login
Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston
-
No new posts
 2011-01-17 12:23 PM |
Veteran  265   Boston |  Subject: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of BostonI live in Billerica and am currently training for IMLP in July. Looking for some places to bike and OWS swim semi-close to home for my longer training days come the nice weather. I've searched the posted routes and haven't found much. I found a nice 35m bike loop going through Billerica, Concord, Action, etc... but there aren't many hills and the stop/start/traffic lights kill me. I'm close enough to route 3 that I'm thinking the MA/NH border may offer something longer with more hill training. Any advice? Also, same with OWS. I don't really know if any good OWS areas up here? I searched the Mass DCR site and came up with Walden Pond, Mystic Lakes, Harold Parker, Ashland State Park. Recommendations? A lot of you seem to like Walden, but the posts on the rashes skeeve me out lol... Thanks in advance for any advice or routes you enjoy... |
| 2011-01-17 3:37 PM in reply to: #3304409 |
Pro 4612  MA | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston Join the local tri club Trifury. There are a bunch of guys swimming in Silver Lake (route 38, Wilmington) starting late spring to early winter. Or, as one of those crazy people says, as long as the lake is not frozen. Silver lake is~ 400 yard across. We usually do a couple of laps back and forth. The sandy beach is officially open on Memorial Day to Labor Day for Wilmington residents and technically swimmers are not allow to swim outside of the bouy-lines. But one of us is Wilmington's ex-fire chief and he overides everything. |
| 2011-01-17 3:40 PM in reply to: #3304845 |
| Member 63 | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston Hello, You could check out www.crw.org for a listing of rides and cue sheets. Many rides start in Newton but many leave the from the Concord area too. Good luck, Mark |
| 2011-01-17 10:58 PM in reply to: #3304409 |
Veteran 265 Boston | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston Great advice! Thank you! |
| 2011-01-17 11:20 PM in reply to: #3305579 |
Member 22 Leominster | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston In the summer I swim at Walden at least 3 days a week. I have never had any kind of rash from swimming there.Check out Triumph Triathlon of Boston, we have lots of group rides/swims in the Concord area in the warmer weather.http://www.TriumphTriathlon.comhttp://www.meetup.com/triumph-triathlon-boston/orhttp://www.meetup.com/triumph-triathlon-central-MA/# |
| 2011-01-18 7:51 PM in reply to: #3304409 |
Master 1770 Bedford, MA | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston I'm right near you in Bedford - there are many great loops around the area. One of my favorites is a 56 mile loop called the Apple Pie ride, and it's road 'arrow' is the math 'pi' symbol. It heads out through Concord, Acton, Harvard, Littleton, Chelmsford, Carlisle, Billerica, and back into Bedford. There are many other shorter rides that head out in the same direction. The 56 mile loop has nearly 5000 feet of climbing with some serious climbs around the midpoint of the ride. As for OWS, Walden Pond is always a popular spot. Edited by natethomas2000 2011-01-18 7:52 PM |
| 2011-01-18 10:36 PM in reply to: #3307612 |
Veteran 265 Boston | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston natethomas2000 - 2011-01-18 8:51 PMI'm right near you in Bedford - there are many great loops around the area. One of my favorites is a 56 mile loop called the Apple Pie ride, and it's road 'arrow' is the math 'pi' symbol. It heads out through Concord, Acton, Harvard, Littleton, Chelmsford, Carlisle, Billerica, and back into Bedford. There are many other shorter rides that head out in the same direction. The 56 mile loop has nearly 5000 feet of climbing with some serious climbs around the midpoint of the ride. As for OWS, Walden Pond is always a popular spot. Thanks! That sounds like perfect training for IMLP! Where can I find that route? - Brett |
| 2011-01-21 7:42 AM in reply to: #3307882 |
Master 1770 Bedford, MA | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston mogulbumm - 2011-01-18 11:36 PM natethomas2000 - 2011-01-18 8:51 PMI'm right near you in Bedford - there are many great loops around the area. One of my favorites is a 56 mile loop called the Apple Pie ride, and it's road 'arrow' is the math 'pi' symbol. It heads out through Concord, Acton, Harvard, Littleton, Chelmsford, Carlisle, Billerica, and back into Bedford. There are many other shorter rides that head out in the same direction. The 56 mile loop has nearly 5000 feet of climbing with some serious climbs around the midpoint of the ride. As for OWS, Walden Pond is always a popular spot. Thanks! That sounds like perfect training for IMLP! Where can I find that route? - Brett The Charles River Wheelmen have this as one of their rides with a map and a printable cue-sheet: http://www.crw.org/CueSheets/cues2htm.php?id=213 You can also see my last ride on this loop on garminconnect.com: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/58100357 I'm not sure on the elevation from my last ride - my rides on this loop were in the 4800 ft range. Edited by natethomas2000 2011-01-21 7:53 AM |
| 2011-01-31 3:02 PM in reply to: #3304409 |
Veteran 139 MA | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston I'll be moving to Billerica in a couple of weeks, this was a helpful thread for me as well. Is there a gym, or hotel, in town or nearby that has a lap pool? |
| 2011-01-31 4:32 PM in reply to: #3331452 |
Veteran 265 Boston | Subject: RE: Bike and OWS routes Northwest of Boston Although there are a couple of pools in the area that supposedly have lap swimming, the hours are sparse. I joined the Boston Sports Clubs - you can negotiate membership pricing  Lexington is the closest club to Billerica (only about 10 minutes away) or you can go to Woburn (the pool is never crowded there).PM me if you want to get together for a couple of rides this spring. Brett |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK