Where to bike (If you can stand the heat!)

Above: Cushing Memorial Park in Framingham is a nice loop to bike with less experienced bikers (Photo posted to Facebook by Steve the Bike Guy)

Some of you enjoy biking Southborough’s rural, scenic roads. I’ve never been comfortable with it, and I’ve been really nervous the few times we tried area roads with my inexperienced kids.

Since my kids have been nagging me to bike more, I’ve been looking for better options. And I’m sharing the info I have with you.

A friend introduced me to a great mini trail for families with young bikers. Cushing Memorial Park in Framingham has a nice walking/biking paths with a tot playground in the midst of the green. The loop choices are just over or under a mile – so not for serious biking.

Another friend said she enjoys Hopkinton State Park for biking with her daughter. You do have to share the pavement with cars, but it seems less treacherous than most of our streets.

Looking for more serious biking routes? Here’s what my intern Alyssa came up with a couple of summers ago:

If you’re looking for a place to spin your wheels, here’s a roundup of area rail trails:

• Listed on CBS Boston’s best biking trails in MetroWest is the Assabet River Rail Trail (ARRT). (My friends and I always say one day we’re going to try this –  there’s still a few more weeks left of summer, so we’ll see if we get there!) The trail takes you through Marlborough, Hudson, Stow, Maynard, and Acton.
• Hop on the Mass Central Rail Trail in Hudson and go through parts of Hudson, Berlin, Clinton, and West  Boylston.  The trail goes out as far as Northhampton, Mass.
• A little further past the Southborough Commuter Rail Station on Rt. 85, is the Upper Charles River Rail Trail that connects Milford, Hopkinton, and Ashland.
• Coming soon through Sudbury and Framingham is the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, a 25 mile route of the old New Haven Railroad Framingham and Lowell line. Until phase two is completed, riders can begin at the Lowell/Chelmsford line (Click here for trail map).
• There’s also the Minuteman Bikeway – a trail that follows where the American Revolution began. Cyclist will travel through Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, and Cambridge.

Enjoy your ride. And, most importantly, don’t forget your helmet!