The trend of hot and humid weather continues here in New York. But I can only stay cooped up in my apartment for so long before cabin fever sets in. I promised myself a ride Monday, and decided to go to the East Village making a loop of the interior of Manhattan, via the Queensboro Bridge.
The cloudy skies kept some of the heat off, and the the relative humidity was low enough that perspiration could do it's job. Feeling strong I crested the Queensboro, headwinds were stiff making the already long climb, feel even longer.
I rolled down into Manhattan, and cut across town to pick up the bike lane on Broadway that would take me all the way into the heart of the Village, and right up to one of my favorite New York lunch spots, the original, Gray's Papaya on 8th Street.
52nd Street on Broadway, through Times Square, to 34th Street Penn station.
Upon arriving in the Village I was struck by the presence of the Freedom Tower holding sway over the brownstones. The Village is one area of the city that still resembles it's former self in some parts. I stopped near 8th Street where I could safely lock my bike, and ordered a "recession special" (2 hotdogs and a drink for $4.95), and had sauerkraut and a papaya drink with my crispy delicious dogs.
The East Village on Broadway, the Freedom Tower looms in the distance.
After gobbling down my lunch I used 8th Street to reach 4th Ave, where I could then ride to 26th Street to cut the rest of the way across town 1st Avenue where I would once again cross the Queensboro Bridge.
Upon reaching the entrance to the First Ave tunnel I noticed a man on a long board skateboard riding right into the tunnel! After a moments shock I began rolling and was able to film his decent into the darkness. Unfortunately the audio cut out and my commentary regarding the man's sanity was not recorded.
Man rides long board skateboard into the 1st Avenue Tunnel near the United Nations (no audio). I climb 1st Avenue to the foot of the Queensboro Bridge.
After my audio failed on the 3rd video, the 3 subsequent videos that followed were completely corrupt and unusable.
Next week I plan to ride my Six Bridges, Three Boroughs route again, and I will likely bring additional cameras to help capture the stunning panorama's.
*Edit: My first video seems stuck on "processing" on youtube and may need to be uploaded once more. My third video cuts out after a couple of seconds on youtube, even though it plays fine on my computer. I will attempt to salvage these videos when I return from Brooklyn this weekend.
Tuesday I was feeling stir crazy. All of the heat and humidity has kept me from putting in the usual mileage on my bike that I prefer. Though the weather was as hot and humid as ever on Tuesday I forced myself to get out and sweat out my cabin fever.
I decided to do one lap around Wards Island, cross the 103rd street bridge, and do a lap around Central Park, before coming back to Astoria via the Queensborough Bridge. All together this was only 20 miles but in this heat it felt like much further.
I'm still significantly overweight (though cycling is slowly changing that), so the heat is extra debilitating, and at times I felt some mild heat exhaustion. Being acutely aware of this I made sure to hydrate often, stopping where I knew the water fountains were along my route.
Descending the Triboro Bridge to Wards Island.
From Hellgate Bridge to the entrance of the Triboro.
Wards Island, in the shadow of the Hellgate Bridge.
Wards Island, in the shadow of the Hellgate Bridge.
Wards Island Bridge
Wards Island Bridge
Myself in front of the Wards Island Bridge
From here I crossed over to the East River Esplanade and made my way downtown, along the river. As I came around a turn I found a girl on the side of the path trying to dab at the skinned elbow of a little boy who had just fallen off his bike. I pulled over and offered the use of my first aid which is always in my backpack. After applying some triple antibiotic with pain relief and large a Tegiderm pad to his elbow I suggested that they all wear helmets and said goodbye.
After patching up a young boy's elbow I suggest that they wear helmets before bidding them good day.
I then continued to a scenic point overlooking the East River where one can view 3 iconic bridges with Roosevelt Island at your feet. Fortunately I was able to capture a nice progression when a tugboat and police boat passed right in front of me.
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
The East River Esplanade at 80th Street
From here I continued to the foot of the Queensborough Bridge at 59th Street. A sculpture park sits in the shadow of the bridge and offers more beautiful views of the city and the East River.
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
In the shadow of the Queensborough Bridge
Leaving the sculpture park I made my way across town to enter Central Park near Columbus Circle. By this time the heat was beginning to take a toll and my pace and energy levels were decreasing in concert. I had decided to keep my time in Central Park short only just completing one lap before exiting the park to head back towards the Queensborough Bridge, this time with a mind to cross it and cut my usual path through Long Island City and back to my apartment in Astoria.
Today I made my first trip over the Williamsburg Bridge, and it was for a special purpose; to have my bike loaded on a truck that will meet me in Babylon at 6am tomorrow morning to be ridden 108 miles, to Montauk. The temperatures were once again in the mid seventies, and I left my apartment about 2:30 as loading time started at 3. Traffic was light as I made my way along my usual Brooklyn route, heading South. Approaching the bridge I took some shots of some interesting graffiti and stopped briefly to get my bearings. Climbing this bridge for the first time, I was disappointed to see that there were no convenient breaks in the fencing to get clear pictures of the skyline here. At the top I stopped for a panoramic shot of the view on offer.
21st Street to the Waterfront Route and Goodwill Park.
Socrates Sculpture Park.
Queensbridge Park.
Pulaski Bridge to Franklin Street.
Graffiti building near the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge
First time climbing the Williamsburg Bridge.
View from the center of the Williamsburg Bridge.
Loading my bike for it's trip to Babylon.
I am supposed to be at Penn Station tomorrow by 3:30am where I will eat and wait for the train that will take us to Babylon. It's already 9:30pm now, and I'm totally psyched for the ride, I highly doubt I will get any sleep tonight but I will try. I should have a full report on the Ride to Montauk no later than Monday, wish me luck!
Today's ride was intended to help work the kinks out of some new gear. I had sent my camera back to the manufacturer because of a background noise my camera was producing when recording with my external microphone. In the meantime I had purchased a completely different type of microphone and was also given a chest mount for my camera as warranty fulfillment to longer than expected. Having received my replacement camera and chest mount today, I decided on a short ride to test them out, along with a different kind of microphone (Unidirectional, externally powered).
Unfortunately I must warn the viewer that there is a new sound "artifact" on most of the video for this ride. I need to experiment more with this new type of microphone and mount and see if I can figure out what makes the new sound. Otherwise, I'm fairly certain that I should have no trouble using my other Omnidirectional self powered microphone, which does seem to have superior sound quality but has the added battery pack and wires which make it more inconvenient.
One of my favorite local training routes involves using a combination of the Triboro Bridge, Wards or Randalls Island, and the Queensboro Bridge. When I began exploring Wards and Randalls Island last year I realized that once the East River esplanade was completed to the Queensboro Bridge, one could effectively do laps over the East River by joining the Triboro, Wards Island, and Queensboro Bridges. I would estimate that at least 75% of this route is MUP, and bike lane making it safe training grounds with plenty of climb, less than a half mile from my apartment. Up until this month either the esplanade or the Wards Island Bridge were under construction and made this circuit less appealing as you had to use the 125th Street Bridge and ride on Manhattan streets.
Cresting the Triboro Bridge.
Descending the Triboro Bridge to Wards Island.
Today, for the first time since late October of last year, I was able to cross the Wards Island Bridge to connect to the East River esplanade at 103rd Street! I had been on the mailing list for the project but never received word that it had completed construction. This also makes using this route to access midtown much more appealing. Though it adds a couple of (very scenic) miles to the route, it is far safer than riding through Long Island City over the Queensboro Bridge.
Discovering that the Wards Island Bridge has been reopened, crossing to the East River esplanade.
The East River at 79th Street
Riding along the East River from 79th Street to 59th Street.
From the 59th Street sculpture park to the foot of the Queensboro Bridge.
Descending the Queensboro Bridge to Long Island City.
Tomorrow will be my last day to test gear before my first century ride (actually 108 miles this year), The Ride to Montauk Saturday. I will likely ride to Brooklyn to visit with my girlfriend, and ride home that same afternoon. Friday I plan to drop my bike off for early check-in so I can just start riding almost as soon as I arrive at Babylon Saturday morning.
Last year 21 cyclists were killed on the streets of New York City, and only 2 drivers had charges against them as a result. More often than not, the cyclist is blamed, and society lessens the culpability of a motorist under the guise of protecting people from being too harshly punished for what is perceived as a minor traffic infraction. These sentiments sometimes carry over to the road where malicious motorists, unwilling to share the road, bully cyclists from the relative safety of their cars. While most inner city motorists understand the "dance" between car and bike (I give you 6 inches here, you give me 3 inches there), that keeps everybody flowing smoothly through the streets; a fair amount of animosity still exists on both sides of the shoulder. One small ray of hope in all of this for those of us who prefer to pedal, is the expanding network of bike lanes, our new bike share program, and the greater publicity of cycling concerns in our media; all hopefully serve to keep bikes on the minds of motorists.
With ridership doubling in the last 4 years it's more important than ever to teach riders and drivers how we can all cruise together safely. Bikes are most dangerous to the person riding one. Cars are down right deadly to everyone on the road. Some people have taken this to mean that cars would then be at the top of some food chain, to be feared. When the reverse should be the prevailing logic; because you are deadly, you carry the greater responsibility.
The Ride of Silence attempts to bring this point home to motorists, where they live and drive. From their website,"WHY DOES THIS ORGANIZATION EXIST? To HONOR those who have been injured or killed - To RAISE AWARENESS that we are here - To ask that we all SHARE THE ROAD". This ride is performed all around the world on this day; I would describe it as part organized non-violent civil obedience and cooperation, and part memorial for the injured and killed cyclists around the world. This ride was specially dedicated to a cyclist killed in March of this year, David Ortiz, (another surreal example of how in early reports the authorities jumped to shift blame away from the driver, and onto the cyclist), killed when struck by 3 vehicles while on his morning bike commute to work.
The ride is at sundown, so I made sure all of my lights were in working order, and set out with plenty of time to try to arrive a little early, even if rush hour held me up. After crossing into Manhattan I took 2nd Avenue South following a young guy on a fixie (proclaiming his discomfort with Manhattan riding), who nearly runs into an elderly woman who stepped into the bike lane. I used 9th Street (which becomes Christopher Street) to cut across to the West side bike path where I could find the starting point for the Ride of Silence at Pier 40.
Descending the 59th Street Bridge to Manhattan.
Following a fixie rider South on 2nd Avenue.
Fixie rider almost runs over grandma.
Traveling South on 2nd Avenue, I stop for a light, and the fixie rider catches up.
Traveling in a pack of riders on Christopher Street in the East Village.
Traveling in a pack of riders on Christopher Street in the East Village, cont.
Arriving at Pier 40 for the Ride of Silence.
Once you sign in for the ride, you receive a black arm band and are given a flyer with a cue sheet and information regarding the rules of the ride, this also included a small paragraph written by Michael Ortiz, the brother of the cyclist this ride was dedicated to.
There was a photo-op with the ride organizers, and Marshalls. Then a brief speech from the ride leader, and president of the 5 Borough Bike Club Ed Ravin to the ride Marshalls and to the riders. Michael Ortiz spoke of his brother and offered his appreciation to the riders. Soon after, we started the quiet ride South, led by Ed Ravin and Ed DeFreitas (whom I recently rode with along the Old Put and Croton Aqueduct trails). The ride began on a stretch of the West side bike path, and I stop in the path to film the riders silently passing. Riding around 10 mph, using a combination of Warren and Church Street to emerge on 6th Avenue, we commanded the 2 left lanes at our stately pace all the way through the heart of midtown, during a high traffic time of day. Most riders were quiet, and though Ed and I spoke once or twice, I mostly tried to observe the solemn purpose of the ride. A few pedestrians and motorists inquired about the ride and were silently given flyers by the ride Marshalls.
At Radio City I took the opportunity to stop and film the pack of riders I was in, before following them further uptown. Turning on 57th Street we began to head West, back to the West side bike path for the last few remaining miles of the ride. By now, it was almost full dark and the ghostly silent procession appeared as will-o-wisp's following in the breeze, gliding past the West side waterfront landmarks. I paused near a center dividing post in the path, and filmed as the 2 packs of cyclists in the ride pass me. Once the last ride Marshalls pass I sped back up to the front to finish with the leaders, and film the packs of riders as they finish.
Organizers and Marshalls pose with the sign for the Ride of Silence.
The ride begins. I pause to film the riders passing.
Approaching the Freedom Tower on the West Side bike path.
Riding East on Warren Street.
Waiting for riders to catch up, I film their approach on 6th Avenue.
Riders gather on 6th Avenue.
6th Avenue passing West 4th Street.
6th Avenue passing 8th Street.
6th Avenue past 10th Street.
Riding 6th past 17th Street.
6th Avenue through Chelsea, approaching the Empire State Building.
Approaching Radio City, allowing the first pack to pass to be filmed.
Turning on to 57th Street, now traveling West.
Arriving at the far West end of 57th Street to return to the West side bike path.
Starting out on the West Side bike path from 57th Street.
Filming the first pack of cyclists pass on the West side bike path.
Filming the second pack of cyclists as they pass, sprinting to catch back up to the front, reaching Chelsea Piers.
The final stretch of the Ride of Silence on the West side bike path, filming the first pack of cyclists as they finish.
The second pack of riders arrive at the finish.
After a few final words from Ed Ravin thanking us for our participation and suggesting a meeting place after the ride (for those interested), many riders slowly disbursed to their separate destinations. I took a chance to say my goodbyes to Ed, & Ed, and made my way back up to 10th Street and followed a few cyclists headed in the same direction. Upon arriving on 1st Avenue I encountered a fixie rider who set off from a light near the U.N. to bomb down the hill and up towards the 59th Street Bridge. Knowing the area well, and seeing only a few cars, I attempt to follow him but am wary of a sedan to my right, and think I've lost him. When I arrive at the second to last light with another rider (who rode mostly no-hands), I find I've caught up to the fixie rider who then runs the light with no-hands man.... Soon I am cresting the bridge, and found few other people were on the bridge at this time, and no other cyclists in my direction were seen. Home again, I settled in for the rest of the late evening, reflecting on the unique significance of the ride I had just partook in.
Following cyclists down 10th Street on my way home.
Chasing a fixie rider down First Avenue past the U.N., towards the 59th Street Bridge.
After attending a wedding with my girlfriend Saturday, I packed my gear for a trip to my first cycling event of 2012, the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
Leaving Bensohurst I rode North through Prospect Park for the first time. This path offers a decent climb, and with all my extra gear weighing me down, I felt rather sluggish. This path seems well maintained, and the pedestrians and cyclists coexisted quite peacefully. I then rode Vanderbilt Avenue to approach the Brooklyn Bridge. Choosing a sunny Sunday afternoon for my first crossing of the Brooklyn Bridge was not the best idea due to tourists, and generally oblivious pedestrians choking the lanes. The views were stunning though, and the Brooklyn Bridge was the best choice in relation to the New Amsterdam Bike Show geographically. Cutting through some classic SoHo streets, a Green Bakery delivery bike makes it's rounds. I quip, "nice bread truck". I finally find my way to the event.
Riding up Prospect Park for the first time.
Arriving at the top of Prospect Park, the Arch, and Statues are seen.
Following female road biker down Vanderbilt. Sunny, and mild in the 60's.
First ride over the Brooklyn Bridge, my wolf whistle comes in handy, frustrations with pedestrians inspire me to sing my blues away.
Soho, cobblestones.
"Nice bread truck."
Arriving at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
I entered the lobby area of the show, where I could purchase my ticket, and before you actually enter the display area, Transportation Alternatives had a small side room almost completely to themselves. I registered my free membership with them and received last years New York Century tote bag. Afterwards I filmed their booth briefly before scanning the first few row of booths.
Transportation Alternatives had a booth right inside the entrance to the New Amsterdam Bike Show. Pedal Pushers, Vaya, Vosco, Bike Works, Cleverhood, Worksman, Bike to the Beach (discussion with booth attendant), and Truce display booths.
Cooper, Formigli, eco2, Hub, Nutcase, and KLM booths at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
Opus bike, The Little Bike Shop, Gazelle, and Linus booths at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
Soon I came upon the booth for Bern, the makers of my helmet. I've had issues with the foam on the inside of the helmet, and was hoping for an on the spot replacement, as they do not offer the option to purchase them online (yet). Walking up, the rep (Josh) soon cradled my helmet, reveling in it's scarred shell, it's withered lining, and the old shoe lace threaded through the foam for the base of the neck. I began to voice my displeasure with the lack of resources regarding replacement padding, and he soon acknowledged the problem, and said that they would soon offer replacements on their site. Next thing I know he is sizing up my melon to offer me the on the spot replacement I had hoped for. Furthermore, he gave me stickers, and a pair of cool Bern branded headphones.
Linus booth continued. Josh the Bern rep admires my war torn helmet, and her custom rigging to keep my old padding in place. He generously replaces, and effectively updates the bill/headband part, as well as the foam parts of my helmet, and then proceeds to give me some nice swag in the form of stickers, and headphones.
After cruising a few more booths I land at the Jamis booth, and find them giving away large waterproof plastic messenger bags, but only if you ride their demo for their new internal gearing system. I ask for an explanation of the new technology involved, and test the bike. I think the bike frame would be considered a cruiser hybrid of sorts, not an attractive style for me for a number of reasons, but it was a nice representative of it's class. The explanation of this new "seemless/gearless" shifting intrigued me, and I was honestly interested to try it out. As advertised, you never felt a shift, and the gearing got heavier, and heavier. Though the novelty was interesting, I personally would not go with any other drive train besides the standard; it's easy to repair and maintain, and I would imagine better suited to the hard urban riding I do. After receiving my free messenger bag, I then proceed to film most of the rest of the booths. In it's entirety, the whole place wasn't very large, and you could see most of everything on offer in a couple of hours, or less.
I took a short break from filming, and browsing, and ducked into the tented area in the back which hosted a DJ, free Grolsch, and some tasty pastries, and Pickled Hot Dogs. I grabbed a beer, and bought a hot dog, and sat near the entrance to chow and drink while people watching.
Globe, Iride, and Brooklyn Cruiser booths at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
Bobbin, Uvex, and Jamis booths.
The Jamis rep explains the new internal gearing for some of their bikes. I explain why that wouldn't be practical for me.
Ride Brooklyn, and Paragon booths at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.
Free Grolsch beer, and a 3$ pickled hotdog.
Raleigh bicycles booth at the New Amsterdam Bike show.
After entering all of the raffles, and networking with a few reps, I decided I wanted to make my way back to Queens. I picked up my bike from the valet, and then watched as a couple rode away on a tandem bike. Walking West, I notice an interview in progress and watch from the side. Apparently this young woman was a cycling advocate, and bike mechanic who enjoyed fitting people with their bikes, and spoke of the rising cultural phenomena known as "Lifestyle Cycling". Soon the camera is turned on me, and I answer a few questions, and discuss my goals for my blog. After the interview segment, we exchange cards, and speak of networking.
A couple leaves the New Amsterdam Bike Show on a tandem bicycle.
A woman is interviewed, and discusses, "Lifestyle Cycling" as a fast growing cultural phenomena. Soon the camera is turned on me, and I answer a few questions, and discuss my goals for my blog.
Still walking West, I now pass in front of the venue for the last time, and stop to ask a friendly looking group of cyclists for directions towards the 59th Street Bridge. In no time the discussion turns to other cycling related topics, bridges, Greenways, gear, and our general wanderlust. I spoke mostly with Tim, who said he blogged with still pictures, and comments for photos. I gave him my card for my blog, and bid them goodbye. Now continuing West with confidence, I find myself on the West Side bike path heading uptown, towards the 59th Street Bridge. Midtown bustled in the late afternoon, but traffic flowed smoothly to the bridge. The views on the bridge are always a nice way to start my homestretch. I feel I was lucky to have such great weather, and such a great little "Tri-boro tour" ride, with a truly enjoyable cycling event sandwiched right in the middle.
Outside the entrance to the show, I ask for quick directions to the 59th street bridge from a group of friendly people. We discuss bridges, Greenways, and crossing them.
Tomorrow, my girlfriend is a bridesmaid in her cousins wedding, so I made the trip to Bensonhurst once again. I plan to attend the wedding tomorrow, and ride to the New Amsterdam Bike Show Sunday from Brooklyn. This meant packing everything I needed for both events into my backpack, as well as my locks, just in case. All told, the pack probably weighs nearly 30 pounds, which is a lot, but not too much for the relatively short distances I will be riding.
Along the Vernon Blvd bike paths, there are signs which point towards the "Waterfront Route". Soon, I find myself deviating slightly from my route in order to enjoy some of the views, and I felt confident that I would not be lead so far off course as to become lost.
Waterfront route around the projects, exiting at Goodwill Park.
Queensbridge Park Greenway.
Strong Climb up Pulaski Bridge, NYC skyline.
After encountering some poorly maintained streets along this stretch of Greenway, I found my way back onto Kent Ave, and head South, to where I could eventually pick up Vanderbilt off the BQE service road.
Once on Vanderbilt, I continued South, winding around Prospect Park, and Greenwood Cemetery, until I reached Dahill Rd. I know that when I reach Dahill Road it means I'm in the last leg of the journey, and I can ride hard through here until I hit 17th Avenue, and after that, it's a straight shot to my girlfriends door.
Today I needed to pick up some presents for my nephews birthday, and decided to make a trip to Nintendo World to find some unique gifts.
This trip was basically the same route as my commute for my last job in midtown, minus the last mile or so.
Manhattan, and New York City rarely disappoint, and I enjoy seeing what Midtown has to offer, even in the thick of Friday evening rush hour. I rode slow due to high mileage yesterday, but I felt remarkably strong considering my efforts yesterday. Carrying both cables, and my U-lock is cumbersome but 100% necessary. Though I'm used to the extra load, I'm becoming more and more accustomed to riding with less on my back. Even so, I never skimp on security, and I've found a street sign right outside the Today Show windows with cameras looking on from 5 angles. Any standard perforated green metal post style street sign is fair game for a bike lock to my knowledge. This is now my preferred Midtown parking spot.
Crescent Ave, following a motorcycle towards the 59th Street bridge.
Cresting the 59th Street Bridge, and pacing a Roosevelt Island Cable car until it passes another cable car from the other direction.
Crosstown on 61st, first sighting of green Mustang.
St Patricks Cathedral, second sighting of Green Mustang.
The perfect parking spot.
After a mostly successful trip to Nintendo World, I packed up for the ride home. Traffic to the 59th Street Bridge was thick and mostly slow due to Friday evening rush hour. I was surprised to see so few people crossing the bridge on foot or on bikes as the warmer weather usually brings out the fair weather bike commuters, and the bridge walkers.
I will likely take the next couple of days off as the weather is turning poor, and I need some rest for my weary legs.
Crossing Lexington and 2nd Avenue on 50th Street.
Negotiating the treacherous stretch before the 59th Street Bridge on 1st Avenue, exiting the mayhem with the Lucky Strike Racing motorcycle man.
Rapid descent on the 59th Street Bridge back to Queens.
Yesterday I decided I wanted to try to ride to my friends house in Hicksville again. When I call to make plans, I find out that he had made the decision to purchase a bike, and it was being shipped the next day!
He also informed me that he had the day off from work and that I was welcome to come over anytime I liked.
Soon I was gearing up and finalizing the new route which I would use to hopefully make a successful trip to his place (my first attempt went long/got lost, and fell short ending with my friend picking me up....).
The weather was ideal, breezy in the 60's, mostly sunny the whole way there. The first 3/5's of my route consist of familiar territory. I basically use the same route as if I was going to my fathers house. It's the last 10 miles of back roads and shoulder-less main roads that gets particularly tricky for me. I tried to keep the route as simple as possible, consisting of only 19 turns to get me from Alley Pond Park, to my friends block in Hicksville.
I notice a pesticide sign stating unsafe conditions for humans uncomfortably close to my person. A motorcycle pulls up to the light.
Crossing Roosevelt Avenue Bridge into the heart of Flushing.
Bowne to the entrance to Kissena Park.
Resting near the entrance to Kissena Park, a man stretches while a plane passes overhead.
Kissena Park, along the Brooklyn Queens Greenway.
Rapid Descent into Alley Pond Park, the Greenway ends.
Union Tpke, Creedmoor, and some commentary.
As I made my way into Nassau County, I found the route I had decided on was mostly bike friendly leading up to Herricks Road. Herricks becomes Old Country Road, and turns back North, towards my friends neighborhood. This slight dogleg South then Northeast is necessary to avoid the more complicated, and dangerous roads that run through the middle of Nassau County. Once on Old Country I found some creative use of sidewalks was necessary as the afternoon traffic didn't seem to want to bother with a bike where there often isn't one. This made for slow going heading East, but I was prepared for this as it was my first time riding this road. 87th Avenue, Broadway, and Eisenhower Park were very nice this time of year; many trees in bloom. Also seen was the Oscar Meyer Weiner Truck. With only one wrong turn and a small back track I made it to my friends house in just over 2 hours, covering 26.17 miles.
I stop in some shade and comment on the trip so far.
Broadway through Garden City Park, Westbury.
It's the Oscar Meyer Weiner Truck!!!
Passing Eisenhower Park, Westbury.
Unfortunately for me, my ride back from Hicksville did not go as well as my trip there. Trying to follow directions backwards, forgetting to read street signs, and an unfamiliar route, added an extra 5+ miles to the ride home.
The first 5 miles went exceptionally well, I found the traffic at 9:30pm to be light on Old Country Road, and I could ride in the shoulder or extra wide right lane keeping a 17 mph pace. At this point is where I made my fatal error. In my exhilarated state from having made such good time, I rode past my next turn, and rode nearly five miles too correct, and back track my route. After making one wrong turn, a small consolation was footage of an arriving train on Railroad Avenue.
One great thing about night riding this route is the abundance of 24hr stores which can easily accommodate a bike, and carts where you can get food or beverages, not to mention that this particular route includes the Greenway, which features many running water fountains for at least half of the year. I stopped for some trail mix at a 24hr Walgreens with a large entrance, and snacks at a register by the door. Also, I stopped at a Latin food cart on Roosevelt Avenue, and had a delicious Fruit Punch soda for a treat.
Finally reaching the entrance to Alley Pond Park, all was black, and silent. My legs were tired but I refused to walk the hills, resigning myself to spinning as best I could. Flying through the dark conditions on the Greenway is not recommended for safety, but sure is fun. The cool crisp air was refreshing, even as my legs began to complain more and more. Arriving home tired but not too sore, I set my videos for upload, and went to bed.
Making good time on Old Country Road.
From the Majestic Diner to Cherry Lane.
Herricks Road, Mineola.
I pull up to Railroad Avenue just as a train approaches
Bryant becomes 87th Avenue.
Commonwealth Blvd at night.
Rapid descent through the Brooklyn Queens Greenway at night. (Dark footage.)
Following the Greenway through St Josephs Prep and into 188th Street Park.
Kissena Park at night.
Creepy building.
Flushing to Citifield, the 7 train arrives over head.
After a setting a new personal high mileage in a single month in March, minor sports related injuries, and personal obligations, have made the start of April unusually low in mileage.
This will likely be my only post for this week, as I will be in New Orleans until next Tuesday.
If possible I might be able to borrow a bike for a ride while I am down south, but I may not have the opportunity.
As I like to be an appreciative guest, I decided to collect a few gifts for my gracious hosts in New Orleans. I rode through Long Island city on Crescent Avenue, to reach the Triboro Bridge, and Midtown.
I walk my bike through Rockefeller Center commenting on the sights.
Still needing to print out my Amtrak tickets for my trip down south, I rode to Penn Station to find their Kiosks where I can print out my tickets. Once inside Penn I find a Latin Guitar duo who I record for a few moments, and then walk through the station.
Back outside on the street again, I walk past some skateboarders using some nearby steps to attempt tricks.
Soon, I'm heading back uptown along Madison Avenue towards Rockefeller Center again, this time I plan to lock-up my bike and purchase some gifts from the fine shops there. First I went to Teuscher for their exquisite Truffles. Then I went to Nintendo World to find my friend a unique gift.
Leaving Rockefeller Center, I crosstown on 51st Street to 1st Avenue, and negotiate the final tricky stretch before the 59th Street bridge. Once over the bridge I made a short detour to Tony's Bike Shop for a little tune up and friendly conversation, before heading home.
I had hoped to try to ride out to Hicksville again this week, but my schedule, and my friends schedule didn't match up. Having to change my plans at the last minute, I decided that some laps in Central Park would be a good idea. I rode over the Triboro and 125th Street bridges and used 126th Street to cut across to St Nicholas Avenue. Out of habit I made a right, and traveled a few blocks out of my way before realizing my error, and turning around. Now headed in the correct direction to link up with Central Park, I see a soupped-up car, with an awesome paint job sitting at a red light. I start my camera, and pan along side the waiting vehicle, to find the passenger wearing a creepy mask, which definitely caught me off guard.
Deciding to go to Central Park is always a good idea, and today, with such pleasant weather (Sunny in the 50's), and spring blooming brightly, the park was bustling, and beautiful. Central Park features a few good descents, some of which you can use to carry you through the next climb. When I'm riding in the loop, I sometimes use stronger cyclists to try to motivate myself to ride harder. A cyclist in red passes me, and I attempt to pace him for a stretch.
Trying to follow the cyclist in red, an exercise in futility, but good exercise none the less.
Rapid descent past the lake in Central Park.
I had planned on buying Cashews from a cart in the park, but I had not seen any carts selling them in almost an entire lap. After seeing more and more ice cream carts, I had assumed that the season for the warm roasted treats had ended, and I might not find the food I desred at all. Just when I had all but given up hope, I locate the Cashews I was craving, and munched them down. Observing the tourists, and the commuters on detour, I finished my snack, and set out for another lap around the park.
Beautiful spring scenery in Central Park. My wolf whistle alerts a group of anxious teenagers.
Descent, strong climb, and rapid descent behind SUV, in Central Park.
Rapid descent, catching up to the commuter on a Bianchi.
Lush green fields in Central Park, 2nd rapid descent past the lake.
More gorgeous skyline as I approach Columbus Circle to head home.
Whenever I pass through Columbus Circle I always dismount and walk my bike through the connecting path, and sidewalks. As I walked along the path I see people looking up to a tree with their cameras ,and phones. As I walked around them, and looked up, you could see a hawk eating a smaller bird. It was dimly lit on it's perch, but you can see him well when he briefly spreads his wings for a moment. After that bit of excitement, I found my way to 54th street, and cut crosstown to pick up 1st avenue, and the 59th Street Bridge. My timing as I crest the 59th Street Bridge was such that when I slid my camera between the bars for a shot of the river, I happened to get a very nice shot of the Roosevelt Island Air Tram as it passes, before descending the other side of the bridge. Once back in Astoria, I rode through the park, enjoyed a milkshake from the resident Mr. Softee, and briefly soaked in the clear scenic expanse, watching the waters under the Hellgate swirl.
People stop to film, and take pictures of a hawk eating a small bird on a branch above our heads, near Columbus Circle.
The golden statue in Columbus Circle.
An interesting paint job on the side of a van crossing the 59th Street Bridge depicts a stick figure holding a movie camera.
Lucky timing as the Roosevelt Island Air Tram passes me at the top of the 59th Street Bridge, then following the yellow rider down the bridge.
Standing between the Triboro, and Hellgate Bridges, stunning skyline, and my commentary regarding the tumultuous waters running below Hellgate.
Fooling around for effect, riding under the Hellgate, rolling out from the grassy hill towards home.
Today I had planned a short utilitarian ride to some local wholesale stores, and also wanted to get a decent ride in before the sun went down.
As I checked over my bike before leaving, I noticed that the faint scraping sound coming from my back wheel, that started about a week ago, was getting worse. I had thought that I had possibly knocked my rear brakes out of alignment, so I brought my bike to Tony's BIcycles to have it looked at. Upon inspection, the mechanics tell me that my rear rim is worn, and bent, and will have to be replaced. Having purchased my bike at Tony's my maintenance, and often labor costs, are waived, and I sometimes leave having only paid for parts. Thankfully today was one of those days, and in short order they had the new rim on, ready to go. I paid the 87$ for the rim, tipped the mechanic 5$, and got my receipt. After paying, the mechanic asked me if I had received my pass to the Ride To Montauk. I told him I had not. He then hands me a laminated pass:
Very pleased with this outcome, I made the ride to the stores, and picked up some general household supplies. I then returned home, took a quick shower, grabbed a couple of cereal bars, and hit the road for my real ride. I decided to cross the Triboro Bridge and soak in some of the views on Randalls Island before crossing the 125th Street Bridge to ride the East River Esplanade, and return via the 59th St bridge.
Some unusual sites today, firefighters doing a burning house drill, homeless completely blocking the path on the 125th Street bridge, sitting in the path with shopping carts, drinking Cobra from the can, and likely huffing spray paint, by the smell of it. Approaching the East River Esplanade, I see white Police Tape and a single officer standing near what seemed to me from a distance could have been a body under a sheet. I asked the officer if it was a body, who said it was not, and as I got closer, that was apparent. Also, when I reached the sculpture park in the shadow of the 59th Street bridge I found a Fashion shoot in progress.
A finished stretch of the Hellgate rail trail.
Retracing my path back along the Hellgate rail trail.
Riding back along the riverside, I crest a small hill to find a firefighters drill in progress.
I approach a scene blocked off by police tape cautiously, and question the lone officer, "Is that a body?", before passing through.
Riding a busy stretch along the river, I lean down to better shoot a trotting Chihuahua.
Approaching the 59th Street bridge I aggressively climb the hill up to the sculpture park, and find a fashion photo shoot in progress.
The entrance to the 59th Street bridge, and my commentary regarding it's rightfully negative reputation.
Descending the 59th Street bridge, my frustrations with other riders are vocalized. Realizing I am pacing/passing a tow-truck on the bridge I proclaim, "Faster than a Tow-Truck! More powerful than a Golf Cart!"
My original plan for today was to cross the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey, and head South along Route 9.
Once I arrived in Harlem I found myself working my way up to 157th Street, before cutting the rest of the way across town, and luckily running into the entrance to Fort Washington Park. Halfway to the foot of the George Washington bridge 2 road bike cyclists passed me a bit too close for my liking, and I proceed to follow them as far as the foot of the George Washington Bridge. Though the temperature was in the mid 50's, 25-30 mph winds made it feel much cooler, which likely kept some people away from the waterfront.
Heading back was mostly downhill with a tailwind, making for an easy and quick ride home. I'm glad I came upon this stretch of Greenway, and Fort Washington Park, as I believe it is a good way to get to the George Washington Bridge. I may take this route tomorrow if I decide to go the rest of the way to New Jersey, and South on route 9.
Most of my riding has been in an Westerly direction, so I decided to try to ride to a friends house in Nassau County Long Island, in the Town of Hicksville.
Maps show a distance of approx 26 miles using the Brooklyn Queens Greenway to get to the midway point near the border between Queens, and Nassau County. From that point the directions I found had me weaving through side streets that ran parallel to Jericho Turnpike. This proved to be challenging as my familiarity with the neighborhoods involved was very limited, so stopping to check directions every few blocks became tedious at times. After making a couple of wrong turns, and losing my route I decided that I would stop where I found myself (about 3 miles from my destination and ask my friend to pick me up.
After a sandwich and a few hours of good conversation it was decided that I would be dropped off near the entrance to Alley Pond Park and the Brooklyn Queens Greenway and ride home from there (approx 13miles) as I was very familiar with the route form that point. Gliding through the dark and quiet Greenway Trails nearing midnight was thrilling and beautiful. Flushing and Roosevelt Avenue were quite subdued, and I rolled through without incident.
Arriving home at 12:30 a.m. I took a shower and laid down for the night.
I'm hoping to take what I learned from this experience and make another attempt to ride the entire way to my friends house. I believe I might be better off mapping out my directions, and try to come up with a more direct route that involves less weaving between back roads.
Sometimes life can get between myself and my bicycle, and last week I had many things to attend to that kept me from riding.
Also, this was a much needed break from riding as my legs and body were nearing their limits.
Today it was more chilly than it had been recently with temperatures in the high 40's and wind's between 25-35 mph.
These are not ideal riding conditions so I decided to ride to a nearby stretch of MUP near LaGuardia Airport, running between the Worlds Fair Marina, and Flushing Bay. This short path offers some beautiful views of the bay, and the planes as they glide in over the bay towards the runways at the Airport. As you might imagine, winds near the waterfront were especially intense making for slow going when I turned back around, and into the wind, to return to Astoria.
Tomorrows forecast is much more favorable, and I hope for a good long ride in the morning.
When I set out for my ride this afternoon I had initially planned to ride over the George Washington Bridge and then head South along River Road.
Arriving at 155th Street I decided to follow the Manhattan Greenway further north rather than head West to the George Washington Bridge.
At first I marveled at how deserted this path was, but then quickly realized that it was likely due to the fact that all of these paths were in terrible disrepair. This is a real shame as the views this path offers are fantastic. Soon I found myself where Harlem River Drive meets Dykman , and I found myself at the foot of High Bridge Park. I decided to enter High Bridge Park and start the steep climb up. At one point, I dismounted and walked, not interested in dumping too much energy into one harsh climb. Now at the top of the hill I descended through the winding path with beautiful panoramic views of the river below. I did not want to go as fast as possible as I had never rode in this park. This proved to be smart when I quickly came upon some stairs and was able to barely skid to a stop.
Walking as far South as I could I found that this park did not continue any further in this direction, and that I would have to either go back the the Manhattan Greenway (the way I came) or try to head West from here. Seeing how the descent back to the entrance to the Manhattan Greenway looked fairly scenic, with jagged cliffs rising on my Left, and the river rolling on my right I decided to head back the way I had come from. I rode fast down this hill, but should have held back as at one point there were severe potholes I had to dodge, followed by 2 treacherous gaps I had to double hop at a decent speed, rattling myself, and my bike a bit.
When I once again reached the pedestrian bridge back into the Bronx, I crossed paths with a middle aged Canadian couple asking for some directions. I pointed them where they wanted to go, and climbed back up to 155th Street. Heading West on 155th Street I cut across town to the small parks along Riverside Drive, above the Hudson River Greenway. I passed the entrance I knew about down to the Greenway, but quickly realized my mistake and turned around, dropping down onto the paths. Far less wind here than on my last trip, I was able to have a much more pleasant Southerly ride. Many riders, runners, and some skaters, on this path as usual. I carefully picked my way down the path until I reached the Intrepid, where I patronized her terribly overpriced vending machines for a granola bar, and some iced tea. After some shots of the Intrepid and a few other vessels nearby I got back on the path heading back the way I had come from until I reached 51st Street. I used 51st Street to cut across town once more, this time heading East, shooting clips at Broadway near Times Square, passing Radio City and Rockfeller Center, and St. Patricks Cathedral, before turning on 1st Avenue towards the 59th Street Bridge, and home.
I had discovered that work on the East River Esplanade had been completed up to 59th street a few weeks ago, and realized that this now created a long stretch of MUP connecting the 125th Street Bridge with the 59th Street Bridge leaving only Long Island City to contend with to make a full circuit back to the entry to the Triboro bridge to start the route over.
Today I used this route to make 2 laps totaling 26.9 miles. This included 1,178 feet of climb according to GPS (6 bridge crossings).
The weather was fine, a little moderate headwind on the East River Esplanade, and tons of foot traffic (as expected by day of week + weather). I believe this route would be better for laps on a weekday, and it's still a safe way to get to midtown from Astoria any day.
This is my first daytime shoot with the HD Hero 2, and I can see a marked improvement in the image quality already.
Taking a cue from a picture of a GoPro helmet I found, I placed another mount on the right side of my helmet, horizontally. As shown in the picture, I created a 45 degree angle arm with the joints supplied with the original Moto Edition, and my new Outdoor Edition accessories. This way the camera can be turned upside down so it rests near the eye level of the helmet wearer. The good people at Gopro included a setting built into the camera that allows it to shoot upside down, as well as making the LCD display upside down. Here is a picture of the latest mount, you can also see where the first mount is placed. I'm not sure which I like better, but I am sure that I like having the camera centered on my helmet rather than always pushing down on the right side. I could probably add some padding inside my helmet that might make it more comfortable to wear.
As far as the new viewing angle is concerned, I'm not sure it adds much to the footage, and likely detracts from it due to the fact that my face obscures the left side of the frame. Either way, it was worth trying. I will likely be purchasing, and testing, the GoPro chest mount at some point, as I like that camera perspective as well.
Some highlights of the ride were the young skateboarders shenanigans on the 59th Street Bridge. You can see them nearly run into a tricky gap at 1:10 of 3-17-2012 Part 12, after dodging the skateboarders I had a bit of luck though, when I finally got a nice shot of the Q/N trains as I came down the bridge. I was able to follow one train as it left Queensboro Plaza, and watch it turn towards Astoria to disappear behind a building. On Randall's Island I shot a purposefully cinematic clip rolling off a grassy hill following a DEP boat as it passed under the Hellgate and Triboro Bridges, this video is found under 3-17-2012 Part 5. The second time I reached the foot of the Triboro Bridge, I crossed paths with a cyclist who I had spoke to before near the same spot some weeks ago, when I was riding with my girlfriend. He is a more knowledgeable cyclist who offered good advice regarding what to eat during rides, and where to meet other cyclists on 9W. After maybe a twenty minute chat, we parted ways, and I started my second lap of this route. Nothing more of note transpired, and it was a very enjoyable ride as a whole. I feel that this route will make a good addition to my usual rides.
