28 mile loop to Mill River and Sheffield -- Variation C : hilliness
at the low end of "moderate" (1500 vertical feet, hill
index 3.0) -- one long non-steep climb.
Main route [bhvo1] :
on Bikely | KML
| GPX
GPX file has separate tracks for a) east side Canaan
to Tanglewood, b) west side Tanglewood to Canaan.
+ separate tracks these variations: vB) alternate to avoid construction 2010;
vC) shortcut to make 28-mile loop;
vA) Salisbury start, vZ) Salisbury finish, vZ) Silver St shortcut to Salisbury
finish.
Short loop 28 miles [bhvo1c]
:
on Bikely |
KML |
GPX
- Salisbury start-finish: Actually we've often started
in Salisbury, Connecticut rather than Canaan:
- - 85 miles with Variations A + Z (4900 vert ft, hill
index 3.5)
- - 83 miles with Variations A + Y + Z
- - 76 miles with Variations A + X (4800 vert ft, hill
index 3.7)
(more discussion of these three alternative further below)
- highlights: Variety of scenery in the southern
Berkshires, farm fields and animals,
lots of pleasant riding on quiet roads, several fun downhills.
- characteristics: Lots of hills both small and moderate, but no
single hill is really big and steep. There's also some gentle rolling sections.
About 1 mile on dirt.
Hill climbs: The main route has a 175 ft climb from
Tanglewood up Richmond Hill Rd at 6% average grade, and a shorter steeper section of 90
feet at 7% grade climbing north up from Stockbridge.
Variation C has one long non-steep climb of about 300 vertical feet
at around 3% grade.
Variation A has a bit over 100 ft at around 8% grade on Cooper Hill
Rd east-bound.
Variation Z has a steeper section of 150 ft at over 9% grade
on
Cooper Hill Rd west-bound starting from Weatogue and Rannapo Rd.
(Variation Y avoids this steep section, by joining Cooper Hill Rd the
top of this climb)
Traffic: Overall similar to many other routes on this
Bike Hudson Valley website.
on Variation X: Rt 41 south from South Egremont has 8 miles
with no shoulders in Massachusetts. This section of Rt 41 can get significant car traffic on busy
weekends -- perhaps the traffic on Route 41 south-bound is worse on Sunday
afternoons.
on Variation Z: Cooper Hill Rd has two tight curves with low
visibility to overtaking vehicles. For ourselves, we don't feel
special concern taking these curves in the East-bound direction in
Variation A, because we're going fast down the hill. But taking
them in the West-bound in Variation Z, we're going much slower
climbing up the hill and spending more time on those curves.
Map |
GPS | Cue Sheet
| Reports | more
routes |
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more . . .
by car: From the Taconic State
Parkway or the Mid-Hudson Bridge, take
Route 44 East to Amenia NY, then Route 22 North to Millerton NY, then Route 44
East into Connecticut, through Lakeville to Salisbury CT and then to Canaan
CT.
From the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, take Route 199 East, to Route 22 North
to Millerton NY, then Route 44 East into Connecticut, through Lakeville to Salisbury
CT and then to Canaan CT.
From Connecticut, take Route 7 to Canaan CT. Or to start in
Salisbury, take Route 44 West from Canaan.
by train: From the Wassaic station on the Metro
North Harlem Valley
line from New York City, it is around 20 miles to the start of this route
in Salisbury CT. Several possible routes -- see Harlem
Valley Rail to Millerton to Connecticut for some ideas.
Other start points: Salisbury CT, Stockbridge MA (near Mass Pike), South Egremont
MA (on Rt 23).
- maps: You should have detailed road maps of Litchfield County, CT and Berkshire County, MA to
do this route (see Road Maps).
There are several roads whose names are not well indicated on the
road signs, especially in Massachusetts. See also
digital mapping + GPS above.
- comparing the Salisbury finish variations: Variation
X is the shortest, gentlest, simplest -- but also with the most
sustained traffic interaction with high-speed vehicles and no
shoulders on Route 41 in MA, and not the most interesting
scenery. Variation Y has high-speed traffic interaction on Rt
7, but we find the lane width and shoulder mostly reasonable, though
not real wide. Variation Z has the steepest hill-climb and the
traffic concern of two low-visibility curves -- but also the most
interesting scenery.
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GPS | Cue Sheet
| Reports | more
routes |
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and more . . .
- lots of road bicycling in the Berkshires . . .
- - Western
Massachusetts bicycling map, by Rubel
BikeMaps
Very helpful resource -- we bought our copy on the Web. In
addition to recommended bicycling roads, it also identifies which
roads are unpaved, which ones have steep hills -- and where to stop
for ice cream.
- - The Bicyclist's Guide to the Southern Berkshires, by Steve
Lyons
25 road routes described with abundant local color. (Freewheel
Publications, Lenox MA, 1993)
- - Berkshire
and Connecticut Valley Bicycle Route Survey
- - Berkshire Cycling
Association
- - Berkshire Visitors Bureau
- Connections to other routes:
The Harlem
Valley Rail to Millerton to Connecticut and Harlem
Valley Rail to Trail to Falls routes go within about 5.4 miles of
Salisbury. But the shoulders on high-speed Route 44 between
Millerton and Salisbury are narrow or non-existent at some points,
though often reasonable. There are at least two other connecting
routes, between Sharon and Salisbury, with less motor vehicle
traffic.
Map |
GPS | Cue Sheet
| Reports | more
routes |
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