This past winter marked the first time I used a bike trainer over the winter. I mentioned to a friend that I had been looking into trainers as a way to stay in shape during the colder months, and he happened to have one he wasn't using. It was a fairly simple setup, allowing me to mount my bike and conveniently do some mild resistance training whenever the spirit moved me.
But after a long winter, the first warm day of the season immediately beckoned me to get the bike out on the road. My wife and I were already planning to meet with some friends to check out the Noble Jay Brewing Company, which had opened in the late summer of 2018. It was simple enough for me to leave early by two wheels, with my wife following by car a couple of hours later.
Within a few pedal strokes of setting out, I was reminded how different it is to ride outside. For one thing, the wind can be pretty fierce and chilly - especially in March. And it's easy to forget how bumpy the roads are when you've had a smooth ride all winter.
I struck out for East Lyme along Broad Street, which happens to pass by the first brewery scheduled to open in New London in ages. It was just about ready to open when I did this ride, and has since entered Connecticut's ever-growing craft beer scene. More on them in a post in the hopefully near future.
East Lyme is just two towns away, with the community of Waterford in between. The easiest bike route there, in my opinion, is a pair of back roads that bypasses a small glut of supermarkets and other heavy development and traffic. It brings you out just beyond Jordan Village, one of Waterford's many little neighborhoods. It's characterized mainly by a terrific little restaurant, When Pigs Fly, that inadvertently annoys its neighbors by bringing in so many visitors that it stresses the available parking.
This way into East Lyme proceeds along a pleasant route known as Rope Ferry Road, with a few rolling hills along the way. A particularly grueling one is just beyond Jordan Village, but thankfully didn't present too much of a challenge. Winter training pays off!
I went biking on a fairly cloudy day, so these pictures unfortunately don't do much justice to what a beautiful place the Niantic village of East Lyme is. You approach this neighborhood on a drawbridge over the Niantic River. On a warm and sunny day, the river and its nearby cove are full of boaters and the wide expanse of Long Island Sound glitters off to the left.
I'll get a second chance to get a photo of this view, though, because I'll need to head back to check out a second brewery in town. Normally I would have just included it with this ride, but this second business (The Niantic Public House and Brewery) was closed - on Sunday of all days.
Speaking of the bridge, that's where I ran into another aspect of outdoor cycling that you don't experience on a trainer: flat tires. I've probably had more flats in Connecticut than anywhere else I've ridden a bike. I'm starting to suspect that the drivers in the state (who, to be fair, include a surprisingly large amount of New Yorkers and New Jerseyites) are just a neverending stream of assholes chucking bottles out their car windows.
Luckily, this was just about the best possible ride and place to have this issue. The village has a nice bike shop, Niantic Bay Bicycles, which keeps Sunday hours. One quick repair and I was good to go, with the determination that I'll finally start carrying a spare tube and tire levers to go with my portable pump and patch kit.
Noble Jay isn't far from Rocky Neck State Park, one of East Lyme's premiere attractions. The park is quite extensive, with hiking trails and campsites filling in the space between the highway and the shore. Once you get there, you're rewarded by a beautiful, expansive beach. Even on a gray chilly day, people were out enjoying the scenery.
Rocky Neck also has an impressive stone pavilion overlooking the water. This was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is still periodically used for weddings and such.
Plenty of breweries are located off the beaten path, and this is particularly true of the Noble Jay Brewing Company. There's a small industrial park near Rocky Neck, butting up against the access to the interstate, with an odd mix of businesses. These include an insurance company, gym, and wholesale bakery. The brewery has taken over a space in one of a group of four small buildings that are home to everything from welders to tiny gyms.
Noble Jay focuses primarily on craft lagers, but they do other styles as well. I'd been to the brewery once before and tried a flight, and didn't want to imbibe too much beer before the ride home, so I limited myself to one beer: a nice, smooth Irish stout made for the St. Patrick's Day holiday.
Bike and Brew has changed a bit since my daughter was born late in 2017, as evidenced by the snacks and milk my wife brought to the brewery along with a growler. Newborn responsibilities made these rides all but impossible last year, but now she's flexible enough that I'm hoping to do at least a few journeys in 2019, most likely similar trips where I rendezvous with my wife at the destination.
Millennials with young children are becoming a pretty common sight at breweries, and Fox Farm merits special credit for a) having a children's play area and b) putting changing tables in the men's room. Noble Jay is much more of a bare bones setup, but my little girl still had a ball exploring the space.
I'll save a more in-depth dive into Niantic for my next visit to the town, whenever I get around to seeing the Niantic Public House and Brewery.
The return journey pretty much retraced my steps, although I decided to switch it up enough to swing by Stenger Farm Park. This town park on a former farm has pleasant, easy trails running through it; it also has a dog park, which probably attracts the lion's share of visitors.
And that's the Noble Jay trip! Stay tuned for a journey to Tox Brewing.
Total mileage: 23.9 miles
Previous Bike and Brew Outings:
Outer Light Brewing Company
Beer'd Brewing Company
Fox Farm Brewery
Shelter Island Craft Brewery and Greenport Harbor Brewing Company
Barley Head Brewery
These Guys Brewing Company and Epicure Brewing
Mohegan Cafe and Brewery
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