When I casually mention this epic bicycling feat, most people ask, “How did you get out of Boston without getting squashed?”
Like many cities, the major arteries in and out of Boston are not very bicycle friendly. Luckily, Rubell’s fantastic “Boston Bike Map” has the answer.
On the back of the map, in the bottom corner, surrounded by advertisements and seemingly drawn by hand are the basic directions for how to get out of Boston to the North, South, East and West. This map was indispensable. The route was scenic and the traffic was minimal – at least on a Sunday morning.
For the numerically curious, here are some stats about our trip:
- Number of riders: 5
- Average age of rider: 31 years
- Average age of bicycle: 15 years
- Quantity of Sweet and Salty’s consumed: 12
- Average speed: A mighty 9 mph
The philosophically curious might wonder if this ride allowed me to further understand the interconnectedness of all things. The short answer is, “No.”
This ride was a stretch for me. It was my first century. The farthest I had ever gone on a bike was around 50 miles. In order to prepare for the distance, I had to mentally break it up into manageable chunks. That meant no continuity. And no interconnectedness. Frankly, a real zen bummer.
