BioBus Bike Blog

I’m a bus of simple tastes. Morning, noon, night; breakfast, lunch, dinner, it’s nothin’ but used vegetable oil for me. There’s nothing I like better than starting the day with a full tank, and Friday morning I discovered bikers are the same. I pulled up at City Hall plaza bright and early to help the UA crew set up for Mayor Menino’s Bike Week Festival. Soon convoys started rolling in from all across the city. Riders from JP to Brighton, Brookline to Somerville cruised to the heart of Boston with police escorts to celebrate a week of Bike Love.

And then they immediately rushed to the free breakfast.

No surprise, really. When you’re not burning fossil fuels you end up burning a lot of calories. Of course, the burritos, bananas, and muffins weren’t the only items going like hot cakes. Many a biker rode away happily with a brand new I ‘Bike’ Boston hat. I mean, have you seen these things? This summer’s must have fashion accessory, without a doubt. And as I’m sure you’re aware, I know a thing or two about looking good.

For Boston bikers, a good sense of direction is almost as important as good fashion sense. So along with their new lids, plenty of riders left with the new Boston Bike Map. The dedicated folks over at Boston Bikes put this handy map together with help from real urban cyclists. UA proudly holds the place of honor on the new map’s back cover.

Full bellies, cool caps, and a solid plan for getting from Point A to Point B. Not a bad way to start the day.

Believe it or not, we’ve breezed into Bay State Bike Week. Rolling into Boston City Hall Plaza this morning, what a feeling! So many cyclists, Nicole Freeman, our many friends in the Boston bike community, and Mayor Menino all met on the plaza and then rode down to Christopher Columbus Park, my main hangout. Even the Boston Globe was there to give us a nod. Couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off Bay State Bike Week.

The UA crew was out in solid numbers and doing their best to pull Mayor Menino into the fold. They even got him in a special-ordered “I ‘Bike’ Boston” t-shirt. Did you know his ride of choice is a Specialized Globe, the same bike we use for all our tours? Yep, Urban AdvenTours will keep you riding in style.

Peep the pictures here to see what a stylish bunch they are.

It’s not easy being the Urban AdvenTours BioBus. I mean, sure, I’m colorful, sure I’m a green machine (I run mainly on veggie oil) and yes, I offer a smooth ride. But here’s the thing…I can’t ride a bike. I know what you’re thinking. Why would a truck want to ride a bike? Well, if I could ride a bike, I could participate in some great events going on around town. Here are three things I’d definitely do on my bike…

• I’d ride over to the 12th annual Bike Party and Benefit at Redbone’s. If I had two legs and a rear end that fit on a saddle I would pedal over to this outdoor BBQ festival and have my bike parked by one of Redbone’s excellent bike valets. I’d then check out some fellow bicyclists and their rides, get a plate of BBQ and a cold beer and listen to some great music. I’d probably also buy a few raffle tickets, and I know I’d win a sweet prize. But instead I’ll be parked somewhere nearby, envying you humans with your bicycles to ride on, mouths to eat with, ears to hear with. Anyway, I’ll be there, In Davis Sq., on May 19th, (new date due to weather) from 5 to 9, so come on down and show a truck some love, why doncha?
• I would also register NOW to ride in the Bikes Not Bombs Bike-a-Thon, Sunday June 8th. You lucky humans will be able to choose between a 15 mile, 25 mile or 62 mile ride. Riders will get sponsors and raise money for BNB, helping them in their amazing bicycle mission. Of course, it will be fun, too. The Green Roots Festival will be going down at the same time, and there’ll be food, music, workshops, fun things for kids. Sheesh…you humans don’t know how good you got it.
• And, of course, Monday, the 12th of May, is the start of Bay State Bike Week, and thousands of Bay Staters will take the Commuter Challenge to give their cars a rest and ride their bikes to work. Of course, yours truly, the BioBus, will get no rest. I will be available for events for companies and organizations looking to encourage their employees and members to take the challenge. It’s noble work, I know, so I’ll be driving all over (using no gas, remember, just veggie oil) delivering bikes and helmets and spreading the bicycle love all over…ah, maybe in my next life I’ll be a bike.

Well, I gotta go, I’ve got an appointment with my mechanic (the old transmission’s acting up again), so take care, keep riding, and give me a holler when you see me on the streets.

Hi friends of UA, it’s been a couple of weeks that I’ve been blogging and I can’t believe I haven’t even introduced myself. My name’s Michelle and I’ll be posting blogs once a week about what’s going on in the city of Boston as far as bike rides and Urban AdvenTours info. I love Boston and spreading the word about experiencing it on a bicycle. I live out in Cambridge and enjoy riding my bike around the city. In fact, the other day I was out on the Minuteman Bikeway, totally digging the all the greenery lining the path. There were loads of people out riding bikes, running, and walking—a perfect way to spend a summer’s day. I stopped at Spy Pond (picture above) for a little break, contemplating whether or not to try and make friends with a group barbequing so I could partake in some of the corn-on-the-cob they were grilling. Instead of mooching goodies, I hopped back on my bike and headed out to Lexington. All in all, it was a nice relaxing way to enjoy my day off. Which leads me to how you can enjoy some self-guided bike riding around the city of Boston. Obviously we believe taking a bicycle tour with Urban AdvenTours is an excellent way to explore Boston, but renting a bike and taking yourself around is another great way to do things. You can rent a bike to extend your UA tour or just do the whole Boston exploration on a bike on your own. If you’re extending your ride and you saw all the main attractions of the city with Urban AdvenTours, you can rent a bike and take a leisurely ride along scenic bike paths or ride further outside the city. If you’re going on your own, you can build a personalized route and itinerary. That’s the beauty, it’s up to you.

There are some really beautiful paths to ride in Boston that take you off city streets. As I mentioned earlier, there’s the Minuteman Bikeway, a path running 11 plus miles from Davis Square in Somerville through Arlington and Lexington all the way out to Bedford. It’s a paved pathway running behind residences and businesses, with plenty of cool places to stop and hang out like Spy Pond, Arlington Center, and the Lexington Green.

For scenic city riding, check out the Paul Dudley White Charles River Bike Path along the Charles River. It extends 14 miles through Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and Watertown. There are also the Stony Brook Reservation paths, snaking through the Turtle Pond Parkway, West Roxbury, and Hyde Park, and the Mystic River paths, covering Somerville, Medford, and Everett. Check out MassBike and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation for more paths to ride.

Also, if you are interested in getting even further outside of the city, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority allows for bikes on the subway, buses, and commuter rail trains. Recently, tons of buses have been outfitted with bike racks, which is great way for getting your bike out to the paths. There are some restrictions for subway riding so check out the MBTA bike page for rules. Also, the MBTA has a special program to get you and your bike out to the North Shore this summer for beach riding.

So how will you get ahold of a bike to rent? First, we can deliver rentals to your hotel or to any location with the Urban Mobile, our biodiesal (that’s right, vegetable oil–powered!) bike delivery truck or you can pick up rentals at Landry’s Bicycles. You can also book rentals online.

Contact us with any questions at info@urbanadventours.com. Now get off your computer, get outside, and on a bicycle!

So you’re ready to hop on a bike and see Boston, but you’re thinking: What can I expect on an Urban AdvenTours ride? Will the tour cover all the sights I want to see? Do I look good in this spandex bodysuit?

Well, first and foremost, you should know Urban AdvenTours offers some of the friendliest, most knowledgeable guides Boston has to offer. Their number one priority is to offer you a fun time getting to know the ins and outs of the city. Boston is a pretty accessible place—especially on a bike—so you’ll cover a lot of ground and learn a lot.

Urban AdvenTours offers three basic guided daily bike tours of Boston: the City View Tour, Photography Tour, and Art and Architecture Tour. All three hit the major Boston hot-spots. The places you’ll visit are all really cool in the way that they are all so ridiculously different from each other. You’ve got the always-present buzz of Red Sox devotion surrounding Fenway Park. There’s the dichotomy of old and new at Copley Square—historic churches across from modern skyscrapers (seriously, check out the image of the 130-year-old Trinity Church reflected in the mirrored Hancock Tower—it’s freaking awesome). You’ve also got the charming brownstones of Back Bay and the South End, the bustle of Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Markets, and the European warmth of Boston’s “Little Italy,” the North End. Here’s a hint: once you hit the North End, request a rest stop. You’ll find the cafes have the best espresso drinks and everyone on your tour will love you for providing them with the opportunity to “refuel” with a cappuccino and a cannoli. The rides also cover Beacon Hill, the Esplanade along the Charles River, and more.

You’ll also get your fill of Boston history and fun facts, as well as plenty of time to take photos. UA guides are all well-versed in the city’s background and love pointing out its idiosyncrasies. Plus, they are more than happy to snap some shots of you and your loved ones in front of the Prudential Center or wait for you to capture some photos of yet another Dunkin Donuts.

I guess this highlights another huge factor that sets UA tours apart—they are hands-on. Instead of falling asleep in a bus or a trolley while some driver cracks the same eye-rolling one-liners he’s been spouting for months about Sam Adams, you control the ride. You are a part of the city, not just a spectator. You are experiencing and exploring with your own hands and feet. Groups are usually around five to ten riders per tour (with the exception of special group rides and corporate tours) so it’s a personal, interactive experience.

Here’s a brief run-down on the mechanics of taking a tour: First, book it (duh). Then, on the day of your ride you’ll meet your guide at Landry’s Bicycles and be outfitted with a helmet, a mountain bike, a drink, and a snack. Then be prepared to hit the streets of Boston and enjoy a good ride. All levels of riders are welcome, though you should be (at the least) comfortable on a bike. Oh, and spandex bodysuits are purely optional.

Got any questions? Email us at info@urbanadventours.com. And be sure to keep it wheel.

Everyone here at Urban AdvenTours is very excited that today is Earth Day, but it won’t really change our daily approach. We’ll continue to hop on our wheels, and tour people through Boston by bike. We’ll recycle, we’ll use environmentally friendly products, and we might even fill the Urban Mobile with vegetable oil, but we are not going to freak out about the world melting tomorrow. We know that the best way to live our lives is by making socially conscious decisions on a daily basis, not just on Earth Day.

So if you are like us, you’ve heard plenty about the ‘green movement’, and you are delighted people are finally paying attention to the environmental impact of their decisions, but you also know that the change starts with you, and your individual actions. Sure, electric cars, hydrogen cells, and paying to offset your carbon footprint are great steps, but we think the best way to make an immediate impact is to hop on your bike next time you need to run an errand or make it to a meeting. And if you think you want to tour Boston, we hope you will skip the trolley tours, the tour buses, the Duck Tours, and discover the wonderful charm and history of Boston’s neighborhoods on a bike with Urban AdvenTours. So on Earth Day, and every other day, we encourage you to ‘keep it wheel’!