Northeast - Looking for a route-Long Island

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View Full Version : Looking for a route-Long Island


scarpi41
06-26-09, 02:47 PM
I would like a route around 30-40 miles. I live in suffolk. Would prefer bike paths, but anything will do. Thanks.


Papa Tom
06-26-09, 04:07 PM
I would like a route around 30-40 miles. I live in suffolk. Would prefer bike paths, but anything will do. Thanks.

Where are you in Suffolk? Closer to Nassau, or closer to the East End?

My website at nyrides.freehosting.net might be a good resource, if you like bike paths. For safe road-riding on mostly dedicated bike lanes, I really enjoy the "Cross-The-Forks" ride from Greenport to Sag Harbor or beyond. It's laid out on my site under "Road Rides." Great bike/ferry-hopping trip for this time of year. Wait for it to actually turn to summer first, though. Greenport to Sag Harbor involves about 8 miles of biking each way. If you continue on Rt 114 all the way to East Hampton, you can add another 6 or 7. Once you get out there, there's some additional nice riding available, if you don't mind summer Hamptons traffic.

BTW, you don't have to deal with any Hamptons "snobbiness" if you do this right. My wife and I start and end in Greenport, which is on the less posh fork. When we arrive in Sag Harbor, we skip all the shops in town and go right to the Dockside Cafe at the American Legion Hall. It isn't cheap, but it's very casual and nowhere near the pricing or snootiness of some of the other Sag Harbor restaurants. Plus, it's very bicycle-friendly. We generally get so comfortable here that we don't go any further. The rest of the ride is much less scenic, anyway!

Check out the website and get back to me if you want more info.

exRunner
06-26-09, 04:56 PM
I am a member of the HBC (www.hbcli.or). You do not have to be a member to ride with us, we are very easy going, and we have a ride for every level.

Saturday and Sundays at 8 am from the Greenlawn Train Station.


scarpi41
06-26-09, 10:34 PM
Im closer to the nassau border and getting out to greenport would be quite a trek, however it does sound like a lovely ride. Ive done the jones beach ride, but its kinda short. Anyway, I really like this greenlawn ride, you might see me around, I got the colnago mix. Any other ride suggestions are appreciated.

exRunner
06-27-09, 06:28 AM
I will be there (Greenlawn) Sunday morning. Last Sunday we had 8 riders in AA Group, about 40 for A-/B+/B Group (they broke up into 3 groups for safety), and about 20 in the C Group (not sure what they did).

Of all the bike clubs I have either been a member of or rode with these guys are by far the friendliest and most tolerant of any. They are very much what a bike club should be like. Even the really good riders will slow down if you can't keep up, give advice, and help with things. There are no premadonnas AFAIK.

Hope to see you there sometime.

Lightingguy
06-27-09, 07:23 AM
Precious few "Bike Paths" on Long Island, with PapaTom's site detailing what's available in the area, so maybe think about getting comfortable riding on the road.

Best way to learn which roads have the least traffic is to hang with a bike club, whose institutional memories of good roads are vast.

Huntington BC is a great group, so are the Massapequa Park Bike Club folks, who leave from Bethpage Library parking lot on Sundays at 8:30AM. They have AA, A, B & C rides (getting progressivly shorter and less speedy from A to C) and are a very nice bunch and you do not have to be a member.

Massapequa tends to orient towards Northport or the north shore of Nassau.

Other clubs are Suffolk Bike Riders - SBRA and Long Island Bicycle Club, who leaves from Westbury High School.

Most of these clubs have summer weekday rides as well.

http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/

Also check some bike shops, as there's a new NY State Bike Map for Long Island. Brands (in Wantagh) has them, and they're free.

Steve B