15 great bike rides

Plum Island

Enjoy some of the nature that Plum Island has to offer via bike when you ride through this 6-mile barrier beach that extends south of Newburyport. Most of the path makes up the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, which nearly 300 bird species visit seasonally.

Cost: $5 by car, $2 walk-in or bike-in

Duration: Half day

The Mountain Bike Loop at Middlesex Fells Reservation

Middlesex Fells is probably the closest you can get to the wilderness and only travel 30 miles outside of city. This trail is one of the best to ride to escape for a morning or afternoon.

Cost: Free

Duration: Half day

The Lexington Loop

View some of the most picturesque landscapes New England has to offer when you ride on this 30-mile loop. The trail takes you mostly through back roads, viewing meadows, woodlands, quaint farms, and historic places like Concord, Lexington, and the Old North Bridge.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full day

Cape Ann

Many argue that Cape Ann is one of the best ways to get the real taste of New England. You start and finish your ride in Gloucester, which was made famous by the movie “The Perfect Storm.’’ The trail allows you to pass the rocky shores of Massachusetts, the mansions overlooking the ocean, the thick inland woods and forests, and the great feel of Rockport.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full day

Cape Cod

Biking along Cape Cod will take you to some of the best places on Cape Cod in one day. You will pass through the Rail Trail that spans a good length of the Cape, to the long beaches of the National Seashore and the back roads of the countryside. A rental shop along the way will allow you to go on this ride even if you don’t own a bike.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full day

South Shore

Don’t be intimidated by the 35 mile distance of this trail. The ride is mostly flat and can be done by bikers with limited experience and endurance. This is the best way to discover or re-discover the South Shore, between ocean and countryside.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full day

Great Island

If you need an escape from the big city, enjoy this 26-mile trail (17 miles without the extension to Great Island). You probably won’t see much traffic — however you’ll pass through horse country, where you should expect to see quite a few horseback riders along your bike ride.

Cost: Free

Duration: Half day

Duxbury Beach

If you are looking for one of the nicer beaches around Boston, head to Duxbury Beach, just south of the city. This relatively short biking loop allows you to go to the beach without the magic beach sticker that limits access to the beach parking, and to ride through the nice countryside further inland.

Cost: Free

Duration: Half day

The Reservations Ride

This 20-mile loop includes quiet roads rolling through woodlands, meadows, and horse farms. The trail is located around Dover, just beyond the Route 128 west of Boston. As a side benefit, this ride takes you to no less than six different reservations: Noanet Woodlands, Rocky Woods, Fork Factory Brook, Chase Woodlands, Peters Reservation, and Ridge Hill Reservation.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full day

Willowdale Forest

If you are an avid mountain biker, head about an hour northeast of Boston to Willowdale State Forest, located in Topsfield. This ride offers easy, fast and well-maintained trails rolling through an exceptional scenery.

Cost: Free

Duration: Half day

Newport

Newport is a great destination for a day out on a leisurely ride along the ocean. Located only 90 minutes southwest of Boston, Newport is much closer than you may think. You travel through quiet countryside lanes to world-famous mansions. The trail is especially great off-season, when summer traffic has disappeared to give you more quiet and room on the road.

Cost: Free

Duration: Full Day

Whitney & Thayer Woods

Whether you are in the mood to hike or ride, Whitney & Thayer Woods let you do both. This secluded area less than an hour from Boston has its own hidden gem: Turkey Hill. Its 187-foot summit affords spectacular views of Cohasset Harbor and the South Shore.

Cost: Free

Duration: A few hours

Around City Square Park, across the water, and along the Harbor

Boston has so many great areas to see, especially by bike. Start your ride around City Square. The park is a quiet haven near the busy surrounding roadways and is located in Charlestown’s historic Market Square. Continue your ride to the Charlestown Navy Yard and hop on the Inner Harbor Ferry at Charlestown Ferry Pier 4- where bikes are allowed. Jump off at Boston’s Long Wharf and finish your journey around the New England Aquarium.

Cost: $1.70, Inner Harbor Ferry

Duration: A few hours

Around the streets of Boston

If you aren’t in the mood to trek out of Boston, hop on your bike and explore the hidden parts of the city you rarely see by car. Urban AdvenTours offer special guided tours through Fenway, the Avenue of the Arts, Back Bay, the South End, Copley Square, Charlestown, the North End, Beacon Hill, and along the Esplanade on the Charles River. You haven’t seen Boston until you’ve seen it through the eyes of a biker.

Cost: Free on your own. Tours range from $30-$75

Duration: A few hours

Minuteman Bikeway

If you are in the mood to escape to the suburbs without going very far, head to the Minuteman Bikeway, running from Arlington to Bedford. The roadway is smooth, pretty straight, and has few intersections- which makes the bike way a safe place to ride

Cost: Free

Duration:A few hours/Half day trip