| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 2961.1 | | UHUH::LUCIA | My other car is a Cannondale | Fri May 12 1995 14:41 | 7 |
| Go before July, if at all possible. The last 5 miles (it's about 19 from VH to
GH) is mostly up hill and it is VERY narrow. The residents won't run you off
the road but the tourists will if you're not careful. If you rent on the
island, they expressly won't come get you if you break down up-island of
Menemsha.
Tim
|
| 2961.2 | ferry cuts out some hills | DIEHRD::ODONNELL | | Mon May 15 1995 14:19 | 13 |
|
There's a ferry in Mememsha that cuts out some of the hills near Gay
Head so the climb is more gradual. You should check on when this
ferry is available.
I rode with someone in October who hadn't biked enough to do the 45
mile round trip to Gay Head so we took a taxi one way. I've heard
you can ride on the tour busses one way off-season and they'll carry
your bike.
Jean
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| 2961.3 | | UHUH::LUCIA | My other car is a Cannondale | Mon May 15 1995 16:28 | 6 |
| The tour buses don't run off-season. I made the mistake of going last June and
I had to hitch my way to Gay Head (no bike). The ferry at Menemsha goes across
the channel (like 100 feet). Is the road along Menemsha really less hilly? It
does save you from having to circle Menemha Pond.
Tim
|
| 2961.4 | getting to Gay Head
| PASTA::LAWRENCE | | Tue May 16 1995 11:42 | 23 |
| My daughter and I had no trouble biking Oaks Bluff to Gay Head 2 years ago over
Memorial Day weekend. She was 8 then, and we covered about 45 miles for the day.
It's not the best choice of weekends because traffic was heavy, but we stayed on
bike paths part of the distance. We went southwest from Oaks Bluff, taking a
bike path south past the east edge of the forest, then turning west at the
southern border of the forest where the bike path continues - past the airport,
and past the Youth Hostel. Eventually you run out of bike paths going west and
have to go on the roads. They are narrow and busy, so you should have decent
bike-handling and traffic skills. If you have a detailed map you'll see - as you
get within a couple of miles of Gay Head - there's a road forking to the left
(south and west) that bypasses much of the heavily-trafficked last miles.
Problem with Martha's Vineyard (and Nantucket, now) is you can get auto traffic,
tour buses, mopeds, bicycles, and pedestrians all trying to share the road going
both directions, each with their own normal speed of travel and trying to pass
the slower ones (taxis and tour buses of course travel at the highest speeds).
Combine that with the popularity and narrowness of roads to/from Gay Head and
you have a recipe for disaster. It's amazing there aren't more accidents.
Thirty years ago there were no mopeds and a lot less traffic. They never should
have permitted mopeds on the island, they just add another layer of vehicle that
goes faster than (most) bikes but can't travel in the traffic lane with cars.
Bad idea. Generally they're piloted by immensely overweight people. 'Nuff said.
|
| 2961.5 | More suggestions. | NETCAD::FORSBERG | NIPG, Hub Products Group | Wed May 17 1995 14:02 | 9 |
| I agree with avoiding July and August if possible. Since I like to
be on the island during that time, I bike between six and nine AM.
Moped riders usually don't bother getting up that early. :-)
The only other thing I'd recommend is some trial rides on the mainland
with your beginner-biker friends. This will minimize the probability
that they'll be forced into more distance than they're ready for.
Erik
|
| 2961.6 | | VORTEX::OJIBWA::SIPOS | | Tue May 23 1995 17:00 | 15 |
| Thank you all for the advise. We went to MV last weekend. Took the 10:45 ferry.
From VH went to Lambert's Cove to Menemsha. The ferry does not run yet. It is
supposed to start the coming weekend. We biked back to South Rd and from there
went to Gay Head. It was a great view from there it reminded me the misty
descriptions from Conan Doyl's spooky books. It was a misty day..
We discovered a lovely inn " Up Island Inn" on Lobsterville Rd. It has 3 suits
and a very nice innkeeper couple. Highly recommended It is on the expensive side
but includes a great breakfast. Next day we started at 10 went to West
Tisbury visited the sclupture park. From there to Edgartown and back to VH.The
bike path along the beach and the view is great.
We took the 3 PM ferrry. Very nice trip highly recommended. Everybody had a good
time.We had no problems with beginer/intermediat bikers.
Thanks again for all the advise.
Ivan
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| 2961.7 | | UHUH::LUCIA | My other car is a Cannondale | Wed May 24 1995 17:02 | 8 |
| You didn't have any trouble beacause there were 10,000 people (residents) on the
island. Try it with an additional 65,000 people, all of whom want to spend
every possible second at the beach and drive accordingly. Be careful.
I'm going to do it some weekend in June. Anyone want to join me? I don't have
anyone in mind right now to go.
Tim
|