Northeast - Central NJ 50-mile training route - invite and call for comments

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neilfein
09-03-08, 08:59 AM
I'm helping an MS City to Shore "rookie" do her first 50-mile ride. (She's hardly a rookie at cycling, she's just looking to do rides longer than shat she's done.) The route is too long - I need to trim it down.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/50-mile-training-route-for-MS-City-to-Shore

There are a few trouble spots. Has anyone ridden any of these? I'd appreciate any comments, thanks!

The first 4.6 miles in Princeton are on route 27. It's rideable, but not fun. We won;t be starting all that early - probably around noon - so it's not a fun ride. Alas, there aren't all that many ways to get up to Kingston. How's the Route 1 crossing at Ridge Rd? I seem to recall that it's a hilly ride to get there, and hill training isn't really needed at this point.
Mile 20 - How's the riding on Jamesburg Englishtown Road?
Mile 23 - Same question with Freehold Road
Miles 26 - 34 - I have us routed through Monmouth Battlefield and Turkey Swamp State Park for the scenery. I may have to cut these out, to gwet the route down to 50 miles. Is the riding here pretty enough to be worth the extra mileage?
Mile 35 - Siloam/ Woodville Roads - The bits I can see on the satellite views look okay, but there's a lot of tree cover. Any sinister secrets hidden by the greenery?
Mile 50.8 - I know, I know, 130 is a nasty place. There's no better way to cross around here, though.
Mile 53 -I seem to recall that there are a few hairy spots in Dutch Neck. Anyone ride there recently?

Does anyone else want to come along? Average cruising speed will probably be around 13mph, give or take.

HenryL
09-03-08, 09:39 AM
Nothing wrong with starting in Princeton but why go east at all for a training ride? Go up Canal road towards Amwell road and back on River Road or head West from Princeton and wander around. Lot's of great low traffic roads and no climbs to be concerned with. Some elevation change and rollers but nothing really hard at all.
neilfein
09-03-08, 10:46 AM
Nothing wrong with starting in Princeton but why go east at all for a training ride? Go up Canal road towards Amwell road and back on River Road or head West from Princeton and wander around. Lot's of great low traffic roads and no climbs to be concerned with. Some elevation change and rollers but nothing really hard at all.

Yeah, the riding is awesome west of Princeton, but I've done that several times. (Here's a route (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Princeton-to-Washington-Crossing-loop) I particularly enjoyed.)

sounddevisor
09-03-08, 12:46 PM
I'm with HenryL - what about heading West and North? I live in Brooklyn, but I come out to that area to ride pretty frequently, and the area around Amwell, Wertsville, and Ringoes is some of the best cycling I've found in this part of the country - rolling hills, great roads, and very little traffic.
chrisuletz
09-03-08, 06:35 PM
If you want a nice 50miler in Central NJ, try the route of the Jerseyman triathlon, it's 56mi starting at Spruce Run, I really enjoyed it, scenic and mostly quiet. You can find the map at njmultisports.com
ncherry
09-03-08, 08:12 PM
Hmm, I really don't like that route but I don't have time to fix it. I will give you a link to Dustin's page that will help you select good roads. http://njbikemap.com/
Terex
09-03-08, 08:47 PM
Ditto north and west. Amwell Valley. Here's one that can leave from Princeton: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/4945925

When you get to Hopewell, instead of taking the fairly big climb up Hopewell Wertsville Rd., go out Rt. 518 to the west, and go over the ridge via Stony Brook to Snydertown to Linvale. Also, you can add miles going up and back on Canal and River Rds. to Griggstown or Blackwells Mills.
gz_
09-03-08, 09:15 PM
The bridge is closed on Alexander outside Princeton so you'll have to take Washington road. From there I usually take Penn Lyle Rd to New Villiage Road (which has a bike lane for a good stretch) to Edinburge Dutch Neck Rd to Windsor Edinburg Rd to Perrineville Rd after 130 and pretty much follow the same route.

I usually pick up Elton Aldephia and continue on to the beach so I don't know much about the other roads you take.
neilfein
09-03-08, 11:42 PM
The bridge is closed on Alexander outside Princeton so you'll have to take Washington road. From there I usually take Penn Lyle Rd to New Villiage Road (which has a bike lane for a good stretch) to Edinburge Dutch Neck Rd to Windsor Edinburg Rd to Perrineville Rd after 130 and pretty much follow the same route.

Thanks, I've rerouted.