Long Island: Good Ride Today?
#301
Senior Member
Pretty much the whole thing from Little Neck on out is OK. There is a short slightly less OK section of less than a mile around Willis Ave., with a narrow shoulder, traffic, turn lanes etc, but not terrible. We run club rides through there all the time. There is also a short detour at Woodbury Rd/ Sunnyside Blvd. Extension. Again, nothing terrible.
#304
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I'm down in West Palm Beach visiting my mom so I rented a 2013 Tarmac with Dura Ace for 24 hours. I did 2 40 mile rides up and down A1A.
Mid 70's, sunny and awesome.
Tomorrow i'm back to cold Long Island.
Mid 70's, sunny and awesome.
Tomorrow i'm back to cold Long Island.
#305
Senior Member
FFFIIINALLY got a ride in this morning! The fat bike & snowshoe boys and girls have done a great job stomping down the Tower Loop trail in Manetto Hills preserve. (I heard through the grapevine that this was a 7 hour project.) With the single digit temps this morning, it was frozen nice & firm, and traction was good even with my non-fatty MTB. But, if you wandered out of the track, you were in the quicksand and brought to an immediate stop. The Blue Dot trail leading further north had not been "groomed" and was impassable. Tonight's forecast dump will set the whole thing back to square one I'm afraid.
Well, it was something. I've really come to like that trail, it's beautiful in the snow.
Well, it was something. I've really come to like that trail, it's beautiful in the snow.
#306
Senior Member
as long as there is minimal snow on the ground I have been out there all winter...... one day I thought my contacts were freezing in my eyeballs! i am thoroughly done with this winter and the snow! I have been to driving over to floyd bennet to ride, shore pkwy from howard beach to canarsie has been pretty much iced over for the past month but they spit shine floyd bennett and shore pkwy from flatbush to almost canarsie has been mostly clear (they plow from flatbush to the bridge) so i have been getting 15 mile rides in. can wait for just dry no snow!!
#308
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I couldn't wait for Spring so I headed out on the MTB. Headed to the Massapequa Preserve and then to Jones Beach. The snow was nice but the brown slush was a mess and i was soaking wet by the time I got home.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
Last edited by GlennR; 03-06-15 at 03:22 PM.
#309
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I couldn't wait for Spring so I headed out on the MTB. Headed to the Massapequa Preserve and then to Jones Beach. The snow was nice but the brown slush was a mess and i was soaking wet by the time I got home.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
Surprised you hit slush as it was still cold today. Probably would have been fine if it had been overcast. Of course if it had been overcast it might have been snowing so a nice sunny day is hard to resist.
I am SO looking forward to getting out on the road, trouble is I know I'll spend the first month on my tourer with the 32mm tires and the 36 spoke wheels, just to deal with sand, debris and pot holes !.
#310
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Rode up from Massapequa to Bethpage, did 2 loops and headed home. Saw a few people out and the weather was great.
Road conditions are abysmal. Lots of sand and debris along the side and extends from the curb a good 3-4 feet out. Only where cars actually drive is the surface clean.
POTHOLES are everywhere, Many are 4-6 inches deep. Some are small, 12" across and others are HUGE. And it's not only the secondary roads, the back streets are just as bad.
It's OK on a MTB when you have 29's x 2.25 tires, but it will be some time before I take the road bike out.
Road conditions are abysmal. Lots of sand and debris along the side and extends from the curb a good 3-4 feet out. Only where cars actually drive is the surface clean.
POTHOLES are everywhere, Many are 4-6 inches deep. Some are small, 12" across and others are HUGE. And it's not only the secondary roads, the back streets are just as bad.
It's OK on a MTB when you have 29's x 2.25 tires, but it will be some time before I take the road bike out.
#311
Senior Member
Some MPBC riders ventured out onto the service road and the SUNY Old Westbury campus loop, and said it "wasn't bad". I'm not going to get a chance to try it myself until Friday, but things are only going to improve from this point. Right?
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
#312
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right
#313
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I had to drive up to the north shore so I decided to take my normal bike route to survey the roads.
They are terrible, tons of sand, stones and chunks of pavement along the shoulder. Potholes are everywhere. I honestly don't know when it will be OK to ride some of them.
They are terrible, tons of sand, stones and chunks of pavement along the shoulder. Potholes are everywhere. I honestly don't know when it will be OK to ride some of them.
#314
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that sounds and looks so fun.
I couldn't wait for Spring so I headed out on the MTB. Headed to the Massapequa Preserve and then to Jones Beach. The snow was nice but the brown slush was a mess and i was soaking wet by the time I got home.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
I lost use of the front derailleur because it was caked with ice. The rear would not shift into the 2 smaller cogs. When I got home i had to leave the bike in the sun so the ice would melt and i could wipe it down.
Sure was fun.
#315
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#316
Senior Member
This morning I took, God willing, my last snow ride for what I hope is a long time. Took the trails north from Bethpage up to the Tower Loop and rode that. I was going to cut over to the GreenBelt on the blue dot trail, but things were rapidly softening up so I actually got onto the pavement rather than put down ruts.
Road bike this week forward!!!!
Road bike this week forward!!!!
Last edited by kaos joe; 03-29-15 at 10:26 PM. Reason: spelling
#317
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Tomorrow's the day.. taking the new road bike out for its first real ride.
#318
Senior Member
Be careful of the sand! IT IS BAD. I went out yesterday with a friend and he took a spectacular fall when we came around a bend and found ourselves face to face with a school bus. He avoided the bus but was unable to turn to avoid the curb due to loose sand. He fell into a flower bed and both he & bike were miraculously unscathed.
#319
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Just got back from a 20 mile ride. I decided to drive up to Bethpage and avoid the south shore roads. I headed north through Bethpage, up through Plainview - Woodbury - Syosset and stopped by Brickwell to see what's going on with my other bike that's there for service. I continued through Woodbury toward Huntington. Headed south and returned via the Bethpage MUP.
The shoulders have a lot of sand and debris, so I rode to the left of the white line slightly in the car lane. No problems with passing cars and the potholes are already being patched.
This was the first "real" ride on my Emonda SLR and it was amazing. I was much faster than on my old Madone. With a head wind and tail wind the bike handled great. In a cross wind it was a bit twitchy but I got used to it and by the end it was not an issue.
I hope for a few days of heavy rain to clear the shoulders. Also Town of Oyster Bay will start sweeping the streets in the next few weeks.
The shoulders have a lot of sand and debris, so I rode to the left of the white line slightly in the car lane. No problems with passing cars and the potholes are already being patched.
This was the first "real" ride on my Emonda SLR and it was amazing. I was much faster than on my old Madone. With a head wind and tail wind the bike handled great. In a cross wind it was a bit twitchy but I got used to it and by the end it was not an issue.
I hope for a few days of heavy rain to clear the shoulders. Also Town of Oyster Bay will start sweeping the streets in the next few weeks.
#320
Senior Member
Another sure sign of spring........I got my very first "get on the sidewalk a-hole!" of the year! On the service road, where there is plenty of room and no sidewalk.
#321
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Its illegal to ride on the sidewalk in most places.
#322
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>>>>Also Town of Oyster Bay will start sweeping the streets in the next few weeks.<<<<
Just FYI, Cold Spring Road and Syosset-Woodbury Road are about to get a fresh coat of pavement and maybe some other improvements. They were smashed up today (April 3) and may be unrideable for a bit. I believe Southwoods Road may be part of the project, too. Unfortunately, this combination of roads makes up a good portion of the bike route between the terminus of the Bethpage Bikeway and the Syosset LIRR station. It's also my morning bike commute to work, which I was hoping to resume within the next week or so. Grrrrrrrr.......
Just FYI, Cold Spring Road and Syosset-Woodbury Road are about to get a fresh coat of pavement and maybe some other improvements. They were smashed up today (April 3) and may be unrideable for a bit. I believe Southwoods Road may be part of the project, too. Unfortunately, this combination of roads makes up a good portion of the bike route between the terminus of the Bethpage Bikeway and the Syosset LIRR station. It's also my morning bike commute to work, which I was hoping to resume within the next week or so. Grrrrrrrr.......
#323
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When out today and i have to say, if you're careful and watch the road, you'll be just fine.
I just wish the wind would calm down.
I just wish the wind would calm down.
#324
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My son was over so we went on a ride together.
Massapequa north via Merrits to Round Swamp. Then over to to Sweet Hollow up Mt. Misery, down Round Swamp. Through Farmingdale and Carmens Road to Massapequa. He dragged my ass up the hills and then dropped me on the descents. Total mileage was 26, average speed was 16.5... faster than my normal August speed. And there was a strong head wind on the ride home.
Massapequa north via Merrits to Round Swamp. Then over to to Sweet Hollow up Mt. Misery, down Round Swamp. Through Farmingdale and Carmens Road to Massapequa. He dragged my ass up the hills and then dropped me on the descents. Total mileage was 26, average speed was 16.5... faster than my normal August speed. And there was a strong head wind on the ride home.
#325
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Getting dropped by your kid or not, you're making fairweather whimps like me look really bad, oldnslow2. Can't you lie a little and tell us you're still hanging out in front of the TV popping marble crullers from the House of Donuts while waiting for the temps to go above 65 degrees?
(PS: I brought my bike up from the basement late this afternoon and rode it from my house to the corner, only to see if I like my fat Big Apple tires any better than when I put them on at the end of last season. I'm itching to start commuting to work again, but the mornings are still too cold for me and the threat of rain every day this week is turning me off, too.)
(PS: I brought my bike up from the basement late this afternoon and rode it from my house to the corner, only to see if I like my fat Big Apple tires any better than when I put them on at the end of last season. I'm itching to start commuting to work again, but the mornings are still too cold for me and the threat of rain every day this week is turning me off, too.)