Long Island: Good Ride Today?
05-04-15, 06:43 PM
#351
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Tom, Glad you're doing better and starting to ride. Take it slow, the last think you need is to have a momentary lapse and fall.
Hank, 17 miles at 16.5 is awesome, i've been ringing for 3 years and am just about there.
Today I rode Massapequa to Tobay and back. 33 miles @ 16.1mpg and 1150 calories. The wind was pretty stiff and i really had to push it heading south and west.
Hank, 17 miles at 16.5 is awesome, i've been ringing for 3 years and am just about there.
Today I rode Massapequa to Tobay and back. 33 miles @ 16.1mpg and 1150 calories. The wind was pretty stiff and i really had to push it heading south and west.
05-06-15, 06:50 PM
#352
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05-06-15, 06:53 PM
#353
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I did 20 miles on the MTB.... damn, it's a lot of bike to drag around compared to the Emonda.
It rides really nice, but it's double the weight and I can feel it.
It rides really nice, but it's double the weight and I can feel it.
05-07-15, 01:03 PM
#354
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Headed north to Cold Spring Harbor... the roads are a mess. Potholes, rough pavement and debris on the shoulders. On Rt 108 I hit a pothole and got my first flat. 5 minutes later I was on my way.
Damn, it felt like summer.
Damn, it felt like summer.
05-08-15, 06:42 PM
#355
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Did a quick 30 miles today. On the way back I headed through Farmingdale and they had Hempstead Turnpike closed for officer Brian Moore's funeral. Never seen so many cops in my life. Must of been 1000 motorcycles and the procession was over 4 miles long.
05-08-15, 07:42 PM
#356
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Tomorrow, I'm going to attempt my first "real" ride (not counting my commute) since getting most of my balance back. I'm not sure where to go yet, but I'm very excited at the thought of riding in this beautiful weather.
I have switched to open platform pedals for the time being, as I'm not 100% sure I fully trust my balance at traffic lights and other stops. Should I suddenly have an "episode," I'd rather be able to get my feet on the ground as quickly as possible.
Any idea where I should go? My wife is away and I'm wide open. I just don't want to do one of the rides I do over and over all Spring, Summer, and Fall (like Jones Beach, Bethpage, etc.) I'll drive/train anywhere within about 50 miles of Syosset, Long Island.
I have switched to open platform pedals for the time being, as I'm not 100% sure I fully trust my balance at traffic lights and other stops. Should I suddenly have an "episode," I'd rather be able to get my feet on the ground as quickly as possible.
Any idea where I should go? My wife is away and I'm wide open. I just don't want to do one of the rides I do over and over all Spring, Summer, and Fall (like Jones Beach, Bethpage, etc.) I'll drive/train anywhere within about 50 miles of Syosset, Long Island.
05-08-15, 07:56 PM
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Tom,
Just do the Bethpage path. That way if you have any balance issues there's no cars and there's people that can help.
Just do the Bethpage path. That way if you have any balance issues there's no cars and there's people that can help.
05-09-15, 08:49 AM
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I second the Bethpage idea. Plenty of company.
Last evening I parked near Cedar Creek and took the Papa Tom Path down to Jones Beach. Down there, the signs indicate you're allowed to ride on the boardwalk until Memorial Day. Other signs on the boardwalk ask you to go slow and be respectful - no problem, because who wants to zoom through such a beautiful area? So we have another two weeks to do this, and I think I'll make it a point to go at least once more.
Last evening I parked near Cedar Creek and took the Papa Tom Path down to Jones Beach. Down there, the signs indicate you're allowed to ride on the boardwalk until Memorial Day. Other signs on the boardwalk ask you to go slow and be respectful - no problem, because who wants to zoom through such a beautiful area? So we have another two weeks to do this, and I think I'll make it a point to go at least once more.
05-09-15, 01:55 PM
#360
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05-10-15, 01:52 PM
#361
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OK, so I started Sunday with my usual "I don't know where to ride" dance. Unfortunately, this often ends with me going nowhere, but not this time. I decided I was going to take the LIRR into Manhattan and tool around for the day -- maybe the West Side Bikeway, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge...whatever. The weather started out too crappy for a Long Island ride, but I wasn't going to let another one go by.
Just as I was about to board the train, the sun came out. I turned around and headed home to regroup and re-plan my day. Of course, by the time I got home, it was cloudy again. I thought about a ride I had added to my website years ago, but never really explored fully. Today, I decided, I was going to figure out that wacky twisted network of bikeways in Pelham Bay, Orchard Beach, and City Island.
The drive wasn't bad, and with the sky still overcast, I was glad I had chosen not to do one of my Long Island beach rides. It wasn't even 10am when I got to the parking lot at the Split Rock Golf Course, and there was no one collecting the $3 fee. Good start. I got on my bike and started riding and, pretty soon, I was lost. The City really dumped a lot of money into creating bike paths in every direction here, but I couldn't figure out where anything went. I made it to Orchard Beach, but found the bath house, with all its snack bars and shops, closed indefinitely due to deterioration of the building. Two really Italian-looking guys, not much older than 45-50, were lounging in front of it blasting doo-wop music, a favorite of mine, even though I'm a 60's & 70's child. This was a highlight of the ride, although they were practically the only other humans I would see during this whole exploration.
Next I found my way to City Island, which was not yet buzzing with the Mother's Day brunch crowd. I turned around and got out of there pretty quickly. Then I decided I wanted to ride that little stretch of bike path I've been seeing along the northbound Hutchinson Parkway for a few years. I rode a couple of miles toward the Hutch (or so I thought) and then realized I had gone in completely the wrong direction. In the end, I just headed back to my car, disappointed in the whole trip.
Still up for riding, I decided to stop at the Cross Island Parkway bike path, and soon found that the parking lot off Bell Blvd is still closed for construction. I wasn't giving up, though, so I found some parking on the street and rode over to the path. Like the bikeways in the Bronx, this too got really badly pounded by the winter of 2015. Not only are there chunks of blacktop all over the place, but the lane markings got washed away and everybody was swerving and weaving in a total free-for-all. I rode up and back to Northern Blvd and took a detour over the walkway to Crocheron Park, which has a nice lake that was swarming with mosquitoes today. I lasted about 20 seconds there. Carrying my bike up the walkway stairs, I realized why I'd been huffing and puffing all day. The Big Apple fat tires, industrial-strength double-leg kickstand, and huge platform pedals I had installed over the winter added the weight of two fat pigs to my rig. One of the guys I had stopped to ask for directions in the Bronx had even commented about my bike, "Wow! That's one heavy-ass-looking mother!"
When I finished the Cross Island ride, it was still only about noon, so I headed home to figure out what to do next. As soon as I sat at my computer and felt the too-short-lived Spring breeze blowing through an open window, I decided this was the day to take my first ride of the season to Teddy Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay. Off I went...Cold Spring Rd to Southwoods Rd to Tall Oaks Rd to the woods at the end of Tall Oaks Rd to Cove Rd and into Oyster Bay. I'm so glad I did this. The breeze at the beach was spectacular and the place was packed and lively as hell. It took away the sadness of my wife being in California on the Mother's Day. Hey, did I say I was SAD that my wife is away? What a sap.
So whatever the mileage was, it was enough to convince me that I'm going to be OK on the bike after this weird balance thing that flattened me out for two weeks. The platform pedals were a good move to eliminate the extra stress of having to get out of toe clips in an emergency. They make climbing hills a little more challenging, but I think I can get used to them as a permanent feature. I'm not crazy about the fat tires for this type of riding, though. I will definitely put my skinnier slicks back on when I take my overnight bike trips up the CT coast this summer. The double kickstand is the best invention ever. It's like having a repair stand with you at all times, and I no longer have to worry about the bike tipping over when I load up the panniers. And it only weighs about 17 pounds
Just as I was about to board the train, the sun came out. I turned around and headed home to regroup and re-plan my day. Of course, by the time I got home, it was cloudy again. I thought about a ride I had added to my website years ago, but never really explored fully. Today, I decided, I was going to figure out that wacky twisted network of bikeways in Pelham Bay, Orchard Beach, and City Island.
The drive wasn't bad, and with the sky still overcast, I was glad I had chosen not to do one of my Long Island beach rides. It wasn't even 10am when I got to the parking lot at the Split Rock Golf Course, and there was no one collecting the $3 fee. Good start. I got on my bike and started riding and, pretty soon, I was lost. The City really dumped a lot of money into creating bike paths in every direction here, but I couldn't figure out where anything went. I made it to Orchard Beach, but found the bath house, with all its snack bars and shops, closed indefinitely due to deterioration of the building. Two really Italian-looking guys, not much older than 45-50, were lounging in front of it blasting doo-wop music, a favorite of mine, even though I'm a 60's & 70's child. This was a highlight of the ride, although they were practically the only other humans I would see during this whole exploration.
Next I found my way to City Island, which was not yet buzzing with the Mother's Day brunch crowd. I turned around and got out of there pretty quickly. Then I decided I wanted to ride that little stretch of bike path I've been seeing along the northbound Hutchinson Parkway for a few years. I rode a couple of miles toward the Hutch (or so I thought) and then realized I had gone in completely the wrong direction. In the end, I just headed back to my car, disappointed in the whole trip.
Still up for riding, I decided to stop at the Cross Island Parkway bike path, and soon found that the parking lot off Bell Blvd is still closed for construction. I wasn't giving up, though, so I found some parking on the street and rode over to the path. Like the bikeways in the Bronx, this too got really badly pounded by the winter of 2015. Not only are there chunks of blacktop all over the place, but the lane markings got washed away and everybody was swerving and weaving in a total free-for-all. I rode up and back to Northern Blvd and took a detour over the walkway to Crocheron Park, which has a nice lake that was swarming with mosquitoes today. I lasted about 20 seconds there. Carrying my bike up the walkway stairs, I realized why I'd been huffing and puffing all day. The Big Apple fat tires, industrial-strength double-leg kickstand, and huge platform pedals I had installed over the winter added the weight of two fat pigs to my rig. One of the guys I had stopped to ask for directions in the Bronx had even commented about my bike, "Wow! That's one heavy-ass-looking mother!"
When I finished the Cross Island ride, it was still only about noon, so I headed home to figure out what to do next. As soon as I sat at my computer and felt the too-short-lived Spring breeze blowing through an open window, I decided this was the day to take my first ride of the season to Teddy Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay. Off I went...Cold Spring Rd to Southwoods Rd to Tall Oaks Rd to the woods at the end of Tall Oaks Rd to Cove Rd and into Oyster Bay. I'm so glad I did this. The breeze at the beach was spectacular and the place was packed and lively as hell. It took away the sadness of my wife being in California on the Mother's Day. Hey, did I say I was SAD that my wife is away? What a sap.
So whatever the mileage was, it was enough to convince me that I'm going to be OK on the bike after this weird balance thing that flattened me out for two weeks. The platform pedals were a good move to eliminate the extra stress of having to get out of toe clips in an emergency. They make climbing hills a little more challenging, but I think I can get used to them as a permanent feature. I'm not crazy about the fat tires for this type of riding, though. I will definitely put my skinnier slicks back on when I take my overnight bike trips up the CT coast this summer. The double kickstand is the best invention ever. It's like having a repair stand with you at all times, and I no longer have to worry about the bike tipping over when I load up the panniers. And it only weighs about 17 pounds
Last edited by Papa Tom; 05-10-15 at 01:56 PM.
05-10-15, 05:04 PM
#362
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Glad to hear you're back on 2 wheels.
Sounds like you had a great day.
Sounds like you had a great day.
05-12-15, 04:34 PM
#363
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I did a quick 21 miles, Massapequa - Plainview - Massapequa. The humidity was up and I was seating like a pig, my eyes were burning. Add the debris the wind was blowing around and it was not pleasant.
05-12-15, 06:55 PM
#364
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Yeah, I ate a lot of dirt and flies on Sunday, too. But damn, it's good to be back...and the wind feels awesome.
05-13-15, 06:46 AM
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Went on a 22 mile ride the other day 15.7 mph avg and damn did I realize why bike shorts exist. I've been riding in compression shorts I wear for soccer with regular athletic shorts over them and my booty has been killing me. I know saddel sore is going to happen but I've been having a rough go of it for the past few days. Needless to say I've invested in a couple pairs of Canari bike shorts (never thought I'd be so happy to see ass cushioning) and first cycling jersey. Excited to give them a go tomorrow.
05-13-15, 09:07 AM
#366
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Tuesday was by far the best day of the year for riding for me. I did 53 miles in Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. It was my best day of riding since September 28 of last year.
I recently had a huge personal disaster. So it was nice to be out all day feeling the summer-like heat.
I recently had a huge personal disaster. So it was nice to be out all day feeling the summer-like heat.
05-13-15, 03:09 PM
#367
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The wind is a killer... decided to cut a ride short and only did 26 miles.
05-14-15, 03:53 PM
#368
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Just had my fastest solo loop yet... 17.1 mph over 19.5 miles.
Massapequa - Round Swamp - Old Country - Bethpage MUP - Massapequa.
Massapequa - Round Swamp - Old Country - Bethpage MUP - Massapequa.
05-14-15, 08:10 PM
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05-15-15, 09:22 AM
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05-15-15, 09:31 AM
#372
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We should have a group "social" ride one day. Maybe meet at Cedar Creek and take the MUP to Tobay and back. Nothing fast, just a easy ride so we can chat and get to know each other better.
Anyone interested?
Anyone interested?
05-15-15, 05:18 PM
#373
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Today I broke the 2 hour mark for a 30 miler, 1 hr 59 minutes!!!
I was in my car.
I hate Long Island.
I was in my car.
I hate Long Island.
05-15-15, 06:19 PM
#374
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Except I took a fall at home on Tuesday and frigged up something in my R knee, the same side with the fractured knee cap in late Dec. I'm too embarrassed to go to the orthopedist, who did the MRI in March. And I was just feeling better on the bike with some good 20 milers at a decent pace. Gotta wait a few days and see if it gets any better, but last 3 with ice haven't seen any improvement.
SH-T.
SB
05-16-15, 07:34 AM
#375
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You guys seem to ride more like I did ten years ago than I do today. I'd probably just drag you down with my tank of a commuter bike. I'll pass, regretfully, but I think it's a great idea.