shona

My husband and I are considering spending a month somewhere in the Hudson River Valley (we have never been there) to beat the Texas heat. We ride road bikes. We would like to be able to cycle a lot and possibly go into NYC occasionally (not on bikes). If anybody who lives around there is reading this please let me know about cycling around there.

rumrunn6

just came across a Westchester cycling map last night. I'll take a look at it tonight to see if there's something good to share. I think I remember researching vast long paved bike trails but never got to test them. I think they still close the Bronx River pkwy on Sundays and that's a fun big social event and especially fun to ride on a parkway. have you narrowed down your approx landing spot? meaning a town or two near where you plan to stay?

Papa Tom

You can find some Hudson Valley rides at my website https:nyrides.freehosting.net .
Are you looking for bike paths, or road rides?

shona

Thank you Papa Tom. We are fine with paved paths but we want to road ride also. I went to the website and did not see anything about Hudson River Valley.

dendawg

Bike Hudson Valley -- Roberts
Not sure how up to date it is but a great resource

shona

Thank you dendawg

Papa Tom

Sorry, it's listed as "Westchester." Also, Ken Roberts' site is fantastic, but as Dendawg said, I don't think it has been updated in a very long time.

My site is not quite up-to-the-minute, either, but if you choose a specific ride, either I or someone else here can give you the latest details.

NewYorkRides

Steve B.

You should consider going into NYC occasionally, on bikes.

It's a lot of fun and is a good city to explore on a bike. There are hundreds of miles of bike paths and lanes. The NYC Bike Map details it all.

NYC Bike Maps: New York City's Bike Lanes and Bike Paths Mapped

If you stay in the Hudson Valley, the best way into NYC for day trips is via the commuter railroad - Metro North, out of either Poughkeepsie (the furthest north MN station - everything north is Amtrak), or in the Harlem Valley area near the NY/Conn/ border, out of Metro North - Wassaic. There's lots of riding in between and north of the Interstate 84 east/west corridor. Note that it can be hilly in this region, but flatter (and busier) along the Rt9 corridor just on the east side of the Hudson.

Ken Roberts site, while dated, is still good, as the roads and conditions really haven't changed that much.

shona

Thanks. Maybe it would be best to stay in Poughkeepsie so we could take a train to NYC.. Riding to NYC sounds like a blast. I really appreciate all this help.

FBinNY 

The parkway closings are still in force, but never in July or August. So they start again Sunday 9/11 and continue through mid October.

However Westchester County, north of White Plains is a cyclist's playground with plenty of rolling 2 lane roads with light traffic, and drivers used to bicycles.

If you want cycle trails, there is still the mid county trail which follows a closed rail bed running almost 50 miles (with an interruption or two) all the way south to the NYC border. Also you can get a pass which allows you to take your bicycle on commuter trains except during rush hour peaks. Combining the 3 lines of rail service with Hudson River bridge crossings it opens up an area not quite as large as Texas, but plenty enough that you can ride 100 miles daily for weeks or months without exhausting all possibilities.

If you need more, post info about where you're thinking of staying and the length you're comfortable riding daily.

rumrunn6

here's the map I came across. looks pretty nice and I'll bet the resources on the back cover can lead you to a free copy of your own. the long trails I was thinking of appear to include the Croton Aqueduct Trailway & the South (& North) County Trailway(s) The map includes lists of points of interest along each different set of trails.

good luck and have fun!





sample of map section

Steve B.

As note that the OP is seemingly looking to stay and ride further north of Westchester, probably in the Duchess or Columbia County area.

cleansheet

Columbia County has a lot of good riding. Road and /Road/dirt road riding is great. Elevation adds up quickly on these rides and the area is not flat.

Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club will have cue sheets for Columbia and Greene County (on the other side of the river).

shona

Thanks I'll look at it.

fusilierdan

Another place to check out would be Rockland county it's on the western side of the Hudson River. Here's a link to the local bike clubRockland Bicycling Club - Home

Also there's Summer streets in Manhatten where they close off Park Ave from the Brooklyn bridge to Central Park totally worth doing. Summer Streets

shona

Thank you fusilerdan.

cleansheet

Nah, not a great place to stay in Rockland. Except right along the Hudson, the riding is very congested. Good places to day trip to, but not a place you would stay for a month trying to get the relief you are seeking.

rumrunn6

did someone try to message me? got a "failed msg" from someone in the Hudson River Valley directly from her email to my email, but it's didn't work. I won't share her name. anyway, send msg through the BF forum, that should wrk ...

shona

I think if we do this we will stay in Rhinebeck. We usually go to Montana in the summer for bike riding so I'm a little concerned that the roads will be pretty crowded around Rhinebeck. Maybe the beautiful scenery will make it worth it.

wilfried

I felt the need to post, and this seems like reasonable place.

Last weekend, I rode a bit in Ulster County around Poughkeepsie, and was struck again by just how polite the drivers were. No one honked (well one did, but it was a friendly toot because I had drifted out into the middle of the road, so fair enough). Drivers pass with plenty of room, many crossing completely to the other side of the double yellow line. At one point, a car came up behind me as I was rounding a blind curve. He or she slowed, staying a good two car lengths behind me, waited until we rounded the curve, and then crossed to the other side of the street to pass.

These are simple things, but a complete revelation, since I do almost all my riding in the city; I was subjected to at least a half dozen boneheaded maneuvers this morning on my three mile commute to work. It was a reminder that not all drivers everywhere are narcissistic homicidal sociopaths.