Why this ride
From Needham it runs 28 km to Medfield; allow about 34 min of riding. It goes by way of Dover and Sherborn. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Charles River Country
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 28 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 34 min
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Charles River Country
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 7 km this is Charles River Country, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 7 km
- Named road
- Charles River Country
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Needham
Planning note
Needham is where the day begins. Next is Dover.
2. Dover
Dover has a reputation for money, and a first look at its roads confirms it: long stone walls, tall oak trees and big, discreet houses set well back from the road. It is one of the more rural towns in the Boston area, with no real town centre, no streetlights to speak of and a strong tradition of preserving open land. It is also one of the best places to ride a motorcycle within half an hour of the city, because it has the kind of roads that developers have not yet got around to improving.
Read the complete Dover write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Dover comes up about 7 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sherborn.
3. Sherborn
Sherborn is a very small town with a very old pedigree. It was settled in the 1650s, incorporated in 1674, and it was only a few years old when it was caught up in King Philip's War, the vicious conflict between New England colonists and the Native peoples that devastated frontier towns in 1675 and 1676. The scars of that time are gone from the landscape, but the town still has the compact, thoughtful air of a place that has been looking after itself for a long time, with a green, a library and a few white houses around the meeting place.
Read the complete Sherborn write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 19 km into the recorded legs you reach Sherborn. Next is Medfield.
4. Medfield
Planning note
Medfield closes the day.
Leg by leg
Needham to Dover
Needham → Dover, 7 km. Part of Charles River Country.
Dover to Sherborn
Dover → Sherborn, 12 km. Part of Charles River Country.
Sherborn to Medfield
Sherborn → Medfield, 9 km. Part of Charles River Country.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Boston to Concord and Sudbury Backroads · 103 km
- Blue Hills to Cohasset Coast · 43 km
- Boston North Shore Historic Harbors · 67 km
- Boston to Wachusett Foothills · 84 km