Montpelier is a very bikeable city, if you are comfortable riding on the road with small city traffic.  The maps below include busy city streets, rural roads, and quiet neighborhood shortcuts.  Please see our Street-Savvy Cyclist page.

Montpelier Bikes is working with the City to identify new on-road improvements for bicycling, and several path projects are also in the works.  However, construction projects take a long time.  In the meantime, Montpelier Bikes encourages you to become a more street-savvy bicyclist by learning to ride defensively. 

Back Road Bicycle Tours:  9 tour maps and routes from the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, and the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce.

Montpelier Bicycle Commuter Routes & Tips:

to the east  Bike to Barre without the Barre-Montpelier Road (8 miles) The direct route is on the Barre-Montpelier Road, approximately 7 miles.  This alternative route is 8.2 miles but with dirt road and hills.  Best suited to cross-bikes or mountain bikes. Click on the Map for details.	Montpelier-Barre Route
to the west  Ride the Dirt Road Route to Waterbury From Montpelier to Waterbury, the direct road is Route 2 (12.2 miles).  But Route 2's pavement is in horrible condition and a fair amount of motor vehicle traffic makes that route unpleasant.  If you're willing to ride on dirt roads for much of the distance, the alternative route makes strategic use of an old bridge closed to cars. Click on the Map for details.	(map image forthcoming) - link to map
to the north  Route 12 North to Worcester Route 12 has 3-4' paved shoulders most of the way to Worcester village.  With commute-time traffic, this route may be intense.  Bicyclists riding to work may wish to stagger their ride time to avoid peak traffic. Note that a narrow bridge just north of Shady Rill Road in Middlesex is under construction, Summer 2009.  Use caution and obey the flaggers.	(map forthcoming)
to the south  Route 12 South to Northfield (13 miles) Route 12 has some paved shoulders and a fair amount of traffic.  As with the route to the north, staggering your ride off peak-commute hours may help.  Two small shortcuts enroute to Northfield help you avoid a steep hill and a blind corner.

Montpelier Bicycle Map (coming, fall 2009!)