Northeast - NYC and surounding areas: Beach bike paths

Trying to find some nice rides that go along a beach. Jersey, Long Island (any part), NYC, CT(?) are all fair grounds, just not sure where. Let's say with three or four hours of NYC, and something you wouldn't need a mtb for.

Thoughts?

There's a nice path at Sandy Hook, NJ. You can get there taking the Sea Streak Ferry
http://www.seastreak.com/SeaStreak/default.htm
The fare is steep, but its a nice ride.
You can also take the ferry to Staten Island. There's a path that runs along the beach at the Gateway National Recreation area.
There's a path that runs along the Wantagh Pkwy to Jones Beach.
Thats just some that I know of.

From Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, you can ride East to Orchard Beach / City ISland via bike paths. You can also ride North along the Bronx River Parkway to E233rd St via the Bronx Park.
Connect in Tuckahoe and you can ride the paths all the way to the Kensico Dam. Get the free NYC bike map at any bike shop and go to the Westchester county site for the trails in Westchester

Ed

I'm doing the trails out by Floyd Benett Field/Gateway Recreational Area on Saturday. I think they're along the water.

If bike paths are OK with you, check my site at www.geocities.com/nyrides

The best beach ride on Long Island is the Wantagh Parkway (Ellen Farrant) Bikeway, but it's only 4.5 miles each way.

Also check under "Out-Of-Town Rides" for the Edgar Felix Bike Path to Manasquan Beach in New Jersey. I rode to Sandy Hook last year and was very disappointed.

Well, not a whole lot of actual beach front biking, but there is Sunken Meadow State Park. Maybe check out the 5BBC ride there on Sunday. These rides have been much more efficient this year, BTW.

From Pelham Parkway in the Bronx, you can ride East to Orchard Beach / City ISland via bike paths. You can also ride North along the Bronx River Parkway to E233rd St via the Bronx Park.

+1. Nice bike paths up in Pelham towards Orchard Beach. Just be aware that bikes are not allowed to be ridden on the boardwalk after Memorial Day.

Here's the route I did today. Floyd Bennett Field to Howard Beach to Rockaway to Ft. Tilden (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=50+Aviation+Road,+New+York+(Floyd+Bennett+Field)&daddr=84th+St+%26+Shore+Pkwy,+Queens,+NY+11414+to:broad+channel,+queens,+ny+to:50+Aviation+Road,+New +York+(Floyd+Bennett+Field)&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=40.618122,-73.871384&sspn=0.12535,0.236549&ie=UTF8&ll=40.61734,-73.862457&spn=0.125352,0.236549&z=12) and back. Combine this w/ the Ikea ferry to Red Hook, and the path from Owl Head to Coney Island and on to Sheepshead Bay and you'll be along the ocean the whole day.

Ahh, the beach! The best beach ride is to start at Sheepshead Bay at the Belt Parkway. Take that to Flatbush, to Riis Park. You can ride along the beach there or on the streets to the end. Then ride along the south most street along the beach with little traffic to 116th Street, then you can either ride the boardwalk all the way to Far Rockaway, or along the beachfront streets. The boardwalk is in poor shape and little used past a certain point, but I rode it on a road bike last year so it is doable. Continue along the southernmost street (I don't remember the name) then you'll come to the Atlantic Beach bridge. Take that into Atlantic Beach and then you can ride to Long Beach, and the boardwalk there. The LB boardwalk has the center section marked for bikes, and a lot of people on cruiser bikes will be using it.

I usually do this ride once or twice a year, starting on the south side of Prospect Park, down Bedford to the Belt and it is 40-45 miles rt. It is beach almost the entire way. I also do the Ft. Tilden detour coming back if I haven't already had enough. That's a whole undiscovered part of the beachfront for a lot of people.

If I do this ride in the near future I'll contact you.

Edit: Put on lots of sunscreen. You'll need it.

That sounds like a fun ride too. Ft. Tilden to Robert Moses Park (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=fort+tilden,+queens,+ny&daddr=long+beach,+ny+to:jones+beach,+ny+to:fire+island,+ny&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=40.732169,-72.989731&sspn=0.250272,0.473099&ie=UTF8&ll=40.622813,-73.2934&spn=0.062671,0.118275&z=13).

The problem is that most of those roads beyond Long Beach are closed to bikes, and they mean it. Ocean Parkway out at Jones all the way to Robert Moses is closed, as is the bridge to RM. Even if they were allowed, I wouldn't want to ride on that road with cars whizzing by at 70mph.

Considering it is all park they are very bike unfriendly out there.

That sucks. I wouldn't have thought there was much traffic out there or that the roads were closed to bikes.