Home to Hudson Overnight Bike Tour - Day 2

Well, day two did not unfold entirely as planned. I had mapped a 57 mile route from Hudson to home but decided to stop after 33 miles at the Bedford Depot on the Minuteman Bikeway. I’ve ridden the Minuteman Bikeway from Bedford to Cambridge and the Northern Strand Community Trail from Everett to Saugus numerous times.  I felt I wasn't missing out on anything new by shortening the ride except for the section through Somerville which didn’t interest me much anyway. It was still the most climby (made up word meaning a lot of uphill riding) day I’ve had on a bike with over 1800 feet of elevation gain.

Day 2

Distance - 59.6 kilometers (33.3 miles) 

Elevation gain - 560 meters (1,838 feet) 

Max grade -12.0%

Hudson to Bedford via the Atlantic Coast Route (ACR)

Getting out of bed after a not so restful sleep, the first thing I did was to check the weather. The temperature in Hudson was in the upper 30s. Yikes! I had checked the forecast before leaving Saugus the day before so I was prepared for colder weather. I needed a light insulating layer for most of the ride as the high for the day was only in the low 60s. I didn't want to ride in 30 degree weather so I ate breakfast and waited for it to warm a bit. When the temperature was in the 40s I packed up the bike and I departed the hotel at 7:30.

There was fast moving, rush-hour traffic on route 62 so before I left the hotel parking lot I attached a rear blinking light to my bike. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. I thought I charged the light before leaving on this trip but evidently I did not. I made a mad dash south-west down the busy road for one mile and turned north onto Sawyer Hill Road in Berlin. I’m always concerned when the word “HILL” is in the name of any street I’m about to ride. Later in the day I rode Nagog Hill Road in Littleton and Strawberry Hill Road in Concord. As I said before, it was a climby day!

I took a break here after climbing a difficult hill. These three stooges were not impressed. 

Sawyer Hill Road was true to its name. I faced rolling hills followed by a longer, sustained climb on the four mile ride to Bolton. Three more miles of rolling hills in Bolton brought me to 600 feet and the high point of the day in Harvard. What goes up eventually comes down and I was rewarded with a slight two mile descent. I had a sense of déjà vu while riding through Harvard. I think it's because I ran a very hilly 10 mile road race here in 2005 named the Apple Harvest Ramble which may have been on the same road I was currently riding. I believe I placed 3rd in my age group. Surely, the older I get, the faster I was!

Unlike yesterdays ride which was through busy cities and suburbs, I was enjoying todays ride through these smaller, less populated towns. This part of the state is known for its farms and orchards. I traveled pass many on this ride including Berlin Farms in Berlin (of course), Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton and Nagog Hill Farms in Littleton. I couldn't help but notice many apple orchards are perched atop hills. I wondered if there was an agricultural reason for this.

Berlin Farms

Nagog Hill Farm

After 14 miles on the Official ACR I reached the Boston spur in Littleton. I still had another 19 miles to the town of Bedford but I was making progress. I barely made it across the train tracks on the Fitchburg Route Main Line as the crossing gate began to close. I stood and watched as a fast moving train passed by another decaying train depot. It a shame to see these old buildings being neglected.

Old rail station in Littleton.

An important consideration when exercising for a long period is to stay hydrated. The downside to staying well hydrated is that you’ll eventually need to find a bathroom. This is not an issue when you're trail running in the woods but when you’re riding on public roads there aren’t many options. By the time I reached Acton center I felt my bladder was about to burst. Luckily, I passed the Acton fire station and was able to use their bathroom. Crisis averted!

A short while later I crossed the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail near Route 27 and entered into Concord. After climbing 1.5 miles to Strawberry Hill Road I was again rewarded with a nearly 2 mile downhill to Barrett’s Mill Farm. After negotiating my way through a busy intersection in West Concord, I was again on Route 62 for the final four miles to Bedford Depot. With shorter days ahead this will likely be my last tour for 2022, but it wont be my last. 

Back to Day 1