Interested in easy cycling in Vermont?
Easy bicycle touring in Vermont? Yes, not all of this state is mountains, and our cycling club spent a week cycling in western Vermont in the Middlebury area.
This scenic region lies between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains and provides plenty of easy and moderate bike routes. During our visit, due to damage from tropical storm Irene, many of the bridges and roads had been washed out, and we had to revise the routes on the fly, but with good maps, that was not a problem.
Also during our stay, the bike routes on the steep mountain roads were closed due to the storm. On another trip the following year, our group tackled some of the hills of central Vermont.
Vermont is one of the more popular bicycle touring destinations, especially during the autumn to see the fall colors, covered bridges, and scenic countryside, so if visiting at that time, be sure to arrange your accommodation well in advance.
Your accommodation could be camping or a stay in one of the many quaint inns dotting the state. However, our group rented a house for the week on Lake Champlain, which is very economical, particularly as most of our dinners were in-house with the group shopping and preparing the meals together.
Having a barbecue on the patio overlooking the lake really helped. And yes, one of the dinners did include the Ben & Jerry’s brand of ice cream, as their factory is located not far away, although we didn’t make a visit. And we did have one great dinner at the historic Shoreham Inn, often used by cycling groups (reservations a must), or click on this link if you want to stay there.
There are numerous easy and moderate routes over the rolling countryside available in the area, displaying the signs of the Lake Champlain bikeways, including some on the islands in the lake. Although there were many bike route signs, they didn’t indicate a particular route, just that it is part of a bike route, so you still need to plan which to follow, as they sometimes head in all directions.
Along the way, besides the views of the lakes, rivers, and mountains, we did see some of the famous covered bridges (including the one in Middlebury in the photo above), quaint inns, and farms of dairy cows and corn.
In the New England tradition, many towns featured village squares in the town center, featuring a gazebo along with the white churches with tall steeples. The village squares make good lunch spots as there are usually shops nearby with food items.
You will not be alone on the roads (there were no bike paths in our area), as we met other cyclists from California, Canada, and elsewhere, usually at intersections, as the road signs and Lake Champlain Bikeways maps can be confusing. On one section of Hwy 7 heading into Middlebury (good, as there was a full paved shoulder), not one of the intersecting road names matched the map for a 20-mile section.
If you run into problems, as one member of our group did, there are plenty of bike shops in the area for repairs. For example, there were two in Middlebury, each with highly qualified bike repair staff and lots of cycling apparel.
Vermont Map
Additional Resources
VRBO – Our group of cyclists stayed in a rental home on Lake George, but there are other farmhouses, chalets, and rental homes available there and in Middlebury.
Trivago – a booking platform for hotels in the area
Backroad Bicycling in Vermont – a guide to routes that are traffic-free with detailed directions.
Cycling Adirondack Mountains – a 7-day guided trip including accommodation, most meals, van support, and more.
Vermont Vacation, the state tourist information office, can provide general information to assist in planning your trip. We are already planning some more easy bicycle touring in Vermont, in the Burlington area to the north.
Final Thoughts: Bicycle Touring in Vermont
You may also want to check out our article about cycling along the coast of Maine.
One of the most scenic states that offers challenging and hilly riding or easier ones along the shores of Lake Champlain.
