Four Great Fall Bike Rides in CT (for beginners)

Fall 2020 was the year of bike riding for us.  In the past, trying out some of Connecticut's bike paths were on my bucket list, but there never seemed to be enough time between school, work, extracurricular activities, and busy weekend errands.  

This year, we found the time!  Of course, when I finally made the commitment to begin scanning stores to buy Little Lewie a new bike, most stores were sold out.  (Unsurprisingly, bicycle riding had become a phenomenon in the age of COVID, especially during those early months when there were less cars on the road, and bike riding became the perfect  solution for social distancing.)  Since we weren't prepared to pay $500+ for a bike, we repurposed our old ones.  My rusty old bike got some WD-40, and my mom's bike, with the exception of having flat tires, was almost in perfect condition.  Thankfully, Little Lewie didn't care about using a "girl's bike," and he was actually quite happy with my mom's padded bike seat!

Since we are beginners when it comes to bike riding at best, we chose four great bike paths, each known for being relatively flat, paved, and scenic.  Since Lewie hadn't been on a bike in about a year (the last time was during our Yellowstone trip), he told me that he had forgotton about how much fun bike riding could be!! For me, I enjoyed the time spent with my son and the beautiful scenery around us.  Connecticut is such a beautiful state with so much variety.

Hammonasset Beach State Park - Experience Connecticut's Coast

Being "Connecticut's largest shoreline park," Hammonasset Beach State Park boats over two miles of beach with a well-paved path for walking/biking.   The path follows the beach, some marsh areas, and goes right into the campground.  Since we're beginners and like to bike at a slow, relaxed pace, the ride took us about 45 minutes to go from one side to the other and then back.  Of course, the best part of this trip is being able to enjoy the beach afterwards.  Since we went off-season, the snack bars were closed, and it was too cold for swimming, but we still had a chance to walk on the sand and take in the sights and smells of the ocean.

West Hartford Reservoir - Experience Forest and Lakes

The well-paved trail around West Hartford Reservoir was easy to follow, and we loved that it had separate lanes for walkers and bikers.  Every once in a while we'd have a stray walker veer into our territory, but a quick "Excuse us" would help us get by.  Since we're beginners, this trail was the hardest because it was slightly hilly.  A few times, I had to gasp get off my bike and walk it uphill (red face and all), but going downhill made it so worth the embarrassment!  My favorite part of this ride is when we we followed the edge of the lake before we made another exhilerating downhill turn.  The rush of the wind against our faces was fun!

Farmington River Trail: Canton to Collinsville - Experience a Small New England Mill Town

The Farmington River Trail is one of my favorites.  I've gone on many walks here, but we've never taken our bikes.  The trail is fun because it follows the beautiful Farmington River and then climbs over a cool bridge, which dumps us right into the heart of Collinsville's Historic District.  Having been a mill town since the start of the Collins Company, an axe and tool factory established in 1826, its one of the few nineteenth century manufacturing villages (out of 200+ in the State of Connecticut) that still survives and "has retained [its] historic and architectural integrity of both individual structures and their setting." (Collinsville Historic District)  The best part of this trail is that it can be combined with a fun day of learning.  Bike racks make it possible, so you can stop in Collinsville to eat and to visit the Collinsville Historical Museum, which is located right across the street. (They have a great collection of artifacts and some wonderful docents that help explain the rich history of life in New England back in the 1700's, 1800's,  and 1900's.)

While I've been to the museum before, on this particular bike trip, the museum was closed due to COVID.  However, Lewie and I were able to enjoy a delicious outside breakfast from Lasalle's Market and Deli.  Oh, and they serve ice cream any time of the day, so I may have gotten a chocolate milkshake for breakfast while Lewie feasted on some French toast and chocolate ice cream for dessert. (I can't imagine what could make a bike ride more fun!)

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail: Cheshire to Hamden - Experience an Historical Canal and Railroad Route

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is an 80+ mile greenway in New England.  In Connecticut, it spans 54 miles through 11 towns, running from New Haven to Suffield.  The canal heritage trail has an interesting history, especially from 1825-1848 when an actual canal was constructed as a means of water/boat transportation to bring cargo between New Haven, Connecticut and Northampton, Massachusetts. (The decision to create this canal came from the fame and success of the 363-mile Erie Canal.)  It is said, "On average the Farmington Canal was 36 feet wide and four feet deep with a 10 foot wide towpath.  The canal boats themselves were 85 feet long and were pulled along by horses or mules."  Unfortunately, the canal was poorly constructed, which meant it had leaks, and at some points, the banks collapsed.  It was never able to turn a profit, and for this reason, "the shareholders of the Farmington Canal Co. petitioned the legislature for authority to build a railroad," which would replace the commercial operations of the Canal. (History FCHT)

Admittedly, Lewie and I only had a chance to explore about four miles of this route from Cheshire to Hamden.  In this area, "the canal route" is dissected by many side roads where our riding must stop to avoid oncoming traffic.  (In some cases, no cars are coming, and we can cross without stopping.)  We usually begin our trip at Lock 12 Historical Park, which is one of the last existing places where remnants of the canal can be seen.  (A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on a canal waterway). Then we proceed into Hamden before turning around to come back.  I didn't take pictures from this year's journey on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, but here are some fun pictures from the first time we did it in 2017.  (Lewie was nine.)

There are still more bike routes to explore here in Connecticut, but so far, these are our favorites.  I hope in 2021, we'll be able to find the same time again to enjoy them like we did in 2020.