Originally Posted by
zacster
I don't actually ride Central Park that often, but I do ride in Prospect Park which has a similar but shorter loop. Once I'm in the park I ride the entire loop without letting up and up to 5 laps, and you just don't do that on most rides.
Totally off topic, but >50 years ago, my first real bicycle rides beyond going up and down my street on the sidewalk were on that loop in Prospect Park when I was maybe 6 years old. I had a blue Schwinn Stingray single speed and I remember the hills as fearsome. It's where I learned to "paperboy".