Best eBike Shops in Concord, NH -- the Northern Rail Trail, Shaker Village & Kearsarge

Things to do on an eBike in Concord, New Hampshire

Concord is the state capital, and the New Hampshire State House is worth a stop for a fact most people do not know: it is the oldest state capitol in which the legislature still meets in its original chambers. Granite, gold dome, and a plaza in front of it that makes an easy start to a ride.

The city itself is modest and the riding around it is better than the riding in it. What Concord gives you is position -- a rail-trail, a Shaker village, a big state forest, and two mountain auto roads, all inside an hour.

The State House: the oldest capitol where the legislature still sits in its original chambers.

The Northern Rail Trail

The Northern Rail Trail is the longest rail-trail in New Hampshire, running roughly fifty-plus miles on an old railroad grade from Lebanon in Grafton County southeast through Merrimack County -- Danbury, Andover, Potter Place, Franklin, and Boscawen.

The Merrimack County section is the practical one from Concord. The surface is stone dust and the grade is gentle by definition, which makes it the best long car-free ride anywhere near the capital. A path and trail eBike with wider tyres is the right tool. Shops toward the northern end: Andover eBike shops.

Contoocook's covered railroad bridge -- generally reckoned the oldest surviving one in the country.

Canterbury Shaker Village and the hill roads

North of the city, Canterbury Shaker Village is one of the best-preserved Shaker villages in the country -- original buildings, stone walls, and open hayfields on a quiet hilltop. It is a museum site with its own hours and rules, but the ride there is the point: the back roads through Canterbury and Loudon are the prettiest miles in Merrimack County.

Canterbury Shaker Village: plain white buildings, stone walls, and the best road riding in the county.

Bear Brook State Park

Southeast at Allenstown, Bear Brook State Park is one of the largest developed state parks in New Hampshire, with an extensive network of trails and forest roads and a long-standing reputation for mountain biking.

It is state park land with its own rules on which trails are open to bicycles and to electric bikes specifically -- and in a park this size those rules vary by trail. Check current policy rather than assuming a general right of way.

Mount Kearsarge and the auto roads

West, Mount Kearsarge stands alone above the surrounding hills with two state park auto roads on it. Rollins State Park climbs the Warner side on pavement; Winslow State Park climbs the northern side. Both are steep and seasonal, and both stop short of the summit, which is reached on foot from the road end.

Kearsarge: two paved state park auto roads climb it, and both are steep and seasonal.

They are exactly the sort of short sharp paved climb assist transforms -- and exactly the sort of place to check opening dates before riding out, because the gates are shut for much of the year.

Contoocook, Hopkinton, and the west

West of Concord, Contoocook village in Hopkinton holds a covered railroad bridge generally recognised as the oldest surviving one in the United States, beside the old depot on the Contoocook River. Henniker beyond it calls itself the only Henniker on earth and has New England College and Pats Peak. Quiet roads and gentle hills the whole way. Shops: Hopkinton eBike shops and Henniker.

North to Franklin and the whitewater park

Up the Merrimack, Franklin sits where the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers join to form the Merrimack. The town has built a whitewater park on the Winnipesaukee and a riverside trail alongside it, and it is also a natural access point for the Northern Rail Trail. A good turnaround on a longer day.

Why an electric bike here

Two reasons. The rail-trail is long and gentle, so assist is about range -- how far out you can go before turning. The road riding is the opposite: Merrimack is rolling hill country and the Kearsarge auto roads are steep, so there it is about gradient. Between them you get both cases for assist within one county.

Best eBike routes from Concord (rider plans)

The State House and the city (5-10 miles): The capitol, Main Street, and the river. Short, flat, and a sensible first outing.

Canterbury Shaker Village (22-32 miles): North on the hill roads through Canterbury to the village and back. The prettiest road riding in the county.

Northern Rail Trail from Boscawen (20-40 miles): North to the trail and out along the old grade toward Franklin and Andover. Gentle stone dust, and as long as you want.

Contoocook and Hopkinton (18-28 miles): West to the oldest covered railroad bridge in the country, on quiet roads through gentle hills.

Bear Brook State Park (20-30 miles): Southeast to Allenstown for the forest road and trail network. Check which trails are open to bikes first.

Mount Kearsarge via Rollins (35-50 miles): West to Warner and up the paved auto road as far as it goes. Steep, seasonal, and worth checking gate dates. Riders doing consecutive long days sometimes keep a portable power station for eBike day trips at home for an overnight top-up.

How to plan a Concord riding day

1. Decide trail or road. The rail-trail is gentle and long; the road riding here rolls constantly.
2. Bring tyre width for the rail-trail. It is stone dust, not pavement.
3. Check the Kearsarge gate dates. Both auto roads are seasonal and shut for much of the year.
4. Check Bear Brook trail designations. In a park that size, which trails allow bikes varies.
5. Use Boscawen or Franklin as the practical rail-trail access rather than riding out from the city centre.
6. Know your class. New Hampshire uses the three-class framework and Class 3 is handled differently on some paths.

Who this Concord eBike trip is for

Rail-trail riders: the southern half of the longest trail in New Hampshire is on the doorstep.

Road riders: the Canterbury and Loudon hill roads are quiet, rolling, and genuinely lovely.

History riders: a working nineteenth-century capitol, a preserved Shaker village, and the oldest covered railroad bridge in the country.

Climbers: the two Kearsarge auto roads are short, steep, and unusual -- paved climbs to a real view.

New Hampshire eBike laws snapshot (Concord riding)

New Hampshire defines electric bicycles in three classes and treats them broadly like bicycles -- no driver's license, registration, or insurance required for ordinary use. Class 3 machines are handled differently on some paths and facilities.

Locally, the layers are state parks and trail managers. Bear Brook State Park sets its own rules on which trails are open to bicycles and electric bikes, and in a park that size they vary trail by trail. Rollins and Winslow State Parks govern the Kearsarge auto roads with their own rules and seasonal opening dates. And the Northern Rail Trail is managed in sections by different local organisations along its length, so policies can differ between adjoining stretches. For the county picture, see things to do on an eBike in Merrimack County and eBike shops in New Hampshire.

eBike repair and service in Concord

S&W Sports at 4.7 across 303 reviews is the long-standing local anchor and the first call in the capital. Trek Bicycle Concord at 4.7 across 184 is the other full-service option.

Freedom Cycle at 631 reviews is a large powersports dealer rather than a bicycle shop, which is worth knowing if what you own sits at the powered end. Elsewhere in the county, Hooksett has two listings south toward Manchester, and New London covers the Sunapee side.

Nearby eBike shops (Merrimack County)

Frequently asked questions about eBiking in Concord