hey, guys. i am new to this forum, although i have been lurking around for a few weeks.

i am not new to general cycling, i have loved bicycles since I was old enough to balance myself on one. but i've never taken it seriously until the past year, when i decided to ride my bicycle downtown (this was in texas) instead of try to find parking. After I started doing that, I really got into going further and further, to the point that I was up to 30-40 miles (not a lot for you, but a good distance for me).

then I moved to the new york city area, but couldn't take my bike with me (it was a kona, and i hated it.) since I don't have a car here, the importance of having a bike has taken on a new meaning vs. living in texas. so i bought a semi-beater raleigh road bike, with the stipulation that i would buy a $800 or so 'serious' bike if I really got into it.

and it seems i am really getting into it, especially now that i bought tights and can comfortably ride 40+ miles in 40 degree weather. but i want to commute to work, and that poses a problem.

Does anyone here live in NJ and commute with their bike? I live in Hoboken and work in Montclair Heights, and if you know the area you probably are aware that the Meadowlands make it difficult to get from one side of NJ to the other on a bike.

Is there anyone who knows a safe road to get to the other side? The only roads that are not freeways that I can think of that go from one side to the other are Paterson Plank Road and a few roads that lead from Newark to Jersey City. There's also County Road in Secaucus, but I have not been on that road and do not know if it's safe.

If anyone has any idea on a safe route for me, I would be greatly appreciated. If I had a car, I'd just go up and down all the roads and survey them myself, but I don't see any sense in renting a car just for that.

thanks