INFORMATION
The Broke Ride Club: Boston Chapter brings you and your friends an affordable means of experiencing sublime sites, smells and sounds beyond the boundaries of the city through a curated selection of weekend bike rides that have been optimized for their appealing scenic qualities, convenience and cost.
The BRC is committed to doing the most with the least. All of the collected routes are intended to be accessible and enjoyable for cyclists of any skill level with the most basic equipment, whether that be a road bike, single speed or folding bike.
Please direct membership inquires here
OVERVIEW MAP
Individual Routes ︎︎︎
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The Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is a moderate ride out in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, nearby the border of New York. The trailhead is nestled in a valley between mount Greylock and Savoy Mountain just a few miles south of Mass MoCA and Smith College in North Adams.
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The Arnold Arboretum cycle route is a short semi-urban ride that passes through the Emerald Necklace on its way to the Harvard Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. This includes scenic sections that wind past the MFA, Isabel Stuart Gardner Museum and through Olmstead park before arriving in the tree lined paths of the arboretum.
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The East Bay Rail Trail leaves Providence and follows the Eastern edge of Providence River as it becomes Narragansett Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving behind the industrialed waterfront surrounding the city, the cycling path passes through several bird watching sanctuaries and marshes on the way to the small town Bristol.
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Despite having a long stretch through downtown Boston along Massachusetts Avenue and through the Seaport District, this loop follows much of the coastline of the Boston harbor, from the University of Massachusetts Campus all the way up to the North End and back along the Cambridge side of the Charles River.
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This route travels all the way between Boston and Concord along the entire length of the Minuteman Rail Trail beginning on the Somerville Community Bike path and passing though the towns of Davis, Arlington, and Lexington. On the way back, the route diverges to loop around Walden Pond, Gropius House, deCordova Sculpture Park, and the Minuteman National Historical Park.
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A short ferry ride from Long Wharf, the trail loop around the wastewater treatment facility on Deer Island provides outward and inward views of the Boston Bay. On the way from the Winthrop Ferry Pier, stop at Yirrell Beach and Couglin Park to watch planes take off from Boston Logan Airport.
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A long and rough route that folows the fragmented remnants of the Massachusetts Central and Ware River Rail Trails that cover alot of unpaved, less well maintained trails running from North / South from Winchendon to Rutland.
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The Southern New England Trunkline Trail is just a few miles to the Southwest of Franklin. While much of this trail section is unpaved, it leads across the border to the Blackstone River Bikeway in Woonsocket Rhode Island. From there, the bikeway straddles alternating sides of the Blackstone River, corssing a multitude of unique bridges, until it arrives in Providence.
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This route travels partway along the Minuteman Rail Trail beginning on the Somerville Community Bike path and turning off in Lexington towards Woburn. After passing through downtown Winchester, this route follows the mystic lakes to the mystic river and reconnects back with the Minuteman Trail.
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This two day route encompasses the entirety of three different rail trails in two states. Beginning in Ayer Massachusetts, the Nashua River Rail Trail crosses the border into New Hampshire, diverting through the Mine Falls Park before following the road up to Merrimack River. From Manchester, the route connects to the Goffstown Rail Trail. On the way back in Manchester, the route turns to the Londonderry Rail Trail, to return to Masachusetts with its endpoint in Lawrence.
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This two to three day summer excursion starts with taking the Cape Flier to Bourne and cycling down to the Shining Sea Rail Trail to Woods Hole. A 45 minute ferry ride continues the ride onto Martha’s vineyard, where the route circumnavigates the island over the course of the next 2 days. From Manchester, the route connects to the Goffstown Rail Trail. On the way back in Manchester, the route turns to the Londonderry Rail Trail, to return to Masachusetts with its endpoint in Lawrence.
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The Upper Charles Rail Trail is a mostly unpaved route that connects to the paved Charles River Bike when it reaches the town Milford. The trails pass by the remnants of numerous pink granite quarries, rail bridges and tunnels.
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The Monadnock Rail Trail begins in Winchedon and crosses the border to Jaffery, New Hampshire. The trail is unpaved for much of its initial length, but becomes an asphalt surface near the Contoocook Marsh Conservation Area until it reaches the town of Jaffrey. From there, the trailheads for Mount Monadnock are just another 5 miles away on surface roads.
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The Washington Secondary Trail begins just a few miles to the West of Providence. As the cycle trail leaves suburban Providence, it transitions into the Trestle Trail, which is surrounded by various wildlife refuges. Crossing the border from Rhode Island to Connecticut, this becomes the Old Railroad Grade Trail that ends in Mossup.
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The Northern Strand Community Rail Trail starts in Everett next to the Mystic River. Although this is ocasionally interrupted by road crossings and cuts through some small towns, the path runs adjacent to suburban backyards and near Rumney Marsh. Nahant road offers a wide sandy beach with view from both sides. Nahant itself has several beaches and rocky coves, along with a former fort turned research station at its tip.
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The ferry ride from Long Wharf to Hull takes about 30 minutes to Boston Harvor Islands National Park. From the Pier in Hull, the cycle route climbs up to a lookout point at Fort Revere Park before traveling down the entire length of the Nantasket Peninsula. From there, the route transitions to gravel in Lands End Park, which offers sweeping views of the Boston Bay.
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The first half of the ride out to the Boat Dock in Needham passes through the Emerald Necklace, Olmstead Park, and the Arnold Arboretum before turning west towards Millenium Park at the Charles River. This route is recommended during the summer season when the Paddle Boston facility is poen and available to rent kayaks to further explore the Charles River by water.
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From Mattapan Station, the Lower Neponset River Trail takes cyclists and pedestrians along an idyllic strech of river from inland onto the ocean, crossing through various wetlands and parks. Reaching North Quincy, the path crosses Neponset Bridge and the Billings Creek Salt Marsh before traveling the length of Wollaston Beach before arriving at Caddy Memorial Park on Blacks Creek.
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A nearly 85 mile stretch of paved railtrain running from New Haven, Conneticut to Northhampton, Masachusetts. The currently completed portion of continuous trail ends just outside of Springfield Massachusetts. This path mostly follows the Farmington River, passing through the outskirts of several cities on the way. Along the way, remnants of the former canal’s history are interspersed throughout the wooded areas and parks.
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This popular route spans both sides along the Lower section of the Charles River, all the way from the Museum of Science in Boston, through Kendall MIT and Harvard square, past Watertown and Waltham, to the Paddle Boston Boat Dock in Newton. This ride is recomended in the summer to take advantage of the kayak rental, to explore the upper charles by boat where the bike path ends.
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In Northampton, three different bikepaths converge: the Norwottuck Rail Trail to the East, the Manhan Rail Trail to the South, and the Northampton Bikeway to the West. Beginning in Northampton, the route follows an out and back for each trail, starting wih the Norwottuck Rail Trail that goes around Mount Holyoke up towards the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and down to Lawrence Swamp before turning back.
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The Cape Cod Rail Trail from Hyannis to Chatham offers cyclists a picturesque journey through Cape Cod's coastal beauty. Passing cranberry bogs and charming towns, riders enjoy the maritime allure of Chatham. Continuing north, the trail leads to Cape Cod National Seashore. The final stretch takes cyclists to Race Point Beach in Provincetown, a stunning spot with panoramic ocean views.
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Using the Northern Strand Rail Trail to get out of the greater boston area, the route to Salem continues past Nahant along the coastline, stopping though Marblehead neck. On the way back from the island, the route follows the edge of the Marblehead peninsula until reaching the Marblehead Rail Trail.
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Leaving from Lowell Masachusetts, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Travels south past the Cranberry Bog Reservation and Great Brook Farm State Park. Further on, the trail overlaps and connects with segments of the Nashoba Brook as it winds its way through different forest ponds. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail ends in White Pond before connecting to a portion of the Mass Central Rail Trail that extends all the way back to Boston along the Charles River Trail.
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Beginning in Kennebunk Maine, the Eastern Trail passes through Saco and Scarbourough before ending in Portland. The trail alternates between dirt and paved paths as it passes through marshes and Maine suburbs before ending at a generous lookout point at the Bug Light Park in South Portland, which provides a panoramic view of the bay.
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From just south of Burlington, the Island Line Trail passes along the shoreline of the Vermont State Capital, where it continues up along Burlington Bay. This crosses to South Isle and Grand Isle in the middle of Lake Champlain along a narrow trail. In the middle of the Lake Champlain Causeway, a small gap can only be passed on a pedestrial and cycle ferry that operates during the summer months.
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The route connects many distinct sections of rail trails from Salem to Newburyport. It traverses the Wenham Rail Trail, the Danvers Rail Trail, the Topsfield Linear Common Trail, the Boxford-Georgetown-Byfield Rail Trails, and the Old Eastern Marsh Trail. The northern end of the route is right across the Massachusetts and New Hampshire state border, while the path to the south passes through numerous outlets at the edge of the Great Marsh.
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This nearly one hundred mile route follows a network of rail trails from St. Johnsbury in central Vermont, to the shores of Lake Champlain in St. Albans City. Although nearly all of this route is along a dedicated pedestrian and cycle path, there is a balance between paved and compacted dirt ground cover. The central portion of the rail trail connects along the Lamoille River, while the northern end passes along Black Creek.
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This cycle loop circumnavigates the Cape Ann Peninsula on small roads beginning in Rockport, and passing through Gloucester halfway. While the overall cycling distance is relatively short, the route passes alongside many beaches and wooded trails. There are many scenic locations to diverge from the cycle route and take a detour to swim or hike. Venturing inland from the coastal route, one can discover many quarries and historical locations that are hidden in the woods.
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