Picking a bike route that feels comfortable

The fastest route isn't always the right route. A ride that's five minutes longer on a protected lane is almost always better than a "direct" route on a four-lane road with no bike lane. Here's how to pick well, especially when you're new.

1. Know your infrastructure types.

Protected lanes (physically separated from traffic) are the most comfortable. Shared-use paths like the Minuteman or the Charles River paths are completely separate from cars. Painted lanes are good, but watch for car doors opening. Neighborhood streets are often fine even without bike lanes.

2. Let a map show you the comfortable streets.

In the Shift app, open Around You and pick where you're headed. You'll see the calmest route and the fastest one, with every street rated for comfort and the busy crossings called out. Don't have the app? The Nearby page at gogreenstreets.org/nearby does the same thing in a browser. Google Maps' cycling layer is a good second opinion: it shows bike lanes and paths, and it's the app you'll navigate with anyway.

3. Start with paths, not roads.

Before committing to a commute on the road, ride one of the region's paths once for confidence: the Minuteman (Alewife in Cambridge to Bedford), the Charles River paths, the Somerville Community Path, or the Southwest Corridor. Flat, scenic and fully separated from traffic.

4. One block over changes everything.

If your route has a busy stretch, look at the parallel street one block over. It's almost always quieter and adds only a minute or two.

5. Try it on a weekend first.

Ride your planned commute once on a Saturday morning with no time pressure. Knowing the route takes most of the stress out of riding it on a Tuesday.

Try this first

Pick the place you go most and compare the calmest route with the fastest. The difference is usually a couple of minutes and a lot less traffic.