Battle Road Bike Tours

Few realize that the largest military engagement of the day that sparked the American Revolution occurred in Arlington, Massachusetts.  This town formerly known as Menotomy is the perfect starting point of this quintessential New England spin that spans centuries in 30 miles of bucolic riding.  We pedal along the path of battle taken on April 19, 1775 in Lexington, Bedford and Concord. But there will be other points of interest that touch on 19th Century history with the emergence of the environmental movement, the rise of abolitionism, the Civil War, and women’s rights. This Battleroad byway we pedal is lush, lovely and bursting with history at every turn.  This Revolutionary Ramble bike ride also provides a unique tour of this historic corridor, taking in additional points of interest that are both bucolic and profound. This includes photo stops at the Arlington Great Meadow, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Sightings of deer, hawks, herons, snapping turtles and even bald eagles are common along this corridor. This pedaling excursion includes several stops for restrooms, water, snacks and three gift shops. Reasonably fit adults can manage this ride with decent bicycles. Flat pedal bicycles, upright handlebars, baskets and streamers are welcome.  Families with children 12 and older aboard multi-gear bicycles are welcome. This ride is accessible from the nearby Alewife MBTA station, where bike share options are available.

Tour Essence

• Roll along the Minuteman Bikeway to the Lexington Battle Green, the site of “The Shot Heard Round the World.”
• Bedford, which contributed the most combatants of the historic day.
• The Old North Bridge in Concord where a pivotal moment in the Battles of Lexington and Concord occurred
• Concord Center, an epicenter of New England cycling and American history
• The Battle Road, part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, America’s first “linear park” that follows the route of battle of April 19, 1775.
• Additional stops will include the Arlington Great Meadow, the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, and three visitors centers.
• Tour at the Jason Russell House in Arlington, the scene of the bloodiest fighting of the day.
• Just 5.8 of this 29-mile ride are on open roads, where motorists are accustomed to bicycle traffic.