Foo - Upper East Side Blog (with crappy pics!)

So to follow up on my "NYC (http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=271727)" thread, I thought I'd post a narrative of the trip so far and some photos. Stay tuned for lots of crappiness, as my tools are a weak cameraphone and a bunch of pointless rambling. . .

So anyways, on with the show:

So, I decided to bring my bike down. Getting it in to the company-issued Taurus was quite the exercise. My first attempt was in the trunk, but it wouldn't fit. I then spent half an hour trying to figure out how the rear seat folded, since by looking at it you'd definitely guess that it DID fold. Finally checked the owner's manual to discover that, in fact, it DOES NOT fold. Ooops. So, the bike ended up with both wheels off laying in the back seat:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/fil35.jpg

And on the road I was. Some may know that I live out in the boonies. That basically means that it's a good 10 or 20 miles of tiny, curvy back roads to get to any sort of highway. Lucky me, I spent that entire time stuck behind an old fart going 35. When I'm 90, I'm gonna GO 90. I don't get why old people drive so slow - I mean, they just don't have much time left! Cummon gramps! You're gonna DIE! ANY MOMENT! So yeah, um here's the proof:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file4.jpg

Finally got on some highways. Not much to say here, except that it was basically 3.5 hours of this:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file3.jpg

Now, please note the sign off to the side of that shot. The picture was supposed to prominently feature that sign, but I guess my timing was off. It listed New York City and gave a distance of 100-some-odd miles. So yeah, making progress.

I thought briefly about taking a picture while I was going over the GWB, but wasn't looking forward to getting into trouble for a simple picture. Especially given the nature of the work I was headed down here for in the first place. So no photos of the actual entry into Manhattan.

Which brought me to the end of my journey. Oh, it brought my bike there, too. Luckily, things were pretty dead when I got in. The valet in the parking garage got a huge kick out of me trying to wrestle a bike out of the back seat of my car. The woman at the hotel's front desk gave me a slightly less enthusiastic glance. The people sharing my (minuscule) elevator were downright upset about it. But hey, I made it to my home away from home with bike in hand, safe and sound:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file.jpg

Now, that brought me to late last evening. It was snowing when I got up this morning, so no ride. It was gently raining when I got done for the day (an hour ago or so) so no ride tonight, either. Hopefully the weather will cooperate sooner or later. At such a point, I promise an update, even if I'm the only one who ever reads this thread. :D

Oh, and for those who were wondering, I found a really nice French (?) place right around the coner of the hotel.

where did you drive from? pa?

where did you drive from? pa?


Close, but too far south. I came from the vast wasteland of upstate NY. ;) The highway shot is from NY 17.

Close, but too far south. I came from the vast wasteland of upstate NY. ;) The highway shot is from NY 17.
where?

I lived in Glen Wild just off exit 109 before heading off to the Army: Fairly close to Monticello

where?

Middle of the state, more or less.

I lived in Glen Wild just off exit 109 before heading off to the Army: Fairly close to Monticello

Ah ok, so pretty close to where that photo was taken!

Well, now that day 2 (Monday) has come and gone, nothing to add. It was sloppy weather again. Today isn't looking much better.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand day three!

Ok weather in the afternoon. Unfortunately, a rather late day at the office and now I'm all shagged out.

Here's my favorite pizza place downtown, viewed from the 22nd floor of a neighboring building:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file7.jpg

Took a ride on the Staten Island Ferry at lunch time, since my clients had never seen the sights down there. Goes right past the Statue of Liberty:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file6.jpg

And gives good views of the manhattan skyline:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file-1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file2-1.jpg

I tried to take a photo of the Bowling Green subway station, since it's an interesting little building, but it didn't come out well:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/derwillezurmacht/file8.jpg

So hopefully I'll have a favorable combination of weather and work one ofthese days and I'll get to take a ride. . . .

Hmm... are you from somewhere between Neversink and Roscoe?

Hmm... are you from somewhere between Neversink and Roscoe?

Um, never heard of em. :D

Get a rear fender and ride your bike in the slop! It ain't gonna melt and neither are you ya big wuss!

Find me fenders that will fit on a bike with aero tubing, 650cc wheels, a barely legal seat tube cutout, and really odd stay placement! :p

Seriously though. The sun has been out all day. Supposed to hit 45 this afternoon. After sticking around the office pretty late last night, I'm cutting out early this afternoon to go for a ride! :D

I got a fender for ya! It's in my closet. Looks like a coat hanger and duct tape, but lemme re-configure it for a custom fit. I could also use a one liter water bottle cut in half and extended w/ some cardboard and duct tape. Go ride! No one cares how OCP your ride looks!

edit: Swing by the Hudson Greenway MUP. It goes all the way to around 125th St. (near a BBQ resto) and all the way south to the S.I. Ferry. You can actually follow it all the way around Manhattan, but there's a few places where you have to ride on the street between the MUPs.

HOLY CRAP! That was so much fun, it should be illegal.

Did a few laps around central park, then criss-crossed the area around the hotel for half an hour. I had to keep telling myself to just slow down and drink it all in, enjoy the moment.

:D

Did you see the benchwarmers w/ their OCP bling by Tavern on the Green or ride the Hudson Greenway? Now make sure you do some high speed avenue rides from midtown to downtown and up again, all while zipping in-between traffic.

I did see one poseur - pretty much the only other person with a "nice" bike. He blew by me in the park and then slowed way down, which was kind of awkward, because I didn't want to pass him back and "start something." I saw him later on 3rd or Lexington flying down the middle of the road sitting up with no hands. Ah well, whatever floats your boat! :D I was having too much fun to give a crap. :D