EDIT: RIDE POSTPONED UNTIL SUN. 01 NOV

One Tom McMahon (don't know him) posted this ride on the iBOB mailing list; I apologize that I deleted the email, and had to go find it again on the list archives, a week later:

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.as...10910.0799.eml
From: Tom McMahon
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2009
Subject: [BOB] NYC-area iBOB/CR Ruff Stuff Ride - Take 6!


OK gang, break out the woolies; it's once again time for a Fall Classic: the Sixth Annual NYC-area iBOB/CR Ruff Stuff Ride up the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is on for Sunday, October 25th.

The OCA trail is a dirt path set atop the 1830's aqueduct that runs from the Croton Reservoir down to NYC. It's flat, mostly hardpack, gravel and grass, peaceful and pretty. It runs about 30 miles long, one way. Lots to see - ruins, mansions, forests, suburban backyards, Son of Sam's secret satanic sacrificial spot, Sing-Sing Prison, Sleepy Hollow, the magnificent Palisades, and more. Google it for lots more history.

The itinerary will be the same as always. We'll meet at 8am at the info kiosk in the center of Grand Central Terminal, then take a 30-40 minute ride on the IRT 4 subway to Woodlawn Station in the Bronx. We'll pick up the trail in nearby Van Cortland Park, and start heading north. Grab some lunch to-go at a deli in Ossining, and carry it up the trail another 5-6 miles (bring bags or a musette), until we literally hit the wall at Croton Dam Park. We'll hang out and picnic a while, later heading back down the trail to Ossining, or maybe further on to Tarrytown, and then catch a Metro North train home to Grand Central.

What kinda bike? Well, it's not what they'd call "technical" MTBing, but there are some scattered rough patches, roots and twigs and stuff, and a whole lotta curb hops - so a set of reasonably chubby tires are a good idea. People have done it on 25s, but after the third pinch flat, you (and everyone else) will wish you didn't. Other than that, any bike'll do - new stuff or old stuff, tweed or lycra, one gear or 30... whatever rocks your world.

The pace? I'd call it Social, and 99% of everyone that's ever done it would agree (but if your idea of 'social' is stopping for ice cream every hour, this ain't it). I'd say the usual on-dirt cruising pace is 10-12 mph. The entire length of the trail is actually designated as a NY State Park; shared with day hikers, dog walkers, runners, and even the occasional Imperious Equestrian. It's not terribly crowded, but forget any hammering. We stay together. Since the trail runs pretty much parallel to Metro North's Hudson Line, there are lots of entry/exit options available. We're never more than a few miles from a railroad station.

You oughta have a $5, good-for-life, MTA bike pass (on rare occasions, the conductor asks to see it). If you don't have one, you can purchase one by mail (see: http://www.mta.info/lirr/pubs/bicyclep.htm), or contact me well in advance and I'll pick one up for you. You can also get one at GCT, but I can't guarantee you that that particular service window will be open early on a Sunday morning. It has been in the past, but . . .

If you're driving in, and want to avoid midtown Manhattan and the subway trip up to the Bronx, you can meet us at Woodlawn Station (the IRT #4 Woodlawn stop at Jerome Ave and E213 St, NOT the Metro North Woodlawn station, a couple miles away). Or, another option: You can drive to the Yonkers Metro North station and meet us starting at the Yonkers leg of the trail, just a few blocks away, on Lamartine Ave. The advantage of the second option is that, coming home on Metro North, you can hop off the train at Yonkers, get into your car and be on your way. If your car's back at Woodlawn in the Bronx, you have a 5-mile ride from Yonkers to Woodlawn. It's a simple route, but if you'd rather skip it, take the Yonkers option. You'll miss the more "urban" first few miles of the trail, but the best parts of the ride are yet to come.

It's always a fun ride, and I'm sure that tradition will continue. Note - heavy rains that leave the trail really muddy will cause postponement until November 1st. I'll post any updates here.

Hope to see you there!

Tom McMahon
NYC
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