Dartmouth Cycling Wiki | Rides / Climbs Out Of Norwich

There are many great climbs that emanate out of Norwich. There are too many ride permutations to list, so just use your judgement.

Beaver Meadow

A classic climb. To get there, take a left off of Main St. after the Inn. The climb is a series of step-ups, following a nice stream. Look very hard (and at the right time of year) to see the dam. The road is paved for quite some time, before apexing, descending steeply for a short bit, then turning to dirt. The climb continues, passes 'Smoking Bones BBQ Joint,' apexes again, and then descends into 132, not far from Sharon.

Bragg Hill

A lesser known (at least to bicyclists) dirt climb that more or less parralels Beaver Meadow. To get there, take a left off of Beaver Meadow before the climb starts. This climb is really great: a consistent grade most of the way, with many panaoramic views of the Upper Valley. The road eventually T's into Beaver Meadow pretty near the top of the paved section.

Tigertown

It took my a while to try out this road, mainly because Tom McCoy told me it was a bad road. Now, it is one of my favorite descents. To get there, take a left off of Beaver Meadow at the bottom of the steep pitch mentioned above. You will need to take another left after that, too (if you keep going straight instead, you'll end up on rt 14, not far from Sharon). The Tigertown descent (almost all dirt) features a sweet S-turn through a narrow bridge. The road eventually T's into route 14, not far from the Pomfret Bridge. So, I would definitely recommend doing a ride involving Beaver Meadow, Tigertown, and Pomfret.

I've never ridden up Tigertown, but I'd bet it is one of the bigger climbs in the environs (excluding Mt. Ascutney, of course).

Downer Rd

Near where Beaver Meadow meets 132, there is Downer Rd. This road more or less parrallels 132 into South Strafford. It is dirt, and passes through a pretty sweet park. A pretty good time.

Some route recommendations:

Bragg Hill, Beaver Meadow, Downer Rd, New Boston (or, for a more paved version: Beaver Meadow, 132, New Boston).
Beaver Meadow, Tigertown, Pomfret, Howe Hill, 132, Beaver Meadow
Jericho, Pomfret, Howe Hill, Beaver Meadow