Another fun day of cycling in NYC

One of the really great benefits of living in Northern New Jersey is the easy access that we have to cycling in one of the great cities of the world.  A 30 minute drive to free parking on the western side of the George Washington Bridge. and then off on the bikes to explore. 

Getting ready for the day ahead.

No matter how many times I have done it, the ride across the bridge is always exciting - if it isn't the hustle and bustle of the cars streaming across the span just feet away on your left, it is the amazing view of the city and the Hudson river sprawling out to the south.  The loop to get off the bridge on the Manhattan side is always exciting - narrow for one bike, but when you get an oncoming cyclist leaving the city, you really have to focus on keeping right so your handlebars don't lock up.

The "Little Red Lighthouse" from the GWB

Once in the city, it is a quick descent down to the Hudson River Greenway, which you can ride all the way downtown.  It is remarkable how calm it is on the bike path, but how stressful it is on the parkway when traveling by car.

Tranquility on wheels

Over the past several years, thanks to the cycling advocacy of groups like Transportation Alternatives, and a very progressive Janette Sadik-Khan, the Commissioner for the Department of Transportation for the past 4 years, NYC has undergone an amazing transformation - it seems that everywhere you look there are new dedicated bike paths and/or lanes.  You can get a feel for their popularity any weekend.  

One really neat aspect of cycling in the city is the continuity you get in going from site to site - no getting in and out of cars or taxis, finding parking spots, or pulling out your wallet to pay for the ride - you just hop on your bike, and go!

'Tis the season (better at night)

This time we managed to do the customary loop around Central Park, check out the tree at the Rockefeller Center, check out the High Line, cross through the Village and over the Williamsburg bridge, before descending into Dumbo for the great croissants, and views of downtown framed by the Brooklyn Bridge.  

Manhattan in the background - another great cycling day!

I continue to be amazed at how a bridge, built before the automobile (1883) has kept up with the times - multiple lanes of traffic, and a great pedestrian/cyclist boardwalk in the middle. I do wonder if the cables holding the decks up have ever been replaced (apparently not!).

Fritz Koenig's "The Sphere". salvaged from Ground Zero

Rebuilding - A new addition to the Manhattan skyline.

Returning to Manhattan we toured the World Trade Center site, Zucotti Park (now empty), and points south before heading back up the west side for pizza and a beer at Machiavelli's on the Upper West Side.   

"Bike Parking" on the upper West Side.

Pizzas & Beer!!!

The day ended as it usually does with the ride back up and over the GWB to get home before 3PM.

One last view of the bridge before the climb ahead.

All in all just shy of 50 miles on the bike and a great day in Manhattan.  Thanks to Ed for coordinating a great day of riding, and being our guide.

I'm back!!!

The Start of Gran Fondo NJ 2011
Photo Courtesy Warren Westura, Morristown.Patch.com

NOTE: There are 2 video links in this post - make sure to select the full HD viewing option for the best user experience.

My apologies to all my followers for the long pause in adding to the blog. It has been a very busy year with lots of cycling related news.

The bulk of my 2012 "Summer Behind Bars" was spent as the Event Director for Gran Fondo NJ. This was not only the first Gran Fondo NJ, but also the first time I have ever put into practice all the things I have learned from riding in other events of this nature.

I continue to be astonished by all the "behind the scenes" activities needed to deliver an event of this scale (three routes of 100, 60 and 40 miles; 5 rest stops, 3 "mini" rest stops; 1,000 participants to keep entertained; 120 miles of route to mark; 9,000 gallons of water to distribute along the route; etc.; etc.; etc.). The most fun was riding and scouting the planned routes - I managed to ride the 103 mile "Gran" route twice, the 63 mile "Medio" Route about 6 times, and the 40 mile "Piccolo" route more than 10 times - by the end of August, I could name every road and turn on all 3 routes by heart.

I spent the summer working many long days with the event promoter (Marty of Marty's Reliable Cycle - you will recognize him from the bike jerseys that appeared in my photos of 2010). As you can see in this video, we managed to pull everything off without a hitch - well one minor hitch...

The original event date was August 28th. Five days before the event we were thrown a "curve ball" by the weather gods - Hurricane Irene was predicted to make landfall with a direct hit in the area on the day of the event. With just 4 days to go, we were faced with a major decision and an even more major (if that is possible) logistical challenge - cancel the event, delay the event, or "damn the torpedoes" go forward with the event anyway. We approached this decision with the same guiding principle that we used for all other decisions regarding the Gran Fondo. As a cyclist participating in the event what would we like to experience. Riding in the rain is no fun, hurricanes can be extremely dangerous, and canceling the event would be a major letdown - so we decided to postpone.

Four days before the event we notified our 1,000 participants of the decision, as well as a new date just 3 weeks later.

Everyone (well about 99% of everyone) loved the decision - they weren't looking forward to the hurricane and its implications - on August 29th, judging from the damage inflicted upon the route, it was clear we had made the right choice.

Another three weeks of monitoring the clean-up operations to make sure we had passable, and safe routes, repainting the directions (all that running water and gravel "sanded off" many of the markings), rerouting one section of the course and getting the municipal approvals (a bridge was closed for repairs) and re-coordinating all our 200+ volunteers and support staff, and we pulled off an amazing experience. Thanks to all for their support and help, and to our riders who trained hard all summer, and were very accommodating to our date change.

If you have never ridden a Gran Fondo, I highly recommend it. It is a great blend of touring and competition - you can relax and enjoy the route along the way, and then on the timed hill climbs, test your climbing capabilities.

If you want, come down to New Jersey for next year's event - I have once again taken on the role of Event Director.

Cheers, and have a great winter training regimen.

Bill

Riding Safely on Narrow Roads

As this year's crop of riders narrow in on their 10 week adventure across Canada, it is interesting to see on the bulletin board, that they share all the anxieties that we had last year in the weeks and days approaching the start.  The most reassuring thing to keep in mind is that others have done it, and we all shared your anxieties before the start!

One thing that I thought I'd share with the 2011 crew before they depart, are the thoughts that I had formed, mostly going through the busy roads in the Rockies, and along the north shore of Lake Superior, on how to minimize the risks of cycling on 2 lane highways, with sometimes very narrow shoulders.  For my American friends, the trans Canada, along the north shore of Lake Superior, is the main artery across the country (think of I-10, I-40, and I-80 all bunched up into a 2-lane highway...).

1) Ride in as straight a line, and as predictable a line as possible.
2) If there is a shoulder, ride on the right of the white line, as far to the right as possible.
    Sometimes highway debris does not make this practical.
3) Never pull out, or veer left to pass another cyclist, unless you have checked that there are no cars, 18 wheeled semis, etc coming from behind.
4) If there is a vehicle approaching in the opposite direction, do not pass or veer out for any reason.
5) If there is a semi, or other large vehicle approaching in the opposite direction, stay as far to the right as possible.
6) Try to avoid riding two abreast (i.e. not in single file) unless you do so to the right on a wide shoulder - if you are riding abreast, it is always a good idea to get back into single file if vehicles are approaching.
7) If you have a mechanical, or flat, get off the road and get off the shoulder to fix it.
8) Use your ears, as well as your eyes, to listen for oncoming traffic.
9) When approaching the crest of a hill, make sure you are well to the right and riding single-file, just in case a semi comes speeding up over the top in the opposite direction - you want to make sure that drivers on your side have room.

I am sure there are other pointers that I may be missing here, but these are the ones that stuck in my mind as I rode on some ery narrow shoulders of some fairly busy roads.

Safe cycling to all -  and on that note I am heading into NYC for the afternoon, cycling to various bike shops to promote my touring business...