 495

[Spooler]

Thank you! I am familiar with parts of that route, I'll have to check out the full route. My standard 2 wheel good-time is usually spent wandering around upstate NY. Hoping to find some more fun closer to home. The best road nearby is chickatawbut rd and some parkways back to Brookline. It's fun, but traffic can be crazy... I do love commuting through Brookline into JP and Dorchester/Roxbury on the bike... Dodging random dirt bikes and four wheelers in Dorchester... Going the wrong way down the street... With no helmets... Just looking for a little more fun close to home. Hate only having fun leaving the state. I've just been realizing lately that I live in a terrible place for motorcycling, compared to some friends who now live in California or the southwest or other more sparsely populated areas.

This is all half-drunken ramblings. Apologies

[Boosted Thrills]

One of my favorites is to get on Route 119W, through NH and into Brattleboro, VT. From there I grab 91S down to 2 then 202 to 122 and make a loop back down to either Route 9 or 20 to get back towards home.

[r1dermon]

I was just gonna say, hook up with 119 and take that sumbich to Brattleboro. Very popular bike route.

Another fantastic twisty ride would be to take 123 through southwest nh. Hook up with 123 in Townsend and take it to marlow. Then take rt10 north to 123a (real nice twisty Rd with zero ppl on it). Take that out to rt12 south and hook up with 119 for the ride back.

[Kenn157]

I don't know if you've been to the Bennington Triumph Bash... lots of rides, Triumph comradery, Dinner on Saturday night

May 30th - June 1, 2014

[Spooler]

I'd love to go to the Bennington triumph bash, been meaning to for years, but can't make it this year. I will be at americade Wednesday to Sunday the following weekend. I'm gonna try to make it next year.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Falko]

123 is a good ride, stop in Hancock at Fiddleheads for coffee and a raspberry pastry. In fact have two, you'll thank me.

[Boosted Thrills]

There's also the Northeast European Motorcycle Rally - 15 years this year

[repete513]

I was just gonna say, hook up with 119 and take that sumbich to Brattleboro. Very popular bike route.

Another fantastic twisty ride would be to take 123 through southwest nh. Hook up with 123 in Townsend and take it to marlow. Then take rt10 north to 123a (real nice twisty Rd with zero ppl on it). Take that out to rt12 south and hook up with 119 for the ride back.

+1 but I usually turn off the main roads on what ever random back road I feel like. South west nh is awesome. Pretty much anything west of rt3/293/93 is great and close. Northern nh is good to but its a long boring ride to get there. You have to get past lake wini to find anything decent

[typeone]

i can prob craft a nice central/western loop for you with a lil dip into NH (or CT if you want lower). name a MA limit west, this will help.

[typeone]

well here's your first mistake - there's not much around worcester/central MA....

not true. keep looking

[Spooler]

Thank you typeone! I'd say maybe Gardner or athol might be around the range I'm looking for, definitely would love to swing up into NH too. The northeast European motorcycle rally sounds interesting... I may be able to make that Friday through Sunday...

[typeone]

OK, cool. i will take a look through old maps and try to put something fun together for you.

[Stromper]

Get a routeable GPS

I think I am happy with tom tom rider II 4.3

You can plan a route OR just tell it to go via winding roads.

You have an adventure bike , have the adventure

Additionally the Berkshire Adventure Bike thing is later in May or come to my

NEVA14 in AUgust 8-2.3 I will drag you around

[golden chicken]

Nothing like browsing through real paper maps to find the squiggly roads, in my opinion. There are a few good roads in metrowest, but a lot of the time I find there's just too many cars to maintain a halfway spirited pace for long. I also prefer the northwest MA, and southern VT/NH for that kind of riding.

[breakdirt916]

socal is good...moved here myself a couple years ago...more twisties than I can find

although I like dirt...I ride the trails more than the twisties

[AimlessMoto]

Rt 2W to Athol, 2AW to Wendell, turn left on Wendell Depot Road... you're welcome.

[typeone]

^ yup. Wendell Depot is def one to work in as well as Montague, Leverett, etc... but 2W around there = yawn.

if i get a break later tonight i'll try to make it a real route from Brookline but rather than 2W try something like... 62W > 122W > 202S > Prescott > Wendell > Lakeview > Wendell Depot > 2A E > 78N > 119E > ?

lots of great stuff out by Wendell. 78N is fun, parts of 119 are fun but can also be boring. i'll try to fill in the blanks later.

if you want to go further west when you hit 2A, jam 2W to 63S > 47S > 116N, which we all know is a good time. those are prob staples anyway. nice scenic stuff along the river and great farm stands.