From the Monadnock Coop to Otter Brook Reservoir

Keene and Roxbury: 14.2 miles. Elevation gain, 905 feet . Moderate. From downtown to up high to along a lonely reservoir road. You've been out and about most of the summer and it's time to see another side of the nearby neighborhood. Yes, it's still possible to craft a ride that you've never done before that really starts right outside your door. Get yourself to the Monadnock Coop to start this ride. If you're driving, park in the back part of the lot to not use up close-in spaces and plan to get lunch or do some shopping before or after the ride. Full disclosure: this ride includes a mile on Route 9 and a mile on Route 101, both with fast traffic and big trucks. More details to follow. Head east out of the Coop parking lot, cross Community Way and hop on the Cheshire Rail Trail for a moment. Pass Whitney Brothers and the basketball courts and then hang a left on Water Street. Turn right on Eastern Avenue and after a half mile bear left on Chapman Road. You transition from hectic city streets to out in the country in a blink of the eye. The first half mile is a mellow, gradual climb, pleasantly tree-shadowed. But once you round the corner, you begin a somewhat steep mile and a half climb up to Roxbury Road. At about mile three, note the trail off to the left up to Sunset Rock on Beech Hill. (Great place to watch the fireworks over Keene on the 4th of July). At Roxbury Road, turn left, check out the horses and then bear right on Jordan Road for a loping ramble along this scenic ridge above Keene. You can eke out long views to the west if you glance around the houses that enjoy great sunset views. At mile five, turn right on Concord Road, (this is a section of old Route 9 before the bypass) climb a bit more, top out, and then cruise down to a right on new Route 9. Yes, the traffic is fast and busy, but there's a great shoulder, and it's a zoomy downhill to the entrance to Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area. Turn right here. You can't swim here anymore, and the gate is closed for the season, which makes it great for bikers. Cruise down and bear left to cross tumbling Otter Brook. Soon, views of the wide expanse of the reservoir and the dam emerge. It's a treat to pedal through the meadows rolling down to the shore with nary a soul in sight. The road turns to gravel and you climb a bit through autumnal woods with great views down to the water up. Arrive at the parking area at the top of the dam. Turn right and pass through the gate to enjoy great views north and south. Follow Otter Brook Dam road steeply down and around another gate to pedal below the imposing face of the dam above you. Wow, that's big! Soon, join Branch Road and cavort downhill for a couple of miles following Otter Brook. About halfway along, look for the old stone abutments that supported the high up bridge crossing the brook. This abandoned line ran from Keene through Harrisville and eventually to Manchester. At Route 101 you get to the grin-and-bear-it section of the ride. Turn right on 101. Yes, the traffic is fast and busy, but this time there's very little shoulder, and you're squeezed into a barely three-foot lane between those big trucks and a guard rail. Think visible and narrow as you're buffeted by the slipstream of an 18-wheeler. Thankfully, it's for less than a mile. Just past the impressive stone arch bridge, turn into a pullout on the right and follow a bit of single track up and over a berm onto a dead-end section of Marlboro Street. In contrast, it couldn't be more placid. It's about a half mile down to a right on Eastern Avenue and then a quick left, through the newly paved parking area, onto the Cheshire Rail Trail. It's a slightly downhill coast with about a -1% grade all the way back to the Monadnock Coop. For a digital map of this ride, visit: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/57246072 Apres Velo Well, you've certainly come to the right place. If it's time for lunch, I heartily recommend the salad bar at the Monadnock Coop. There's a wide array of greens with olives, feta and blue cheese, sometimes green peas, julienned carrots, croutons, and so much more. And I like adding a piece of chicken from the hot bar to my salad. You pay by the weight of your combined cold and hot bar items. A great deal for a healthy lunch. Or maybe you need to pick up a few things for dinner? Shopping at the Coop always makes me happy. If instead you're up for a libation and an early dinner, head over to Black Cloud Brewing, located where Modestman used to be. Some of the same brewers are still at work here and the beers are quite good. (Trust me. Working on a new Bikes and Breweries book, I've sampled a lot of beer at a lot of breweries around New England in the past few years.) The Surge is a fine New England IPA, and Czech Your Head is a sprightly pilsner. Food at breweries is often a mixed bag — you go for the beer and tolerate the pub grub. Not here. The pizza is outstanding. The dough comes from the local Bread Shed, they make their own red sauce and the toppings are generous. The pizza is thin, blistered, and as good as you get at Sally's or Pepe's in New Haven. Worth checking out even sans beer. Turn by Turn: From the Monadnock Coop to Otter Brook Reservoir 0 miles&emsp;&emsp;Park in the back part of the Monadnock Coop parking lot and exit east, cross &emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;&emsp;Community Way and turn right on the Cheshire Rail Trail 0.2 miles&emsp;&emsp;Left on Water St. 0.6 miles&emsp;&emsp;Right on Eastern Ave. 1.1 miles &emsp;&emsp;Left on Chapman Rd. Begin long climb 3.3 miles&emsp;&emsp;Left on Roxbury Rd. and then bear right on Jordan Rd. 5.0 miles &emsp;&emsp;Right on Concord Rd. 6.3 miles&emsp;&emsp;Right on Rt. 9 7.1 miles &emsp;&emsp;Right on Otter Brook Park Rd. and then bear left to cross bridge. 8.8 miles&emsp;&emsp;Right on Otter Brook Dam Rd. 9.5 miles&emsp;&emsp;Merge onto Branch Rd. 11.6 miles&emsp;&emsp;Right on Rt. 101. Think visible and narrow. 12.5 miles&emsp;&emsp;Right into pull off and over berm onto Marlboro St. 13.2 miles &emsp;&emsp;Right onto Eastern Ave. and then left onto Cheshire Rail Trail 14.2 miles&emsp;&emsp;Arrive back at Monadnock Coop parking lot.