Thanks much Dustin, for all your amazing work in checking out the roads of New Jersey. Surely you're right that trying to include every little road would be impossible for you, and wouldn't fit on your maps anyway.
Originally Posted by
njbikemapguy
When you join a bike club, the rides always have a destination food stop. Nothing but primary and secondary roads because you're going somewhere. I had the reputation on club rides to make too many turns and used lots of smaller roads to go places.
I think often you can "go somewhere" with a route on mostly residential streets -- it just takes longer to get there and it's more complicated - (and that's not what lots of riders want, but that's their choice).
The "bike club" problem is that for a group of riders together, every intersection with a stop or turn is a big hassle and slow-down and potential danger. For only one or two (skilled) riders the problem is mostly only knowing where to make each turn - (arguably the need to accelerate back up to speed again adds to the exercise effectiveness). With a good GPS system giving voice directions, that problem of remembering the turns could get much smaller. And with a cell-phone to call for help if your bike breaks down, and a printed map in case your GPS stops working, lotsa bicyclists have less need to ride with a larger group.
So the desire for routes on low-traffic roads with more turns might grow in the future.
Originally Posted by
njbikemapguy
I think the only scenic route from GWB is 9W. It is tree lined and has an ample shoulder to ride on.
That's not how I feel about 9W. I think the riding itself is fun: interesting curves and variety of hills. From a scenery perspective 9W (in NJ) is kinda boring. The first 1000 trees are nice, but by the 12373th tree it's getting old for me. Anyway for trees, the "river drive" in Palisades park by the GWB has lots more of them -- and also views of rocks and the River.
Bergen County has other scenic riding: for starters the residential neighborhoods in Englewood next to 9W just north of Palisade Av are way more interesting than 9W (not to mention quieter). The path in the Saddle River park. East Saddle River Rd in Allendale.
I think the other regions Dustin suggested have a greater number and higher "density" of roads with a certain
kind of scenery, but for someone who lives in north Bergen, it's certainly reasonable to ask for lower-traffic quieter routes which don't require driving an hour and back.
Ken