Bucolic Rides

Rolling meadows and bleating sheep await bicyclists on Bucks’ picturesque back roads.Related Story: Happy Trails

By: Daniel Shearer

TimeOFF photos by Daniel Shearer

Cuttalossa Farm

   The ride had a little bit of everything — tall shade trees,
babbling brooks, scenic vistas, gentle inclines, lengthy downgrades. Add historical
appeal, and the fact that all of the above-mentioned geographic features are close
to home, and it’s easy to see why many biking enthusiasts see Bucks County, Pa.,
as a little slice of heaven.

Daisies along the Delaware Canal.

Click on map to view a large version.

   New Hope resident Catherine Kerr has been pedaling the county’s
back roads for more than 20 years. She’s the author of a recently revised and
expanded self-published book, Back Roads Bicycling in Bucks County (Freewheeling
Press, $14). On this day, Ms. Kerr — a writer and editor who has worked as
a staffer for Newsday, The Times of Trenton and The Philadelphia
Inquirer — has offered to share one of her favorite rides.
   Our journey starts in New Hope, on the hard-packed gravel towpath
along the Delaware Canal, which offers bikers a smooth, 30-mile run along the
Delaware River from Morrisville north to Uhlerstown. Combined with the paths on
the New Jersey side of the river along the Delaware & Raritan Canal, bikers
could conceivably ride a loop of 70 miles or more. While such an outing might
seem daunting to less-experienced riders, the towpaths offer remarkable flexibility.
   Unhindered by cars, riders can travel either side of the river,
essentially using the towpaths as highways, then take side roads to discover covered
bridges, pretty inns and other off-the-beaten-path pleasures. The towpath journey
isn’t without hazards, though. Along the way, several bridges with clearance barely
over 5 feet could ruin the day for anyone not paying attention. Likewise, a collision
with one of the Canadian geese that raise young along the canal would certainly
be unpleasant. Most of the time, tongues extended, they stand and hiss as you
ride by. Occasionally, the birds abruptly decide to join their friends in the
canal and cross from one side of the path to the other, regardless of oncoming
traffic.

Catherine Kerr on the Delaware Canal towpath.

   "The towpath is great," says Ms. Kerr, pedaling north on the
first leg of our ride, "but personally I find that riding on the towpath can get
monotonous after a while."
   Four miles later, we come to Centre Bridge, named for the crossing
that joins Pennsylvania with Stockton on the Jersey side of the river. Just north
of Route 263, we reach the official start of Ms. Kerr’s Centre Bridge Loop, the
Virginia Forrest Recreational Area in Solebury.
   "My criteria for putting a ride in the book is it has be pleasant
and safe," Ms. Kerr says. "It has to start someplace to park your car, and it
has to go around in some kind of loop so that you come back to your car."

Canadian Geese at the Virgina Forrest Recreation Area.

Lumberville Lock No. 12

   The Forrest Recreation Area has restrooms, several picnic tables
and a large parking area next to the canal. We dodge a flock of geese and move
on.
   We soon pass a working quarry, with an outdoor display area
that straddles a small strip of land between the canal and the Delaware, and not
long after that the Cuttalossa Inn, a great place for outdoor dining on Route
32. A few minutes later, we reach Lumberville, where our route takes us off the
towpath, across River Road and onto Fleecydale Road, a favorite among cyclists
for its windy, gentle incline, shady trees and glimpses of old, stone homes tucked
into hillsides with elaborate landscaping.
   Limited parking is available in Lumberville along the canal
at Lock No. 12, with additional parking across the river at Bull’s Island Recreational
Area, easily accessible across a pedestrian bridge that also is open to bicycles.
For those inclined, the Lumberville Store offers refreshments, drinks and, conveniently
enough, bicycle rentals.
   The trees give way to meadows as we reach Carversville two miles
later, home to the Carversville Inn, a well-regarded dining spot, and the Carversville
General Store, yet another place to buy provisions.
   "There’s a lot of options from here," Ms. Kerr says. "I’m gonna
take Aquetong Road, which will lead us to Saw Mill Road, winding around Solebury
Township. But you could get down to Street Road and 413 if you headed out Carversville
Road. There is a road out there called Long Lane, which is really pretty."
   We bear left and head out of town, climbing and descending rolling
hills. Along the way, we encounter a few cars, but not enough to generate uneasiness.
Less than a mile later, we turn left onto Saw Mill Road, and a mile after that
make a right onto Sugan Road, where we encounter evidence of recent housing developments.

An Olde English Babydoll Sheep patrols the fence at Cuttalossa Farm near Lumberville.

   At this point, Ms. Kerr notes, with a hint of sadness, that
the back roads of Bucks County are slowly succumbing to increased vehicular traffic.
For this reason, she concentrated most of the rides in her book on central and
upper Bucks County. She devotes the first several pages, however, to trail rides
in Tyler Park near Newtown, Core Creek Park in Middletown and Silver Lake Park
in Bristol. Lower Makefield also has worked to develop an impressive bike-path
system, but Ms. Kerr decided not to include those paths in her book because they
tend to be more utilitarian, joining schools with parks, and parks with other
parks, rather than conforming to her preferred model of round-trip rides.
   The last leg of our journey turns out to be the most satisfying.
Shortly after a hard left turn on Sugan, we again bear left onto Cuttalossa Road,
a slightly bumpy, semi-paved one-mile downhill run that eventually returns us
to River Road, where we rejoin the canal path for our four-mile return journey
to New Hope.
   Shortly before reaching the river, we encounter the picture-perfect
Cuttalossa Farm, "Home of registered Olde English Miniature Babydoll Pet Sheep,"
"the smiling sheep," as a sign informs us. We pause for a short rest, watching
as the animals graze near a pond and a willow tree, taking note of a pearl of
wisdom adorning the fence for anyone who may happen upon it: "Grow in grateful
enjoyment of God’s abundant creation." Words to live by, and a cheerful ending
to a memorable ride.
Back Roads Bicycling in Bucks County is available at local bookstores and by
mail through Freewheeling Press, P.O. Box 540, Lahaska, PA 18931. Include a check
payable to Freewheeling Press for $17.97 (price includes a $2 per-book shipping
fee, plus 6 percent sales tax for Pennsylvania residents only). Also available
from Freewheeling Press: Mountain Biking in New Jersey, $14.95, by Christopher
Mac Kinnon, and Ms. Kerr’s other Bucks County ride book, The Back Roads Bike
Book, $12.95, with shorter, relatively easy rides. Add shipping fee and sales
tax, if applicable. For information, call (215) 243-7674. On the Web: www.freewheelingpress.com
New Hope Cyclery is located at 186 Old York Road, New Hope, Pa. Rentals cost
$7 per hour, $21 for a half-day, $31 for a full day. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-8
p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Reservations required for large
groups. For information, call (216) 862-6888. On the Web: www.newhopecyclery.com
For bikers interested in a guided ride, the Delaware Valley Volunteer Fire
Co., 75 Headquarters Road, Erwinna, will host the third-annual Tour de Tinicum
July 27. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for multiple rides, with easy family
tours and challenging routes. Rides begin at 9 a.m. Registration costs $25, $20
if registered before July 20, age 11 and under free with an adult. For information,
call (215) 766-8506. On the Web: www.dvvfc.org