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What is the riding situation near Boston?

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
I applied to Boston College for grad school, heading back there at the end of the month for an interview. No guarantee I get in, but I'm starting to think ahead to the possibility of moving back there, and realized I have no idea what the riding situation is.

Obviously for most of the year there isn't any riding, but what options do I have come spring/summer/fall?

I'll ride anything, as long as it's in the dirt. Depending on living situation I intend to at least bring my 6" bike (Tracer 2), and would like to bring my DH and my DJ bikes pending I have the space. Car is sort of an iffy situation, I'd like to bring it, but I think I will probably end up having to sell it.

So, how screwed am I?

Brent
 
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ajt530

Chimp
Mar 22, 2011
2
0
Not too familiar with the local riding scene in terms of trail riding, but Highland Mountain Bike Park is 1.5 hrs away in New Hampshire and is one of the best bike parks on the East Coast. Very flowy trails filled with jumps. Good luck!
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
I read highland is nearby, can always try to bum a ride off the forums. Is Platekill too far for a weekend trip?

What is the length of the riding season? Is Boston snowed in all year?
 

ajt530

Chimp
Mar 22, 2011
2
0
Plattekill is about 3.5 hrs away so its completely doable for a weekend trip. With that being said there is also Mt Snow and Killington in VT, Jimney Peak in MA, Whiteface in NY and Mountain Creek in NJ that are all doable for weekend trips. Check out http://www.worldbikeparks.com/locator

It depends. This past winter was brutal for Boston snow wise. Record highs for snowfall and it is just getting back into riding season now, but last season it was mild and you could ride most of the year if you wanted to. Id say the normal season would be from April to November.
 

Casey-Ryan

Monkey
Jan 2, 2012
142
1
Gloucester, MA
There are a ton of freeride trails on the north shore. Like Gorden college area, and also Gloucester where I ride a lot. If you are looking for downhill then you have to look at a few weekend trips. The cool thing about the north shore is its just a train ride away and the train dumps you pretty close to the trail heads. I also have group rides that leave my shop and we ride all winter long. So if you are interested throw me a PM and we would be more then happy to show you around.
 

PK1

Chimp
Jun 29, 2013
3
0
I'm a little west of Boston and work south of it. Lots of good riding around! Out here Vietnam is legendary and tons of free ride stuff. Landlocked Forest is closer to the city and cool. Russell Mill has some good features also. Lots and lots of good trails to explore. Oh, and Highland is awesome. Kingdom Trails is a weekend trip but epic. Enjoy the northeast dirt
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
I guess I never updated this thread, but I moved to Boston a few weeks ago. Had my bike shipped out, got it a couple days ago.

I'm itching to ride! Anyone want to meet up at the Fells this weekend and show me around? Of if you are willing to provide a lift, I'd love to check out Vietnam.

Thanks!
Brent
 

berkshire_rider

Growler
Feb 5, 2003
2,552
10
The Blackstone Valley
People who moved to SoCal to escape having to deal with winter.

Care to elaborate on what I can look forward to?
Lots of great riding. :thumb:


BTW - skip the Fells and go to Lynn Woods instead.


Boston &#8800; North Pole. :rofl: Anyone who indicated "Most of the year there isn't any riding" or "snowed in all year" doesn't know what the hell they are talking about. In an "average" year you can ride April-December. Most years, you can ride even more, but it may entail driving somewhere an hour or so away like Otis on the Cape in Jan-March. Some years you can ride every month. It depends on the snowfall. Boston averages <50" a year, spread across 4 months, although last winter really sucked.

This biggest issues you will have to deal with is riding when it's cold (IE: below 50) outside and not having a car. Make friends with other riders near BC who have cars. :)
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
I am not sure about him but I still have snow on my yard. And the Fells are under a mud ban. Anyone has any news about the shape of the LLF?
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
Enjoying Boston, can't say I enjoyed the riding tremendously. Not having a car only compounded the issue. There seems to be a ton of good stuff around a 30-45min drive from Boston.

Having a 6" bike and only being able to ride Cutler Park and High Rock Park wasn't ideal. Nothing else was within reasonable riding distance from Brighton. I did rent cars a couple times to go to highland (wish I had my DH bike), but even that was a huge hassle. Took the T up to the fells once, but that was a lot of traveling for no real reward, didn't find anything technical enough to warrant anything more than a hardtail.


I took my bike back to SoCal at Christmas and left it there. This winter was too cold. I don't like riding when it is below 40. Now that the snow is starting to melt, I'm going to have it shipped back here, and possibly my car. Just need to find a convenient parking spot.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
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borcester rhymes
if you want to PM me your address in Boston, I might be able to tell you a few less legitimate, long term parking places to check out. I'd be happy to take you up to highland sometime in the summer. I won't get a ton of days up there but I'll get up a few, I think.

You can get to the Western greenway from the end of the redline (alewife). It's a pretty decent trail that will get you 6 miles round trip, or you can extend it into lincoln and get even more, though I've never done it.
 

NAYR

Monkey
Jul 13, 2009
109
0
Truckee
Another California transplant here. I'm considering attending either Tufts or BU for a masters program starting this August. From what I have read, housing is very expensive and parking is non-existent. I would like to hit up Highlands as much as possible, but that does not seem possible without a car.

Could any locals point me in the right direction as to what part of the Boston area I should be looking at for housing? Budget is $1000/month max, ideally with a parking spot and close to public transportation so I can get to school. Is this possible? Or, do I need to suck it up and ditch the car and most likely riding for a year?

-Ryan
 

BMCarter

Monkey
Oct 10, 2007
297
0
Santa Barbara
Ryan, how is is going man?

Housing is extremely expensive. Makes Santa Barbara (not IV) seem inexpensive.

Are you going to Medical school, or something else? Reason I ask is Tufts Medical center is in South Boston, but the regular Tufts campus is north of the city. I can't comment on rents near the actual Tufts campus.

If you bring a car and don't have an off-street lot to park in, you have to register it in MA, and MA insurance is a lot more expensive than CA. But if you have an off-street lot you can keep your car registered in CA.

If you go to BU you will likely want to live in the Allston/Brighton area, and Cambridge is also an option. South Boston is also an option, but without a car getting to campus would take you around an hour. For $1000 in Allston/Brighton you are likely going to have to find a room to rent in someone's apartment. I pay $1550/mo for a 1br apartment in Brighton near Cleveland Circle, with no parking. I have a friend that lives in the basement of a building off Harvard Ave in Allston, with no parking, and pays $1300/mo. I didn't bring my car back here this year, but will have it next year. But after seeing how miserable people are when it is 5 degrees and they have to spend 20 minutes digging their car out of the snow, I am having to increase my budget to find a newer building that has an underground lot.

As far as getting to Highland, I rented a car a few times. It was a huge pain in the ass. No rental places are open Saturday/Sunday mornings, except the airport. So I had to get up super early, take the T to the airport, rent the car, drive back to my apartment, get my stuff. And at the end of the day I had to drop my stuff off at my apartment, return the car, and take the T back from the airport. It is also worth noting that it takes 1 hour each way to get from Allston/Brighton to the Airport on the T, even longer now that the Gov't Center station is closed until 2016. You can't transfer from the green to the blue line anymore, now you have to get off at Park St., walk to the Orange line, then transfer to the Blue.

Anyway, keep in touch. If you make it back here we will have to do some riding. I'll have my car, and DH and AM bikes. If you have any other questions shoot me an email Brent.Carter (at) bc (dot) edu
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
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In hell. Welcome!
Oh the perks of living in Boston. Depending on your campus location, you can also rent a place in the burbs near a commuter rail station, then parking should not be a problem.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
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$1000 in either locale is totally doable. You can find places that have off-street parking, or you can register your car here and go on-street, which is free. You just have to prove you're a resident of your neighborhood. Craiglist is your friend. You're definitely looking at an apartment share, though. A one-bed will run you a minimum of 1200, and that's without private parking and utilities.

For BU, you're looking at Allston, possibly Brighton. Plenty of on-street and lots of apartments with off-street. My friend who went to BU lived off of harvard street, and his house had a garage and large driveway. FWIW, I lived on Mission hill and our apartment had a long driveway enough for four cars. Tandem, but we worked it out.

For Tufts, it's going to be a similar situation, but it's a bit less of a c-fu of colleges, so you're more likely to be able to find something cheap. Somerville, Medford, Arlington should all be walking distance. It's less dense so parking should be even easier.

Another option besides renting a car would be zipcar. $60 annually, they're usually parked in neighborhoods, $95/day on the weekends, and you get 180miles, which puts you six miles under the daily limit. Not a horrid deal for a very occasional trip. Alternatively, find somebody to share a ride with via NEMBA or another organization. I'm sure they'll be plenty of people headed up occasionally from boston.
 

NAYR

Monkey
Jul 13, 2009
109
0
Truckee
Wow, thanks for the advice y'all!

Brent, I applied to medical school but unfortunately didn't get in. The two programs I am looking at would be one year masters programs (the Tufts program would be at the medical campus) that will highly increase my odds of med school admission next year. I don't want to live in limbo forever haha. If I come out there we will definitely have to do some riding!

Seems like I will have to ditch the car for a year. That's a scary thought for a Californian. Are there any neighborhoods near BU or Tufts medical that would be within riding distance from any trails?

Thanks,
Ryan
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
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Short answer? No.

Long answer? 5-10 miles of urban riding will get you to the nearest trailhead (Fells or Belmont access to western greenway).
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
If the the Tufts program is in the Chinatown campus, then both the short and long answers are "no" I am afraid.

But, find a nice apartment in West Medford or in Winchester (nice town, wink wink) within a walkable distance to the commuter rail and you will be able to hit the Fells without a car every day, like some of us, wink wink.
 

NAYR

Monkey
Jul 13, 2009
109
0
Truckee
It looks like I am going to be enrolling in BU's program at their medical campus. I'd like to be no more than 15-20 minutes away using public transportation or driving. Where do I want to live? The South End seems like it's money money, Jamaica Plains seems cheaper, but it also seems like there is a reason for that. Is there anywhere else I should be looking? I will be bringing my car. My parents will help me with rent so I can bump that up to 1500/month. Thanks for any advice.

-Ryan
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
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Mission Hill is cheap and dirty. South boston is split between townies and yuppies and it's also probably the best place to live in boston, in my opinion, if you're under 40 and straight and are less inclined to violence.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
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borcester rhymes
Anybody out there? I'm considering heading to highland on Thursday since I lost my job. I don't know what conditions will be like, but what the hey. I have room for one plus bikes, or two and just my bike.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
I am sorry to hear about your job Sandwich. I wish I could go but I am rotting in a hotel room in Central Texas ATM and I won't be back until Thu late evening.
 

UNHrider

Monkey
Apr 20, 2004
479
2
Epping, NH
Does BC not have a cycling team anymore? why not hook up with those guys, and you have trips all over the northeast all fall semester.