I did my first local group ride! The last time I did a group ride was a few years ago, in Austria. But I haven’t done one since, and I thought it might be a good idea to try a local one out. It was great! The ride was at a moderate pace of 8–12 mph. It started in Mattapan at the Neponset River Greenway, and we made our way to Tenean Beach, and over the new extension. Last year I had ridden the Neponset River Greenway and also made my way over to Tenean Beach, so it was really fun to visit again as part of the group.

One exciting surprise was a recently opened 0.7-mile extension of the Neponset River Greenway, connecting Tenean Beach to Morrissey Boulevard via a scenic path and boardwalk. We crossed over the bridge single file and continued along the waterfront. Last year I was excited last year to discover Tenean Beach in Dorchester, and I was happy about that we were passing by it on this group ride’s route, but I had no idea there were other beaches nearby! This ride took us through the Dorchester Shores Reservation, which includes Tenean Beach, Savin Hill Beach, and Carson Beach. We stopped for a bit at Carson Beach, which offered great views of the water and Boston skyline, and where lots of people had come to enjoy the beach for the day.

Our stop ended up being longer than planned, and there was some discussion about heading back early without continuing on to our presumed destination: Castle Island. After a vote, most of us opted to keep going — though a smaller group decided to return. Reaching Castle Island from where we were only added about 15 minutes, and I’m so glad we went. I had never been before and didn’t even know it existed! It was fun to see the park, the causeway, and the crowds gathered around Sullivan’s, the famous seasonal snack spot there.

Since we didn’t want to fall too far behind schedule, we headed back shortly after arriving and took a slightly different route home. Back at our starting point, we were greeted with a food truck and got medals for completing the ride! There were three distance options for participants — 8 miles, 12 miles, and 20 miles — and our 20-mile group got gold medals!

Even though most of the chatting happened at rest stops or while regrouping, I ended up having some great conversations. I got a recommendation to try the Northern Strand Community Trail (which runs through Everett, Malden, Revere, and Lynn) and heard about some other local routes people have done. I heard mixed reviews on the Blackstone River Greenway — some people said it was rocky, other people said they enjoyed starting in Worcester, MA and going through backgrounds before riding directly on the path into Providence. I’d heard similar mixed sentiments before this ride so I’ll have to check it out for myself! We also swapped thoughts on bikes, gear setups, and favorite solo routes. I shared a few rides I’ve done and got a few new ideas to try soon.

I also got some recommendations for local groups that ride together regularly, and I’d love to check those out. I definitely enjoy my solo rides, but I’m really glad I decided to mix things up — I had a great time on this group ride and would love to do another at a similar pace.