Plan your ride
Pick the kind of day you want. Each section points to the routes that fit.
Just arrived
Riding from the ferry
Ferries land in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. From Oak Bluffs, the flat Beach Road path to Edgartown starts almost at the dock. From Vineyard Haven, the path along the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road is the direct way to Edgartown. Between the two ferry towns you'll be mostly on roads, apart from short path sections near Vineyard Haven.
Easy going
Short and flat
The flattest rides are on the down-Island paths. Edgartown to South Beach is about 3.5 miles, and Oak Bluffs to Edgartown is about 6 miles along the water.
Families
Riding with kids
The down-Island bike paths are mostly flat, which helps young riders. A short, flat ride is not automatically a safe one, though: paths cross side roads and driveways, and some stretches get crowded or sandy in summer. We haven't yet checked crossings and traffic on these routes in person, so we don't label any of them family-safe yet.
- Riders 16 and under must wear a helmet in Massachusetts.
- Walk bikes across busy roads and through crowded town centers.
- Ride early in the day in summer, when paths and roads are quieter.
Big day out
Longer and up-Island rides
Circling the whole island is 60 miles or more. Up-Island roads in West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah have no bike paths, little or no shoulder, and plenty of hills. They're beautiful but best for confident riders, and early mornings have the least traffic.
Car-free
Getting around without a car
A bike plus the island's VTA buses gets you almost anywhere.
- Every VTA bus has an outside rack for 2 or 3 bikes, first come, first served. You load and unload your own bike.
- Bikes aren't allowed inside buses, and tandems, carts, and some small kids' bikes won't fit the rack.
- Afternoon buses from West Tisbury, Chilmark, Aquinnah, and Menemsha are often full in summer, so consider locking your bike and riding the bus without it.
- Bikes are allowed on the ferries to the island, usually for an extra fee.