"For those who will be joining me and other cycling cohorts for this Sunday's club C (""see"") ride covering the NYC marathon course, you may arrive at the Brooklyn start by way of subway.
Another option is to ride your bike to the start. For those coming from Manhattan I highly recommend this option. I plan on doing such myself, know the way and will welcome the company of others.
I plan on leaving at 6:45 am from the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge. More specifically the location is the wide sidewalk located adjacent to City Hall and directly across from the bridge's pedestrian/bike entrance.
(Yes, I know that's early, but I expect to arrive at the official club ride start early enough to have a light breakfast beforehand. Depending on the weather, a little indoor relief between rides may be beneficial, too.)
Please consult the club ride listing for other details. Thanks."
Bike NYC Marathon - 2004
Yea, it's my favorite fall ride! Peter, thanks for leading it again!
I won't be able to join you at Brooklyn Bridge, as I'm leading some out-of-town friends over to pick up a tandem bike that NYCCer Peter Storey has SO kindly offered to lend. What a nice guy!
It is my friends' first visit to Manhattan, so I expect we will be doing this ride slowly so they can take in all the sights and sounds. (Every year, I swear I'm going to do it at 12mph, but somehow it ends up being an A-ride. Not this year, dammit!)
Best of luck to our sprightly sprinting cyclists who are running this year! I won't jinx you by mentioning any names.
Last year, this was one of my favorite rides. I'm looking forward to doing it again!
Peter:
Had a great time last year, hope I can make it Sunday.
–
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/sports/othersports/04armstrong.html?8hpib
Is a Trek bike in her furture?
"Best quotation:
""In my first marathon, I tried to be like Lance, who, as long as he's pushing himself as an athlete and going fast, doesn't have to deal with his emotions,"" Armstrong said. ""But I realized that I didn't need to run away from my despair or misery, that I could handle things. I realized that we were not alike in that way.""
An athlete for the rest of us. Thanks for the link."
Do you suppose those of us guiding handicapped athletes can join you in riding to our start, the Brooklyn side of the Verazanno (I believe)
Sounds a lot better than a bus... in fact the R train to 96th St in Bklyn sounds better than the bus... we'll see what the organizers say this week
"You should have received notice now of where and when the buses leave to take us the Brooklyn side of the Verrazzano Bridge.
Volunteers who live in Brooklyn are biking to it, of course; if you want to meet us there, getting there by any means, that's fine with me. Be there by 7:45AM. ""There"" is 92nd St. and Dahlgren Place.
But please let me know so we don't wait for you. Well, I don't which of the several Michaels signed up you are.
Richard"
Meet at SE corner 59 St. & Second Ave @ 6:45. Anyone interested?
Yes! That would be easiest for me - I'm on W 66th. Assuming you know the way as I get lost outside of Manhattan.
Yes, probably. What pace will you ride?
Yes I would like this. I apologize for second-guessing, but have you considered taking the Brooklyn Bridge as an alternative route?
Chris
Thanks Peter for the fun ride.
I brought my GPS along and overlayed our route with arial photos. If you'd like me to send the photos to you, then email me at [email protected]. The photos are big (combined > 3.2MB).
Ben
"Thank you to all who attended this ride and did so on their best behavior which will ensure continued success. It truly was a most courteous and convivial group of cyclists. More so all things considered given the incredible size of the turnout (60+?). I did not have the chance to greet and meet all, it still was a blast of a ride for me. Hopefully the same was true for you.
While the 1st Avenue detour was a new experience, York Avenue worked out for the best and we did have the great benefit of riding traffic free on the Pulaski and 59th Street bridges. That was a first - chalk that one up to NY's finest setting up shop a bit earlier than in the past. Less residual car traffic and a second consecutive year of balmy November weather was quite pleasing, too.
I've lost count, perhaps this is the 5th year or so I've organized this urban adventure ride. The first few years, as I recall, the ride start time listed was a bit conservative (e.g. too early). The groups' post-ride consensus was that we missed a bit of the pre-race festivities and ambiance. Future rides started later, which was good up until last year. The NYRRC then decided to start the elite women racers early - a Good Thing for the race, but posed a small bit of scheduling chaos for our ride the week before. Our revised start time worked out well and remained the same for this year.
Sure with 1st Ave's closing, perhaps the ride start time missed the ideal ""sweet-spot"". It was pretty close to perfect, but perhaps it should be rolled back a half hour or so for next year. [No big whoop - just a mental note here.]
Thanks again to all that came out and shared the fun and goodwill. It surely was great. Again, what an impressive group. See you out on the road next year, if not sooner. -Peter
"
Another fun O'Reilly ride, another day of exhilarating New Yorkness!
We fell behind the pack and didn't get to the First Ave. detour at about 10:40. At that point, we probably weren't far ahead of the wheelchair athletes, so it's a good thing they booted us. For us, an earlier start would have been better.
My California friends loved the route and our trip back to Brooklyn to return Peter Storey's tandem. When we got to Fourth Ave. at about noon, there were still swarms of humanity in the streets. But at that point, some of them were already starting to walk. A guy holding a sign to encourage the runners said that it was originally attached to a wooden crutch. But someone came along with a blown-up knee and he gave the crutch to her!
Many thanks to Peter S. not only for the bike, but for patiently waiting for us to arrive and escorting us at the back of the ride, even though that meant he had to leave the route early to get home to the kiddies.
It was a great day, despite not being allowed to ride every inch of the route.
My friends and i experienced a bit of Upper East Side Uptightness as we arrived in Manhattan, when the cops told us we had to clear off the course. I asked if the entire course was closed to bikes and a couple of cops said it was. At that point one of our group went home. But, always looking for a loophole, i rode up York with my little group and turned just as it reached the FDR, and continued up First Ave un-challenged. This reinforces my conclusion that Harlem is just much more mellow! We weren't bothering anyone, and in fact, freelanced as marshalls when the handcyclists came along. Did you see them? They were FAST!!
Thanks, Peter, for motivating me out of my house at dawn! ( I stayed out till dusk; no seasonal-affective disorder for me) Sorry we wer off the back from the start but we enjoyed your ride very much.
I keep taking note: with all the terrible things happening in the country and the world, what fabulous weather we have been having! If those in power could take it away from us for their personal use, they undoubtedly would, but in the meantime, everyone enjoy!!
Cat
> We [...] didn't get to the First Ave. detour at about 10:40. At that point, we probably weren't far ahead of the wheelchair athletes
You underestimate these athletes quite a bit! The first of the wheel chairs had crossed the finish line at that time since more than five minutes and the first of the handcycles had finished 6 minutes ahead of the wheel chairs after having started ten minutes after them The (australian) winner of the handcycler finished the course in 1:17 averaging 20.4mph over the full course!!! (and making me sweat quite a bit as I ended up to be his safety rider for most of the ride... :-) Even the top wheelchairs (which are clearly disadvantaged compared to handcycles) would be easily able to follow many of our (flatter) A-rides with an average of 18mph and excellent pace-line skills ..... It was an amazing experience to see these athletes closely ``at work'' and if NYCC is asked again next year to volunteer I can only recommend to you to sign up for it.
Michael,
You overestimate me. I simply have poor math skills. Typical liberal arts student (and art-school graduate).
If the first wheelchair athletes left the start at around 9:15, then indeed the winner would have arrived at the finish before I got to First Ave. But at what point he passed us, I don't know. Maybe the reason that I didn't see him was that he was going too fast.
As for volunteering next year--I could never keep up, and so will stick to Peter's ride. Presuming he'll do it again.
