Originally Posted by botto
ps - if this is your first week on the bike, then chill out and enjoy. you're pushing yourself too hard too soon.
True. Better to ride 500 miles a month for many months that 150 miles in a week and then quit.
I agree that central park can be fun or boring, and the west side bike path is no good for fast cyclists.
Prospect park is quite nice. The ride out there from downtown NYC + 4 loops puts me at 26 miles. There are far less people in prospect park than central park. More loops = more distance.
Directions:
Take the north side of the manhattan bridge to Jay street. At the bottom, turn left on Jay. Continue about 3/4-1 mile and turn left on Livingston. About two blocks down turn right on Hoyt. Take Hoyt to Union Street, or continue to Third street. Turn left on either one. This takes you to the grand army plaza entrance, or the third street entrance, respectively. Third street has less traffic. Trees grow in brooklyn. The prescribed routes avoid a lot of pedestrian and car traffic, with the exception of Jay street for 1 mile.