There are up to 6 miles of trails in this park, which also has fabulous views of downtown Boston, the Blue Hills, and Newton.

You’ll also encounter the Charles River—it’s serious rural rolling without leaving Boston proper.

Cambridge’s water source has a 2.5-mile path around it.

You will hear cars, trucks, and buses, but you won’t encounter them.

Bike paths in this park run from just under 2 miles to more than 6.

The park itself cuts through the lower reaches of Boston into Dedham, and it provides serious nature-viewing, particularly during the warmer months.

This is an option for those beginning bikers who want to up their urban game a bit as you are liable to encounter bits of traffic.

There are several miles of bike paths throughout this state park along the similarly named river.

They wend through Winchester, Arlington, Medford, Somerville, Everett, and Chelsea; and, in general, the paths avoid cars, trucks, etc.—not an easy feat given the reservation’s location.

When you’re ready to roll in an urban park, try the primary path in Franklin Park.

The 2.25-mile route runs right by the Franklin Park Zoo, too. Make a day of it!

The state-owned park runs for 3 miles along the Boston side of the Charles River. Riders can also duck over the waterway to Cambridge and find a similarly bucolic and lightly traveled route.

Boston’s largest waterfront park includes trails of its own, but also runs along Carson Beach and allows a connection to the city-circling HarborWalk.

This 10-mile path connects Everett, Malden, Revere, Saugus, and Lynn.

A reader told us that it is “the preferred off-road greenway for bike commuters to Boston from the entire north shore region.” Beware of fellow bicyclists, then.

Deer Island—which is actually a peninsula—includes 2.6 miles of shoreline and 5 miles of trails.

Bikers are unlikely to encounter much vehicular traffic; and the water views, as well as the views of planes taking off and landing from Logan, are spectacular.

While you’re there, too, why not check out the super-cool sewage treatment plant that turns the region’s wastewater nearly pristine?