Road Cycling - The Bike New York Ride

The Bike New York ride (aka 5 boro bike ride) will be held this year on Sunday May 4th. is anyone going?? Its really great to see
all those bikes on the FDR. great place to show off our bike forums jersey.
K

Yeah, if the hammer-poseurs don't knock you over on the first sharp turn.....
From what people who have done this event tell me, it is the most chaotic event around. Every year, there are lots of wrecks caused by moron cyclists. I'll pass.....

I'll be there and prepaid too! I don't know what people are scared of. It's not so bad. Heck.. Riding in New York City Traffic is worse!!! You must understand one thing. Bike New York is NOT a race. I go slow so it's never a problem.

There are several bottlenecks that bring things to a crawl at times but the whole event is always great. This will be my third time going to the BNY and it looks like I'll be doing it every year.

Yeah.. There are some accidents but I'll restate it again. If you ride slowly, and stay clear of some crazys, you'll be OK.

For those that don't go. You're really missing out.

Steve

I've been doing the bike new york ride for the last four years and found that if you get there early get to the front there is no bottle neck, no crasy riders.. true there are some who dont know how to ride at all... and there are some people who are so scared that they cuase things to happen, but on the most part is fun ... and the city belongs to the bike riders that day...really something to see and be part of... Dahon Steve I hope to see you there.
I will be one of the marshals I will be wearing a bike forum Jersey
under my yellow vest if you see me... say hello...
K

Don't forget the cell phone!!!!! From what I heard about last year, there are cyclists talking on the cell phone while riding. I guess they picked this up from driving.

A few years ago, I volunteered my services through the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Communications).

I was stationed at John Paul Jones (aka Cannonball Park) Park at the foot of the Verrazzano Bridge (Brooklyn side). It was the official end of the race.

I was amazed at some of the bikes and folks that somehow made it to the end...if they and their machinery could do it, just about anyone could! Some bikes seemed to be more a collection of parts than a whole bike. Amazingly, little tykes on bikes with training wheels were at the finish area too!

So many nice folks, all looking to have a good time. Some obnoxious riders, but they were by far the minority, at least at the finish line.

Bike NY is not about a race, but all about being a tour without being hampered by the usual hustle and bustle of NYC traffic. It is a nice event.

Maybe next year...

Rob

>>>>>I was amazed at some of the bikes and folks that somehow made it to the end...if they and their machinery could do it, just about anyone could! <<<<<

It amazes me too and I'll put some pics after the event this year. I've seen people complete Bike New York on BIG heavy $99.00 Huffy curisers, BMX bikes, Unicycles, a Big Wheel, a foot scooter and roller skates.

I must have seen every type of recumbent made but the strangest one was watching this heavy cruiser set up with a platform for a dog. When the owner got tired the dog took off and pulled the bike AND owner for several blocks.

There was a family of adults, some who came from way out of state to participate and ride together- sort of a family reunion ride. These were not casual riders, had serious gear, did many tours, etc.

I had to intervene on their behalf when one of the family members took a fall on the route. I can't definitively recall the exact cause and extent of his injuries, but he was taken to the hospital to be checked out. When I saw the family, it was already at the completion of the tour.

With so many people participating, all sorts make it to the end and even the most experienced can have a mishap.

It is the same thing with the NYC Marathon, of which I am a senior official (again through emergency and logistics communications). That of course, is a much bigger event!

i would love to do this ride if not for the broad street 10 miler (philly) being held on the same exact day. ARGH!

on another note, I will be doing the bike portion of the nyc triathlon coming up in august. WOOHOO!

>>>>>>These were not casual riders, had serious gear, did many tours, etc.<<<<

Again.. If you think your going to do 30 MPH at Bike New York, your looking for serious trouble. This is NOT a race or even a quick tour. Those with serious gear should bring the hybrid and leave the Lance Amstrong special at home. There are riders all around you and going fast beings big trouble.

There is one down hill part of the course that is a highway section leading to Brooklyn that is VERY dangerous. As speed picked up, I had to dodge water bottles, cameras, keychains all while going over 25 mph!!

Originally posted by deliriou5
i would love to do this ride if not for the broad street 10 miler (philly) being held on the same exact day. ARGH!

on another note, I will be doing the bike portion of the nyc triathlon coming up in august. WOOHOO!

Also on the same day in the Philly Suburbs is the Quad County Metric, my favorite spring ride.

I noticed there was a NYC century Sept 7th. Anyone know anything about that ride? I was looking for something different to do and I saw it listed on the net and thought it might be fun.

Originally posted by huffman
I noticed there was a NYC century Sept 7th. Anyone know anything about that ride? I was looking for something different to do and I saw it listed on the net and thought it might be fun.

Is the NYC century:
http://www.transalt.org/calendar/century/index.html

If you like the rest of NYC cyclists, you may have already done many parts of the route already. :p On this date, you just do all of them at once. I have never ridden one and not sure about the traffic issue, on a Sunday.

I've never done any riding in NYC, I live in North Carolina. Just looking for something new and different to do. Thanks for the imput.

I have a question for NYC cyclists. Why do people with 4,000 dollar bikes ride laps around the Central Park Loop? This is like taking a Ferrari and driving it around a shopping center parking lot. Where's the fun? And those bumps that some dare to refer to as hills at 110th Street...fuhgetaboutit! Sorry to vent. It's just something that's always puzzled me. I leave Central Park for the big-butted couples on their matching Cannondales and roller-bladers. The fun for me begins upstate...now those are hills!

Steve :D

Originally posted by Merckxrider
I have a question for NYC cyclists. Why do people with 4,000 dollar bikes ride laps around the Central Park Loop? This is like taking a Ferrari and driving it around a shopping center parking lot. Where's the fun? And those bumps that some dare to refer to as hills at 110th Street...fuhgetaboutit! Sorry to vent. It's just something that's always puzzled me. I leave Central Park for the big-butted couples on their matching Cannondales and roller-bladers. The fun for me begins upstate...now those are hills!

Steve :D

I live in Brooklyn so my day-to-day training route is in Prospect Park. Not bad. Few laps and 20 miles in the morning before work. My more serious route is in New Jersey, Rockland County and Nyack.

Don't unestimate these parks. They are hard. If you race in any of these parks, which typically the local races are held there in the weekends, there are no places to recover. Is all rolling hills. It gets tough when you are at a race speed. Well, if you can ride those "elevations" with a 53 x 17 gear at 20 mph, they are not hills. :D

Originally posted by deliriou5
i would love to do this ride if not for the broad street 10 miler (philly) being held on the same exact day. ARGH!

on another note, I will be doing the bike portion of the nyc triathlon coming up in august. WOOHOO!
Hey, I didn't know about the Philly ride. I'm an x Philly guy and am not too far away. Could you tell me about the ride or give me a link?

Thanks

I agree with r600duraace if you get to the park (Central Park Or Prospect Park)
early in the morning before the big butt couples the park is almost empty.
that's when most of the club/team riders are out.
r600duraace; the New Jersey,rockland and Nyack run is lots of fun and a good work out.

The Bike New York ride (aka 5 boro bike ride) will be held this year on Sunday May 4th. i

Borough - a town with a charter. Not boro--borough.

Originally posted by stokell
Borough - a town with a charter. Not boro--borough.
yeah thats why they changed it to Bike New York..

Ahuman and Dura-ace,

I agree with both of you if you're talking about "racing" in the parks...that's a whole different story, though. I was talking about simply riding around in circles and with that Central Park gets boring awfully fast. If any NY riders have any tips on riding to Bear Mt. I'm all ears. That will definitely be one of my treks this summer.

Steve:)

merckxrider I never been to Bear Mt on a bike would like to try that.
One of the ways to Bear Mt would be to take 9W, very hilly
I should be ready for that ride by the summer let me know maybe we could do it together.

>>>>Why do people with 4,000 dollar bikes ride laps around the Central Park Loop? This is like taking a Ferrari and driving it around a shopping center parking lot. Where's the fun? And those bumps that some dare to refer to as hills at 110th Street...<<<<

The loop inside Central Park is pool table smooth! When was the last time you did the loop? Seriously.

Why ride $4,000.00 dollar bikes at Central Park?

Answer : Women

Originally posted by Merckxrider
Ahuman and Dura-ace,

I agree with both of you if you're talking about "racing" in the parks...that's a whole different story, though. I was talking about simply riding around in circles and with that Central Park gets boring awfully fast. If any NY riders have any tips on riding to Bear Mt. I'm all ears. That will definitely be one of my treks this summer.

Steve:)

This is for everyone who is interested in the Bear Mountain ride:

------------------------
The following are the cue sheets to Bear Mountain. I have been to Bear Mountain once last year around May. I forgot which cue sheets I was using but I do remember that I was on 9W the whole way. I was going bonk at the 60th mile on my way back. That's horrible. The view at top of the BM is great. It was 98 miles though from Geroge Washington Bridge to BM and back.

http://www.fastnfab.org/cue_sheets/bear%20mountain.htm
http://www.cs.nyu.edu/cs/faculty/goldberg/NYCC/ride_library/BEARMTN.html


The following cue sheet is for Nyack. This one is easy. Just stay on 9W until you are at the end of the deep, but short drop. Turn right. Keep on going straight and you will reach the town of Piermount. Piermount bike shop.

http://www.pedaling.com/searchRides/RideDetails.asp?
RouteID=473

This is also a good site too for finding cue sheets and directions:
http://www.pedaling.com/searchRides/searchRides.asp

I also personally have many cue sheets from my previous rides with my local bike club and folks I met.

Another Bear Mountain cue sheet. :)

Start at George Washington Bridge (GWB)

R GWB/Hudson Terrace to end
2.00L Rt 505 Palisades Ave
0.40R Summit
0.70L Lyncrest
0.35R N Woodland to end
1.30L E Clinton
0.77R Depeyster to end
0.40L Highland Ave
0.30R at light Engle St to end
0.35L Hudson Ave
0.25R at light Rt 501 County Rd
1.20BR Anderson Ave
0.50L Hardenburgh Ave
0.85X Rt 501
0.70R at light Rt 505 Knickerbocker Rd
2.50L at light Blanche Ave
0.60R at light Tappan Rd (becomes Main St)
2.10L at intersection Oak Tree
0.15BL onto Greenbush
0.50S Western Hwy
4.85L at end W Nyack Rd, Deli
0.35R Rt 23 Strawtown Rd
2.30R TRO Rt 23 Strawtown Rd
2.25X TRO Rt 23 @ Rt 80 becomes Ridge Rd
1.45L at end Rt 90 South Mtn Rd
2.65R at stop Central Hwy Rt 33, Little Tor
1.65R at end Rt 202
0.25L at 1st light Rt 33 Central Hwy
0.45 Lunch Patricia's Pizza-Deli on L at 1st light
Continue north on Central Hwy, Rt 33 to end
1.35L Rt 106 Central Dr
4.05BR TRO Rt 106 >Old Gate Hill Rd
+ ignore sign on L '7 Lakes Dr'
3.55R at Kanawauke Circle onto 7 Lakes Drive
3.25S at Tiorati Circle water stop TRO 7 Lakes Dr
3.70R 2nd @ next circle TRO 7 Lakes Dr (sign: 'Bear Mtn2')
0.50S on Palisades Pkwy- be careful!
0.15R off Palisades Pkwy Exit 19 (1st)
0.15S 7 Lakes Dr
0.95L Perkins Memorial Drive ( Bear Mtn)
2.15> Water stop at top of Bear Mtn

RETURN

Back down Perkins Memorial Dr
2.10R 7 Lakes Dr (back the way we came)
1.35R TRO 7 Lakes Dr, Exit 18 (1st)
0.30R 2nd at circle TRO 7 Lakes Dr
7.20R 3rd at Kanawauke Circle onto Rt 106
3.50S becomes Rt 98, Willow Grove Rd
0.75> Deli at bottom of hill on right
0.20R Rt 75, Calls Hollow Rd
2.10L Camp Hill Rd just past Krucher's - *easily missed turn*
0.95X Rt 202 TRO Camp Hill Rd to end
1.25L Pomona Rd
0.15R 2nd Summit Park Rd
0.60L TRO Summit Park Rd
0.30S TRO Summit Park Rd, Rt 51 S
0.40L at light onto Rt 80, New Hempstead Rd
1.40R at light onto Rt 35A, Clarkstown Rd
0.60L Red Hill Rd
0.40BR Burda
1.15X Rt 33, becomes Germonds Rd
0.75X Rt 304 TRO Germonds
0.30R TRO Germonds Rd, Rt 27 - *caution: bad stretch of road grates*
1.50R Rt 23, Strawtown Rd
0.70X W. Nyack Rd, becomes Sickletown Rd
1.00BL TRO Sickletown Rd
0.80L 5th Ave, after underpass, to end
0.50R Van Wick Rd, to end
0.95L Convent Rd, to end
0.85R Western Hwy
0.65X Veteran's Hwy
0.20QL Highview across RR tracks>Greenbush S
0.30X Rt303>Rt340
1.90L Rt 9W at Sparkill
11.45L Palisades Ave
0.10R Hudson Terrace
2.00L GW Bridge

MetroNorth Garrison PM times:
1:12, 2:12, 3:12, bike trains; 4:12, 5:14, 6:22

Bear Mtn to Garrison;

L at bottom of Perkins Dr
L 7 Lakes Dr
2nd R at circle (sign: Bear Mtn. Inn) to 9W N
1st R at circle, cross Bear Mtn. Bridge
L 9D North to intersection of Rt 12 & 403
L Rt 12, RR station will be on left in town
Distances

Boathouse to NJ/GW Bridge about 7.65
GW Bridge to Patricia's (Garnerville) 32.00
Patricia's to top of Bear Mtn 19.75
Top of Bear Mtn to GWB/NJ 48.76
GWB/NJ to GWB/NJ 100.50
Notes:

*Camp Hill left turn is easily missed
*midroad grates on Germonds are numerous
Little Tor climbs about 420' in 0.8 miles - 10%
Old Gate Hill climbs about 980' at Lake Welch in about 3.6 miles - 5%
Perkins climbs about 660' in 2.1 miles -6%

Originally posted by ahuman
I agree with r600duraace if you get to the park (Central Park Or Prospect Park)
early in the morning before the big butt couples the park is almost empty.
that's when most of the club/team riders are out.
r600duraace; the New Jersey,rockland and Nyack run is lots of fun and a good work out.

You know the cafe just 5 miles from the Piermount Bike Shop. The cafe has several women Polo cyclist team pictures hung on the wall with water refilling station, free???? :) I usually just refill my water bottle there and would to 2 loops. Total about 90 miles. Will sometimes take the river road, the road below the GWB, to do some hill works. There are two 8% grade climbs there all the way up to the police headquarter.

rumsble spoon or something spoon? it that the place? I never notice a water refilling station! I also ride the road below GWB (hudson drive). becareful on that road, winter was really bad lots of cracks in the road and rocks fall from the cliffs land on the road. they look like leaves, try not to run over anything.

The Bike New York Ride will be this sunday. they are still Looking for marshals and other volunteers. they can be reached at
212.932.2453 or bikenewyork.org this is a great way to see New York City and meet new and old friends. I always have fun on this ride...
hope to see you there..

Originally posted by MikeR
Hey, I didn't know about the Philly ride. I'm an x Philly guy and am not too far away. Could you tell me about the ride or give me a link?

Thanks

The broad street run is a RUN :). There is, however, the Quad county metric on the same day:

http://www.suburbancyclists.org/quadcounty.htm

Both my wife and I had a lot of fun acting as Communications volunteers in the past for the Bike NY Ride. (We are both Amateur Radio Operators and trained in emergency/logistic communications). Unfortunately we cannot make it this year. Other priorities (including a 3 1/2 month old) makes it more than difficult.

It is a fun and worthwhile event- both for participants and volunteers. Either way, if anyone can participate, please consider it.

I hope that anyone who does the ride will pop back into this thread to give their own account of the day's activities.

Safe cycling,
Rob

[QUOTE]Originally posted by R600DuraAce

The following cue sheet is for Nyack. This one is easy.

((((Just stay on 9W until you are at the end of the deep, but short drop.))))

Turn right. Keep on going straight and you will reach the town of Piermount. Piermount bike shop.


Can someone help me out here? I think I made a mistake on 9 West today. The friggin shoulder disappeared on me. I haven't ridden this route in many years. What does "deep, short drop" mean. Was I supposed to turn off at some point? There's gotta be an easier way into Nyack than what I did today. Thanks for any tips.

Steve

Originally posted by Merckxrider
[QUOTE]Originally posted by R600DuraAce

The following cue sheet is for Nyack. This one is easy.

((((Just stay on 9W until you are at the end of the deep, but short drop.))))

Turn right. Keep on going straight and you will reach the town of Piermount. Piermount bike shop.


Can someone help me out here? I think I made a mistake on 9 West today. The friggin shoulder disappeared on me. I haven't ridden this route in many years. What does "deep, short drop" mean. Was I supposed to turn off at some point? There's gotta be an easier way into Nyack than what I did today. Thanks for any tips.

Steve

Take the 9W starting from the GWB. Keep going. Pass the gulf course. Keep going. You will see a "Y" intersection. Take your left. There is your short, steep drop. Get your brakes ready. You should see some construction ahead. Take left is the detour to 9W via 314. Take right is toward the Piermont town. BTW, from GWB to Nyack is about 20 miles one way.