Northborough is the type of New England town that guidebooks tend to skip, and that is a perfectly good reason to like it. It sits close to the old Boston Post Road, that mail route that connected Boston to the towns of the interior, and its centre is a quiet green with a white church, a library and an old burial ground, with the Assabet River looping around the south. Orchards cover the hills to the west, and in September and October you can buy apples, cider and doughnuts at farm stands beside the road.
The town has been through several lives. It was farmland first, then a place for small mills along the river and brooks, and then, in the twentieth century, a commuter town for Worcester and Boston, as Interstate 290 and Route 9 were built nearby. The new shopping and office parks tend to cluster near the highways, and the older villages are relatively untouched. The town has a modest population of about six thousand, and in the quieter parts it still feels like the farming community it once was.
Riding here is about quality of lane rather than distance. The back roads that run between Northborough, Westborough and Berlin wander through woods, past ponds and between stone walls, with changing views and little traffic. There are blind crests and sharp corners, and a careful ear for oncoming cyclists is useful. After rain, mud and leaves collect in the bends. Some of the roads are bordered by horse farms, so slow down for riders and allow plenty of room.
Fuel and food are no trouble, as the town has a handful of stations and a surprising number of cafes and restaurants for its size, and Shrewsbury, six kilometres away, is a large suburb with all the chains. The town centre is pleasant for a coffee, and the farm stands, when open, sell good bread and pies. If you are riding a loop through this district, this makes a sensible pause, and a good place to check the map. Late September and October are the best months, and many of the orchards offer a cup of warm cider.