moitense

hey new yorkers does anybody know anything about the gimbles ride, what time do they leave and from where?

DocM

https://www.usicycling.org/rides.php

carpediemracing 

You can meet the ride in different places. I used to join up on Central Ave in White Plains. Find White Plains Bowl, Verizon, and CompUSA. Park on the street next to the Verizon offices (road ends in a 20-foot wide roundabout on one end, angles into a main road on ther other, all of 200 yards long). The ride literally goes around the roundabout.

If you get there at 9:15 you'll have plenty of time. 9:30, kinda tight. 9:40 you may have to chase. If there's no one parked there when you get there, you're early. You should see some regulars parking there. If you see a few cars with racks but no one pedaling around in the immediate area you probably missed the ride.

If you get there early go across the big road (where you turned off to get to the roundabout), cross the road, and keep going up what is now a 2 lane bumpy road with a car wash on the right. Keep heading past the gas station, past the day labor guys, bear right onto Central Ave (another 4 lane road). I've gone up that pretty far, a couple miles, but I don't know how they get there. You'll see some sport fields to your left at some point, and guys park in that lot too. If you see the pet cemetary on the right (can't miss it, it's huge) then you're past the field parking lot.

It's great seeing the group roll down Central Ave. It's a sight to behold, 100+ guys rolling down that road, coming toward you.

There is one more spot where people meet up the ride, but it's for those who ride there out of CT. They meet in the parking lot of a classic motorsports garage, usually 2-5 of them. You can't park there though.

As far as the ride, it all stays together until the group hits Route 22 (4 lane road next to a resevoir). After a bridge and a short uphill and downhill, a few guys peel off to bear right up a road. That is Super Short. I think it's like 30 miles (?). Maybe 25.

Then, a few intersections later, the group splits into two. Some stay on Route 22, bearing right (relatively speaking). That is Short. That's like 35 miles I think. One hill, similar to the hill after the bridge, called Picket Fence Hill. Usually Cat 4s, 5s, and non-racers. And weak 3s like me.

The folks going left, that's Long. They immediately hit a couple miles of hills ("steps"), then do some mid ride hills over a mile or two in total. I always get dropped here and turn right at the top to shortcut to the rest of the loop. Then they get back onto the Short ride's loop and do the rest of the Short loop. I don't know distance, maybe 45 or 50 miles now.

On Route 120, after you ride on some concrete road near the airport, you'll do a sprint after the Merritt Parkway bridge. Or Hutchinson Parkway, I guess, because it's NY. That's the 120 sprint. There's a traffic light just after it so watch out.

Then, on some other big road in Mamaroneck, there is a second sprint. Then it just chills out. A bunch of riders will stop at a convenience store either on the left or on the right, depends on mood and weather.

If I do short, I'm back at the car before noon. If I do long, I'm there at 12:30 or so. It takes me a good 20-30 minutes to ride back to the car. If you park where I described you'll need to follow someone after the end of the ride to get back to the cars.

cdr

slynkie

FYI, the CompUSA that CDR mentioned is now a Staples.

here's a map of the regular ride - https://bicycling.allsportgps.com/Dat...?tripId=139097

carpediemracing 

Cool - I never knew where we rode

That is the short/regular ride. There's a note on the "point of interest" after Kensico Lake where the route turns off of 120.

cdr

soulbike

The Gimbles starts at Macys at Yonkers. It heads up Rt 100./ Central Avenue, then onto Rt 22. It is at this point that the ride starts to split into 3 different routes/ rides. The first which is unofficially called Otto's ride, or the short ride, turns off first, followed by the Regular ride. The Gimbles Long continues along 22 and onto 172 and back again onto 22.

Otto's ride is a slow and fairly short ride with 1 major hill as you break off from the rest. It rolls nicely through mostly flat areas with some fairly older folks.

The Regular which is possibly the most dangerous ride as most people are just fast enough to hold on goes through mostly the same route as the Long except that it misses alot of the climbing. It still goes through fairly rolling terrain but is really hairy.

The Long covers 3 extra climbs. They are not particularly long but are fairly fast. There is also a cut-off at the end of Rt 172 at Chestnut Ridge if you get dropped or don't think you have the legs to climb Rt 22.

For the Regular and the Long, there are 2 sprint points so you gotta be ready for these. If you are a fairly fast Cat 4 and above you will be able to hang with the Long. Most cat 5s and some 4s go Regular, just as a guide for you first timers. The ride ends at either Bagel Zone (Otto's and regular) or a convenient store just before (Long). After the ride/ muffins/ drinks, there will be groups rolling back towards White Plains or the Bronx.

isuffer

When you're with the group and you can't recall all the info mention above, just ask somone and they'll tell you what to expect. Know that the ride does not finsh where it started. The regular route can be very rough and aggressive. The long is more "user friendly" with hills.

patentcad

It's Gimbels you morons.

Pablo.

If you do end up doing Gimbels, you need to stay alert. There are A LOT of dangerous guys who come out.

It's easier when you know which wheels are safe and which ones are not.

slvoid

F**k that im starting my own.

gimpballs!

patentcad

Or you could do the Nyack Ride, which I've been doing since 1990 or so. In 18 years I think I can count the crashes on one hand. The most dangerous thing about the participants is how fast some of them are (not me of course).

Pablo.

Gimbels is death on wheels. I'm not exaggerating at all, we have crashes about every other week.

I'll come out to Nyack sometime this summer, count me to it.

isuffer

this is no joke. Had a dude air lifted after an accident last summer. Really banged up.

.:Jimbo:.

If you are talking about the incident where the cyclist ran right into the back of a car, then you happen to be referring to the first and last time I've done Gimbels. While it was nice to go all the way out there for the change in scenery, there is just to much nonsense to put up with to make the ride worthwhile, mainly between the sketchy riders, and long ass ride just to get there, as a Brooklynite at least.

carpediemracing 

Has it changed much in the last three years? I last rode it about then (the CompUSA was still a CompUSA), it was fine, and I did short. I last did long maybe four-five years ago, got shelled as usual on the second steps (172), did the shortcut, and that was fine also.

cdr

moitense

what's the average speed do the gimbles riders do?

Pablo.

Depends which ride you do.

Otto's Ride (the shortest route) is 22 MPH or so, but at the end (not including the basil warm up) your speedo will probably say 18 or 19. There are no attacks or sprints like the other rides. The number one rule of this ride is "wait for Otto on top of the Ameri-Can hill." Ameri-Can is the hill the ride starts with, and it's not hard.

The regular ride averages 24+ MPH. On this ride you need to worry less about hanging on, but more about crashing. Out of the 3 routes, this is the craziest, and there are many guys who come out that are dangerous.

The long ride is the hilliest, and is a bit of an adjustment coming from the reg. ride.

Start your Gimbels experience with Otto's ride to get the ebb and flow of things. If you are serious, PM me and we'll meet up.

orcanova

My buddy told me there was an incident this past weekend. There was a right turn where the local cops, I think in Bedford, but not quite sure, have negotiated that the group at least touches the cleat on the pavement, rather than a complete stop. With all the newer riders (Memorial Day weekend), they all just blew the stop sign, and ran into wooden barriers that were placed there because of an accident up ahead. People crashed and one guy went to the hospital. But he was reiterating why a lot of good roadies just don't do Gimbals anymore, because of the unpredictability and the squirrels.