xccx

both.

xccx

i lived in boulder for 5 years and was a messenger there, and in denver (for about 2 years), so i know first hand that the traffic can be bad and that the motorists are not all bike friendly. the big difference, however, is that in boulder you can really be out in the middle of nowhere in a matter of minutes, and the weather is often very pleasant. i was never bothered by the pollution out there, but i know it was bad at times, esp around lafayette. the exhaust in nyc/nj really kills me though. last week i was riding along 9w and i came back with a sore throat and nostrils full of black stuff. i guess riding over the gwb and having to contend with busy traffic is just not my thing. in boulder i could jump on a path and head out of town and feel like i was really getting a good workout. here, i'm struggling with the stop and go city traffic, the concrete jungle, and imho, the bad pollution. that said, today i rode the esplanade along the entire west side and it was nice, but i still didnt feel like i could get up to "cruising speed" because i always had to stop for one reason or another. i met up with a dude who told me about "river road" (?) which is a left, instead of a right off the gwb....so i think i will check that out tomorrow.

i guess i just have a bad attitude, and nyc is not my ideal living situation, but i still want to make the best of it. no offense to all you hard core city cyclists. its just not my thing at all.

bhh

the map i posted takes you along river road until it ends in alpine and you are further out of town. thats why i assumed you were trolling is because it was pretty clear you had made up your mind already and weren't paying attention to the advice you were being given.

jyossarian

I hope you weren't expecting sympathy from those of us city dwellers that choose to live here. Some of us don't live here b/c of the riding conditions, but b/c family's here, life is here and about 10 million other things to do are here. Personally, I'd rather ride out to Long Island, where there are no hills, but there sometimes good headwinds that substitute for hills.

oboeguy

Um, wow. OP, you must have paper-thin skin, are a troll or are completely exaggerating. No, riding in and around NYC is not like riding out in the middle of nowhere, but you're way off in your description IMO.

I hope you get used to it here or move out instead of continue to be miserable. Best of luck!

patentcad

xccx- relax dude, and WELCOME to NY. You're just an attitude adjustment and a little local road knowledge away from some of the nicest cycling you'll ever do. I lived in Bergen Cty NJ (the county the GW Bridge exits into on the West side of the Hudson) for 30 years and cycled that area (and in Rockland) as much as anybody. 70K+ miles between 1989 and 1997 (when I moved to Orange Cty, NY).

A couple of pointers:

• Find out about the river road that runs through the park along the river. You can get there by turning south on Hudson Terrace off the bridge walkway (not north). Go about 1/2 mile and turn left and you'll be on one of the most beautiful roads you've ever seen - almost completely car-free, and you can ride it all the way to Alpine (about 8-10 miles north of the GWB) and see nothing but trees and the Hudson. Once you're in Alpine 9W is the nicest cycling road there is, with MUCH lighter traffic and a 10' wide shoulder much of the way to Piermont.

• Once you're up in Rockland the cycling possibilities are much greater. You can go all the way to Rockland Lake Park in Congers (along the Hudson River again if you don't mind a packed cinder bike trail) or up to Bear Mtn. There are many more beautiful roads around Nyack - you'll have to do some exploring.

Don't give up on it. The NY cycling scene is awesome with wonderful people, lots of racing and riding for all levels. You can even email me: patent@optonline.net and I can try to hook you up with locals in Bergen County for some rides. I enjoy living in Orange Cty because the riding up here is great - AND because it's close enough for me to drive down a few times a month to hook up with my old favorite training rides in Bergen Cty and races in NY City. And when I'm down there the change of pace/personell is great. It's like I never left.

What can I say. I love NY. But I can see how it might be tough for somebody from the midwest to adjust to. Absolutlely.

slvoid

Um... I'm just wondering..

Did xcxx end up in the palisades park?
Or did he go around the park along 9W?

9W is kind of scary for the first 2 miles or so cause you have to share a lane with cars on a highway but then you get a nice wide dedicated lane for a while until you get near piermont then you join the road again.

But if he ended up going into the park then merging back onto 9W, the park could scare people off in the beginning, both due to the really really crappy paris-roubaix pavement and the big climb at the end.

tvphobic

I've heard a lot of roadie snobbery expressed about rail-trails, but the Westchester North County Trailway is a excellent ride. Other than the huge amount of leaves that is on it right now. Sure you deal with some families, slowpokes and roller bladers but it's much more fun than 9W. Get up there and ride it before it's covered in snow.

9W can bring you up toward Harriman park though, which is an absolute ball with its narrowish serpentine roads.

xccx

i dont think i ended up in the park. here's what i normally do...after i get to the NJ side of the gwb i take a hard right and head up rt. 505, or 550..(i cant remember) and that takes me to 9w. then i ride past englewood cliffs (?) and into/past alpine.

does that sound about right?

patentcad

>>here's what i normally do...after i get to the NJ side of the gwb i take a hard right<<

I believe that's Hudson Terrace in Ft. Lee. Take a hard LEFT, go 1/2 mile south and make a left onto that aforementioned park road. A different world. Check it out.

bhh

nope. try following the map. and before you come back with another rant, the first 1/2 mile or so of pavement in the park is bad, after that, it smooths out.

xccx

like i said, i guess i am spoiled from riding in CO, MI, (and WI, MN, UT, MT) for years. pardon me if nyc seems crowded and dirty. and i agree with you...i hope i get used to it or move out too! (hopefully the latter.)

antiquebiker

Some of the most beautiful countryside with challenging hills is only 45 minutes outside of the city by Metro North. Stop at Brewster for instance. Get out and ride. The scenery is awesome. Go up to the reservoirs and ride around them.

Or if you have a car (maybe still reachable by train I don't know) are the rails to trails in the Croton reservoir system. Really beautiful and great for the kids too. Great bike shop up at Yorktown.

Or you can hang on the tight loop at the north end of central park and challenge everybody on "the hill". Do that 20 times and you have a good workout.

Do you have a car?

acathi_cyclist

xccx, I don't think you've said whether or not you have gone to either of the parks. If not they can be really nice if you go at off-peak hours.

I just want to say that I hear where you're coming from. I just recently moved here also, and coming from the fingerlakes, I too find the smog unbearable at times. It hadn't really crossed my mind how much I miss real hills until I read this post. I guess I was just making the best of it. [kind of joking] Thanks for the depressing reminder [end kind of joking]

xccx

i have ridden in cp, but not prospect park. cp was not bad (ok, it was kind of nice)...but it was SO CROWDED, and the fumes got to me. i was there in the afternoon...i'm sure there are better times.

sorry to bring you down. cycling in nyc is completely foreign to me. getting on a train to go riding?? um...that's just weird. i suppose its culture shock in a way. i'm having an equally hard time dealing with the bars on my windows. i guess i'm just not a city person (although i've lived in other cities without these issues).

i dont have a car, but i am going to buy one. probably this week. i think having the freedom to get out of town will improve my overall outlook.

xccx

thanks for the encouragement. seriously, i appreciate it. i will take your advice.

acathi_cyclist

Sounds like there is still hope for you yet. Try to go to one of the parks when the runner/rollerblader traffic is low and when the roads are closed to cars. It can actually be quite nice and is usually the most accessible and easy way to get in a quick ride. You might also benefit from riding with a group or maybe just another rider.

Anyone else wanna chime in with the best times to get in some park riding?

bhh

xccx, it appears you are sincere and I do apologize for lashing out at you this morning (hey, it was early BEFORE my ride). I think you'll admit that your original post did "taste" a bit like a troll but I now see that it wasn't so again, I apogize for jumping to conclusions.

I think where you will be happiest riding in the city really depends on what types of rides you are looking for. If you are looking to turn over 90% of max for an hour or do intervals, the parks are probably best during non-car hours and not during peak "tourist" times. If you want 75 mile endurance rides, head north. There are thousands of beautiful miles of road with some serious climbs. If you are on a 75 mile ride, the 15 or so to get out of town isn't such a big deal, especially when you live in one of the largest cities in the world (with all the other NON-cycling related things to experience here, don't forget that). I think the only time the west side greenway is ridable is before about 7:00 AM and even then, you have to do Fartleks to get a workout.

xccx

thanks for the info. to be honest, i dont even know what a "troll" is. i figured it was some sort of inside insult.

patentcad

xccx - Just hook up with the right roadies in Manhattan (I presume you live there) and start going on rides with them. There are zillions of them on all levels. And the coolest people you'll ever meet. I've ridden/raced with those folks for many years. It may be hard to believe for a midwestern dude but once you get to know NYC and its people there's nothing better. And I've been just about everywhere. But big adjustment for somebody from middle America? Absolutely.

Welcome again to the Big Apple. Hope to ride with you some day. Be sure to stop in and say 'hi' to my buddy Glen @ Piermont Bicycle Connection and tell him you were referred by Titanium Pete : ). And by all means check out that river road along the Hudson that starts 1/2 mile south of the GWB on Hudson Terrace. That alone will shift your perspective. Amazing that a road that quiet/rural is a mile across the river from the biggest city in America. You will be astonished at its natural beauty - and its dramatic setting (if you think the GWB is awesome wait until you see it from directly underneath).

xccx

Thanks again. Maybe we will ride sometime. I am actually from the left coast and have spent most of my life in the West, the Rockies, and Michigan/Minnesota (grad school). Just being in the east is a massive adjustment, but I guess I'll live. I have raced (cx) in the east for a few years, but i've never actually lived here.

Cadd

Hey, I only take pennies and I charge interest. I totally forgot about this. This was when? About a month ago??? $5.00 @ 16% interest comes to $5.025.

I've been "commuting" 2 nights a week now. I need advice on winter gear as I'm freezing my ass off. My commute is only 4 miles each way. It normally starts at 6pm and I ride back home at 9pm. I can't really wear cycling gear because I need to change when I get to my destination.

So far, I've been wearing nylon (waterproof) pants, a T-shirt & fleece. But as it gets colder, I don't think that'll hold up. To be honest, I'm freezing when I start riding, but at mile 3, I'm beginning to feel good....but the ride ends. This is just a diaster to get sick.

slvoid

Where the hell are you working that you have a 4 mile commute? I thought you worked in manhattan, unless you moved?

Cadd

Well, I do work in the City......but when I get home, I commute elsewhere that's about 4 miles away (you got PM).

I'll do this commute about twice a week (and maybe once on the weekend).