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Conference noted::bicycle

Title: Bicycling
Notice:Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:JAMIN::WASSER
Created:Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3214
Total number of notes:31946

2991.0. "Nashua/Boston route" by UHUH::LUCIA (http://asaab.zko.dec.com/people/tjl/biography.html) Wed Jul 12 1995 20:38

I'm toying with riding to Boston from S. Nashua for a few of the MDC free
concerts.  I've been going to Walden Pond a few weeks now and it's about 33.5
miles each way.  I take back roads to Groton and then 119 to 2/2a to 62 in
Concord Center.  Then I go right on Walden Road.  If I keep going on 62, I'll
end up in Bedford and merge with 225 whereby I can get the Minuteman Bike Path. 
It is 18 miles from Bedford to the hatch shell.  18+33+(some small delta from
Walden to Bedford) means it's a century ride with a rest in the middle.  I'm not
opposed to this, but if I could get it down closer to 80 miles, that would be
better.  Anyone think of a way to shorten this by 10-20 miles?  I could always
take the bike on my car and leave the car at LKG, which would cut out ~40 miles
overall.  Right now I am comfortable in the 60-75 mile range/day one weekend day
per week.  I can't quite see doing one century per week yet...  I suppose it is
possible.

Tim
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2991.1PCBUOA::KRATZWed Jul 12 1995 22:1620
    Try...
    Out of Nashua, about a 1/2 mile west of ZKO on 111, there's a bumpy
    road that goes south next to some ballfields (unfortunately off the Mass
    Bike Map, but it quickly crosses the Mass line and becomes freshly-paved
    Hardy Rd).  If this is convenient to get to for you, take Hardy to
    Thorndike, right on Thorndike to High, left on High to 113 in Dunstable.
    
    Go east on 113 for about a mile, take a right on Lowell, right on Swan
    which becomes Tyngsboro Rd and eventually merges into Depot Rd.  Left on
    Coldspring, quick right on Providence, left on Main, quick right on
    Tadmuck and go under 495.  Left on Chelmsford, quick right on Old Lowell,
    and then down to 225.  225 to Bedford, pick up the bike trail, and so on.
    
    This at least keeps you away from the 119, 2A mess and probably saves
    a few miles.  You can also continue on Chelmsford, which turns into
    Parkerville.  Once in the Carlisle State Forest, there's a couple of
    other roads from there that bring you down to 225 that look about the
    same distance as taking Old Lowell down.
    
    I'm familiar with most of this route, but no guarantees... Kratz
2991.2UHUH::LUCIAhttp://asaab.zko.dec.com/people/tjl/biography.htmlFri Jul 14 1995 17:175
Thanks...I'm somewhat familiar with parts of that.  Since it sticks closer to
rt. 3, it is more N/S rather than heading west and then east again (groton to
119)

Tim
2991.3UHUH::LUCIAhttp://asaab.zko.dec.com/people/tjl/biography.htmlFri Jul 14 1995 17:182
Oh, and that bumpy road is freshly paved itself now.  Ride/run it many times per
week.