Task 96 - Go Mountain Biking 10 times (Assabet River Rail Trail)

(96) Go mountain biking 10 times (7/10)

Location:  Assabet River Rail Trail
                  (Marlborough& Hudson, MA)
Distance:  8.96Miles
Time:        48 Minutes

Today my brother and I got back into our Mtn Bike riding schedule and took our usual Monday night ride. We didn’t go into the woods today as I recently made some upgrades to my bike that included adding new clipless Crank Brother’s pedals. I thought it best to avoid a more technical ride while I get used to being really attached to my bike for the first time. We also go a later start then usual and even though we also have new LED front and rear lights I didn’t want to get stuck in the woods in the dark.

We opted instead to explore the rest of the Hudson part & the whole Marlborough part of the Assabet River Rail Trail which we had previously visited with his kids.  This time we managed to go farther than we did the last time and actually rode all the way to the end. It was a roughly 9 mile round trip ride from the Main Street Parking Lot across from the Main Street Cemetery.

The trail we rode was a nicely paved section and offers riders many great safety features. Every major road we crossed flashing lights to alert drivers that there were bikes on the path and near the crossing. While these lights do not give us the right away I appreciate that they alert drivers of our presence and many very nicely stopped to let us cross safely rather than dodge traffic. At the smaller roads the path had clearly marked signs to inform riders of those crossings and stop signs to ensure riders know they too have to follow the rules of the road.

Its history as a rail trail are obvious at several locations and had there been more day light I would have taken some pictures of the steep embankments where bridges over the railway once stood. They also built a tunnel under the Hudson Road/85 Connector to 495/290 that allowed the trail to continue without having to cross a highway. The tunnel colorfully showcased a mural painted by local artists.

On our way home I was glad to have our new lights as the trail is not lit and does get very dark. The lights did a great job illuminating the path in front of us and also allowing us to keep track of each other with our rear flashers. Without the lights we might have collided with a few walkers wearing black clothing who had no lights at all.

I am looking forward to the day when the entire trail is completed and extends from Marlborough all the way to the South Acton MBTA station. Included below is our Run Tracker maps and statistics.