Commute in your riding gear and go straight to CP from work, then ride home. You avoid the rush-hour traffic in Queens that way, too.

Queens does have lots of good places to ride, but the parks are not good for riding after dark. One option is to follow the greenway signs through Forest Park, up 164th St. to Kissena, Cunningham and Alley Pond, up along Little Neck Bay to Fort Totten, then back down Utopia Pkwy and 73rd Ave. Email me if you'd like more details. It's all in the bike map. I've also seen people do loops in Forest Park by following the Park Dr. until the end by Union Tpke., then turning right and taking Park Ln. back to Forest Parkway, and right on Forest Parkway to get back on Park Dr. Again, not good for night riding.

(the following route is well indicated on the NYC Cycling Map) You can reach the LIE Service Road using a route that is not too bad (two hours needed for an interesting ride, soon possible with Summer time).
From Forest Hills, go first to Cunningham Park (from Queens Bld I like to take 82 ave, then 83rd ave, left on Main Street till 73rd Ave till Cunningham Park, turn right and then left (on the sidewalk first) to take the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway which crosses Cunningham Park then Alley Pond Park : either make a left in Alley Pond Park to reach 232nd Street then a right to W. Alley Rd to LIE Service Road, or ride on the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway till the end (Winchester), short right and then left on Union Turnpike, left on Little Neck Parkway. You're near Lake Success, I then recommend Roslyn, Roslyn Harbor, Old Brookville, Upper Brookville Oyster Bay, Cove Neck, Laurel Hollow. Nice little roads.
Watch out on the way back on LIE Service Road, don't get on the Cross Island Parkway, make a left to take W. Alley Road back to 232nd Street.

Ride Safe,

Stéphane

"I always wondered where people from Queens train,I know some of the Bklyn crew train in Long Island not sure where or how.I think its down Queens blvd past the courts near Van Wyck Blvd or something like that but I dont think its good after dark.Look into a trainer or rollers,especially if you commute-train from lower Manhattan to Forest Hills,If the problem is indeed lack of continuous riding and I can see why because its so crowded.Plus when you say ""endurance"" are you speaking of anaerobic or aerobic endurance or both?For most of us that would be both,just wanted to point out that there is a distinction."

I live in Forest Hills as well and what I normally do is go down Yellowstone toward the LIE service road which links up with a peds overpass to Flushing Meadows Park. Follow the Greenway signs and head up a nice hill on Booth Memorial which links up with the Kissena Velodrome, which is cool to ride intervals when it is empty. Then continue through to Kissena Blvd which links up with the Cunningham path to the Alley Pond path aka the Vanderbilt Motorparkway. I can do this ride without seeing one cyclist, which leads me to believe there aren't many of us here or I just ride at off peak times. I think Queens is highly underated when it comes to cycling paths. When the weather is warmer let me know if you'd like to join me.

Dan: Forest Park is clearly your best bet. Depending upon where you live I suggest you get to QB and cross over to Ascan Ave. Take Ascan 3 blocks and make a Left unto Greenway North. This becomes Markwood Rd as you cross over Union Tpke & the Jackie Robinson Pkwy overpass. (Don't worry it's safe!). Make the first Right unto Park Drive. You'll soon cross Metropolitan Ave and then enter the bikepath.There ARE hills so that 3+ laps around = a good workout.

I'm over in Sunnyside and have resigned myself to the fact that I'll have to ride to Central Park to get a ride in for mid-week training. I suppose I could do hill repeats on the 59th St. Bridge, at least I'll avoid traffic. But there are no stretches without stop lights and no real hills in Western Queens.