davids0507

I was going to say something like this in my original post, because you can run light after light after light (especially on Riverside Drive), with cop cars sitting right there, and never get arrested. So I agree that you can ride for 3-4 hours without putting a foot down, and it seems that this is what most people do... but you're taking your life into your hands.

Jynx

is this a common or specific group ride?

FixdGearHead

Sadly, it's this mentality that's gotten me in trouble twice...once flying through a T-intersection (no cross traffic on my side) on route 9W in New Jersey and once slowly rolling through an stop light intersection in Sausalito. Both times resulted in a ticket. Ugh.

roadiejorge 

The streets of NYC aren't great if you're looking for an uninterrupted ride, but I always made the most of it and used the stop-and-go nature of city riding to work on intervals often using the surrounding cars and messengers to chase. I used to love the adrenaline rush and racing messengers through 6th Ave traffic at the height of rush hour was a blast.

In terms of variety there's plenty to see in terms of architecture and neighborhoods; when I used to ride to Coney Island I loved the seemless neighborhood transition from West Indian to Jewish to Arab, and finally Russian. The city is great to experience by bicycle so I'd go on "exploratory" rides on days when I wanted to go on a recovery ride. The parks are nice in their own right and give you the convenience of not being far from help in case anything happens or you need anything. While there aren't the climbing challenges or scenery of the west it seems sillty to say there's nothing to see, it just depends on what you're willing to appreciate.

As I've gotten older I find that city traffic just isn't that fun to be in when you're looking to minimize the possibility of having an accident on a bike; I don't want my wife and daughter to worry about me riding recklessly. Since I moved to NJ I prefer the quiter more predcitable riding I can do there, but I'm just over the river so there's enough traffic to keep it lively as well.

GirlAnachronism

You just described my summer.

Also, NYC is the best city in the US, and I say this as someone who grew up in Southern CA. However, better cycling abounds elsewhere...

SourDieseL

it's an organized group ride route but you'll see individuals and small groups hammering it. I do it a few times with some of my friends starting in Douglaston heading out to Wheatly then into rolling hills towards Syosset LIRR Train Station / Fire Station.

the chartered group has A,B,C,D rides - https://www.bicyclelongisland.org/libc/


on a brighter note - to add to the NEW YORK HYPE!!! Did anyone catch Lance yesterday in Central Park? Unannounced ride since he was doing a book signing at Barnes and Nobles. He just finished a book signing at Borders 34th Street (Madison Square Garden). I work upstairs in MSG and came down and wanted to ask him WHY RED AND NOT Di2 LOL...and also drill him on Team RS and how stacked it is this year, also wanted to ask him if he's scared of AC or Astana? hahah but he dipped out so quickly. I think he was there for maybe 35mins then saw no one was in line for his signing and dipped out. BOOO I missed him

patentcad

Correct.

patentcad

On the other hand, racing in NYC is Big Fun. I like it. Pre dawn in Central Park one balmy March morning:

patentcad

Fixed.

icyclist 

"I don't want my wife and daughter to worry about me riding wrecklessly."

Actually, you do!

Velo Vol 

Correct.

banerjek

Exactly. And don't forget that riding circumstances are such that you'll never have to worry about riding hard for any period of time. This reduces chances of heart failure, injuries, or simple fatigue for that matter.

And with the peds, Freds, and pets, no need to worry about overworking yourself or riding too far or encountering any terrain.
Hell, the guys that ride there are total Freds even compared to me. The only reason to cut them any slack is that they obviously don't have anywhere to ride.

Bob Ross

Um... I live in Manhattan and it's still a 9 mile ride to/from Central Park. "Something goes wrong" and I've still got a ~20 minute ride ahead of me. Or a 30 minute subway ride, if things go really wrong.

GirlAnachronism

Where are you in Manhattan that the park is 9 miles away? I'm in alphabet city and it's like 3.5 miles to the park, 10 to the bridge...

I briefly considered moving to the UES to be closer to the park, but then I realized that that would mean I would have to live on the UES.

patentcad

To be 9 friggin miles from CP in Manhattan you'd have to live at the Staten I. Ferry Terminal.

Daytrip

Upstate is pretty nice for variety. Lots of hills, scenery, historical markers and well-maintained back roads. The only catch is that if you want to stay off the busy highways, you're going to be doing lots of climbing. So I'm learning to love to climb. I'll take sore knees over semis any day.

SourDieseL

lol forget UES...west is best baby! UWS ALL DAY! Besides west stays open so many more 24/7 spots although less number of apartments since the majority high-rise community is on the east, west combats that with more then 1 line of train service

FixdGearHead

Certainly would take a lot of useless turns coming from Inwood for it to amount to 9 miles: Link

kimconyc

There are no climbs in a 50 mile radius of NYC with the possible exception of Mt. Doom..

Is it even possible to get 10,000+ ft. of climbing in the NYC area under 100 miles of riding?

davids0507

If you can't get a good workout riding on relatively flat ground with no obstacles, you don't know how to push yourself. The problem is that obstacles pop up more quickly when you're moving fast.

The end of my ride today had a ~20-minute descent, which was a lot of fun, but it's also kind of a wasted 20 minutes from the standpoint of the workout since you aren't pedaling half the time. But from the standpoint of fun it's clearly superior.

kimconyc

I'm not talking about hill repeats either. I'm talking about an out-and-back that has 10,000+ feet of climbing and is withing 50 miles of NYC (meaning the 5 boroughs).

Daytrip

Probably up in the Adirondacks--around Lake Placid.

"Lots of climbing" is a relative term. Compared to riders in Florida or Texas, Grumpy and I do lots of climbing. Compared to the folks in CA, CO, etc., we're short hitters. Basically, you deal with the terrain you're dealt and biatch about it just like everyone else.

I've never seen Mt. Doom, but in my mind's eye, it's basically it's the Mt. Fuji of the Lower Hudson Valley. Not frickin' worthy, I am.

Daytrip

+1 fer fun.

Grumpy McTrumpy

no. but it is possible up here, provided you stick to back roads and are willing to ride on dirt or gravel.

the highlander century is over 10,000' of climbing (near Canandaigua, NY)

https://www.highlandercycletour.com/highlander.htm

BillyD

C'mon dude, you're not going to find that in any big city I know of, not even Denver. San Francisco maybe. You have to get out into the countryside to get that kind of climbing.

The west sides of uptown Manhattan, the Bronx and Yonkers has enough climbing to satisfy most anybody.

Oh and UWS is the shizzits!!