Papa Tom

I'm not sure it's a lack of common courtesy. My wife, who rides with me occasionally but doesn't have the lifetime of cycling experience I have, makes unpredictable moves that make me cringe all the time. I've tried to teach her to make U-turns (rather than stop dead and turn the bicycle around) several times, and I think she gets it. Then, one day, she'll nervously try to do it without giving a thought to other cyclists (or cars) around her and she'll nearly cause a crash like the one you described. Fortunately, she hasn't hurt anyone yet, but it's taking her a REALLY long time to acquire the instincts we all have from years of biking.

Anyway, I'm glad the incident you described didn't involve my wife - and I'm mostly glad the cyclist's injuries weren't worse. I think 22mph may be borderline risky for a family-oriented bike path, though. I wonder if there's a way to close it off certain hours of the day just for cyclists who want to hammer their way down.

Steve B.

My first thought was "22 mph", sounds like the euro-pro wannabe getting his hammer time in, at a really bad location and time of day. Sunday on the most popular bike path in the area ?. Dumb.

But while that's somewhat true, had he been doing 14 he still might have had a collision as there's not much you can do when somebody does a stupid u-turn.

That happened to us 3 weeks ago - twice, ones when a guys hat blows off, so he slams on the brakes and hangs a left. We all missed but Mr. Lost Hat ended up in the bushes with a collapsed ego.

I stay the heck off the bike paths when I can. You are far more likely (10 times I read once) to have an accident on a MUP, then on the roads. You are far more likely to get killed on the road though....

GlennR

It was at 7:30am on a Sunday along the 4 mile straight between Jones and Tobay.

22mph... is not that fast. I normally average 15mph over a 30+ mile ride and can tell you with a tailwind on that stretch I can do 22mph for the length.

The problem with the bike path is, it's NOT a bike path. Its a MUP meaning it's for walkers, runners, cyclists, skaters and skateboarders. It's for parents pushing a stroller, a 6 year old on a bike with training wheels and kids on scooters.

While you can see slower people ahead, you can't anticipate people stopping in the middle of the path to talk on the cell phone or tie their shoes or ride 3 abreast or all the other self absorbed things they do. They don't understand that there are others on the path. That they should not have music playing in both ears so they can hear you announce "on your left". That if they need to stop, they should step off the path and not block it. That they should not have their dog on a 8 foot leash or running loose.

I'm real careful when using the paths and only use them early in the AM. And never assume anything when passing someone unless i have eye contact.

Most of my riding is on the streets.... it's just safer.

Papa Tom

Hey, why are the three of us sitting in front of our computers on this incredible day? I'm getting the f out and riding down to the beach.

GlennR

I already did my ride.

Be safe out there.

Steve B.

Hey, I got 30 today, 24 yesterday and 20 on Friday.

@ oldnslow2, I agree 100%. I too will hammer on the JB path when it's not busy. It's great for that when you have the odd tailwind in the AM on a weekday.

My experience on Memorial Day was it was almost too crowded to try 15mph. And yet it's popular with roadies trying to maximize that tailwind. I always see folks doing laps, down, back, down, back. You would think that would get boring. And one problem is even if you yell out Passing On Left, at some speeds, you shout it out, and are passed before the person you are telling it too even understands what you said.

GlennR

That's why i use it as my "short" ride. Also you'll never get any better at climbing hills on that path.

I usually head north to Cold Spring Harbor where i can hit "Fish Hatchery" or "Snake Hill" or some others. I can make it up but usually sucking wind at the top. But i'll never get better if I don't work a it.

flattie

So you were the guy I saw taking the right lane of the Loop Parkway southbound from Meadowbrook to Pt Lookout today around 11am? Aerobars or not you're not maintaining 55mph. Guy had no idea how close he came to getting taken out several times from what I could see - traffic was heavy and the Loop Parkway is no place for a bike.

Edit - here's some views - you can see the Loop is no place for a bike - except maybe after an EMP when all cars are permanently parked. https://www.greaternyroads.info/roads...photogal/page2

GlennR

Not me.

It's not only stupid to ride on parkways, it's illegal.

flattie

Sorry I should have been clear - I figured the odds of it being someone on here were somewhere in the neighborhood of me going home with Mila Kunis and Angelina Jolie at the same time.

So please don't take my post the wrong way. I was absolutely astounded someone thought it was a good idea. I mean there is zero shoulder - never mind the legalities of it - crossing those two bridges - I'm surprised we're not reading a new story about him right now.

It's weird - I feel safer cycling in Manhattan than I do around here in Long Island. Too many distracted cell phone users (talking/texting) around here.

GlennR

No problem.

Yes, i'm amazed at some of the stupid people both cyclists and drivers.

It depends on the type of riding you do. if you ride under 15mph and for shorter distances then the paths are OK. But if you ride faster it can be a problem.

There are good and bad roads.
Rt 107 = bad
Old Country Road past Plainview = good
Round Swamp = good

FattyArbuckle

Saw a guy riding on the white shoulder line of the Eastbound Belt Pkwy btwn JFK & the Cross Island one weekend morning a couple years ago. Cars flying by at 60 mph just a foot away. I'm surprised I didn't see him on the news later!

Steve B.

A ridding buddy, heading home to LI on the eastbound LIE one rush hour a few weeks ago, took a photo of a guy on a single speed in the LIE right lane. The cyclist was going faster then the traffic of course.

GlennR

40 miles with 1650' of climbing. My body is punishing me for it.

Massapequa thru Bethpage to Syosset. Down "Fish Hatchery" to Cold Spring Harbor, up Snake Hill to Huntington. Woodbury Road to Round Swamp and back to Massapequa.

The weather was awesome and the traffic light.

Papa Tom

I'm glad to see you're not the jackass cyclist I almost hit with my car in Oyster Bay tonight.

I've seen this dude once before. He's got a nice-looking road bike, though I haven't caught the brand yet, and he's all decked out in Spandex and racing gear, right down to the goggles. He's fast, but he rides like a dork, with his knees pointing out at almost a 90 degree angle, and he blows every stop sign, swerves in and out through traffic at busy, dangerous intersections, etc...all with an arrogant, wise-ass grin on his face. He isn't a kid, either. He's probably in his forties. Both times I've come in contact with this guy, I've wanted to throw him off the bike and wring his neck. And I'm NOT a confrontational person by any means.

So thanks for not being him.

GlennR

I'm the old guy on the left.

Papa Tom

>>>I'm the old guy on the left.<<<<

And is that the beach at Narragansett, RI in the background?

GlennR

Jones Beach at the East Bath House".

sherbornpeddler

Rock and Roll Long Island! Just as we Metro Boston dudes have fun posting useful, friendly and fascinating rides and observations you are great. One of our Metro Boston community noted your thread and I wish you well; you look marvelous. We certainly are a diverse group who share fascination in our region, get to know each other and support and appreciate frequent, occasional and new contributors.

Two years ago a group of us Boston types took the New London ferry to Orient Point, rode around a few wineries towards Riverhead then packed up and made it to NYC for the Five Boro Bike Tour the next day.

Forty years ago I biked to New London, the ferry, biked to Shelter island and on to Bridgehamption to visit a nearly significant other and reversed the route the next day.

I liked the biking both times and now the real significant other wants to bike the Hamptons this fall. We are looking forward to it.
Bon Voyage to you!

csi56

OK, so I wimped out. I rode down the Jones Beach bike path but turned around at the bathhouse instead of continuing to Tobay. I know my limits, and (1) this is my first decent ride on my new Downtube 9FS and (2) this is only my third decent ride this season. The headwind on the way down also affected me -- I'm glad for the tailwind going back north. Glad to report that the gearing on the bike was just about right, and I didn't even need to stop. More rides, I'll get stronger, lose some weight, probably even get my wife into it. But she's going to need her own bike, she can't have mine!

Papa Tom

The headwind going down on Tuesday must have been miserable, but my guess is that the trip back was a thrill ride and a half.

Do you have a bike with larger wheels? I love those little folder bikes, but I can barely get around the block on mine, let alone up the few little hills on the Jones Beach path. You'd probably feel a big difference on a 26"er.

csi56

Papa Tom, my experience is that my folder was easier to manage than my Trek with 700c wheels, in terms of the maneuverability and the gearing. This Downtube has 9 gears, and when you measure the gear-inches (like on Sheldon Brown's site) the top and bottom are about equal to the gear-inches on the 21-speed Trek, so the effort is the same. I was only using about 6 of the Trek's gears anyway. So I gained a better ride that I'm more likely to utilize, since it fits in my trunk, and I didn't lose a thing... unless you count the $600 I spent on the bike itself!

And does anyone make sails for bicycles?

Papa Tom

>>>>...my folder was easier to manage than my Trek with 700c wheels, in terms of the maneuverability and the gearing.<<<<

Interesting to know, as I always feel bad for people riding folders with 20" wheels on rides they don't seem suited for. To me, a folder is great for city riding and cruising on a boardwalk, not for riding a bikeway like the one to Jones Beach. I should note, though, that mine is a single speed from the 60's or 70's.

Anyway, I'm glad you are happy with it and that it doesn't limit the places you can ride. Are you the person I've seen riding the white folder on the Bethpage Bikeway?

csi56

I haven't made it to the Bethpage Bikeway yet so it's not me. But maybe this weekend.

I "let" my wife ride the Downtube for about 1/2 hour last evening, just around the neighborhood. I may need to buy another bike real soon. :-)

Papa Tom

csi56:

I know you mentioned in an earlier post that you have "limits" to the distance you like to do, so before you ride Bethpage, check out the updated Bethpage ride description on the Long Island page of my website at nyrides.freehosting.net . I've tried to break it down for the benefit of people who won't want to ride the entire length of the bikeway, which was recently extended from Bethpage State Park to Woodbury. I'd say the first time you ride it, start at Sunrise Highway in Massapequa and ride north.