Bicycling Off-Road

Levi · « **on:** 19 Aug 2009, 04:14 am »

Dear All,

If you are into Mountain Biking, I am sure you have riden your bike off-road and into the woods.

If you haven't done off-roading, there is peace and tranquility that can be found away from hustle and bustle of the City. No cars to intidimidate you. It is you and the nature!

There are lots of single-track trails in or around the city. Some of which are right in our neighborhood! A few examples that I know, you can share your favorite trails here.

High Bridge Park Trail (Inwood Manhattan)
Wolfe's Poind Park Trail (Staten Island, NY)
North Woods Mountain Bike Trails (Cunningham park, Queens, NY)
Calverton Moutain Bike Trail (Calverton, NY)
Eastport Mountain Bike Trail (Eastport, NY)
Rocky Point Mountian Bike Trails (Near Port Jeffereson, NY)
Cathedral Pines Mountian Bike Trail (Middle Island, NY)
Stillwell Woods Preserve (Syosset, NY)
Bethpage State Park (L.I., NY)

When you are riding always think safety at all times. Use common sense. Wear Helmets and eye protection.

A few organizations that I know, you can add more if you wish.
www.climbonline.org C.L.I.M.B. (Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists)
www.NYCMTB.com NYCMTB (New York City Mountain Bike Association)

Cheers,
--Levi

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 04:44 am »

Here's a site Levi....trails.com ....mountain biking in NY...

http://www.trails.com/stateactivity.aspx?area=10103

Levi · « **Reply #2 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 04:57 am »

Thanks for the link Chris.

I am not sure if you have been to the City lately. The City has become more bicycle friendly. I still preferred riding on the trails.

Riding with the wind.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 05:02 am »

Quote

I am not sure if you have been to the City lately. The City has become more bicycle friendly.

That's good to hear Levi....not like this community....

Better to stay off the road....

Levi · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 05:10 am »

That is what I am trying to avoid.

I had to jump curves sometimes just to avoid cars while riding on-road. One can get a ticket for riding on sidewalks so I don't do it often.

People tend to get annoyed and spooked when you ride by them.

topround · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 09:22 am »

I've ridden on a few of the trails above.
Also there is nice trail at Mohonk mounatin house, and also Minnewaska, although you have to pay to ride at Mohonk, but worth it.
Lots of hills though, but gorgeous.
I would like to take in a ride with you Levi, although I am very out of shape.
And there is a lot of dust on my bike

Mike

Levi · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 10:56 am »

Hi Mike, I have been to Mohonk but not with a Bike. We just hiked so I know exactly what you are talking about. Definitely, this is the reason to revive the old Bike thing is to get in shape. I am sure sonic Phil will be joining us pretty soon!

PhilNYC · « **Reply #7 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 01:37 pm »

I'm in!

This place is supposedly pretty good (out near topround, I think!)

Ringwood State Park (NJ)
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=BGN100-023

Lyndon · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 01:54 pm »

Well, have a good time, Levi, Phil, and Mike!
I have hiked up by the Mohonk mountain house, and it is beautiful!
As for me, I am starting the first day of a new year of teaching third grade. Meetings till noon,
and parent conferences from 3 to 7, today and tomorrow. Will miss the free concert of Oberkfell?
tomorrow night.
Levi, I promise to either post to you, or put up a gallery of all my bikes soon. I would say it is about as bad as Wild Wes' camera collection.

Lyndon

Levi · « **Reply #9 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 02:28 pm »

Sounds good guys

shadowlight · « **Reply #10 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 02:43 pm »

Would like to join but I am out of shape so slow and easy is the best I can do

Levi · « **Reply #11 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 03:10 pm »

I think Phil and Lyndon are the only one in shape here. Lyndon is in Salt Lake so he can't join us.

Definitely it will be slow and easy.

SET Man · « **Reply #12 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 03:57 pm »

Quote from: lonewolfny42 on 19 Aug 2009, 05:02 am

Quote
I am not sure if you have been to the City lately. The City has become more bicycle friendly.

That's good to hear Levi....not like this community....

Better to stay off the road....

Hey!

I remembered watching the news about that. I think it was in Mexico... scary

True that NYC now is more bicycle friendly. Or at least it is trying to be. But those new bike paths are nothing but a little space of about 1 meter wide taken from normal street with just white line painted. Basically this make the street smaller.

Honestly I don't like to ride my bike on the street of NYC it could be nerve reckon sometime. I don't know how those bike messengers could do that all day long everyday

The other thing is that parking is a problem in NYC. Sure you could lock you bike on the provided bike racks around the city. But there is a good chance that your bike will be stolen in 60sec especially when you have a good bike.

It had been awhile since I took my bike (road bike actually

) out for a ride in the city. Usually I got tried from work and too lazy to go out on my day off

Anyway, Levi... when are you going to show everyone your new toy? aa

Take care,
Buddy

mcullinan · « **Reply #13 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 04:14 pm »

Its a death wish. Death Wish 4, that was a good one.
Mike

toobluvr · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 04:26 pm »

When I lived in Mahnattan I would take my road bike (Litespeed) into Central Park on the weekends. Closed to traffic so the wide roads are strictly bikers, bladers, walkers, joggers, etc. Some very nice eye candy!

Oh, and the natural scenery is real nice too...especially on crisp fall and spring days.

It's a perfect 6 mile loop, so it's easy to track the distance ridden. The hills in the north are challenging and will deplete even fit riders, especially on hot muggy days.

My weekday rides were shorter. I lived in the West Village so I would shoot over to the Hudson River bike path and ride north as far as it goes. It ends somewhere in Harlem, south of the GWB. Fairly scenic and nice cool river breezes, but can get a bit chaotic in spots with googly-eyed tourists not paying attention. IIRC it was about 17 miles round trip.

The key thing with these rides is there are no cars to deal with. A rarity in NYC!

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 05:31 pm »

Quote from: SET Man on 19 Aug 2009, 03:57 pm

It had been awhile since I took my bike (road bike actually ) out for a ride in the city. Usually I got tried from work and too lazy to go out on my day off

Anyway, Levi... when are you going to show everyone your new toy? aa

Take care,
Buddy

NYC is very strange in the way it supposedly "promotes" a bike friendly environment by putting lanes, paths everywhere and yet they typically harass bikers informally through police, ticketing etc... Most of these so called painted lanes are useless and dangerous as NO driver ever watches that they are there. There needs to be some sort of concrete marker in order to make it a hassle for drivers to cross into them but I do not see this ever happening.

I can also relate the fact that you have time after work or on free days but it is oh so very tiring to take the bikes out to ride, especially when the bike friendly world out there is really more like a war zone.

Also, you do not want to get your ride stolen, which is more probably because there are not too many bikes tied/chained as the city is not truly bike friendly. If the changes were "real" then perhaps there would be a lot of bikes chained here and there and the probability of your ride being taken would be like that of a car being stolen.

The best is probably to get a beater of a ride that discerning thieves would not bother stealing as it might not be flashy enough to be deemed worthwhile.

Has anyone seen those rides that look so gaudy that is says, "take me, I am worth $$$$."?

Anyway, it is a challenge to bike in the city and I knew not of many if any trails for MTB in NYC, thanks for the links Levi.

PS: Which of the "toys" Levi got are you talking about?

(Mystery Toy)

Paul

Levi · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 05:46 pm »

I went to Canada in Montreal actually and that is a nice town for riding bikes. They even have a rental bike that you can use and park it on a designated secure bike racks. It is really neat if you have been to Quebec. This is what we need in NYC? Beats walking, hop on and hop off with those bikes.

My bike does not have paint so it is Grey satin finish. Not much of an eye candy or flashing for the regular bystander.

I am sure bike thieves can spot a good bike from crowds of bikes.

Merlin XLM frame soon to be build

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 06:01 pm »

It ain't fare, bro Levi gets all them toys, where is mine, muuuuuahhhh

PS: Nice titanium Levi. I nevertheless like my roadies to be steel, like this:

PS2: I got an old Bianchi Eros 1996 that I bought while in grad school. Steel, all Campy but the cheapest of them, not a piece that is not Italian except the tires, rubber made in Indonesia. Sadly it is tucked away gathering dust as I can ill afford to go spinning while taking care of my little ones.

Levi · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 06:07 pm »

Ha ha ha

Thanks for the complement on my mountain bike frame. I remembered you having an old school Bianchi. Do you still have time to ride it?

PhilNYC · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Aug 2009, 06:15 pm »

Quote from: toobluvr on 19 Aug 2009, 04:26 pm

It's a perfect 6 mile loop, so it's easy to track the distance ridden. The hills in the north are challenging and will deplete even fit riders, especially on hot muggy days.

eh...the elevation in the Central Park loop is only about 100ft...