June 6, 2012 / Issue #9

Family Friendly Bike Rides

The wonderful thing about bikes is that it doesn’t matter if you are 3 or 83, riding a bike is fun. If you haven’t pulled your bikes out of the garage or basement yet, now is the time. After a few rainy days, the weather outlook for this weekend calls for glorious sunshine. This weekend is a great weekend to explore on two wheels.

We’ve got a few ideas for rides that are suitable for cyclists of all ages and abilities. The routes we are highlighting this week allow you to not be concerned about cars speeding by at high speed. If you’re bringing your kids along or you just want to go for a ride and not worry about vehicular traffic, these are for you.

A Sunday Bike Ride on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA

Photo Credit: Frank Hebbert

Photo Credit: Frank Hebbert


The city of Cambridge closes Memorial Drive during the warm weather months on Sundays from 11 am to 7 pm. Along the Charles River between Western Avenue and Mount Auburn Street, a closed off Memorial Drive provides an urban, but car free, biking experience with wide, flat lanes that are great for children and adults of all ages. Kids on tricycles will be about. There’s no reason to be afraid to bust out your single gear beachcomber or campus cruiser. Memorial Drive offers fantastic views of the Boston skyline. Spotting the rowers and kayaks floating down the Charles is likely to have you soon plotting a day on the river. Make it a great day by purchasing sandwiches and related picnic supplies at Cardullos in Harvard Square. And don’t be afraid to select a craft beer or two from their wonderful selection.

That’s the good stuff.  The bad stuff is you that there aren’t any public restrooms along Memorial Drive. And if you need to rent a bike or a carrier to tow the kids, the nearest bike rental shop is 1.3 miles away from the intersection of Western and Memorial. That’s not terribly far. But if you’ve got little kids to watch over, it might be.

Bike The Minuteman Bikeway In Bedford, MA

Photo Credit: Medeleine Ball

Photo Credit: Medeleine Ball

For something a bit more ambitious, the Minuteman Bikeway offers an 11 mile paved asphalt ride between the Alewife T stop and Bedford. While it is an off road multi-use trail, there are some street crossings involved. This trail also passes by Arlington’s Great Meadow and, as it so happens, the Minuteman trail is the best way to access this 183 acre open space containing 56 species of birds. It’s worth bringing along a bike lock so you can at least consider dismounting and adding in a short hike or grab lunch.

A Bike Ride On Battle Road Trail in Concord, MA

Photo Credit: Medeleine Ball

 

Photo Credit: David Smith

Photo Credit: David Smith

For something less urban, try out the Battle Road Trail that connects Lexington and Concord. As part of Minuteman National Park, this is a must do if revolutionary war history is of interest to you as the trail marks the path once undertaken by British soldiers from Boston to Concord. Markers along the trail tell the stories from this area’s history. There are four parking lots along the gravel based trail that are free of charge. But the visitor’s center near the Lexington end of the trail will give you a chance to pick up a map, scope out some historical landmarks along the route, and ask a park ranger any questions you might have before setting forth.If a guided bike tour sounds appealing, check out Concord Bike Tours.

Regardless of how you take in the Battle Road, afterwards you’ll want to take a short diversion into nearby Weston to visit the Cedar Hill Dairy Joy.  This is no ordinary roadside ice cream stand. A variety of tasty burgers sprinkle the menu. Try the Smokehouse Burger.

Biking: Notes and Links