Northeast - So I live on Long Island...

and I'm looking to buy a bike. I usually run 6-7 days a week and I'm looking for something to do on my off days (active recovery.) I know there aren't too many close trails around here (nassau) but, the main roads around here are way to busy to ride on (if I was going to get a road bike.) Can someone steer me in the right direction?

Welcome, I'm familiar with Long Island,I was born in Queens, still have dozens of folkes there. PLENTY of riding you can do not far from Garden City. A road bike is a great choice. You need not venture far or in too much heavy traffic to find steretches to work-out. You're a runner, it won't be as easy as is for a person OUT of shape,it'll take more to provide a good work-out. I tell new riders to find an industrial park ,the fair grounds,any where you can find a "stretch". Intensity may suit you better as you have the aerobic thing covered. Aside from LA,Boston,Chicago,Col. and perhaps the Pac.Northwest, the Island has more good LBSs than anywhere,not to mention Craigs List,donation centers (both risky) and E-Bay which is less risky, I have my reasons but..on to the bikes www.jamisbikes.com (http://www.jamisbikes.com) www.bianchiusa.com (http://www.bianchiusa.com) also a great choice is www.lemond.com (http://www.lemond.com) ..Trek, Giant,Specialized..ALL good but ALL aluminum or Carbon which ARE good choices as well. The point is, the sites I mentioned are easy and informative, much more so than the "Big Three" who's sites are less reader friendly ,as a result not as much fun. Model numbers and numerous models but no personality to the sites. On the Island, there is NOT ONE single brand that's NOT available within a 30 minute ride !! NOT ONE. I have most of the shops committed to memory and have have been thrown-out of a few as well. Cklick the sites as is, it WILL give you a handle on styles, frame materials, color choices(very important) and price, all of which are handy for comparison at least.

Nassau has Bethpage, Stillwell Woods and probably some other off road riding I'm forgetting, try www.climbonline.org (http://www.climbonline.org) for Long Island trail information.

hey whats up, if your interested in mountain biking...dont get discouraged by the amount of trails available...theres more than you think. theres the greenbelt trail, stillwell spaghetti, rocky point, pandoras box (bethpage park).

I see your in garden city, take a ride up to Barnes & Noble on Old country road, look for a book called "Mountain Biking Eastern New York" Some pretty good info in there for local trails and some that are a nice day trip away.

Thanks for the great info guys. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a mtn bike because I can ride it wherever, whenever.

visionmtb.com

climbonline.org

If you are looking to ride off road with others Massapequa Park Bike Club has off road club rides as well as club road rides. The also have a forum on their website in case you have any questions.

http://www.massparkbikeclub.org/