Our favorite training rides

Here are some of our favorite training rides. All rides start at Faunce Arch.

 N.B. Road work on the Henderson Bridge frequently causes rides to be rerouted through Pawtucket to get over the Seekonk River. See "Pawtucket Blackstone Route " for information on this route.

Kate's Hilly Ride is named after Kate Stange, an alumni of the Brown Cycling team who won Nationals. This lovely 32-mile jaunt through Smithfield climbs five of Rhode Island's numerous hills, including the infamous Burlingame. It's not a fast ride due to the rough back roads it traverses, but the lack of traffic, nice climbs, and beautiful scenery more than make up for it. Look out for Jaswell's farm on Swan Road near Mile 18, a great place to break for apple cider in the fall. You may need it after Burlingame! Be careful -- there are road signs missing at a couple of the turns on this ride. We recommend you do it with someone who knows the route first.

BTH is a Providence classic. This 40-mile ride samples some of the favorite roads in SE Massachusetts, going through the communities of Seekonk, Rehoboth, Dighton, and Swansea (where there's always the option of a stop at Tim Horton's). It is extremely flat, and there are some long straight sections with little traffic that are great for interval training.

Hillside Lazy Loop is so named not because it has easy terrain, but because of the ease of navigation. Once you're out of Providence, almost all turns are left turns at T's in the road. This ride through SE Massachusetts woodlands takes you past historic farms, old homesteads, and a pretty pond or two. On Hillside, you can enjoy the long undulating descent and work on your handling skills.

Seekonk-Rehobeth is a great ride for hammering. With good roads, little traffic, and easy terrain except for a couple minor climbs, this 35-mile ride is great for medium-distance days and interval training. Look out for Bad Luck Pond, where we like to stop every Halloween.

Bikeworks is a 35-mile ride to the eponymous Bikeworks Time Trial course in Attleboro (and back). Once you get to the course, time yourself on this flat quiet 8-mile loop and watch your time decrease over the course of your winter training.

Scituate-Smithfield Ride is a pleasant ride through two differing regions of Rhode Island. First, slowly but surely climb your way out of the coastal region in which Providence lies on Central Ave. Then, the ride skirts theScituate reservoir, periodically descending to the reservoir and then slowly climbing back up to the overlooking ridges.The ride finishes by moving into Smithfield and climbing Mountaindale and Whipple, two of the best hills near Brown, before it slowly descends back into Providence.