"The May 30 Times real estate section had an article about Piermont in which a member of the Village Board complained about cyclists and even rowers in the village. Here's a letter I just sent in response to the article.
______________
To the Editor:
The sound of rowers rowing on the Hudson River and bicycles on the road in Piermont strike Piermont Village Board members Margaret Grace (""Once Down and Out, Now Cool, and Hot,"" by Julia Lawlor, May 30) as ""noisy."" Wow, she must have some hyper-sensitive hearing! Many people object to bicycles precisely because they can't be heard!
As for cyclists riding in packs, as Ms. Grace complains, what she is observing is cyclists riding in pacelines. That enables them to ride in one another's slipstream, drafting one another, thereby helping them ride faster. Her objecting to this would seem to be at cross purposes with her objecting to cyclists causing cars to have to go slower.
The fact is, most cyclists ride very close to the village speed limit and pass through the village--when they do pass through it en route to Nyack instead of stopping in it--in three minutes...or less. Does she really prefer noisy, pollution-generating cars to exceed the speed limit on Piermont's main road? And would she prefer the cyclists not stop in town and patronize its market, restaurants, and bike shop? (The town's jeweler is also a bike builder.) That would remove some amount of spending from this town of 2000 which, I would think, would not please those business people.
RICHARD ROSENTHAL"
NYT article cites complaint about cyclists in Piermont. My reply
"I think the paceline paragraph may have been a bit too technical (and BTW, if I were the ""establishment,"" I'd raise big questions about the safely and legality of pacelining on public roadways.) Other than that, well said. I often wonder if we shouldn't just boycott Piermont. Period. As a relevant aside, the NYCC will have its name in the face of Piermont residents 24x7x365. We adopted a mile of Rte 9W just south of Piermont."
Saw the same article--glad you wrote. Pacelining, if executed, also keeps the riders to the side of the road, allowing coexistence. Agree with inference that town board member suggests inappropriate vehicular speed (I seldom see--if even ever--a car stop because of cyclists in partic. on Piermont Rd. and if so, puhhleezzz)--small streams of youth, vigor, vitality passing through, spending some money, leaving before sundown. Gimme a break. Get it un-bunched already.
As usual!
Bravo, RR, bravo!
Piermont is a beautiful community and I would feel uncomfortable boycotting it. As it is, I prefer Nyack, if only because after eating, you can get a few miles in before you climb back up to 9W. But Piermont has its charm, esp. in the colder months when we want a sit down meal and/or warmth.
I wonder: if we approached the commercial establishments- Bicycle Connection, Sidewalk Cafe, the Market, the new Bunbury (?)(fka Runcible Spoon), etc., and asked what they think of us cyclist, how would they respond?
"The anti-bike quote is from Margaret Grace, director of the ""Flywheel Gallery."" Hard to say if this is one person talking against bikes or if it represents a greater view. But perhaps we should take Ms. Grace's leanings into account when we make art purchase decisions. Certainly don't lean your bikes on her window.
http://piermontflywheel.com/nyt.htm"
