Group Rides

Biking Brookline leads group rides that start and end in Brookline and go to many destinations in the Boston area using routes that are mainly on protected bike paths and low-stress local streets. We ride at a leisurely, relaxed pace and welcome all riders. Our goals are to help people feel more confident about getting around the Boston area by bicycle and to foster a sense of community among people who share a passion for bicycling both as a form of recreation and as a mode of transportation.

Children are welcome on rides but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

To join a group ride, just complete the ride registration form below for the ride you want to join.

If you missed a ride that you would like to try on your own, you can find links below in the Ride Archive to all the routes we have done.


Nova, Age 6, Wrote a Book About her Biking Brookline Ride to Salem!


Upcoming Biking Brookline Group Rides

Biking Brookline does a group ride every few weeks on either a Saturday or Sunday, as weather allows. We notify our members of an upcoming ride by email a few days in advance and also post the rides on our website and our Facebook page.

The rain date for all rides is the Saturday of the same weekend for rides scheduled for a Sunday, and the Sunday of the same weekend for rides scheduled for a Saturday. We will notify all registered riders by email of a change to the rain date by Friday, 5 PM.

Saturday, April 27, 2024. 31 Mile Group Ride on Paths Along Charles, Mystic, and Malden Rivers, the Boston Harbor, and Alewife Brook

This Saturday, April 27, Biking Brookline will lead 31-mile group ride on a loop connecting trails along the Charles, Mystic, and Malden rivers, the Boston Harbor, and Alewife Brook.

When and Where

We will meet-up at the center of Knyvet Square between Amory and St. Paul Streets at 9:00 AM and head out at 9:15 AM sharp.

Description of the Ride


The ride will be at a leisurely, relaxed pace and will be mainly on bike paths and local streets, but there will be a few short stretches on main roads. There are three uphills in the Arnold Arboretum, but they are not too long and can always be walked. We expect the ride to take between 4.5 and 5.5 hours, including breaks. Please be sure to bring a snack or lunch.



How to Register for the Ride


If you would like to join us for the ride, please register using this link.

The registration form will ask you to agree to the Release and Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity.

Children are welcome on the ride, but must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who must agree to the Parental Consent Agreement when registering the child (using the same link).

We hope you can join us for the ride!




Upcoming Boston-Area Group Rides and Bike Events Sponsored by Other Organizations


Biking Brookline Routes Archive

Below you will find a description of, and link to, each of the routes that we have used on our group rides. All the routes start and end at Kvynet Square in North Brookline unless otherwise stated.

  • This route goes from Brookline High School out to the historic Holyhood Cemetery in Chestnut Hill and then back past the Chestnut Hill Reservoir and on the Commonwealth Avenue carriage road in Brighton and Allston.

  • This route follows local streets in Cambridge and the Charles River path to the Charlestown Navy Yard and Bunker Hill Monument.

  • This route follows the Muddy River, Olmsted Park, and Jamaica Pond paths to the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park, returning on local streets in Jamaica Plain and the Jamaica Way Path.

  • This route follows bike paths and local streets through Brookline, Allston, Cambridge, and Belmont to the Alewife Brook Reservation and then back to Brookline via the Somerville Community Path and bike paths and local streets in Somerville and Cambridge.

  • This route follows local streets and protected bike paths in Cambridge and Boston to South Boston and the Seaport District, where it follows the Boston Harbor waterfront and then returns via the North End and the Charles River bike path.

  • The route uses local streets and protected bike paths in Brookline, Boston, Cambridge and Somerville to link the Charles River bike path, the Watertown to Cambridge Greenway, the Fresh Pond Reservation Trail, the Fitchburg Cutoff path, the Alewife Linear path, and the Somerville Community path.

  • This route follows the Emerald Necklace through Brookline, Jamaica Plain, and the Arnold Arboretum, doing a loop on the car-free road in the Arboretum, and then exits the Arboretum at the Forest Hills Gate to follow the Southwest Corridor, local streets, and the Charles River path back to Brookline through the South End, Chinatown, and the North End.

  • This route, which starts and ends at the Brookline High School, goes out to Waltham on local Brookline streets and the Commonwealth Avenue carriage road in Newton and then returns to Brookline along the Charles River Reservation path.

  • This route links the Charles River Paths, the Watertown—Cambridge Greenway, the Fresh Pond Path, the new Concord Avenue sidewalk level and parking protected bike path in Cambridge and Belmont, the Fitchburg Cut-Off path, the Alewife Linear Park, and the newly extended Somerville Community Path, as well as local streets in Brookline, Allston, and Belmont, to create a 24 mile route that is almost entirely on bike trails, protected bike paths, and local streets. It includes a short spur on the Minuteman Bikeway to Spy Pond in Arlington for a beautiful lunch spot.

  • This route follows the Charles River in Cambridge and the Boston Harbor in Charlestown, going past the USS Constitution, and then heading into historic Charlestown past the Bunker Hill Monument. From Charlestown, the route follows paths along the Mystic River through Somerville to Medford, and then heads back via the Alewife Brook Greenway and local streets in Cambridge.

    Along the way, you can pick up Italian pastries at the Modern Pastry Shop in Medford and then stop for a picnic lunch at Spy Pond in Arlington.

  • This route goes from North Brookline to the Neponset Greenway, incorporating the Muddy River, Olmsted Park and Jamaica Pond bike paths; car-free roads in the Arnold Arboretum and Franklin Park; local streets in Dorchester, Hyde Park and Roslindale; and the Southwest Corridor bike path.

  • This route goes west along the Charles River to the newly completed Watertown to Cambridge Greenway, and then follows the Alewife Brook and Mystic River reservations, returning to Brookline on protected bike paths and local streets in Somerville and Cambridge.

  • This route goes through Brookline, Cambridge, and Boston to the JFK Library in South Boston, and then back via the Seaport, the North End and the Charles River bike path.

  • This route to Salem incorporates the Charles River, Mystic River, Malden River, Northern Strand, Marblehead and Salem bike paths.

    You can return to Boston on the Salem ferry and then ride back to North Brookline from Long Wharf using this 6 mile route that incorporates the Connect Historic Boston and Charles River bike paths.

    Another return option is to take the MBTA commuter rail back from Salem to North Station. This link has the MBTA bicycle policy. There are many bicycle friendly routes back to North Brookline from North Station. This one follows the Charles River path in Cambridge to the Mass Avenue Bridge and the crosses over back to Boston and follows Bay State Road.

  • This route follows local streets and bike paths to the beginning of the Minuteman Bikeway, then follows the Bikeway to Lexington center, and returns to Brookline on the Somerville Community Path and the Charles River Path in Cambridge.

  • This route connects trails along the Charles, Mystic, and Malden rivers, and Alewife Brook, going through Cambridge, Charlestown, Somerville, Medford, Malden, Everett, and Arlington.

    The route includes the southern part of the recenlty completed Northern Strand Trail, which connects Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus and Lynn, as well as trails in the Alewife Brook Reservation.

    This route is similar to the 32-mile route below titled “Charles River and Boston Harbor Paths to Northern Strand in Everett and returning on Somerville Community Path” except that it returns to Brookline on Fitchburg Cut-Off Trail in the Alewife Resevation and the Fresh Pond Trail, while the other route returns on the Somerville Community Path.

  • The route incorporates two Boston Harbor ferry crossings and has three segments:

    1. Knyvet Square in North Brookline to MBTA ferry dock at Long Wharf near the Aquarium (4 miles);

    2. MBTA ferry dock in East Boston to Deer Island via East Boston Greenway, Constitution Beach, and local streets in Winthrop, and then back to MBTA ferry dock (21 miles); and

    3. MBTA ferry dock at Long Wharf to Knyvet Square (6 miles).

    Please note that there is a separate link to the route for each of the three segments.

    The route offers outstanding views of the Boston harbor and skyline from many different vantage points.

    The route uses the MBTA ferry to cross the Boston Harbor (the ferry stop in East Boston is called “Logan”). The ferry leaves you off at the beginning of a path that takes you to the beginning of the East Boston Greenway.

    This is the same ferry that goes to Hingham and Hull., but not all of them stop at Logan, so be certain to check the ferry schedule before you go. Ferry service is infrequent, but you should be able to get to East Boston in the morning and back to Long Wharf in the afternoon or evening.

    The MBTA ferry fare is $9.75 each way, but seniors are half price and children 11 and under are free. If you want to avoid paying the admittedly ridiculously high ferry fare you can ride to Long Wharf and then take the Blue Line from Aquarium to Maverick, which is just a few blocks off the Biking Brookline route.

    In August, 2023, there is also a free ferry from Long Wharf to East Boston (it docks in East Boston along the Biking Brookline route), but it is unclear if the service will continue after August 31, 2023, when the Sumner Tunnel work is expected to be completed.

  • This route heads out to the Charlestown Navy Yard through local streets in Cambridge and along the Boston Harbor, then follows the Mystic and Malden river paths to the Northern Strand Trail in Everett, and back to Brookline on the Mystic River, Alewife Brook, and Somerville Community paths.

    This route is similar to the 31-mile route above titled “Charles, Mystic and Malden Rivers and Alewife Brook Trails” except that this route returns to Brookline on the Somerville Community Path, while the other route returns on the Fitchburg Cut-Off Trail in the Alewife Reservation and on the Fresh Pond Trail.

  • This route follows bike paths along the Charles, Mystic, and Malden rivers, and then the new Northern Strand Trail, which connects Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus and Lynn, and then returns on the Northern Strand and local streets and bike paths in Somerville and Cambridge back to Brookline.

    Those who want a shorter ride can ride outbound to Lynn and then return on the MBTA commuter rail back to North Station. The Lynn MBTA station is undergoing renovations, so please be sure to check the MBTA website for the latest details on where to board. From North Station, you can ride back to Brookline on the Charles River path using this route. This option is about 25 miles, including the ride from North Station to Brookline.