Northeast - Solo Long Island cycling adventure....help me plan it?

I've been running 10 miles every other day for a few weeks now and I'm starting to miss cycling so here is my idea:

From Brooklyn, New York I want to cycle the length of long island this coming labor day weekend. I don't want to kill myself so I'm going to want to cycle at an easy pace so as to enjoy the scenery. I'm figuring it will take 2 days with each day having between 6 - 8 hours of riding.
I'm going to initially ride to Bethpage state park, take a break, and from there either take the north fork to Orient Point or the south fork to Montauk.

Each day I should do about 80 miles or so with a goal of one of those days being a 100 mile century. The goals are flexible...I'll see how my body responds.

I need help from you guys to flesh out the details a bit more. Which fork should I take for the most enjoyable ride (scenery)? Or, which fork should I take to take advantage of the best hotels, motels? I don't want to spend a forture and would rather a chain motel or hotel line. Food? Any good restaurants along the way and/or bicycle shops?
What else?

Cue sheets perhaps? I plan on programming a course in my garmin 705 and adjusting along the way.

Any help from you experts would be appreciated. There are a couple things though that I must insist on though. This is a solitary ride and I don't plan on carrying a cell phone. Just my ipod and my garmin 705. I need desperately to disconnect from it all. At least for a couple days.

I think I can be of assistance here; however, the first thing you need to know is that booking a hotel near the east end of Long Island is virtually impossible between now and the end of the typical riding season. Chain hotels become really scarce the further into Suffolk County you go, so you'll be counting on vacancies in little dive "Mom-n-Pop" hotels or at pricey bed and breakfasts. So my first question is, when do you plan to make this trip? My second, how many miles per day are you willing to ride?

I prefer the north fork over the south, but I also enjoy a trip ACROSS the forks that takes in Shelter Island, North Haven, and Sag Harbor. I have great directions between Syosset (Nassau County) and Port Jefferson and "good" directions between Pt. Jeff and Greenport (north fork). I can also probably help with the trip from Brooklyn to Syosset. Are you riding a mountain bike, by any chance? There's a dirt trail that will take you all the way from Bethpage State Park to Syosset.

Let me know the details and I will get back to you asap!

I think I can be of assistance here; however, the first thing you need to know is that booking a hotel near the east end of Long Island is virtually impossible between now and the end of the typical riding season. Chain hotels become really scarce the further into Suffolk County you go, so you'll be counting on vacancies in little dive "Mom-n-Pop" hotels or at pricey bed and breakfasts. So my first question is, when do you plan to make this trip? My second, how many miles per day are you willing to ride?

I prefer the north fork over the south, but I also enjoy a trip ACROSS the forks that takes in Shelter Island, North Haven, and Sag Harbor. I have great directions between Syosset (Nassau County) and Port Jefferson and "good" directions between Pt. Jeff and Greenport (north fork). I can also probably help with the trip from Brooklyn to Syosset. Are you riding a mountain bike, by any chance? There's a dirt trail that will take you all the way from Bethpage State Park to Syosset.

Let me know the details and I will get back to you asap!

Yeah........

I was starting to think that next weekend, the weekend after labor day, would have been better for my idea so as to avoid the holiday hotel crowds. But because of work and other reasons the labor day weekend is the only weekend I'll really be able to do it. I'm taking Tuesday the 8th off as well to make it a longer weekend.
Also, It usually takes me a day to recover from the work week so I think the big ride would start on Sunday morning instead of this coming Saturday.

I'm actually using a road bike but funny you should mention Bethpage State Park because I am familiar with it. Take a look: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/11363381 (don't laugh at the pathetically slow pace. It was a leisure ride plus I had to stop several times to reconfigure the garmin 705)
85 miles is the farthest I've ridden so far. If you examine the route I took more closely you would notice that once I hit long island, I attempted to avoid the major roads as much as I can. Although I was forced to ride parallel to Sunrise and Merrick Rd. during much of it. I would rather ride nice scenic routes avoiding heavy traffic.

I was hoping to ride that route from Brooklyn...go beyond bethpage state park to maybe port jefferson, crash at some inexpensive motel or hotel, then continue on the next day to Orient point. And if I couldn't make it I would hop on the long island railroad back to new york.
If your saying that I won't be able to stay at any place decent then I'm going to have to think about taking a train out to maybe port jefferson or somewhere you suggest and do a century (if I can) out close to orient point then grab a train back home. I would rather save my strength for enjoying the scenery out east in Long Island instead of wasting it riding from Brooklyn into Long Island. If I were to start from Brooklyn do that then by the time the good scenery came around it would be late in the day and I wouldn't enjoy the scenery. Without a place to stay I would be forced to take a train home then and there (Brooklyn to port jefferson for instance). Which is why I thought of sleeping overnight some place and starting again fresh in the morning.

My other multi-day idea was to take a train out to port jefferson or another nearby stop, do 80 or 100 miles east for orient point (using routes sometimes passing near the shore and other nice scenic paths), stay a night at some nearby motel, then do some more miles south toward the southern fork.....using ferries if necessary. Whatever plan I eventually use will include routes programmed into the garmin 705. I think I have to use a "course" correct? What format is that by the way?

I dunno, I guess I need some expert advice. Thanks for responding Papa Tom cause I been seeing here and there on this forum your giving out good advice.

EDIT: One further note, I wouldn't mind spending the night at a mom N pop motel as long it was clean and decent and I had access to a washing machine.

Here's a MapItPronto route that is part of my bike commute as well as the best roads to get to Bethpage from SW Nassau County. I ride SW Nassau extensively and this route avoids the very worst of the high traffic roads.

I indicated the LIE Service road east from Plainview as it's easy to follow, has a good shoulder, traffic is not horrible and it goes a way's east before the service road ends..

I stopped the route at Lake Ronkonkhoma as that's pretty much as far as I know.

I would suggest the State DOT Bike Route 25 for the rest, or perhaps PapaTom can flesh the route out.

Best of luck

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4950

SB

Here's a MapItPronto route that is part of my bike commute as well as the best roads to get to Bethpage from SW Nassau County. I ride SW Nassau extensively and this route avoids the very worst of the high traffic roads.

I indicated the LIE Service road east from Plainview as it's easy to follow, has a good shoulder, traffic is not horrible and it goes a way's east before the service road ends..

I stopped the route at Lake Ronkonkhoma as that's pretty much as far as I know.

I would suggest the State DOT Bike Route 25 for the rest, or perhaps PapaTom can flesh the route out.

Best of luck

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4950

SB

Nice. That looks a little better than my route from Brooklyn. Although, if what PapaTom says is true about no motels or hotels this weekend, and it probably is, I might be better off taking a train out into long island then riding a near century on the north fork. Or maybe 50 miles on the north fork to orient point then take the ferry on to the south fork and do another 50. Then eventually taking a train back home. But it would really cut into the feeling of adventure and disconnect if I wasn't able to stay out there for the night some place. Damn this holiday tourist crowd!

Having tried many years in a row to plan summer/fall overnight rides to the east end, I can say with much confidence that you should not count on finding accommodations of any kind on Labor Day weekend. I thought this year's economy might have changed all that, but based on attempts I've made to find a room in the beginning and middle of this past summer, it appears the tourists are still flocking out there.

I don't want to turn you off to the idea of riding the island, but I want to make sure you have a realistic picture of what to expect as far as "scenery." Of course, as far as I'm concerned, ANYTHING seen from the saddle of a bicycle is "scenery." However, if you're expecting to ride past miles and miles of sandy beaches and waterside cafes, you will be seriously disappointed.

My route from Syosset to Pt. Jeff using Pulaski Road, parts of 25A, and some smaller side roads, is about the most scenic and rustic you will find. However, I can't really think of a piece of it that I'd recommend to someone who wants to "see" Long Island. Way east of there, if you continue toward the NORTH fork, you'll start seeing some water, farms, and wineries, but I'm not sure these will be worth the trip. If you head toward the SOUTH fork, you'll be mostly riding along busy Montauk Highway past some slummy areas and not a whole lot of what you might envision.

In the end, though, both Greenport (north) and Montauk (south) are great destinations. Just don't plan on staying over unless you bring a tent with you.

Also, please don't tell any of my fellow Long Island riders, but I much prefer the southern shore of Connecticut to either shore of Long Island. If you train or ride out to PortJefferson, you can ferry over to Bridgeport, CT and head east toward Rhode Island, passing through a bunch of really nice towns, including Mystic, Stonington, and many others. You're also a little more likely to find accommodations up that way, unless you choose to stay in Mystic or one of the more popular destinations in Rhode Island. I usually go as far as Narragansett or Newport, then head back to New London and return to Long Island - via ferry - from there.

I believe another rider followed my advice regarding Connecticut and had a really good ride. I just can't remember who it was or what he titled his post. Maybe you can search for it.

Anyway, once again, I just want to make sure you're aware that the image most Brooklyn people have of Long Island is about as accurate as the image most Long Islanders have of Brooklyn. Pretty much all those great ocean views you see in the travel guides are taken behind private houses that block the ocean from the rest of us. Basically, if you're not one of the beautiful people, all you get to look at on a bike tour of this island are miles and miles of shopping malls and fast food restaurants. As a proud lifetime Islander, I'm really sorry it turned out this way, but I don't want to misrepresent this place to someone who is about to spend a lot of time and energy cycling it.

Connecticut, on the other hand, still has some really nice pockets of natural beauty. Just follow the roads closest to the Long Island Sound.

Have I convinced you yet?

If you do end up doing this, I am familiar with the roads east of Port Jeff. This cue sheet is pretty much all you need: http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/libc/cuesheets/CuesheetB002.pdf .

I haven't been to the south fork by bicycle but I can't imagine it being nicer than the north fork. From the Port Jeff area to Orient Point is 50-55 miles one way, and ridiculously flat (2050 vertical feet of climbing over 110 miles). I think it is worth seeing if you are not familiar with Long Island. You need to go about 15 miles past Port Jefferson before you hit really pleasing scenery (fields, farms, some of the Sound).

Having tried many years in a row to plan summer/fall overnight rides to the east end, I can say with much confidence that you should not count on finding accommodations of any kind on Labor Day weekend. I thought this year's economy might have changed all that, but based on attempts I've made to find a room in the beginning and middle of this past summer, it appears the tourists are still flocking out there.

I don't want to turn you off to the idea of riding the island, but I want to make sure you have a realistic picture of what to expect as far as "scenery." Of course, as far as I'm concerned, ANYTHING seen from the saddle of a bicycle is "scenery." However, if you're expecting to ride past miles and miles of sandy beaches and waterside cafes, you will be seriously disappointed.

My route from Syosset to Pt. Jeff using Pulaski Road, parts of 25A, and some smaller side roads, is about the most scenic and rustic you will find. However, I can't really think of a piece of it that I'd recommend to someone who wants to "see" Long Island. Way east of there, if you continue toward the NORTH fork, you'll start seeing some water, farms, and wineries, but I'm not sure these will be worth the trip. If you head toward the SOUTH fork, you'll be mostly riding along busy Montauk Highway past some slummy areas and not a whole lot of what you might envision.

In the end, though, both Greenport (north) and Montauk (south) are great destinations. Just don't plan on staying over unless you bring a tent with you.

Also, please don't tell any of my fellow Long Island riders, but I much prefer the southern shore of Connecticut to either shore of Long Island. If you train or ride out to PortJefferson, you can ferry over to Bridgeport, CT and head east toward Rhode Island, passing through a bunch of really nice towns, including Mystic, Stonington, and many others. You're also a little more likely to find accommodations up that way, unless you choose to stay in Mystic or one of the more popular destinations in Rhode Island. I usually go as far as Narragansett or Newport, then head back to New London and return to Long Island - via ferry - from there.

I believe another rider followed my advice regarding Connecticut and had a really good ride. I just can't remember who it was or what he titled his post. Maybe you can search for it.

Anyway, once again, I just want to make sure you're aware that the image most Brooklyn people have of Long Island is about as accurate as the image most Long Islanders have of Brooklyn. Pretty much all those great ocean views you see in the travel guides are taken behind private houses that block the ocean from the rest of us. Basically, if you're not one of the beautiful people, all you get to look at on a bike tour of this island are miles and miles of shopping malls and fast food restaurants. As a proud lifetime Islander, I'm really sorry it turned out this way, but I don't want to misrepresent this place to someone who is about to spend a lot of time and energy cycling it.

Connecticut, on the other hand, still has some really nice pockets of natural beauty. Just follow the roads closest to the Long Island Sound.

Have I convinced you yet?

Wow! And this coming from someone from Long Island! But what about Orient Point and the ferry down to the South fork? Isn't the road along those areas nice? And when I mean scenery I mean a road with less traffic with quaint little towns. Yes, I also expect some wineries and some beach views. I thought for sure the north fork going out to orient point would have been beautiful to ride and see. That area CAN'T be slummy....right?
Well, tell me more about that northern route into CT.

If you do end up doing this, I am familiar with the roads east of Port Jeff. This cue sheet is pretty much all you need: http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/libc/cuesheets/CuesheetB002.pdf .

I haven't been to the south fork by bicycle but I can't imagine it being nicer than the north fork. From the Port Jeff area to Orient Point is 50-55 miles one way, and ridiculously flat (2050 vertical feet of climbing over 110 miles). I think it is worth seeing if you are not familiar with Long Island. You need to go about 15 miles past Port Jefferson before you hit really pleasing scenery (fields, farms, some of the Sound).

Exactly! This is what I was hoping for about the north fork. Perhaps PapaTom has seen it too many times for him to appreciate anymore?
I would still like PapaTom to tell me more details about that route going north into CT though. If I could get a cue sheet or a garmin programmed route or something, I could figure out what Holiday Inns or other motels are in the area.

>>>>I haven't been to the south fork by bicycle but I can't imagine it being nicer than the north fork. From the Port Jeff area to Orient Point is 50-55 miles one way, and ridiculously flat (2050 vertical feet of climbing over 110 miles). I think it is worth seeing if you are not familiar with Long Island. You need to go about 15 miles past Port Jefferson before you hit really pleasing scenery (fields, farms, some of the Sound).<<<<<<

To me, the north fork is definitely nicer than the south, regardless of the fact that the south is where the Hamptons are. On the north fork, the main roads pass right by the farms, wineries, and little ocean views. On the south, the main roads pass by lots of fast food restaurants, outlet stores, etc. In order to see "scenery" on the south shore, you need to find your way into the private neighborhoods, where the locals may not be too welcoming.

The north fork ride gets nice around Sound Avenue, where you start to get some glimpses of the Long Island Sound. The reason I'm not pushing you to do it is that there doesn't seem to be enough to impress someone who has traveled as far as you will to get there. For me, the best part of that ride is the eight-mile bike lane between Greenport and Orient Point. While Greenport is a very cool destination, Orient Point itself is nothing more than a ferry terminal and a snack bar.

What you'd probably really enjoy is to hop a short ferry from Greenport to Shelter Island, ride across Shelter Island on Rt. 114, ferry from Shelter Island to North Haven, then continue on 114 to Sag Harbor or into East Hampton. This would give you a taste of both forks and might match your criteria for "scenic" very well. If you do this, check the "Across The Forks" route on the "Road Rides" page of my website at nyrides.freehosting.net . The ride between Greenport and Orient Point is also on there.

Regarding Connecticut, my rough cue sheet from a 2001 trip between Bridgeport (other side of the Pt. Jeff Ferry) and Mystic is as follows. However, keep in mind that I spent a lot of time lost and a lot of time discovering new and better roads to travel. If you look at a map, you can do the same - and the route will be all yours!

Syosset to Pt. Jefferson (30 miles)




Woodbury Road to Pulaski Rd. 13 miles to Rt. 25A in Kings Park.
2 miles to fork, straight onto ROSE STREET
To LANDING AVENUE. Make RIGHT
2 miles to EDGEWOOD in Smithtown. Make LEFT
2 miles to 25A
4 miles to fork in Stony Brook. Bear left
½ mile to fork. Bear RIGHT and stay on 25A
5.75 miles, pass Setauket, to ferry




Bridgeport to Milford (11 miles)





From ferry, cross water at Congress Street
Look for Crescent Ave. after crossing and continue north
At end of Crescent (1 mile) turn right, ½ mile to Connecticut Ave.
Left onto Connecticut, ½ mile to Hollister
Right onto Hollister
½ mile, go under Rt. 95 and bear left onto Lordship (113 south)
1 mile to Access Road
Left on Access road
1 mile to 113 North
Left on 113 North
1.5 miles to Rt. 1
Make right, 5 miles to HOJO





Milford to Old Saybrook (53 miles)




Get to Rt. 162 North
9 miles (thru westhaven) to Rt 1
Cross water toward East Haven(Rt.1 = Forbes?) 5 miles to Rt. 142
Right onto 142
4.5 mile loop past Short Beach to Rt. 146
Make right onto Rt. 146 (or get on Rt. 1 to cut out 4 miles)
Rt. 146, 11 miles thru Branford, south to Indian Neck, thru Pine Orchard, thru Leetes Island, and back to Rt. 1.
Make right onto Rt. 1
Rt 1 thru Madison, Clinton, Grove Beach, 15 miles
At the HS and McDonald’s, make a right onto Rt. 154 and do the 5 mile loop by the ocean.
Return to Rt. 1, turn right and go to Ferry Road (Pat’s Country Kitchen)
Make right onto Ferry and go to end.
Left onto Essex to Comfort Inn on left, #100 Essex. $85.50 AAA rate. 860-395-1414.







Old Saybrook to Mystic (~25 miles)



Cross water on Rt 1
Right onto Rt. 156, 14 mile loop thru Black Hall, Sound View, and Niantic,
Pick up Rt1 at Waterford/ New London
2.5 miles to Gold Star Bridge
Cross bridge and continue on Rt. 1, seven miles into Mystic


There's more I can tell you if you decide to go this way, but I know you've got to make your plan really soon and I want to get you as much info as I can as fast as I can.

Regarding hotels I know of in CT, Milford has a HOJO and either a Super 8 or a Motel 6. Neither is a palace, but both are clean enough for a bike trip and both were pretty cheap the last time I used them. The HOJO has two pools (in and out), mini golf, and some other ammenities you wouldn't expect for the price. The Super 8/Motel 6 across the street is a basic budget hotel.

Old Saybrook has a bunch of hotels, too. I stayed at a Comfort Inn that was a little off the beaten path, but put me right on course for New London when I woke up in the morning. Be sure to take a side trip down to the water if you stay in Old Saybrook or you'll miss the whole point.

New London and New Haven are not great places to stay. In New Haven, be sure to detour over to Long Wharf Drive for a good waterside ride. Mystic has lots of hotels, but they are sure to be booked. You may be able to find a Marriott or Holiday Inn in Groton, which is right over the Gold Star Bridge from New London.

If you private message me, I will provide my phone number to try to help you out if you get lost along the way, either on Long Island or in Connecticut.

Any other specific questions for now?

>>>>I haven't been to the south fork by bicycle but I can't imagine it being nicer than the north fork. From the Port Jeff area to Orient Point is 50-55 miles one way, and ridiculously flat (2050 vertical feet of climbing over 110 miles). I think it is worth seeing if you are not familiar with Long Island. You need to go about 15 miles past Port Jefferson before you hit really pleasing scenery (fields, farms, some of the Sound).<<<<<<

To me, the north fork is definitely nicer than the south, regardless of the fact that the south is where the Hamptons are. On the north fork, the main roads pass right by the farms, wineries, and little ocean views. On the south, the main roads pass by lots of fast food restaurants, outlet stores, etc. In order to see "scenery" on the south shore, you need to find your way into the private neighborhoods, where the locals may not be too welcoming.

The north fork ride gets nice around Sound Avenue, where you start to get some glimpses of the Long Island Sound. The reason I'm not pushing you to do it is that there doesn't seem to be enough to impress someone who has traveled as far as you will to get there. For me, the best part of that ride is the eight-mile bike lane between Greenport and Orient Point. While Greenport is a very cool destination, Orient Point itself is nothing more than a ferry terminal and a snack bar.

What you'd probably really enjoy is to hop a short ferry from Greenport to Shelter Island, ride across Shelter Island on Rt. 114, ferry from Shelter Island to North Haven, then continue on 114 to Sag Harbor or into East Hampton. This would give you a taste of both forks and might match your criteria for "scenic" very well. If you do this, check the "Across The Forks" route on the "Road Rides" page of my website at nyrides.freehosting.net . The ride between Greenport and Orient Point is also on there.

Regarding Connecticut, my rough cue sheet from a 2001 trip between Bridgeport (other side of the Pt. Jeff Ferry) and Mystic is as follows. However, keep in mind that I spent a lot of time lost and a lot of time discovering new and better roads to travel. If you look at a map, you can do the same - and the route will be all yours!

Syosset to Pt. Jefferson (30 miles)




Woodbury Road to Pulaski Rd. 13 miles to Rt. 25A in Kings Park.
2 miles to fork, straight onto ROSE STREET
To LANDING AVENUE. Make RIGHT
2 miles to EDGEWOOD in Smithtown. Make LEFT
2 miles to 25A
4 miles to fork in Stony Brook. Bear left
½ mile to fork. Bear RIGHT and stay on 25A
5.75 miles, pass Setauket, to ferry




Bridgeport to Milford (11 miles)





From ferry, cross water at Congress Street
Look for Crescent Ave. after crossing and continue north
At end of Crescent (1 mile) turn right, ½ mile to Connecticut Ave.
Left onto Connecticut, ½ mile to Hollister
Right onto Hollister
½ mile, go under Rt. 95 and bear left onto Lordship (113 south)
1 mile to Access Road
Left on Access road
1 mile to 113 North
Left on 113 North
1.5 miles to Rt. 1
Make right, 5 miles to HOJO





Milford to Old Saybrook (53 miles)




Get to Rt. 162 North
9 miles (thru westhaven) to Rt 1
Cross water toward East Haven(Rt.1 = Forbes?) 5 miles to Rt. 142
Right onto 142
4.5 mile loop past Short Beach to Rt. 146
Make right onto Rt. 146 (or get on Rt. 1 to cut out 4 miles)
Rt. 146, 11 miles thru Branford, south to Indian Neck, thru Pine Orchard, thru Leetes Island, and back to Rt. 1.
Make right onto Rt. 1
Rt 1 thru Madison, Clinton, Grove Beach, 15 miles
At the HS and McDonald’s, make a right onto Rt. 154 and do the 5 mile loop by the ocean.
Return to Rt. 1, turn right and go to Ferry Road (Pat’s Country Kitchen)
Make right onto Ferry and go to end.
Left onto Essex to Comfort Inn on left, #100 Essex. $85.50 AAA rate. 860-395-1414.







Old Saybrook to Mystic (~25 miles)



Cross water on Rt 1
Right onto Rt. 156, 14 mile loop thru Black Hall, Sound View, and Niantic,
Pick up Rt1 at Waterford/ New London
2.5 miles to Gold Star Bridge
Cross bridge and continue on Rt. 1, seven miles into Mystic


There's more I can tell you if you decide to go this way, but I know you've got to make your plan really soon and I want to get you as much info as I can as fast as I can.

Regarding hotels I know of in CT, Milford has a HOJO and either a Super 8 or a Motel 6. Neither is a palace, but both are clean enough for a bike trip and both were pretty cheap the last time I used them. The HOJO has two pools (in and out), mini golf, and some other ammenities you wouldn't expect for the price. The Super 8/Motel 6 across the street is a basic budget hotel.

Old Saybrook has a bunch of hotels, too. I stayed at a Comfort Inn that was a little off the beaten path, but put me right on course for New London when I woke up in the morning. Be sure to take a side trip down to the water if you stay in Old Saybrook or you'll miss the whole point.

New London and New Haven are not great places to stay. In New Haven, be sure to detour over to Long Wharf Drive for a good waterside ride. Mystic has lots of hotels, but they are sure to be booked. You may be able to find a Marriott or Holiday Inn in Groton, which is right over the Gold Star Bridge from New London.

If you private message me, I will provide my phone number to try to help you out if you get lost along the way, either on Long Island or in Connecticut.

Any other specific questions for now?

This is a lot to digest. Between now (12:30pm Saturday) and 8pm tonight I need to have completed my plan on this little trip...as well as do some bike maintenance).
Now, in case I decide on doing long island for the north fork, do you have a nice scenic, low traffic route that is between port jefferson and orient point?
Also, how often are the ferries between the forks (north and south)?

If I decide long island then I have to plan for a one day event. If I go into CT then I'm looking at an overnight stay. If I were to do CT I would want the flexibility of just riding into a HOJO or a super 8 and just taking a room for the night. I wouldn't want to have to call ahead for a reservation because that would ruin the flexibility of altering the riding route as I saw fit.

Keep the information coming because I have a feeling someone else out there will be wanting to use this information besides me this weekend.

Thanks again!

Old Saybrook has a bunch of hotels, too. I stayed at a Comfort Inn that was a little off the beaten path, but put me right on course for New London when I woke up in the morning. Be sure to take a side trip down to the water if you stay in Old Saybrook or you'll miss the whole point.

New London and New Haven are not great places to stay. In New Haven, be sure to detour over to Long Wharf Drive for a good waterside ride. Mystic has lots of hotels, but they are sure to be booked. You may be able to find a Marriott or Holiday Inn in Groton, which is right over the Gold Star Bridge from New London.

If you private message me, I will provide my phone number to try to help you out if you get lost along the way, either on Long Island or in Connecticut.

Any other specific questions for now?

Taking the train to port jefferson then a ferry to Bridgeport, I'll ride east along the path you suggest and ending up in either Old Say Brook or Groton for an overnight stay might be an interesting one day trip. Then the next day I could take the New London/Orient Point ferry to Orient point and travel west along the north fork as far as I could go (port jefferson?) before grabbing a long island train back to New York.

That indeed sounds very interesting. I wonder if there is a train that leaves new york and goes straight to bridgeport?
Anyways, what do you think?

To me, the north fork is definitely nicer than the south, regardless of the fact that the south is where the Hamptons are. On the north fork, the main roads pass right by the farms, wineries, and little ocean views. On the south, the main roads pass by lots of fast food restaurants, outlet stores, etc. In order to see "scenery" on the south shore, you need to find your way into the private neighborhoods, where the locals may not be too welcoming.


Tom

I'd highly recommend you ride the Tour of the Hamptons some time. It would refresh your current opinion of the south shore/fork area. Much as the Bike-Boat-Bike ride opened up to me a world of back roads on the North Fork and Shelter Island, so does the ToH for the south fork. Even the 55 mile route stays almost completely off Montauk Hwy, as it weaves it's way along occasional ocean views, ponds, and assorted local roads. If anything, the south fork west of Amaganset has a greater number of local roads that makes it easier to avoid the congested towns, as compared to the north fork.

Just food for thought

Steve B.

Tom

I'd highly recommend you ride the Tour of the Hamptons some time. It would refresh your current opinion of the south shore/fork area. Much as the Bike-Boat-Bike ride opened up to me a world of back roads on the North Fork and Shelter Island, so does the ToH for the south fork. Even the 55 mile route stays almost completely off Montauk Hwy, as it weaves it's way along occasional ocean views, ponds, and assorted local roads. If anything, the south fork west of Amaganset has a greater number of local roads that makes it easier to avoid the congested towns, as compared to the north fork.

Just food for thought

Steve B.

Ack! :eek: Now I have more thinking to do. But PapaTom hasn't yet commented on my Bridgeport to Groton - New London/Orient boat ride and Orient point west to Port jefferson idea. Although, From Orient Point I could go south with another ferry to the south fork and do a little bit of that tour of the hamptons route making it a real day trip.

Comments?

Ack! :eek: Now I have more thinking to do. But PapaTom hasn't yet commented on my Bridgeport to Groton - New London/Orient boat ride and Orient point west to Port jefferson idea. Although, From Orient Point I could go south with another ferry to the south fork and do a little bit of that tour of the hamptons route making it a real day trip.

Comments?

Well, You don't KNOW the ToH route, and neither do I. It's a club event that is marked with the cue sheets given out at the ride, so that helps you not. This was obviously a comment to Tom that, even though he HATES the Hamptons area (for good reason) the Massapequa Park Bike Club successfully finds roads to conduct assorted distances on. That does you no good in the short term.

If it were me, I'd be riding to Port Jeff as day 1, head to Ct, head up the coast a bit and find a motel (better likelyhood in Ct. as Tom has indicated), then figure out Monday what you want to do - Back via New London and then as far west as you can get then LIRR the rest. Ride around Ct for a day then Amtrak it or something, your call.

In any event I give you ton's of credit for wanting to try this, especially last minute and hope that if you do it you have a terrific trip. FWIW, you may not find a better weekend weather wise !

SB

Sorry for the delay, Stalker. I'm running a block party tomorrow (Sunday) and I've been really busy all day.

Out of Port Jeff, I would take East Broadway (don't turn right onto the continuation of 25A!) into Old Post Road East. Then, at Crystal Brook Hollow Road, make a right all the way to North Country Road. If you make a right on North Country, you can take a quick left and continue south on Crystal Brook. When you reach 25A, make a left to head east. At Woodville Road, turn left and go a short distance to re-connect with North Country Road. Make a right to head east on North Country.

Just before Wading River, you'll need to make a right on Calverton Drive and go a shirt distance back to 25A. (I know this sounds confusing, but I'm giving you the shortest route, milewise.) Make a left on 25A to continue heading east. Soon you will come to a curve in the road, where Sound Avenue branches off to the left. Take Sound Avenue (Rt. 48) past miles of farms and then bear left when Rt. 48 turns into New Middle Road (Sound Ave will continue straight, but it dips a little farther south than you want to go). Continue on Rt. 48 through a whole bunch of name changes until you reach Main Street in Greenport. I'd make a right here and go visit Greenport (or head to the south fork). But if you want to continue on to Orient Point, there's a nice bike lane and some good scenery.

Now, let me go back and look at your question about ferries, etc. I'll get back to you in a minute!

>>>>Taking the train to port jefferson then a ferry to Bridgeport, I'll ride east along the path you suggest and ending up in either Old Say Brook or Groton for an overnight stay might be an interesting one day trip. Then the next day I could take the New London/Orient Point ferry to Orient point and travel west along the north fork as far as I could go (port jefferson?) before grabbing a long island train back to New York.<<<<<

Not a bad idea. What's even nicer is to ride WEST from Bridgeport and pass through all the mansion towns of Connecticut, ending, perhaps in Greenwich. This is only about 30 miles from Bridgeport, though, so I'd suggest first riding out to Port Jeff.

My route from Bridgeport to Greenwich is as follows:


Ferry Access Road south, becomes RR Avenue. Follow RR Avenue east 1.5 miles
Turn left on Fairfield Avenue and go 4.5 miles to Pequot
Turn left on Pequot and go 1.5 miles to fork. Bear left onto Beachside Avenue
1.2 miles and turn right onto New Creek
Quick left onto Greens Farms Road
2.5 miles and bear right/straight onto Bridge Street
½ mile, cross water and turn left on Riverside Ave
Go under 95 and make right onto Charles St/Park St (Rt.136)
At fork, go left on Park.
Bear left onto Sagatauk Ave (becomes Winfield St)
2.25 miles to East Ave (E. Norwalk train station)
Left on East Avenue to Van Zant Street
Right on Van Zant and go ½ mile to Ft. Point Street/Washington St
Left on Fort Point, 7 miles to Flax Hill Road
Left on Flax Hill Road and go 2.5 miles (becomes Old Kings Hwy) to Rt. 1
Left on Rt. 1 and continue on to Greenwich. (You can probably do better than Rt. 1. This was not the highlight of this ride, by any means!)


CONT'D BELOW)

>>>>>I wonder if there is a train that leaves new york and goes straight to bridgeport?<<<<

I believe both AMTRAK and Metro North go to Bridgeport, stopping right at the ferry terminal. You'd better make sure you can bring your bike on board first, though. Do you have a permit?

Once again, sorry I dropped the ball on you. I'll try to check in more frequently throughout the rest of the day!

>>>But PapaTom hasn't yet commented on my Bridgeport to Groton - New London/Orient boat ride and Orient point west to Port jefferson idea. Although, From Orient Point I could go south with another ferry to the south fork and do a little bit of that tour of the hamptons route making it a real day trip.<<<<

Oops, I missed this one. Bridgeport and New London are both kind of seedy, so don't count on using either as a "destination." As I said in an earlier post, if you're going to ride out of Bridgeport and you're not going as far as either Mystic, CT or Narragansett, RI, I'd think about riding west instead. If you still want to ferry to Orient Point, it's a nice ride from there to Port Jeff, but be sure to stop in Greenport along the way. And don't forget the "Across The Forks" option with a train ride home on the LIRR from one of the south shore stations. Again, check the schedules, as the trains run very infrequently as you go further east. There's only one train out of Greenport each night that goes back to where I live.

You also asked about the frequency of ferries between Greenport and Shelter Island/ Shelter Island and North Haven. These are five-minute ferry rides that cost $4-5. They run about every 5-10 minutes. BEAUTIFUL ferry rides, both of them!

Let me see if there are any other posts I missed!

>>Tom

I'd highly recommend you ride the Tour of the Hamptons some time. It would refresh your current opinion of the south shore/fork area. Much as the Bike-Boat-Bike ride opened up to me a world of back roads on the North Fork and Shelter Island, so does the ToH for the south fork.<<<

I'm sure you're right. I've done a bit of riding on the back roads of the Hamptons and found some really awesome roads and ocean views. But these are not along the main roads that most bicycle tourists would use to get to Montauk or other destinations on the south shore. That's why I always try to steer touring cyclists away from this fork. There's just a much better chance of seeing a deer or catching a priceless view of the water on the north shore, in my opinion.

In addition, as you - or someone else - pointed out, I guess I'm just not a fan of the Hamptons crowd. My interactions with north shore folks, on the other hand, have always been a pleasure.

>>>But PapaTom hasn't yet commented on my Bridgeport to Groton - New London/Orient boat ride and Orient point west to Port jefferson idea. Although, From Orient Point I could go south with another ferry to the south fork and do a little bit of that tour of the hamptons route making it a real day trip.<<<<

Oops, I missed this one. Bridgeport and New London are both kind of seedy, so don't count on using either as a "destination." As I said in an earlier post, if you're going to ride out of Bridgeport and you're not going as far as either Mystic, CT or Narragansett, RI, I'd think about riding west instead. If you still want to ferry to Orient Point, it's a nice ride from there to Port Jeff, but be sure to stop in Greenport along the way. And don't forget the "Across The Forks" option with a train ride home on the LIRR from one of the south shore stations. Again, check the schedules, as the trains run very infrequently as you go further east. There's only one train out of Greenport each night that goes back to where I live.

You also asked about the frequency of ferries between Greenport and Shelter Island/ Shelter Island and North Haven. These are five-minute ferry rides that cost $4-5. They run about every 5-10 minutes. BEAUTIFUL ferry rides, both of them!

Let me see if there are any other posts I missed!

*4 hours later after finally finishing washing, lubing, and tire changing his bike*

Seedy? What....is it slummy or something in those areas? Well, Bridgeport would be a launching point so I wouldn't be hanging around there too long. But I was hoping that there might have been somewhere to stay if I were to trek out to the east toward new london where the ferry to orient point is. I don't need to actually stay in new london but perhaps mystic or somewhere west of new london you mentioned......old saybrook? Point is, would there be anyplace I could stay in the general area?

Because if not, then I might have to stay in long island and ride east toward orient point then go south a bit then catch a train all in the same day.

EDIT: I re-read one of the above posts. You mentioned there are places to stay in both Milford and in old saybrook. Do you remember the address or name of the exact place you stayed in old saybrook? Because that might be the closest to the new london ferry trip.

Oh yeah, What do you suggest.....taking the long island railroad to port jefferson then a ferry trip to bridgeport? Or is there an amtrak train that goes straight to bridgeport from ny. Which would be quicker I wonder.
And, what is the frequency of ferries from port jefferson to bridgeport? How much?

Sorry for asking so many questions but you've been a great help.
Thanks again!


EDIT #2:

Right now I'm tracing your Bridgeport to milford route to map it pronto. Tell me, I'm assuming the millford to old saybrook route is the more scenic of say.. the bridgeport to milford?
Oh, this is important, that motel you stayed at in old saybrook.....you didn't reserve ahead of course right? It simply had a room available correct?

Stalker:

I'm having a bad night! I've written not one, but TWO long responses to the above e-mail and both have gotten eaten by the cyber goblins. Please send an e-mail to me at tommontalbano@optonline.net and I will give you my phone number. My fingers are aching at this point and I just can't type all that stuff out a third time. Sorry.....

Aw, heck. Let me try it one more time, in even shorter form. This time, I'm not going to navigate away from this page to find a link or a phone number. That's what keeps screwing me up!

* Bridgeport and New London - Slummy.
* Hotel in New London - Radisson and maybe some others. Check first. They will be pricey and maybe booked up.
* Hotel in Old Saybrook (25 miles west of New London) - Comfort Inn at 100 Essex Street. The phone number is on my 2001 cue sheet for this ride.
* If you're going to do the New London Ferry, I suggest overshooting New London by 11 miles and trying to find a room in Mystic. There's a Holiday Inn Express, HOJO, Best Western, and some others on Rt. 27, a short distance from where you'll pass through downtown Mystic on Rt. 1. Don't bother with Mystic Pizza. It's worse than the pizza you get at an airport or a baseball stadium. Mystic is one of my favorite destinations. Try to ride the loop around the seaport. If you have time, go to Stonington Village.

In response to your question about training or biking to Bridgeport. It depends on a couple of things:

1. If you are going to head west from Bridgeport (back toward NYC) I would bicycle to Pt. Jeff and use the ferry. They leave about every 90 minutes (check the website) and charge about $17 one way for an adult on a bicycle (check that, too, as they seem to have taken the bicycle price off the rate sheet and raised the price of a walk-on passenger to the bicycle passenger price).

2. If you are heading east from Bridgeport, it's your call whether to ride or train. Some of the scenery is really nice between Westchester and Bridgeport. It all depends on how many days you're going to take and how many miles you think you can cover. 25-30 miles is a lot if you haven't been on a bike in a while!

I'm entering in routes as we speak into map it pronto.

Here is the first one.... Bridgeport to Milford: http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4961

I've taking the liberty of altering the route a bit.

I will edit this post with more soon.

EDIT #1:

From Milford to Old saybrook........

Exactly how do you get from rt. 162 to rt. 1? I don't see any connection from what you said at West Haven. I'm going to have to connect roads myself.

EDIT #2: CRaP!!

I can't take amtrak to bridgeport straight.....no bicycles allowed. I will indeed have to take the long island railroad to Port Jefferson and look for a Ferry.

EDIT #3:

I'm still mapping Milford to Old Saybrook from your route. A lot of what you've shown me so far is often on high traffic roads as far as I can see. Is this correct? Did you actually take this route.....and enjoyed it?

Oh, and Milford...There's the Howard Johnson Hotel and the Super 8, both on Rt. 1. Both are kind of dumpy, but you won't notice after a day of riding.

Re your map:

There's not much advantage to taking Crescent St over Stratford. You don't avoid the crack houses.

Also, try to work in Shore Road at that spot where you're approaching Selby Pond. There's a good view of the Sound there and a deli or snack bar, if I remember right.

I like how you've routed yourself toward the water starting with Rivercliff Drive. However, if you're going to stay in Milford, you'll need to work your way back to Rt. 1.

The two hotels I mentioned are just southwest of the Connecticut Post Mall (see it on your map), where Rt 1 crosses I-95

>>>Right now I'm tracing your Bridgeport to milford route to map it pronto. Tell me, I'm assuming the millford to old saybrook route is the more scenic of say.. the bridgeport to milford?<<<<<

Yes. Milford to Old Saybrook is my favorite part of the trip. (cont'd)

>>>Oh, this is important, that motel you stayed at in old saybrook.....you didn't reserve ahead of course right? It simply had a room available correct?<<<<<

No. I had a reservation!

Now that I've looked at the satellite photo, I'm not 100% sure that Shore Road is where that snack bar and beach is. Still, I would never pass on a road with the word "Shore" in its name!

ANOTHER thing: The part of Milford in which the hotels are located is NOT the nice part. For that, you have to ask someone how to get to Downtown Milford, where they hold the Oyster Fest. There's a pretty good Mexican restaurant by the water and a bunch of others in town. Otherwise, try Knickerbockers at the Boston Post Mall or Friendly's, in the HOJO parking lot. There's also a diner in the HOJO parking lot.

Are you still out there, Stalker?

>>>>Exactly how do you get from rt. 162 to rt. 1? I don't see any connection from what you said at West Haven. I'm going to have to connect roads myself.<<<<

I would just take River Street to North Street to Rt. 1

>>>EDIT #2: CRaP!!

I can't take amtrak to bridgeport straight.....no bicycles allowed. I will indeed have to take the long island railroad to Port Jefferson and look for a Ferry. <<<<<

You can take Metro North from Grand Central to Bridgeport, if I remember correctly. Yeah, it's the New Haven line. But if you don't have the $5 pass, they MIGHT give you a hard time. On a weekend or holiday, they also might NOT.

It would be easier for me if you would jump forward and respond to my later posts, rather than continuing to edit the one above. Otherwise, I have to keep going back and searching for it!

>>>>I'm still mapping Milford to Old Saybrook from your route. A lot of what you've shown me so far is often on high traffic roads as far as I can see. Is this correct? Did you actually take this route.....and enjoyed it?<<<<<

I'm having trouble finding your new posts. Can you quit editing this one and start adding your responses to the end of the thread? That would make this a lot easier!

Anyway, Rt. 1 goes from busy turnpike to country road on and off. I don't remember the other roads being high traffic, at all. The worst part was New Haven, where a volunteer at a local Boys & Girls Club steered me away from the city and a section filled with housing projects and guided me toward Long Wharf Drive, on the water. That part isn't on my cue sheet. Hmmm, I just remembered that.

To answer your question, I enjoyed the hell out of this ride!

Just pulled this entry from my diary of this trip. Bad news...I steered you wrong with Rt. 162. Read on:

DAY TWO: From Milford, I took another shoreline detour onto Rt. 162, which was supposed to take me along the coast all the way to West Haven. Somewhere while I was gazing at the water views and mansions, I took a wrong turn and ended up going several (maybe as many as 6) miles out of my way, ending up just two or three miles from my starting point after more than an hour of climbing jumbo hills. Anyway, after reconnecting with Rt. 1 in Orange, I headed into Westhaven, gateway to New Haven, which was pretty frightening. I can't believe this is the home of Yale University. It's really a rough city. And it sucks to be a lost Long Island bicyclist there. Fortunately, I ran into a very friendly woman from the local Boys & Girls Club who steered me away from a housing project, sending me almost ten miles out of the way to avoid any trouble. Unfortunately, it took me almost an hour longer than it should have to get outof the New Haven area, mostly because NOBODY, including policemen and firemen could give me legitimate directions. I'm really glad the weather was great, because this scene could have been very frustrating. Anyway, when I finally crossed the bridge from New Haven to East Haven, I found another shoreline detour, Rt. 142, which took me through some awesome beach communities, including Momauguin, Indian Neck, Pine Orchard, and Leetes Island. At Leetes, I connected with Rt. 146, which went through some great little towns like Guilford, Branford, Madison, and Clinton, then headed back toward the shore to pass through Grove Beach, Westbrook, and Saybrook Manor. Although the beaches I passed were kind of rocky, they were great for wetting the head and staring out at Long Island. Most of the coastline in CT seems to be used for docking rather than sunbathing.

Hey, Stalker. I hate to break this up, but I'm really trashed from preparing for tomorrow's block party all day today. I need to get up at 6am and it's pushing 11pm now. Are you able to map out the rest of this on your own?

OK, I'm getting sick of seeing my mug so many times in the left column, and I haven't had a response from you in a while. If you're not leaving until Monday, try me again Sunday morning. Gotta go for now!

Re your map:

There's not much advantage to taking Crescent St over Stratford. You don't avoid the crack houses.

Also, try to work in Shore Road at that spot where you're approaching Selby Pond. There's a good view of the Sound there and a deli or snack bar, if I remember right.

Crack houses? :eek:

I thought this area was supposed to be nice! Ok, now which leg is that where u say Crescent street over stratford?

Now this about crackhouses.....I was hoping for a nice ride here. I thought you said CT was better than Long Island in this regard?
Perhaps I should stick to long island? I've already invested 2 hours of mapping CT. Anyways, check out my route from Milford to Old Saybrook..........

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4962


EDIT: Argh! Sorry man! I was buy on map it pronto.com trying to program all the routes you gave me. It's very time consuming. I wish you would respond one more time. Crackhouses?

OK, I'm getting sick of seeing my mug so many times in the left column, and I haven't had a response from you in a while. If you're not leaving until Monday, try me again Sunday morning. Gotta go for now!

I'm actually going tomorrow Sunday! I was busy editing with map it pronto. :(
Gawd, there is never enough time! Ugh!

On the bridgeport to milford leg I only used crescent because you said to in your original instructions. So use stratford instead huh?

Um, so if I keep going east from there the environment will eventually get better right? I was thinking nice scenic routes....and the occasional mansion. But crackhouses? Not what I was hoping for.

Now that I've looked at the satellite photo, I'm not 100% sure that Shore Road is where that snack bar and beach is. Still, I would never pass on a road with the word "Shore" in its name!

Why?

Just pulled this entry from my diary of this trip. Bad news...I steered you wrong with Rt. 162. Read on:

DAY TWO: From Milford, I took another shoreline detour onto Rt. 162, which was supposed to take me along the coast all the way to West Haven. Somewhere while I was gazing at the water views and mansions, I took a wrong turn and ended up going several (maybe as many as 6) miles out of my way, ending up just two or three miles from my starting point after more than an hour of climbing jumbo hills. Anyway, after reconnecting with Rt. 1 in Orange, I headed into Westhaven, gateway to New Haven, which was pretty frightening. I can't believe this is the home of Yale University. It's really a rough city. And it sucks to be a lost Long Island bicyclist there. Fortunately, I ran into a very friendly woman from the local Boys & Girls Club who steered me away from a housing project, sending me almost ten miles out of the way to avoid any trouble. Unfortunately, it took me almost an hour longer than it should have to get outof the New Haven area, mostly because NOBODY, including policemen and firemen could give me legitimate directions. I'm really glad the weather was great, because this scene could have been very frustrating. Anyway, when I finally crossed the bridge from New Haven to East Haven, I found another shoreline detour, Rt. 142, which took me through some awesome beach communities, including Momauguin, Indian Neck, Pine Orchard, and Leetes Island. At Leetes, I connected with Rt. 146, which went through some great little towns like Guilford, Branford, Madison, and Clinton, then headed back toward the shore to pass through Grove Beach, Westbrook, and Saybrook Manor. Although the beaches I passed were kind of rocky, they were great for wetting the head and staring out at Long Island. Most of the coastline in CT seems to be used for docking rather than sunbathing.

Ok, so basically stay away from west haven?

Here is the Old Saybrook route to New London.

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4963

I don't think I would go into mystic. I would want to catch the ferry at that point.

After re-reading this thread and saw the posts I missed from you I've decided to look more closely at the Port jefferson to orient point route.

And this after I've spent 2 hours entering in Conneticut route data. :(

Here is my route from Port Jefferson to Orient point.

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4966

That state park at the end must be nice.

And my route from the shelter island ferry (greenport) to the south fork of LI and then west to hampton bays.

http://www.mapitpronto.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=routePlanner.viewDBRide&rideID=4967

I used a piece of the montauk century route in the south fork.

Sunday AM:

The Connecticut shore is beautiful, except for Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London. Other than that, it is a very nice ride. Keep in mind that these places are many miles apart. I still recommend CT.

Regarding the ride across the forks: Use the route in my website. It's basically Rt. 114 all the way, and there's a nice bike lane most of the way through.

>>>Here is my route from Port Jefferson to Orient point.<<<<

I would stay on Rt. 48 all the way to Main Street, then make a right to Greenport. After you've seen Greenport, either head back on Main Street to 48 (which becomes 25 at that point!) or do the ferries to the south fork. Just be sure to check train schedules or you WILL get stranded out there!

>>>>That state park at the end must be nice<<<<

I didn't even know there was a state park out there. When you reach The Orient Point ferry, it's just very desolate. People use this town to get on and off the ferry, and that's about it. The state park most people travel to is Montauk Point, on the south shore.

>>>Gawd, there is never enough time! Ugh!<<<<

I commend you for trying to plan this on such short notice. I could never survive such an undertaking!

The problem is, when you try to throw something like this together overnight, you leave a lot of room for oversights and errors. For instance, as I'm re-reading my notes from eight years ago, I keep catching little mistakes that I've since corrected but haven't added to my official cue sheets. Every one of my trips have been trial and error; I work up a route, then when I get on the bike, a lot of it goes out the window. All of a sudden, there's construction on a certain road, or I see a road that looks a lot nicer than the one I am on. Unfortunately, I don't always write these little changes down.

Still, my original cue sheets serve as a good starting guide. Keep in mind that these were produced before the days of Google maps, GPS, etc. With all the tools available to you now, you should be able to produce some great routes of your own.

Unless you have any other questions, I'm going to get started with my block party set-up now. Have an incredibly awesome ride, whichever shore you choose. It's a beautiful, crisp, autumn day, and I'm jealous that I'm not going to get to ride myself!