There is a good chance that I am relocating to Branford, CT from Carlsbad, CA and I'm extremely apprehensive about the riding. Are there any decent climbs in the area? What is the topography like? Is it possible to bike commute to New Haven without being run down by car people? Are there bike lanes? Is there a Cycle Club or a LBS that you would recommend?

There is a good chance that I am relocating to Branford, CT from Carlsbad, CA and I'm extremely apprehensive about the riding. Are there any decent climbs in the area? What is the topography like? Is it possible to bike commute to New Haven without being run down by car people? Are there bike lanes? Is there a Cycle Club or a LBS that you would recommend?


I grew up in Madison, CT, about 10 miles east of Branford, and I have good news for you. There's excellent road riding in the area if you know where to find it. The immediate area around Branford is pretty densely populated, with heavy traffic, but if you head east into Guilford and Madison it thins out pretty fast. The riding near the shore in Branford, the boroughs of Stony Creek and Pine Orchard, is pretty good. You can take Rt 146 east into Guilford. Thats an extremely popular route. Once you get into Guilford there are too many options to list. There's a vast network of back roads in the area and traffic is pretty light on most of them. Drivers are respectful of bicyclists- in 21 years I've only had like two altercations and neither with locals.

The best riding in the area is in the Connecticut River Valley, about 25 miles east of Branford. The towns of Essex, Chester, Lyme, Hadlyme and East Haddam have a vast network of back roads with steep climbs and very little traffic.

The terain is pretty flat along the shore, a little bit inland there are lots of short, steep hills. Not really any prolonged climbing in the area- the longest i know of is about 1.5 miles- but what they lack in length they make up for in steepness.

The roads can be pretty rough, favoring comfortable steel or ti over aluminum.

Bad news is that commuting to New Haven by bike would be tough, though not impossible. The main routes are Rt 1 and Rt 80, both of which have lots of traffic, lots of lights, and no bike lanes to speak of. There is commuter rail service and you can ride to the station. I'm not sure if they let you bring bikes on the train.

The LBS is Zane's Cycle, which doesn't have a good reputation among serious cyclists. I won't go into it- just pay them a visit and you'll know what I mean. The best shop in the area is Pedal Power in Middletown. For the serious roadie there's Rad Sports in Chester.

The local club is the Southern CT Cycle Club.

I've never lived anywhere else but I think the road riding around here is fantastic.

Hope this helps-

[QUOTE=Blue Sugar]I grew up in Madison, CT, about 10 miles east of Branford...

OK, some of that sounds pretty good. I did find a list of routes on the CT chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. They describe a 50 miler that starts in Madison and goes out to Middletown (I think) and back that has 3500 feet of climbing. Based on your description of the topography, that ride must literally be straight up and down the whole way. It would be nice to find at least one climb that was 3 or 4 miles long. Does anyone know of any good "mountain" or hill roads within an hour or 2 (by car) of New Haven?

Thanks for the feedback.

If you don't mind driving there can be some great climbing in the hudson valley/ catskills. If you look up Mountain rest road in gardiner you can do a 2 mi climb ave 6% there is a decent loop around there where you can end up doing 5700 feet of climbing ofr 36 odd miles

I live in Boston, but my father lives in Milford, CT and my sister lives in Branford. When I visit my dad I ride out to Hammonasset State Park in Madison from his house, so I transit New Haven twice on the trip and never had a problem. I do not recall seeing any bike lanes, but I lived in Los Angeles for while so I'm not afraid to ride my bike anywhere (heck Boston isn't that much better).

I've never ridden in LA, but I'm from Boston and remember riding on Christmas day about 8 years ago when I got my first pair of clipless pedals and wanted to try them out immediately. I ended up falling over at a light in the middle of Harvard Square when I couldn't get out of my clips and no one killed my then, so I'm not sure what I'm concerned about. I used commute on bike in Boston year round so surely New Haven can't be worse...

"Bad news is that commuting to New Haven by bike would be tough, though not impossible. The main routes are Rt 1 and Rt 80, both of which have lots of traffic, lots of lights, and no bike lanes to speak of. There is commuter rail service and you can ride to the station. I'm not sure if they let you bring bikes on the rain."

Riding through the Short Beach part of Branford to Lighthouse Park then Townsend Ave leaves a pretty short stretch on Route 1 to get downtown. Commuting in the Northeast only gets you within a few miles of a city center, so by our standards it's not too bad.
If you're further north in Branford, Middletown Ave into Fair Haven isn't really awful either.

Connecticut has only a few mountains and they're far from New Haven but once you're inland you can kiss the flat land good-by. You'll learn to love Totoket Rd, Route 77 and Whirlwind Hill.

In spite of the Zane's comments above, if you get to meet some of the riders that work there, I think you'll find them to be good guys. They like to ride. They run a group ride on Sundays that is fun and covers a lot of the terrain people mentioned above. The pace is brisk. It's easy to go north from Branford and do some good rides with not a lot of traffic. Commuting, while tough, is not impossible. There is a proposal for the completion of a greenway trail along the whole shoreline that might make it easier when done. Another LBS of acclaim is the Devils Gear in New Haven. All in all, there is a good cycling culture here. The Yale Cycling Web site has a lot of good routes listed with maps. If you move, e-mail me off list and I'll get you all hooked up. Bring your mountain bike too.

Cheers

http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/govt/greenways/Resources.htm

http://www.thedevilsgear.com/

http://www.yale.edu/cycling/03ridemaps.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elmcitycycling/

[QUOTE=Blue Sugar]I grew up in Madison, CT, about 10 miles east of Branford...

OK, some of that sounds pretty good. I did find a list of routes on the CT chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. They describe a 50 miler that starts in Madison and goes out to Middletown (I think) and back that has 3500 feet of climbing. Based on your description of the topography, that ride must literally be straight up and down the whole way. It would be nice to find at least one climb that was 3 or 4 miles long. Does anyone know of any good "mountain" or hill roads within an hour or 2 (by car) of New Haven?

Thanks for the feedback.

I reviewed the profile for that ride and it looks like the climbing nimbers are accurate. I ride those roads all the time. Around here you're either going uphill or downhill (exept along the immediate shoreline). You'll gain and lose the same altitude over and over again on a ride from the shore inland to Middletown. Middletown is about 20 miles inland as the crow flies.

For some great riding in that area head out of Branford, toward North Branford and Northford, east on 80 to route 22 then to route 17 and 68 through Durham. All farm roads, very picturesque, lovely and well traveled. Some ancillary roads there (North Branford road between 68 and 17 is one example) are chip seal paved. :(

My club used to do a Saturday morning ride from Wallingford to West Rock in New Haven. Good climbing there, we were able to avoid high traffic roads and I'm sure it would be easy to devise a route from Branford to West Rock avoiding the highly trafficked roads.

Also if you head out further northwest, into Prospect and Naugatuck, and on into Waterbury, there are some very serious climbing opportunities there. I recall a good 3-4 mile ascent on route 69 that put a hurt on me.

There is some good riding to be had in Connecticut. Hook up with a club or spend some quality time with some hi-res maps and plot out some routes, and you will be rewarded.

Welcome To Connecticut, I Think. As All The Others Have Stated Before There Is A Lot Of Great Riding In Ct With All Kinds Of Climbing. You Certainly Don't Have To Go To The Catskills In Ny For That. Litchfield County In Northwest Ct Is Loaded With Brutal, Steep And Long Climbs North And East Of Branford Gets Very Hilly Very Fast With Great Rural Back Roads. I Live In Hamden Ct Which Is Only About 15 Miles From You And I Could Give You The Tour If Your Interested. I Agree About The Previous Opinion About Zanes. Nice Store But To Locked In With Trek And Bontrager. Bethel Cycle Is Very Good But Up In Nw Ct Amity Bike In Nh Is Good North Of Hamden Are The Towns Of Prospect Bethany Beacon Falls And Waterbury With Mucho Climbing. Feel Free To Respond

Hey, I have ridden nearly every road in a 20 mile raduis of Branford. (exception is new haven area, I don't ride there for obvious reasons, it's a city!) I use to live in Guilford, now in Wallingford.
There are some nice short steep climbs all over. North Guilford, Durham East Wallingford, madison, killingworth all have great roads. Although some the climbs are not long, you can certainly get moving pretty fast down them. Just today I went over 50mph 3 times. Since you live in Branford, you will get to know Brushy hill rd well. I was on it last night in a nasty thunderstorm, with the heaviest rain I ever seen. There is a switchback that is very steep, and a lot of fun both ways. (Although you can scare yourself to death if you go down it too fast)
I would be happy to show you around, I could talk forever about which roads are great, etc.

As for a good LBS, I highly recommend North Haven Bike on rt 5. The owners are really cool guys and everyone is cool there. I would also stay away from Wallingford Bike. If you are on the shoreline, stop by Rock n Road on rt 1 in Clinton, I know the owner there as well, he's also a great shop.

As for good hard climbs, head to Bethany, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol (you can climb up the mtn there, Willis st, it's near the center of town, just look south, a 12% grade for 2km. It literally looks like a ski slope in the winter time. Wicked fast going down if you got the nerve to go over double the speed limit. Rt 42 heading west out of Cheshire is another steep hard climb, and fun as hell going down with the those curves. If you go to Meriden, you can climb up the mtn to the rock tower (visable from 691 west) Great view at the top, there's a park there.
Rt 69 in Cheshire is a longer climb, but not as steep and it has flat sections.
I know of tons of other decent climbs. Message me if you want more info, or I can show you around sometime. I also know of a couple group rides if you are interested.

Actually live in Guilford right on the town line. I did live in Branford right before this. In terms of local shops, Zane is a money grubbin chump. Heard their group rides are good. Also bike shop in Clinton-Rock and Road is pretty groovy, also group rides tues nights and sat AM. New shop is opening up in Guilford called Bully Dog bikes. There is riding around here. Nothing that great though. I'm from Boulder so I'm a bit spoiled. Some nice cross riding in the supply ponds in Branford. There are a bunch of group rides that may orient you a bit better.
Life is a bit nuts for me. I work bizarre hours and have a new kid. But I would love to show you what I know.
Incidentally I also comute to New Haven on a semi-reg basis depending on the shifts I'm working and the season. While Rt.1 can be hairy, it's not too bad. Fair enough shoulder. Definately need some tough tires though. Be way, way careful on the bridge going into New Haven.
I have found myself doing a lot more things off the bike to keep myself interested. Great sea kayaking off of stony creek. Trail running in West Woods in Guilford (legandary free riding if that's your cup). Also during the winter and snow the golf course has a nice track for cross country skiing. There is also a regular XC course within 45min towards Hartford that you can skate ski on.
p.s if there are any riders in Guilford pm me. I need some wheels to chase.

I would also stay away from Wallingford Bike.
Just curious why you don't like Wallingford Bike? I spent some time talking to Scott (the new owner) a few weeks ago and he's a good guy, and the former owner Leon is also a good guy. I bought a few GT mountain bikes from them, all of which are still going strong.

The old owner didn't seem very helpful whenever I went in there. I'm sure they are still better than zanes, but I think you would better off going down to north haven bike.

Brushy Hill Rd has a nice, steep little switcback section. But the traffic is heavy and the shoulder is so narrow (if even there is one) and the sightlines so poor that you're taking your life in your hands riding up it. If you fell over you would almost certainly be killed. Going down is a different story. You'd be better off heading east to the lesser-travelled roads in Guilford and Madison.

I second the Motion on North Haven Bike. The owner, (Joe, is it?), is a real nice guy. He's in it for the love, not for the money.



Hey, I have ridden nearly every road in a 20 mile raduis of Branford. (exception is new haven area, I don't ride there for obvious reasons, it's a city!) I use to live in Guilford, now in Wallingford.
There are some nice short steep climbs all over. North Guilford, Durham East Wallingford, madison, killingworth all have great roads. Although some the climbs are not long, you can certainly get moving pretty fast down them. Just today I went over 50mph 3 times. Since you live in Branford, you will get to know Brushy hill rd well. I was on it last night in a nasty thunderstorm, with the heaviest rain I ever seen. There is a switchback that is very steep, and a lot of fun both ways. (Although you can scare yourself to death if you go down it too fast)
I would be happy to show you around, I could talk forever about which roads are great, etc.

As for a good LBS, I highly recommend North Haven Bike on rt 5. The owners are really cool guys and everyone is cool there. I would also stay away from Wallingford Bike. If you are on the shoreline, stop by Rock n Road on rt 1 in Clinton, I know the owner there as well, he's also a great shop.

As for good hard climbs, head to Bethany, Cheshire, Southington, Bristol (you can climb up the mtn there, Willis st, it's near the center of town, just look south, a 12% grade for 2km. It literally looks like a ski slope in the winter time. Wicked fast going down if you got the nerve to go over double the speed limit. Rt 42 heading west out of Cheshire is another steep hard climb, and fun as hell going down with the those curves. If you go to Meriden, you can climb up the mtn to the rock tower (visable from 691 west) Great view at the top, there's a park there.
Rt 69 in Cheshire is a longer climb, but not as steep and it has flat sections.
I know of tons of other decent climbs. Message me if you want more info, or I can show you around sometime. I also know of a couple group rides if you are interested.

Brushy hill rd is not too bad. That switchback section is not dangerous due to passing cars in my opinion, because whenever I ride up it I sprint it, and go just as quick as any car. There have been a few times I had to almost hit the brakes going into the switchback, going up. Going down, lol, that's funny because I always end up putting a big gap over the car that was behind me at the top. I love pushing the limits of my bike through those turns.
The most dangerous part I think, is if you go too fast into that downhill switchback, since it is off-camber, you can really lose it. I wonder what the gradient of the inside of that switchback is? It's only 20 feet or so, but it must be 25%+.

I think rt 1 is more dangerous, or rt 80 where the construction is now (absolutely no shoulder). Whenever i go through there I make it a point to hit the gas hard so no one has to pass me.
But yes, Guilford and Madison have much better roads for biking.

North haven bike, I believe Joe and Seth both own it, both good guys.

That might be why he's the old owner.

The old owner didn't seem very helpful whenever I went in there. I'm sure they are still better than zanes, but I think you would better off going down to north haven bike.

Brushy hill rd

The most dangerous part I think, is if you go too fast into that downhill switchback, since it is off-camber, you can really lose it. I wonder what the gradient of the inside of that switchback is? It's only 20 feet or so, but it must be 25%+.

.

I got a pic of it! Not a bad shot for holding the camera while riding up it :D

I live in Guilford and there's plenty of good riding around here. Once you learn the roads you can find almost everything you could ask for. I think Pedal Power is the best LBS but Zane is always there for a quick tube or cable. Bikies just don't seem to hang there from what I've seen. Road quality is good and traffic isn't too bad. I don't think I would commute to NH but can't say I've tried it. Good luck...

i'm originally from milford, and stay in clinton for several weekends during the summer. definitely check out Rock and Road. They're great guys there, have a surprisingly good stock considering the location and size of the shop, and they sponosr a few teams (both road and mountain).

They organize an easy saturday ride, and a fast ride by the road team on wednesday nights during the season, and i believe a sunday mountain bike ride during the winter.

As another poster suggested, check out the Yale Cycling team website, where you can find a host of ride maps in the area.

Great Hill Rd goes west off Rt 77 just north of Lake Quonopaug. They didn't name it Great Hill for nothing. It's an impressive hill and very steep in places. It's the type of hill you'd see in the Flemish classics. At the top of the hill, the road turns south and runs along a ridge that parallels Rt 77. It's cool up there- farm country, and the road is a nice alternative to Rt 77, which is one of the most popular north-south routes in the area. So if you're tired of 77 give it a try. It takes you to Long Hill Rd which crosses Rt 80 and takes yo all the way to Rt 1. I like to stay off 77 between 80 and 1, since there's a lot of traffic, narrow shoulders, and lots of sharp curves with poor sightlines. People also tend to drive a lot faster than they should on that part of the road. Long Hill is straighter and with slightly less traffic.

undefinedGreat Hill Rd is off Rt 77 just north of Lake Quonopaug. They didn't name it Great Hill for nothing. It's an impressive hill and gets very steep in places. It's the type of hill you'd see in the Flemish classics. At the top of the hill, the road then turns left and runs along a ridge that parallels Rt 77. It's cool up there- farm country, and the road is a nice alternative to Rt 77, which is one of the most popular north-south routes in the area. So if you're tired of 77 give it a try. It takes you to County Rd which then dumps you out on Rt 80 near Long Hill Rd, which you can then take down to Rt 1. I like to stay off 77 south of Rt 80, since there's a lot of traffic, narrow shoulders, and lots of sharp curves with poor sightlines. People also tend to drive a lot faster than they should on that part of the road.
LETS SE WHAT ALL THE LOCALS CONSIDER TO BE THEIR TOUGHEST CLIMB I,LL START WITH BLACKBERRY HILL IN BEACON FALLS IHAVE NO CHANCE ON THAT 2ND PLACE GOES TO PARSONAGE HILL RD IN NORTHFORD AND 3RD WILL HAVE TO GO TO BETHANY MNTN RD IN CHESHIRE :rolleyes:

The toughest climb I know of in the area is Powerhouse Rd/Cherry Swamp Rd in Moodus. It goes east off of Rt 151 right by the bridge over the Salmon River. It's a leg breaker- long, very steep in places, and with numerous false summits that have you thinking the climb will never end. It's like La Redoute, but with trees. You head up Powerhouse Rd from 151 and then go right at the fork onto Cherry Swamp Rd. It takes you up to N Moodus Rd.

The longest climb in the area is Beaver Meadow Rd in Haddam. You access it from Jail Hill Rd off Rt 154. It starts at the Pote Bridge Brook and runs all the way up to Parker Hill Rd in Higganum. It's about 1.5 miles in total length and a gentle climb with two short steep sections.

Although it's not strictly a hill, I think I have to mention Joshuatown Rd in Lyme. It runs from Rt 156 in Hamburg to Rt 148 in Lyme near the ferry landing. It has three climbs, all of them tough, each followed by a screaming, twisty descent. If you ride it south-to-north (from Hamburg) the first hill you hit will be Czikowski's Hill (any hill with a name has to be a good one), the longest of the three.

The climb up through Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam is also a good one. Long, steep in places, and on a good, smooth road. It's also a great descent, due to the sharp curves and quality of the road.

The toughest climb I know of in the area is Powerhouse Rd/Cherry Swamp Rd in Moodus. It goes east off of Rt 151 right by the bridge over the Salmon River. It's a leg breaker- long, very steep in places, and with numerous false summits that have you thinking the climb will never end. It's like La Redoute, but with trees. You head up Powerhouse Rd from 151 and then go right at the fork onto Cherry Swamp Rd. It takes you up to N Moodus Rd.

The longest climb in the area is Beaver Meadow Rd in Haddam. You access it from Jail Hill Rd off Rt 154. It starts at the Pote Bridge Brook and runs all the way up to Parker Hill Rd in Higganum. It's about 1.5 miles in total length and a gentle climb with two short steep sections.

Although it's not strictly a hill, I think I have to mention Joshuatown Rd in Lyme. It runs from Rt 156 in Hamburg to Rt 148 near the ferry landing. It has three climbs, all of them tough, followed by three screaming, twisty descents. If you ride it south-to-north (from Hamburg) the first hill you hit will be Czikowski's Hill (any hill with a name has to be a good one), the longest of the three.

The ride up through Devil's Hopyard State Park in East Haddam is also a good one. Long, steep in places, and on a good, smooth road. It's also a great descent, due to the sharp curves and quality of the road. Since you have ridden in that area you must be familiar with Rt151 from Rt 66 to Rt 196 Couple of very steep climbs there and how about Ray Hill Rd off of Rt 82 just a little past the Goodspead. I just missed Beaver Meadow Rd because I went up Turkey Hill Rd. Great country out there you will agree. I have been thru the area of Powerhouse and Cherry Swamp many times but wasn't aware of it. Thanks for the tip. Devils Hopyard is great but I havn't ridden the bike there yet. A must do for sure. Sounds to me like you know all the routes but let me try this one on you. Rt 68 in Durham towards Middletown. R on Haddam Quarter. Cross Johnson Lane, steep climb to Foot Hills. Take left and follow until R onto Lyceum. at the end take a right onto Chamberlain Hill Rd Steep ,twisty and gravelly until it meets Bartholemew. Or take a left at the end of Lyceum and follow Chamberlain Rd to left on Oakcliff to R on BARTHOLEMEW. Follow Bartholomew, it becomes Brainard Hill Rd to l on Spencer Hill Rd to left onto Christian Hill RD.iT'S MOSTLY DOWNHILL AND SPILLS OUT ONTO RT 154 JUST NORTH of RT 81. You know the rest from there. Chamberlain Rd is also quite steep

How about Weise Albert Rd? Take a left off of Foothills just north of the intersection with Candlewood Hill Rd. It takes you up the same slope as Foothills and rejoins it at the top.



Since you have ridden in that area you must be familiar with Rt151 from Rt 66 to Rt 196 Couple of very steep climbs there and how about Ray Hill Rd off of Rt 82 just a little past the Goodspead. I just missed Beaver Meadow Rd because I went up Turkey Hill Rd. Great country out there you will agree. I have been thru the area of Powerhouse and Cherry Swamp many times but wasn't aware of it. Thanks for the tip. Devils Hopyard is great but I havn't ridden the bike there yet. A must do for sure. Sounds to me like you know all the routes but let me try this one on you. Rt 68 in Durham towards Middletown. R on Haddam Quarter. Cross Johnson Lane, steep climb to Foot Hills. Take left and follow until R onto Lyceum. at the end take a right onto Chamberlain Hill Rd Steep ,twisty and gravelly until it meets Bartholemew. Or take a left at the end of Lyceum and follow Chamberlain Rd to left on Oakcliff to R on BARTHOLEMEW. Follow Bartholomew, it becomes Brainard Hill Rd to l on Spencer Hill Rd to left onto Christian Hill RD.iT'S MOSTLY DOWNHILL AND SPILLS OUT ONTO RT 154 JUST NORTH of RT 81. You know the rest from there. Chamberlain Rd is also quite steep

How about Weise Albert Rd? Take a left off of Foothills just north of the intersection with Candlewood Hill Rd. It takes you up the same slope as Foothills and rejoins it at the top.Yes, I know that one, thanks

This website is getting bigger every day. You may find something here.

http://www.ctbikeroutes.org/index.php


There is a good chance that I am relocating to Branford, CT from Carlsbad, CA and I'm extremely apprehensive about the riding. Are there any decent climbs in the area? What is the topography like? Is it possible to bike commute to New Haven without being run down by car people? Are there bike lanes? Is there a Cycle Club or a LBS that you would recommend?

well seeing as I am leaving the mighty (screwed up) state of Texas and returning to Connecticut early next year, the CT bike routes link is a great find. Thanks!

Well, this was a great thread. Turns out I'm staying in San Diego for the time being, but I feel much better about any future relocation. If any of you all are ever out in the San Diego area (as a cyclist you'll love it) and want a guide for a day of riding, drop me a line and I'd be happy to take you out. S

Try to stay in SD at least until mid-March, early April.

For some great riding in that area head out of Branford, toward North Branford and Northford, east on 80 to route 22 then to route 17 and 68 through Durham. All farm roads, very picturesque, lovely and well traveled. Some ancillary roads there (North Branford road between 68 and 17 is one example) are chip seal paved. :(

My club used to do a Saturday morning ride from Wallingford to West Rock in New Haven. Good climbing there, we were able to avoid high traffic roads and I'm sure it would be easy to devise a route from Branford to West Rock avoiding the highly trafficked roads.

Also if you head out further northwest, into Prospect and Naugatuck, and on into Waterbury, there are some very serious climbing opportunities there. I recall a good 3-4 mile ascent on route 69 that put a hurt on me.

There is some good riding to be had in Connecticut. Hook up with a club or spend some quality time with some hi-res maps and plot out some routes, and you will be rewarded.

After reading all this, I didn't know where to start. Having lived in CT my whole life...growing up in Northford, attending college in Hamden, and now residing in West Hartford, I could relate to a lot of what was said (including comments about Zane's, and North Haven Bicycle) I agree with most of the other comments and that CT is a decent state for riding. I've always called that switchback road in Branford "Snake Hill". My friend used to joke around about it being one of "Car & Driver's" favorite rides. I've never been up it (or down it) on a bike, though. Regarding bike shops, I'm a big fan of Berlin Bicycle in East Berlin, CT. Great place - knowledgeable staff that have been in the business for years, great service, good prices....and they support a local race team (which I'm proudly a member of). Two of the guys who work there are also on the race team. The head wrench has been at it for YEARS. He loves talking about touring, scenic CT ride routes, retro bikes, and...you name it. He's full of information. The owner is actually an excellent runner. He just won the Thanksgiving Day Manchester, CT road race (his age cat) and used to compete in triathlons, too. He's really a nice guy and knows quite a bit about training, nutrition, winter clothing, bike fit, etc. Check them out some time. Further northwest is another nice shop in Canton, called Benidorm. They have a great club associated with them, called Eastern Bloc Cycling Club. That area of CT also offers great riding.

Perhaps some of us locals can organize a mellow fall/winter group ride soon? I'd be interested.

Great to see so many of you out there enjoy exploring our fantastic roads /routes in this state !! I train outside year round . I have riden on many of the roads/ routes posted . I always look to spend as much time on all the very challenging , less travelled side roads .Less traffic , safer , faster !! I train / ride with numerous riders / racers from various parts of the state . One of our favorite routes is starting from New Haven ; map/cue sheet at ; www.soundcyclists.com , into Wallingford / Durham to RT 17 / 77 to Guilford / RT 146 back into New Haven . 100 K distance . Many variations of route . More climbing ; take a right off RT 77 onto Great Hill ETC .........................................For those of you who are interested in joining our Connecticut Cycling Data base ; to hook up with other riders through out the week ; e-mail: lipspinn2@yahoo.com. Great weekend rides / standing year round . Sunday ; 10 am .Lulu ' s on Orange Street ; 16 - 18 mph average ; 2--3 HOURS . Race Pace ; 10 am ; Qunipiac / Sleeping Giant ; Very fast ; 18 - 22 mph , 38 mile loop . Alot of great route maps at ; www.yale.edu/cycling . In addition to ; www.thedevilsgear.com bike shop ; check out ; www.collegestreetcycles.com . Robert Jacobson took over former ; www.baybrookbicycles.com on College Street in New Haven. Both shops support and sponsor ; www.yale.edu/cycling Team !! See some of you out there !! A N D Y www.tourofct.com www.SpinOdyssey.org

LBS I recommend:

(1) North Haven Bike. Don't worry Seth and Joe love money too, but they also love burrito's from the Mexican place right over the Wallingford town line (taquiera mexico (203) 265-0567. Get Joe a chicken burrito with tomato and avocado and Seth a chicken torta before making any purchase. They won't forget you. Joe is great wheel builder and are real freakin knowledgable about the old timey junk. Ask Joe to put on his old Laurel Club skin suit for you. You won't forget that.

(2) Berlin Bike is a great shop. Knowledgable and handsome staff. All top end crap is always in stock. Lots of apparel and accessories.

(3) Pedal Power is great. Big monday night group scene there. Nice backroads which you'll begin to love with *****y climbs, Little City, Foothills, the crap on the other side of the river. The "A" ride gets pretty stoopid, lots of cock waving, but hey, if yours was as big as mine, you'd do it to.

(4) Rock n Road. Quality shoppe. Good selection.

(5) Bully Bikes is new but I knew the guys before they open shop and I can definitely say they will not give you b.s.

(6) Devil's Gear I hear good things about

(7) As too with collegiate cycles in New Haven.

The basic thing about riding is this area:

The nicer, less traveled roads are hillier. They are also bumpier.

Got to head over the river and do stuff on that side. Old Lyme, E Haddam, Salem (stay out of montville though --- too many hicks)

What about Castle Craig for a hill? 800 ft of elavation and no cars?

What about Castle Craig for a hill? 800 ft of elavation and no cars?

Yeah, that's nice. Love the climb part, but I get so damn cold coming down. There was a picture in the Meriden Record Journal this morning. They actually plow it during the winter (so the trucks can get up).

don't forget Clarke Cycles in Essex!

What about Castle Craig for a hill? 800 ft of elavation and no cars?Yeah, that's nice. Love the climb part, but I get so damn cold coming down. There was a picture in the Meriden Record Journal this morning. They actually plow it during the winter (so the trucks can get up).
When I lived in Meriden, back in the late 80s/early 90s, a cyclist was killed descending the mountain from Castle Craig. He didn't slow for a switchback right before the reservoir, flew into the woods and was killed. If you are thinking of riding here be very very careful when descending.

Waterbury Mountain may make for a better climb, it's a straight road with very wide shoulders and was repaved not so long ago. I hit my fastest speed ever on a road bike descending that mountain (and well drafting an 18 wheeler too).

Oh God, not that biker killed at Castle Craig story again.

I hear that every week from someone when I tell them I hill train there. It's old news. There's a sign there now and you should know the curve's there because you rode it on the way up the hill.

[QUOTE=Blue Sugar]The toughest climb I know of in the area is Powerhouse Rd/Cherry Swamp Rd in Moodus.

My vote goes to Mt Archer Rd in Salem or E Haddam off Rt 82. Probably the same ridge as Joshuatown Rd only a little further north.

The longest climb in the area is Beaver Meadow Rd in Haddam. You access it from Jail Hill Rd off Rt 154. It starts at the Pote Bridge Brook and runs all the way up to Parker Hill Rd in Higganum. It's about 1.5 miles in total length and a gentle climb with two short steep sections.

I think Rt 16 going west from the covered bridge might be longer. Never terribly steep, but no 2% stretches either.

Rt 149 from the Airline Trail to Day Pond is pretty tough too, and a little further north is Bunker Hill Rd in Coventry.

Why do we torture ourselves?

My vote goes to RAD SPORTS for best LBS. Good guys in there, owner is really talkative and pleasant to deal with. Lemme put it this way, the only thing I have tried to buy from them was an XC ski setup...and it got majorly screwed up...didn't have my boot size (50) and had the wrong size skis when i went to pick it all up. The owner handled it so well that it's STILL my favorite LBS by a mile. I can't wait to get home from school so I can blow some dough there.

My favorite (most feared) hill ride goes to Mt. Archer (coming in from rt156, though climbing the backside aint a lot fo fun either). Not super long, but absolutly deadly for hill repeats, and either way you go there are two climbs on the road that come juuuusssst before you recover from your first climb.

I'm also a CT resident originally from CA, and I have been surprised by how challenging some of the rides around here are. I'm in the western part of the state, and there really aren't any roads that are sustained flat--always ups and downs. If you want some good climbs that go on a bit longer, check out the course fo the Housatonic Hills RR--they have a map online. I also like Rte 4 between Cornwall and Sharon for a long (about 4 miles) climb. If you want steep enough to make your eyes bleed, ride up from Copake Falls, NY past Bash Bish Falls at the NY/MA border. There are a couple of 20+ stretches.

'Course, I'm 6'4" and 175#, so what I think is steep might be a mere bump to those scrawny climber types.

1) Mt Archer
2)Ray hill
3)Blackberry hill