Northeast - Question about a Hudson Valley (NY) bike route

Hi. I'm planning a long ride this weekend, a one-day ride of 140m or so, and when I input the coordinates into google maps, this is what the robots at google suggest for the second half of the ride:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=US-6+E&daddr=Catskill,+NY&hl=en&geocode=FXRddwIdNgab-w%3BFV4vhAIdg-qY-ymBt0l2nZbdiTFQiXKngTZpsA&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=14&dirflg=b&sll=41.386984,-73.722639&sspn=0.04044,0.059566&ie=UTF8&ll=41.799983,-73.902283&spn=1.285832,1.906128&z=9&lci=bike

The first half I'm well familiar with (which is why I didn't include a map of it), but I was wondering if anyone could offer any input on this part of the route that google has selected. Specifically I'm wondering:

1) how these roads are in terms of traffic and their appropriateness for cycling. Google cycle maps has, from time to time, spit me out on to roads on which I did not feel very safe, and with a lot of this route going on to state highways, I wanted to check with someone who's experienced in this region, and ask if you'd consider these roads safe for biking.

2) what kind of hills I'll be looking at. I'd describe myself as an experienced distance cyclist, so it's not that I fear hills, it's just that I'd like to know when/if they're coming so I can pace accordingly. Also, it'd be nice to know if there are any crazy 12% grade climbs or anything on this route, so I could be ready for that.

Thanks! Any advice/guidance is greatly appreciated.

HA! I'm just happy becuase this route is one of the routes I use to commute to college, except I stop in Poughkeepsie, infact, you're going to pass right by my house.

The route is pretty rolling hill-ish. Once you get off 301 and onto dean road / hosner mountain, you can expect some bigger rolling hills, but the momentum from the last hill helps you up the next, so it's nothing serious (6-10%). Then it's pretty much downward rolling hills untill route 52. 376 into poughkeepsie is a beautiful road! It gets some decent traffic, but nothing major, maybe a group of cars every minute in the middle of a weekend.

As you ride 376 into poughkeepsie, you're going to get a little confused as to where to follow 376 and how to connect to bicycle route 9. I think it goes without saying to say that as soon as you approach and pass poughkeepsie, you can expect some heavy traffic.

Route 9 right after and in poughkeepsie should be avoided AT ALL COSTS. It's pretty much a highway with little or no shoulder You could avoid going into poughkeepsie completely and shoot straight up before heading towards the river, or you could follow bicycle route 9 around poughkeepsie which is what I do. They have green signs for it you should see.

I hear route 9 after poughkeepsie is nice but I've never ridden it further north. What day do you plan to do this ride? care for some company? becuase it looks like a lot of fun, especially with someone else.

Hmmmm, I just tried replying with a private message, but apparently newbies don't have such privileges. Short reply: First, thanks for the awesome response, it's super-helpful. Second, I'm doing the ride this Saturday and I'd love company, but there are a couple disclaimers. If you private-message me your email, we can migrate the conversation over there and explain further.

I am pretty sure delafield is the last exit on Rt 9. Don't try to ride on Rt 9 anywhere further south of delafield which is a left exit if you are returning the same way. I've ridden over the Mid Hudson bridge between Lloyd and Poughkeepsie and you can snake you way through downtown and pick up 9 on that road. When you first get onto Rt 9, you will go by a lot of strip malls, the CIA, Marist college, etc so it will be busy, if you can avoid it at rush hour, better. There is somewhat of a "bike lane" but a LOT of turning traffic. Once you get further north towards Staatsburg and Hyde Park, it gets better, you can even stop by FDR's place or the vanderbilt manor. And you can continue to ride up to Rhinebeck where it gets pretty and less busy. So, all in all, Rt 9 is not bad once you get away from the strip malls...

jay

Route 9 is closed to bicycle traffic from Sharon Dr (south of City of Poughkeepsie) to Delifield (north of the City). In short Rt 9 in the City of Poughkeepsie is closed to bicycles. Route 376 is the alternative. The alternative to the Mid-Hudson Br is the Walkway Over the Hudson - but no fun on a busy weekend with tons of walkers. I avoid it like the plague on weekends.

I could get you all over central to eastern dutchess without a problem-- I don't ride the western side of the county as I'm located in Pawling. Picking up route 82 in dutchess at certain points (not extreme southern dutchess) would give you better options as far as traffic is concerned.

This is about three weeks late, but I wanted to write back and thank everyone for all the helpful tips. This is a super community, and I'm happy to have stumbled on it. The ride was awesome--it ended up being 145m, the longest one-day ride I've ever done, but was unbelievably flat, beautiful, and peaceful. Thanks again.

Could you post the first half of the route on Google maps like you did for the last half above? I'm curious about the route you took through Westchester County.

He took the north & south county Trailways into Mahopac. The 2nd half begins as soon as he gets off the trail in mahopac.

Here is the trail: http://www.nycbikemaps.com/maps/north-and-south-county-trailways-bike-map/

I live in Mahopac and have taken the trail all the way down to the tip of manhattahn. I get off it there, ride 2 miles on road and hop on the Hudson river green way. It's a nice 95% trail-riding way to get into NYC.

Sorry, road292, I didn't see your question until this morning. On googlemaps, the route from NYC looks like this (I avoid what is technically the first leg of the South County Trail because it involves a rutted dirt trail through Van Cortland Park). Here is my route to Mahopac, from the West Side Highway bike path, through the Bronx:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Chelsea+Piers&daddr=40.8909889,-73.8974996+to:40.894572,-73.896557+to:40.89884,-73.89703+to:40.9124669,-73.8827487+to:40.947953,-73.863911+to:Putnam+Trailway&hl=en&geocode=FcjFbQIddbmW-ylp_sdKxlnCiTFmRQ5cCws-NQ%3BFWzybwId5WmY-yk_cuB-r_PCiTG5IC8AOD_EFw%3BFWwAcAIdk22Y-ykDLGzvrvPCiTGjgY6HlnhvYw%3BFRgRcAIdumuY-ynL_cHurPPCiTHFm1MMjjWk3g%3BFVJGcAIdhKOY-ynDGXFO8fLCiTE6_fNt12o1sg%3BFfHQcAIdGe2Y-ymHoHn1Qu3CiTEHpESEOqyzfA%3BFVKTdwId83Cb-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=6&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5&dirflg=b&sll=41.386887,-73.706589&sspn=0.019898,0.037379&ie=UTF8&ll=41.122815,-73.737488&spn=1.278639,2.392273&z=9&lci=bike

One word of caution: I don't know how used to biking in NYC you are, but the part of the trip on Broadway in the Bronx (before reaching the park, when the street opens up a littler bit) can get a tad hairy. If you're used to riding in the city, it's no problem, but if you're used to wider, less packed suburban roads, it can be a little tricky, I imagine.