... and are wondering about the a-hole on the aero bars at 30 mph going head on with you. That was me, and i apologize. I don't know if you heard me yell it back, I totally didn't mean to be in that position and endanger you and your friends.

That jerkoff on the skates ahead of me decided when i tried to pull around him (and I said "Coming up on the left" to signal I was passing) to take up the whole path and take off like he was in the Olympics before I could merge inward. At that point it was too late, and I am glad I was able to get out of your way without taking you, him, or myself down (although he would have deserved it, but it would have hurt for me). I really had nowhere to go.

*bracing for flames about safe riding* I had plenty of room to pass safely at speed had this guy not chosen to be a jerk, however I probably should have just hit the brakes and pulled in behind said jerk instead of trying to complete the pass.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/personals.cgi?category=mis

Here in Philly, the skaters are the biggest hazard on the MUP. Most wear headphones, so they can't hear you, and often do exactly what you encountered, like they take passing as some kind challenge to race. Sorry to hear of your experience, but glad nobody go taken down.

is it safe to be riding 30mph on a MUP? Are there no roads available 'up island'?

"is it safe to be riding 30mph on a MUP? "

Nope. And this is an especially poor choice of MUP to be riding like this.

"Are there no roads available 'up island'?"

Yup, tons.

This particular MUP is officially know as the Ellen Farrant Bike Path and was named as such back in the day before in-line skates were invented. It is one of 2 MUP's in Nassau County. Since the introduction of skating, it has been inundated with bladers as it's about one of the few places they can practice their sport. It is also a very popular running path, dog walking path, double-baby-carriage-abreast-while-mom's-chat-and-are-oblivious-to-anything-around-them path, etc... thus to be attempting any sort of speed on this path while on a bike, in the summer is inviting a major collision.

As rogue leader put it.
"I probably should have just hit the brakes and pulled in behind said jerk
instead of trying to complete the pass."

Yup, and maybe take the ITT training to the LIE service road.

Sorry rogue, but you asked for it.

Steve B.

I was on that path about 2 weeks ago and can’t imagine doing 30 mph on it. Every other second while riding I had to either brake or try to pass without colliding with on coming people. I agree the skaters do take up a lot of room and got in my way as well. Not flaming but that is the wrong place for speed.

If you want to ride a flat road in an aero position at any speed you like without traffic... head out to Heckscher State Park and ride the outer roadway. With the wind that kicks in at 20-30mph you get a GREAT workout and it will help you with your aero tuck. :-)

That MUP is nowhere to be riding a road/tri bike unfortunately. I gave up on that path a while ago because it's too unsafe.

How's Heckscher State Park for off road riding?

"How's Heckscher State Park for off road riding?"

I don't think there is any, excepting the path down from Timber Point Rd.

CLIMB - http://www.climbonline.org/ has something like 9 or 10 developed mt. bike trail systems listed in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk. All great stuff.

SB

there is a network off mtb trails at Heckscher and they are fair, but there are certainly better places to ride XC on the island. CLIMB had a night ride at Heckscher last year that was a lot of fun. And yea, the outer loop is great for road riding. Free parking during the week I believe and it's very low on traffic. Being right at the water, you get equal parts of head, tail, and crosswinds. It can get a bit monotonous though.

Thanks for the responses. I figured there was a 1 in 1000 chance maybe he read here (or would look here for the moron who almost hit him).

In my defense I am not going 30mph the whole ride, first off for anyone whos been there they know the wind on the way down (especially yesterday) is so bad even Lance himself would be doing 15mph or less as do I. On the way back I only ride like that when I have space to in the parts that you can see ahead. In this case I would have plenty of room had this yutz not decided to race me.

That said I can see why you would say not to go that fast there. I am really starting to hate that course only because there is an over abundance of morons on skates that are just putting along taking up the whole lane with their headphones on and not paying attention to anything. I actually try to avoid it usually because of that and the wind, I like the Massapequa to Bethpage state park path because even though I go slower, it has a lot of hills, nice shade and trees, I get a good workout because of that, and generally everyone on it is less ******ed (mostly people on bikes paying attention to what they are doing, the occasional runner or dog walker... very occasional). The only reason I was there instead is because I got a late start and I am not a fan of riding on Sunrise Highway or Merrick Road at night (I live in Freeport).

Id love to try the Heckscher route one day, I have no way to get my bike anywhere (I have a Corvette, therefore no bike rack), and I usually cant start my workouts until about 630 due to work. Same deal with taking it to an LIE service road, Its a bit far for me to do.

Well.... I admit that I too on occasion, have really let it rip if the winds are right on the JB path, hard not too.. excepting summer, when I stay the hell away. You don't see many roller bladers on April and May

It sounds to me like you need to find some of the reasonably light traffic road routes to let her rip. Some thoughts:

- Hoffman/Railroad & Union Ave. heading east from Lindenhurst, with a detour thru Babylon. Take it all the way out to Connetquot Ave. and then down to Heckscher. 50 miles or so RT from Freeport, with some very fast and long straight sections that are perfect for aero bar riding. Take Smith/Grand/Park/Clark east from Freeport thru Merrick/Bellmore/Seaford and the Massapequas, then cross onto Sunrise and straight at the mall to Amityville on Old Sunrise.

More locally, W Seamans Neck Rd., north of Jericho, then to Union and across Hempstead Tpk on Stewart and up to Bethpage, 3-1/2 miles of straight riding. Continue up to Round Swamp Road to the LIE service road and your choice of east or west. It's about 15 miles one way from Freeport to the LIE service road
at Round Swamp.

It's all on Google.

PM me and I can send you some cue sheets, or hookup with one of the local clubs - Massapequa Park, or LIBC - http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/

Lots of fast folks in either groups and these guys know ALL the local roads.

Steve B.

Well.... I admit that I too on occasion, have really let it rip if the winds are right on the JB path, hard not too.. excepting summer, when I stay the hell away. You don't see many roller bladers on April and May

It sounds to me like you need to find some of the reasonably light traffic road routes to let her rip. Some thoughts:

- Hoffman/Railroad & Union Ave. heading east from Lindenhurst, with a detour thru Babylon. Take it all the way out to Connetquot Ave. and then down to Heckscher. 50 miles or so RT from Freeport, with some very fast and long straight sections that are perfect for aero bar riding. Take Smith/Grand/Park/Clark east from Freeport thru Merrick/Bellmore/Seaford and the Massapequas, then cross onto Sunrise and straight at the mall to Amityville on Old Sunrise.

More locally, W Seamans Neck Rd., north of Jericho, then to Union and across Hempstead Tpk on Stewart and up to Bethpage, 3-1/2 miles of straight riding. Continue up to Round Swamp Road to the LIE service road and your choice of east or west. It's about 15 miles one way from Freeport to the LIE service road
at Round Swamp.

It's all on Google.

PM me and I can send you some cue sheets, or hookup with one of the local clubs - Massapequa Park, or LIBC - http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/

Lots of fast folks in either groups and these guys know ALL the local roads.

Steve B.

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to take some of those longer rides on a weekend or so, but they sound fun.

Thanks for the tips! I'll have to take some of those longer rides on a weekend or so, but they sound fun.

whats up Mr Rogue I wonder if you could give me a better detail route of that massapequa to bethpage pk ride thanks

whats up Mr Rogue I wonder if you could give me a better detail route of that massapequa to bethpage pk ride thanks

Sure, If you are on sunrise highway just past the nissan dealer on the north side you will be in the train station parking lot, allll the way on the east end of the lot, if you go around theres another really small lot which is the entry way to the bike path. Continue on that path and it eventually brings you up the bethpage state park's parking lot.

If it's the Bethpage Bike Path you are talking about...

It starts at Merrick Rd., near Ocean Ave. in Massapequa and runs north for 7.5 miles, ending at the picnic area parking lot at Bethpage State Park.

The southern terminus of the BBP is 2 miles east of the entrance to Cedar Creek Park - the northern terminus of the Jones Beach MUP.

The preferred route to join the two, is to NOT take Merrick Rd., which is very dangerous for bikes (IMO), instead:

- Go north from the road exit of Cedar Creek on to Fir St.

- Go one block to Walters and go left.

- Go 2 blocks west to Beach, go right (North)
Take Beach north 1/2 mile, crossing Sunrise and under the LIRR tracks.

- Go Right onto Park Ave.

- Follow Park east to the end, making a left at the end on Seamans Neck Rd. West.
Short ride to the end at Clark

- Go right on Clark, under the Seaford-Oyster Bay Exxprswy

- Continue east on Clark for 1.8 miles, till you come to the Massapequa Preserve. The BP Bike Path crosses Clark at this point, go left for north to BP.

This is actually a very direct route

SB

Rogue, I used to live in Freeport and rode the Bethpage path a lot. I took the route suggested by both Steve B. and LightingGuy--Grand to Park to Clark to the path. Never a lot of traffic and you ride through some nice neighborhoods with beautiful homes and plenty of trees. Okay for night riding, at least it was back in the 90's. One day last summer my wife and I took our bikes on the LIRR, got off at Freeport, and did that exact route. (I still have my old LIRR Bike-N-Ride pass; so old the conductors didn't recognize it). As for getting out to Heckscher, why not take the train to Babylon and bike the rest of the way?

I actually just take sunrise highway to get to the Bethpage park path and pick it up by the train station parking lot there. I agree with lightning guy, I HATE riding on Merrick Rd (heck I hate DRIVING on Merrick Rd) its always a disaster, and you have a lot of close calls there. I like riding on sunrise highway, I can really open it up and hammer it.

brooklyncyclist, that is a good idea for a weekend ride, I can't usually get on the road until 6 or 630 (when i get home from work), so I try to limit my rides to what i can do in under 2 hours to do it in the daylight. Plus by 830 I really want dinner badly!