Best of Boston

2003 Best Bike Path

The Minuteman Bikeway

Last year, this award went to the Esplanade. What changed? Our tolerance for bladers. (Will they please stop kicking out so wide?) And while the Minuteman Bikeway is hardly devoid of in-line skaters, at 12 feet wide it can easily handle the traffic. Starting from the Alewife T station in Cambridge, it’s a straight shot of paved and shaded paths six miles to Lexington and 11 to Bedford, along roughly the same path Paul Revere followed on his midnight ride. The bonus? At the very end, if you’re really feeling ambitious, you can spin off onto some hilly roads and wend your way over to Walden Pond for a dip. It’s a ride through history with a refreshing finish—something the Esplanade can’t offer. After all, are you really going to jump into the Charles?