39 replies to this topic

[Recchia]

I thought I'd start a new thread devoted to bicycling in the Ocean State.  We are very lucky to have a number of bicycle paths and bicycle lanes throughout our small state.  

I'd be interested to see what roads people recommend biking on, what your favorite bike paths are, roads that are horrible for biking, etc.  

RIDOT's BikeRI website is an excellent resource for finding bike paths and suitable biking roads throughout the state, as well as updates on bike projects.  

Bike RI Website

[runawayjim]

i don't bike in the city, but i do take my bike up to blackstone valley or east bay bike path.  i don't know if the blackstone one is finished yet, but they used to have it cut off with a dirt path from construction.  i got yelled at as i tried to cross it once (even though people were using it all the time, i guess they decided they needed a cop guarding the construction area).

the east bay one is nice when it's not windy.  i once did the whole path (it's something like 14.7 miles long, so i did 29.4).  it was a rough ride back, especially going up the last hill.

i think blackstone is my favorite of the 2 because it's less crowded and more "new englandy".  it's really nice in the fall when the leaves change.  also, it doesn't involve riding along streets or anything, so it's much more peaceful.  i think it's something like 8 or 9 miles in length total.

[Recchia]

That was probly the bridge they're replacing that was blocked off.  

I actually have never ridden a bike on any of our bikepaths, but have walked on or rollerbladed on almost all of them.  I like the Washington Secondary the best, fantastic bridges over the Pawtuxet and a more urban setting.  Nothing, however, beats the views of the water on the East Bay Bikepath.  Blackstone is my least favorite too, it's too isolated and the part where you go under 295 is just scary as hell.

[dgreco]

Recchia, on Nov 7 2006, 10:26 AM, said:

That was probly the bridge they're replacing that was blocked off.  

I actually have never ridden a bike on any of our bikepaths, but have walked on or rollerbladed on almost all of them.  I like the Washington Secondary the best, fantastic bridges over the Pawtuxet and a more urban setting.  Nothing, however, beats the views of the water on the East Bay Bikepath.  Blackstone is my least favorite too, it's too isolated and the part where you go under 295 is just scary as hell.

I never really rode any of the paths, but a good 8 mile ride around newport is pretty fun, I do that often.

[Frankie811]

Hey, weren't you the guy who started the Biking in Providence thread?  

http://www.urbanplan...h...6&hl=biking

[runawayjim]

Frankie811, on Nov 7 2006, 10:28 AM, said:

Hey, weren't you the guy who started the Biking in Providence thread?  

http://www.urbanplan...h...6&hl=biking

you're really good at remembering and digging up old threads... how do you do it?  i mean this one's a year old.

[Frankie811]

runawayjim, on Nov 7 2006, 10:33 AM, said:

you're really good at remembering and digging up old threads... how do you do it?  i mean this one's a year old.

I remembered that there was already a thread on biking, so I used the search function to dig it up. I just wish others would use the search function before starting new threads.

[runawayjim]

Frankie811, on Nov 7 2006, 10:39 AM, said:

I remembered that there was already a thread on biking, so I used the search function to dig it up. I just wish others would use the search function before starting new threads.

but that thread was biking in providence... this one is about biking in all of RI.  there's a difference.  

[Frankie811]

runawayjim, on Nov 7 2006, 10:42 AM, said:

but that thread was biking in providence... this one is about biking in all of RI.  there's a difference.  

There was a bike in RI link within the thread.

Edited by Frankie811, 07 November 2006 - 09:48 AM.

[brick]

Washington Secondary is ok.  One problem is that the Warwick sewage treatment plant is very active and leaves a residual smell on the path from May through August.  I will be happy when all the connections are made that will extend through Coventry.  Right now it is only an 10 mile path which is a little short if you are trying to really exercise.

I wanted to try and ride around the reservoir this year but I waited too long.  By the time I had a weekend day free, it was foliage season and frankly I don't trust the leaf gazing drivers.  However, this is an awesome ride.  It is a lot more hilly than the bike paths so you have to be in some shape.

I ride the East Bay path once a week during the summer if at all possible.  This is a 36 mile ride for me 3 miles to and from the path and then I do the whole path and back to my house.  sometimes I extend the ride by coming up through east Providence and doing the ten mile river greenway which makes it 40 miles or so, and sometimes I do a 50 mile ride which involves a loop in Seekonk.  the East bay is the best for exercise because other than the 2 miles between 114 crossings you don't have to stop.  Washington Secondary is fine but it's urbanity means it crosses a ton of roads, and there are a lot of backyards where folks treat the path as part of their backyard.  The last time I rode it in the summer I had to stop and walk my bike around a family who had set their grill up with a picnic table on the path behind their house.

One thing I do for exercise is lap Blackstone Blvd.  This is a 3.2 mile loop and I usually do between 18-30 miles.  There is a slight grade so it is good exercise especially if you force yourself to stay in one gear.  the only problem is the people parking at the Lippitt Park end who have no idea that anyone else is around.  the great thing about this is that when you are done you can stop at Maximillian's and put all the calories you burned right back on.  

for major roads in Providence, biking sucks because a lot of utility work happens on the sides of the road.  I don't own a road bike anymore and won't invest in one because the stiff suspension would kill me.  I frequently ride up Hope St. from Pawtucket and I'm surprised my teeth don't rattle right out of my head.  

I don't ride downtown because of my aforementioned (in the thread frankie linked) problems with finding a place to lock the bike.

The Blackstone path should be open this month to bike traffic where the bridge is being worked on.  I like the blackstone path also because it is easy to exercise, and also if you are lucky you can be on the path racing a train which is fun.  I can't wait for it to be connected to Worcester, which would be a nice 50ish mile round trip ride without having to go on surface roads.

[Recchia]

Forgot about that thread, oh well we can merge the two I guess.  A lot has happened since last year anyway.  

Frankie811, on Nov 7 2006, 10:39 AM, said:

I remembered that there was already a thread on biking, so I used the search function to dig it up. I just wish others would use the search function before starting new threads.

Good thing we have Frankie as our UP Providence archive manager  

[Cotuit]

There's some new sculptures in Olneyville I want to check out marking the future path of the Woonasquatucket greenway. They are sculptural bikes put up on tall poles. Maybe this weekend I'll head out there and try to get some photos.

[Cotuit]

Frankie811, on Nov 7 2006, 10:28 AM, said:

Hey, weren't you the guy who started the Biking in Providence thread?  

http://www.urbanplan...h...6&hl=biking

Actually, it was split from another thread, he was just the first post I split.

[Griswald]

Has anyone checked out the relatively new park at Aleppo St. and the Woonasquatucket River Greenway project?  I biked over there last Saturday to check out the new path and I was pleasantly surprised.  The route starts at Waterplace park and is comprised of bike lanes along the Promenade, through Eagle Square and Olneyville, until it gets to the new park/playground at Aleppo St.  There’s a fish ladder and some benches by a waterfall, a big field, and what looks like a community garden.  From there, the off-road fully-paved bike bath begins, and winds through Dyerville and Manton, ending at Lyman Mill Pond.  It’s a scenic route, following the river and passing by Button Hole golf course. It probably only takes 20-30 minutes to go from Aleppo St. to the end and back – but it’s a nice little workout and it’s less than a mile from the Arm0ry.  For detailed info on the project, check out their website, Woonasquatucket Greenway.

In other BIKE-RI news, has anyone been to the new bike path at Quonset?  I wouldn’t mind checking it out.  I was there a few weeks ago to check out Blue Beach, which was a very nice experience.

I just looked back at some of the posts on this somewhat old thread, and it's great to see how far the state has come with Bike-RI and the development of more paths and on-street routes.  Check out the "Bike Paths open 2006" image that Recchia posted in November of 2006, and then check out the updated one on DOT's website.

[runawayjim]

I rode the bike path portion of the bike path. That park you mention is nice. I just wish the off-road section of the bike path was longer. I'm not a fan of riding on the street in the city. I got some strange looks from people as I rode it.

[frymasterspeck]

Not that I know anything about this, but I did notice one evening cycling from Downtown to India Point Park that - cuz you have to go down S. Water St. and under the old hi-way - that there's really nothing preventing a cyclist from, say, riding right on up the closed Wickenden St off-ramp and maybe even all the way over the bridge. Similarly on the west side, the Dyer/Eddy ramp is just wide open.

Just sayin...

[Griswald]

Are there any signs that say not to enter these out-of-use ramps? If not, then you can't get in trouble for doing it can you?
Might be some good photo opportunities from up there....

[Cotuit]

Griswald, on Sep 8 2009, 02:27 PM, said:

Are there any signs that say not to enter these out-of-use ramps? If not, then you can't get in trouble for doing it can you?
Might be some good photo opportunities from up there....

I've seen staties giving a talking to to people caught up there. Some areas have no trespassing signs, but I don't know if all do. It would be kind of cool for RIDOT to do a pre-demolition bridge walk like the pre-opening bridge walk they did for the Iway, but I wonder about safety issues up there.

Ooh, or how about let people bring sledge hammers and hack away at it like the Berlin Wall?

[mental757]

Cotuit, on Sep 11 2009, 01:24 PM, said:

I've seen staties giving a talking to to people caught up there. Some areas have no trespassing signs, but I don't know if all do. It would be kind of cool for RIDOT to do a pre-demolition bridge walk like the pre-opening bridge walk they did for the Iway, but I wonder about safety issues up there.

Ooh, or how about let people bring sledge hammers and hack away at it like the Berlin Wall?

Dynamite would be fun too.

[Griswald]

Cotuit, on Sep 11 2009, 01:24 PM, said:

I've seen staties giving a talking to to people caught up there. Some areas have no trespassing signs, but I don't know if all do. It would be kind of cool for RIDOT to do a pre-demolition bridge walk like the pre-opening bridge walk they did for the Iway, but I wonder about safety issues up there.

Ooh, or how about let people bring sledge hammers and hack away at it like the Berlin Wall?

Save some money on the project, have everyone sign a liability form and then start the demo? Not a bad idea.  You could even make money by charging people to go up there....