Paul Revere’s Ride By Bike: An Immersion Experience

With apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of biking the ride of Paul Revere,
On the nineteenth of April, 2009;
The bikers were eager, the weather was fine
To remember events of yester year.

A couple of years ago, I toured Boston by bike with Urban AdvenTours, based in Boston’s North End. Riding in the pouring rain with art, history, and architecture guru Ed Ballo as tour guide, I literally saw a city I’d never seen before.

They also offer  a “Paul Revere’s Ride By Bike” on holidays and one Sunday a month. The inaugural tour ran on Sunday, April 19, the 234th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

We started in Christopher Columbus Park, where you can clearly see the lay of the land as it was in 1775. Ed gave us the background events that set the stage for Revere’s ride. Then we started pedaling. First stop: Old North Church:

“One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be; Ready to ride and spread the alarm; Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.”

Actually, Revere and his compatriot William Dawes, who took the land route, already knew the British regulars were going by sea. The lanterns in the church belfry were a backup signal in case both riders were caught leaving Boston.

From there we crossed the Charles River Dam in the shadow of the Zakim Bridge. Boston is different than it was in Revere’s day.

A quick stop at the U.S.S. Constitution, then it was onto the bikes following as closely as possible the actual route of Revere’s night ride. Charlestown and Somerville is city riding, but with a guide leading the way on a quiet Sunday, all went smoothly.

Revere’s route is also the site of the day-long running battle as local militias harassed the retreating British regulars. Of course Revere knew nothing of this as he rode out in the pre-dawn hours. Ed did a wonderful job of separating and balancing the two events, the midnight ride and the battle which resulted.

We stopped at key spots, including The Jacob Russell House, where 11 colonials died in a brutal engagement. This day, the house was surrounded  by costumed reenactors.

From Arlington to Lexington, we rode part of the 11-mile Minuteman Bikeway, a paved commuter/recreation path worth exploring in its own right.

Next stop, Lexington Green where Ed did a masterful job of setting the scene for the first shot of the American Revolution. Then it was on toward Concord with a quick stop  at the site where Revere, Dawes, and Samuel Prescott (another patriot they’d met along the way) were captured by a British patrol. Revere was later released, Dawes and Prescott escaped, only Prescott made it to Concord to sound the alarm.

My favorite part of the ride was the dirt paths of the Battle Road Trail in the Minute Man National Historical Park. Away from the roar of traffic, between stone walls, past Parker’s Revenge, Bloody Angle and Meriam’s corner—all peaceful this sunny, cool day—you got a sense of how it looked on that fateful April morning in 1775.

Then it was on into Concord, past the homes of Hawthorne and the Alcotts, to the Old North Bridge, where Daniel Chester French’s Minute Man statue stands in magnificent tribute to the people and the ideals of the American Revolution.

In Concord, we grabbed a commuter rail train (bikes no extra charge) and headed back into Boston.

I simply can’t imagine a better way to connect with the history of this area than by bike. Riding made it much more engaging than just  a “this happened here” history tour. And a great tour guide brought the scene to life. Highly recommended! Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!

Paul Revere’s Ride By Bike: The Biking

Even if you aren’t a strong bike rider, you can do this tour. It’s mostly easy, flat riding with a couple of hills, but nothing too serious. With the regular stops this 25-mile journey is no problem for even moderately fit riders.

Urban AdvenTours includes quality, comfortable hybrid bike rentals in the price of the tour. My sweetheart Marilyn and I rode our tandem bike: she isn’t an enthusiastic solo biker, but loves riding the tandem.

Paul Revere’s Ride By Bike: The Rest of the Story

Paul Revere’s Ride is as much a part of American legend as it is a part of history. Most people learned the basics in school–then promptly forgot. No worry, you probably got most of it wrong—I know I did.

Revere had a great publicist in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. But Longfellow played a little fast and loose with the facts.

If you want the real history on Paul Revere’s ride, go to www.paulreverehouse.org/ride.

For the history of the running battle fought as the British retreated back to Boston, go to:
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Lexington_and_Concord

You could, of course, do this tour on your own. But then you’d miss all the details a great tour guide can provide.