[Sportsman9]

I'm putting together a route from the city out to Montauk for June. I won't be doing the official rides, this is just a motel tour, about 30 miles per day.

My question is, I'm aware that some towns along the route either "frown upon" or prohibit riding through the main part of town. Can someone give me more details about any towns I really must avoid, or should avoid? My main question marks are for the stretch from Babylon to Westhampton.

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[the_doctor]

Are they legally able to prohibit someone from riding through their town? I am little taken back by such thoughts and the possibility that this would be enforced.

They would be able to discriminate against anyone solely on their whims.

Bill

[Eureka]

Are you thinking of Fire Island? It's the only place I can think of that MIGHT have restrictions. I have never heard of a town elsewhere on Long Island frowning on bicycles.

[Stacy]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the town of Southampton banned cycling on some of it's main streets. I think they may have also banned eating ice cream :eek: However when I tried google nothing along these lines came up. Also, last time I did the Montauk Century I missed the turn off Hill Street onto Halsey Neck Lane, and wound up in the center of Southampton. Not only was I not the only cyclist in town but I even spotted a family eating ice cream!

Eating Ice Cream in public is banned on Fire Island but, far as I know, the island is car free, so it's relatively bike friendly.

http://www.fireisland.com/faq.php

[Sportsman9]

(Original Poster here ...)

This is from a New York Magazine article:

"Patchogue doesn’t allow bikers and bladers in its center"

url:
http://nymag.com/guides/summer/17424/

And when I was in Bridgehampton a few summers ago, I remember someone telling me not to bike through the center of town -- I don't remember if that was a storeowner or the motel person or what. That town is only about 3 blocks long, so no big hardship.

[Stacy]

The 2007 Montauk Century Cue Sheet uses a route along Rte 65 in Patchogue.

Heading East on Atlantic Avenue
R on Weeks (Rte 65)
L River Avenue (Rte 65) - in Patchogue
R Division St (Rte 65)

If you're concerned about winding up in some town where cycling is banned on main streets it probably wouldn't hurt to get a copy of one of these cue sheets. On the other hand, these towns probably have to post any sort of bicycle ban and you could always walk the few blocks.

[brooklyncyclist]

I know that Sag Harbor doesn't allow cycling in the center of the village (where most of the pavement is dedicated to car parking for the summer tourist crowd). I was riding through there several years ago, getting dirty looks and shouts from pedestrians and motorists. It wasn't until I was leaving the village center that I saw the sign banning bikes. I was indignant, to say the least.

As long as you stay away from the main streets such as that you should be okay.

[Pablo.]

Are you thinking of Fire Island? It's the only place I can think of that MIGHT have restrictions. I have never heard of a town elsewhere on Long Island frowning on bicycles.

EVERYONE on Fire Island rides bicycles. There are no cars, remember? It's just people in flip flops going to the beach, I've never seen any roadies out there, and if I did, I would probably laugh. It's way too congested with pedestrians to actually hammer, or have a real bike ride. And Fire Island is fairly small, so you wouldn't get much out of it.

[C Law]

The Villages of Sag Harbor and Southampton both have streets that allow no bike riding. I never get hassled in the fall, spring and winter (or at 6am for that matter). you are talking about sections of road that are 1/2 to quartermile tops. There are plenty of other routes around and through the villages though.

Too many range rovers to fit bikes in the summer.

I am not aware of any other restrictions east of westhampton.