Hi all,
A friend of mine recently got a road bike and I was wondering what are good easy, starter routes we can go on. We did the C13 ride to Scarsdale yesterday which was good. Are there other recommendations for someone just starting out and a former experienced rider trying to get back into cycling shape? 9W to Piermont is definitely not an option just yet.
Thanks.
"If you are tentative about cycling, River Road offers a route with low traffic and easy city access. Richard Rosenthal's ""River Road, Bradley, Tweed"" under NJ/Rockland Co gives you a route which, though hilly, will gradually take you north via low traffic roads. You can turn around at the half way time target.
Note that we used to be able to take a left off the G W Bridge bike path and go directly to the left turn into River Road but it is now one way up the hill, north. Just take the left after you get off the G W Bridge bike path and keep bearing to the left on the one way roads till it becomes 2 way again and take the left at the end of the parking lots in the middle of the hill."
Thanks Hank. Is there anything else that might be good from the Ride Library?
"Look in the ride library for Northvale, Westwood, Pascack Park, Park Ridge. All are in Bergen County. There are also variations on Scarsdale/Hartsdale/White Plains in Westchester. If you start by taking the #4 train to Woodlawn, you'll cut out 10 miles of ""junk"" riding and be able to go farther north within your riding limits."
Going part way to Nyack is a good one.
Just take 9W north and there is a short climb in about 9 miles or so called State Line - at the top you are about to re-enter NYS and there is an entrance for the Columbia U observatory. Turn around and come back.
"Carol is a route meister. What she says works. I agree that Bergen County is more car friendly than Westchester if you are not using a train. Cycling through Manhattan then The Bronx to do a short ride doesn't make sense.
For an interesting C ride deep in apple country you can try Fred Steinberg's ""Beacon, Marlboro, Indian Mt., Poughkeepsie"" ride. It is only 23 miles but quite hilly. You should have a triple chainring or walk the steepest hills, which are short. You will spend 2 hours on the train each way but this is the time of year to do it. The ride is in listed in the pop up selection under Upstate in the Ride Library."
