JayNYC

The Raymond G. Esposito Trail, aka The Joseph B. Clarke Trail, aka The Old Erie Rail Trail, starts in the center of Nyack in the southeast corner of Cedar Hill Avenue and S. Franklin Street and goes south from there, through Piermont and Sparkill to Tappan. However, because of the bridge construction it's closed around I-287. The bike path on the new Mario Cuomo Bridge will connect directly with the trail – that connection is one of the things they're working on. There's a huge fight going on in Nyack about the future of the trail once it gets connected to the bridge bike path. Some didn't want it connected. Others want it paved. And others hope to keep it as it is.

Anyway, because of construction you need to get on at South Main Street & Elizabeth Place (northwest corner of the intersection). You'll see a trail going to a dog run. You pass through a field next to the dog run and there's a staircase up to the trail. From there you go south. You'll pass the old Piermont train station which has free tours sometimes in the summer. The trail splits in Sparkill – coming from the north you'll feel like you've merged with another trail that's paved. If you come from the south you need to make sure you take the rather obscure dirt path to your right. There's a section that goes northwest (that I haven't tried yet), and one that continues going south. From this point on it's paved. It ends at Oak Tree Road near the intersection with Lawrence Street where there's a small parking lot.

Dmag310

The option to swap the 650 wheel size is so nice

covpride

Awesome, I went with the Jari 1.7, budget was 1k or I would have gone for the same as you. The Tiagra is pretty good so far though, worse case I can always upgrade components later. Already planning a 650b wheelset for mine, so I can just swap out for more aggressive rides.

JayNYC

I'd be curious to know what you choose for a 650b wheelset. I've just started looking into it. There seem to be fewer options than 700C and I'm not sure what a good wheelset weight would be.

covpride

This is the one I'm looking at. Mercury 650b gravel but will also look around to see if I can find a used set via craigslist, facebook marketplace or something to that affect.

koolerb

I've had my Jar 1.3 since spring. I road the Black Fly in the Adirondacks with it. Completed that with one flat tire. Lots of pavement and some rough stuff around the town I live in over the summer. I swapped out the bars for road bars, couldn't get used to that flair. Added a front rack. The rack turned out to be more useful than I thought it would be. Have not switched to tubeless tires yet. I'll put some tubeless 40's on in the spring. Makes no sense to me that Fuji equipped Stan's rim with tube type tires. Only issue so far is the rear wheel is getting just slightly out of true. Kind of surprised since the Grail's were supposed to be pretty good wheels. I thought. I'll true it up over the winter.

koolerb

I just signed up for the Gravel Gobbler just east of Albany next weekend. I see you are a NYC guy so though I would let you know.

JayNYC

Thanks, but I'm a Manhattanite with no car, so getting to Albany would require a $200-300 car rental. For that reason I tend to stick to places I get to on MetroNorth. Plus I have Raynaud's so have to be really careful and deliberate in the cold.

nomadmax 

I JUST finished looking at at the Jari 1.3 on the Performance site and came here and found this thread by accident. I'm considering a 1.3 (2018 model) in 52cm with a 81.5cm (32") inseam. My road bikes are Colnagos with a 55 TT and 54.5 TT respectively. @JayNYC regarding stand over and sizing would you think the 52 would do the trick?

koolerb

I'm 6' with a 32" inseam and I'm on a 56 cm Jari. Feels about right.

JayNYC

All I can say is I wear jeans with a 30" inseam, but when I measure to my max inseam it's 34 1/4", and with those measurements the size 56 Jari (with the stock 700x35 tires) is about as tight a fit as I'd want.
Does that answer your question?

nomadmax 

Yes that helps a lot. I just got back from Performance and stood over a 54 and a 52 Jari 1.7 (they can order in the 1.3). I think the 52 is a better fit for me but they come with 170mm cranks (both the 1.7 and 1.3 in that size). I'm mulling over the 1.3 but I'd have to change out the crank set and bars
straight away, I couldn't get on with either of them.

Thank you for the thread and reply.

koolerb

JayNYC

@koolerb – that is one muddy bike!

BTW, the deals Performance Bike were giving out on these (and many other) bikes was so good that the parent company (ASE) has gone into bankruptcy (reorganization).
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a2517...es-bankruptcy/
That means the parent company of Performance Bike, Nashbar, Fuji Bikes, etc. is in bankruptcy. The article blames Performance Bike's low prices and slim margins. Apparently the parent company merged with them a few years ago because PB owed them so much money the only payment PB could offer was the company itself, but then they just kept losing money, so now everyone is in bankruptcy as a result.

koolerb

I hope they figure it out. I try to use my local bike shops for a lot of my cycling related purchases but I buy on-line as well. I've been buying from Nashbar since I was a teenager. I like some their bike brands as well, aside from Fuji I'm liking some of those steel Breezers.