I rode from our vacation spot to Island Beach State Park.For you nonJersey guys it's a park with beaches on the ocean.It has one road ,long,straight and flat.One can fish,swim ,dune buggy,off road 4x4,nature walk and catch poison ivy like I did after my prom( I better stop here).Where was I?

So riding to the park I had head winds miles before so I know the park will be tough.CYCLISTS enter for free.Yea when there are lifeguards the non biking public has to pay for the lifeguards.
In the park my cruising speed was 10.5 mph and that was hard to keep.A couple of times I felt like turning back.i made it to the end of the road.Turned around and find myself doing 21 mph with less effort than I needed for the 10.5mph.For me that's moving! I even threw it into high gear to see if it still works,Cranked it up to 30 mph.Im on the 35 year old Schwinn and a jack rabbit runs out in front of me,that was close.Enough speed back to 21 mph.

My sister lived in Eatontown, a few miles from the beach. So I parked at her house to go for a ride along Ocean Ave. I get to the beach at Long Branch, and turned south. I cruised through Deal, Asbury Park, Belmar, Spring Lake at 20+. Blue skies, not a care in the world! Time to turn around and WHAM! A nice stiff head wind! I had the same wind at my back and didn't realize it untill I turned around. It took me a LOT longer to get back to the house. And I was cooked!

Born and raised in Hackensack. Glad I don't have to ride a bike around there though.

Riding in a pace line on Ocean Avenue in Spring Lake can be fun as long as you have a tailwind or someone else is pulling into the wind !
Best times in early spring or late fall.
It can get dangerous with cars pulling out of angle parking and the crowds during the summer.

Sounds like a nice place to ride. I was at Sandy Hook a few weekends ago. If you arrive early it is free as well and the MUP is empty until later in the morning. Nice View around Fort Hancock as well.

a jackrabbit in Jersey? didnt think their range was anywhere near there, musta been one of those whitetail minnasota jacks not a longlegged long eared blacktail from texas.

It's a better place to kayak. When it's not windy.

What is the condition of the MUP?
It got pretty torn up from Sandy(heartless *****).
I got some time off, and want to ride there. Weekday mornings the place is not so crowded.

Mup has been worked on ready to ride.early is better or you have to deal with the beach goers on the mup.If looking for a long ride you can incorporate the Bayshore trail and the Henry Hudson trail.I park at popamora point park ,no fee.Restrooms,water fountain.Short ride to the Hook.

Last time I was at Island Beach State Park was back in '87 to scatter my dad's ashes in Barnegat Bay.

Thanks, I keep forgetting about HH and Bayshore. I\we usually ride around in SH for a while, then head south for some lunch.
And I like the parking in Highlands idea, just have to convince my other half to go over the bridge.

I was there pretty early, about 6 AM. The MUP was in good shape and there were few riders. I was able to get in about 18 before I saw any others. If you arrive early enough, no fee to park on the hook either.

Arguably the best riding state in the Union. I've never ridden the outside coast, but I've done 9, 47, 55, the 30's... 47's my favorite down to the Cape.

njbikemap.com

WAY too detailed. NJ Bikemap was a monumental effort, but totally eclipsed by Google maps and streetview. Seems rather quaint now. I'm more of a roadmap guy anyway.

Best time to ride Island Beach State park is early in the morning. The park is unique in that it is relativity narrow with the Atlantic ocean on one side and the Barnegat Bay on the other. This could cause some interesting wind conditions especially in the afternoon. Also to the OP. Dune bugging, off road 4x4 is strictly prohibited. You can purchase a mobile sporting fishing permit which allows you to drive your 4x4 on the beach for fishing purposes.