NYC Riding?

[Cantdog]

Heading to NYC for several days over thanksgiving. Each time I’m down I see folks riding and think, ‘gee, I should bring a bike sometime’.

I’ll be staying in Long Island City tues-sat. Any riding besides circles around Central Park? Priorities would be: some dirt so I don’t have to change wheelsets on the gravel bike and not dying at the hands of a cab or Uber driver.

Or I’ll just bring a yoga mat.

[ltwtsculler91]

If you can get out across the GWB, you can head north on 9w into Piermont or Nyack NY. Theres a decent bit of gravel you can take there too, if you're looking for dirt.

Piermont is about 15miles north of the GWB, so it's at least 30 round trip, likely around 50 from Long Island city

[R3awak3n]

There are some “patches” of gravel around but from the city, without taking the train or ridding a bunch of miles to get there you are not going to get a good gravel ride. Ridding prospect park or central is fun but gets old quick for sure, you can do the ride every new yorker does every weekend, take the gwb to the palisades and ride north, get to piermont (some grave roads from the police station to piermont) or get some more miles and go to nyack. Its a nice ride.

[clarendon]

Another vote for Piermont/Nyack. Take the old river road after crossing the GWB. Back via 9W.

[zmalwo]

You can technically go a lot further than 15miles on 9W.

[jemdet]

I’ll third or fourth or fifth the piermont / nyack via river road suggestion, but please do some advanced research on the route. I think that most of us here in the city forget how confusing the route can be for first-timers. Specifically:

- getting from the greenway to the bridge entrance,
- getting from the GWB to the entrance to river road
- following river road correctly

This goes double if you’ll be riding during the week. You can typically follow others if you’re riding on the weekend.

Consider ash / tweed in piedmont if you’re into steeper climbs!

[R3awak3n]

or if you have time, do palisades/9w, piermont, nyack, bear mountain and then cold spring and take the train back. There is a bunch of gravel after nyack.

[wai2fast]

What type of rides are you looking for? Are you looking to knock out some training miles or are you looking to explore the city on two wheels?

You won't find much gravel within city limits. The only decent gravel options I can think are Shirley Chisholm State Park at the south eastern end of Brooklyn, the trails in Cunningham Park at the far eastern end of Queens, or the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail starting in the Bronx.

[AngryScientist]

how much time do you have on your hands? some of us are probably riding up at Minnewaska on Friday, which is pleasant gravel riding, but in reality - it's pretty far out of NYC limits...

[BobbyJones]

There's not much gravel riding in the area that would be uncomfortable on 25's. It's not like you'll be grinding for hours.

That being said, I just looked at some incremental numbers for some of the more popular rides (to Nyack, etc), starting from the Queens Side of the Queensboro Bridge. All numbers close, but not exact. The train back from Cold Spring to GCT is about 1:30 if you get a direct.

Sightseeing ride
Queens > down East side of Manhattan > Up West Side > Lap Central Park >Queens: 25mi

Piermont, Nyack, Bear, Cold Spring
Through Central Park > West Side > GWB > HHD > Tallman(2-mi Gravel) > Piermont: 28mi

Nyack +4

Nyack Beach+2

Nyack Beach Gravel to Haverstraw +5 (all gravel)

Base of Bear (S.Entrance climb) +12

Top of Bear (to Tower climb) +4.5

Down to 9W via Bear Carousel +4.5 (You're in it for about 60 miles at this point)

Then...

A) To Manitou Train Station, no services +3.25 (closest to Bear) or straight to Cold Spring, tons of good stuff +10

or

B) To Cold Spring the back way via S. Mtn /Old Albany/ etc (shortish, steep b*llbreaking climbs on gravel) +17


Hope this helps!

[Mr. Pink]

There's a lot of dirt up in northern Westchester. This ride goes off every fall, the Dirty Apple.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/11986441

I've never done it, but, I've been tempted to rent a gravel bike (the Ridgefield Bike shop has a few) or even an mtb, since I have neither, and check it out. But, there's so much good paved that I'm not that bored. Looks like the Bedford Hills train station is right on the route posted above, but, if you want to ride just paved, get off at the next stop in Katonah. Ride with GPS should have plenty of rides leaving the Katonah train station. You need a pass to bring your bike on the train, buy it at a window in GC, and no bikes in the busy directions during rush hour.

http://ridinggravel.com/event/the-dirty-apple/

[fiamme red]

There's a lot of dirt up in northern Westchester. This ride goes off every fall, the Dirty Apple.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/11986441

I've never done it, but, I've been tempted to rent a gravel bike (the Ridgefield Bike shop has a few) or even an mtb, since I have neither, and check it out. But, there's so much good paved that I'm not that bored. Looks like the Bedford Hills train station is right on the route posted above, but, if you want to ride just paved, get off at the next stop in Katonah. Ride with GPS should have plenty of rides leaving the Katonah train station. You need a pass to bring your bike on the train, buy it at a window in GC, and no bikes in the busy directions during rush hour.

http://ridinggravel.com/event/the-dirty-apple/I second northern Westchester if you're looking for dirt roads. Take Metro-North up to Mount Kisco, and you have great dirt roads within a mile or two of the station. I can give you a route if that interests you.

If you ride over the GWB up to Nyack, there's the Old Erie Path that connects to the Joseph B. Clarke Rail Trail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Erie_Path.

[R3awak3n]

I did the dirty apple and I can confirm its a super nice ride. The gravel roads are excellent up in westchester. Nice groomed gravel and plenty of it.

If you want a bit more rugged gravel, cold spring area has some awesome gravel roads as well.

[verticaldoug]

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31517488
blue sections are gravel

You can do this compact loop which gives some of the best gravel riding in the area from Cold Spring. There is a much bigger loop including E Mountain Rd, but that's a hard day. This loop is Indian Brook, Old Albany and Sunken Mine. 50% pavement/50% gravel. I've ridden this on a standard road bike with 25s but would not recommend that.


Old Albany Post is the oldest gravel road in the US. It has a wiki page, what's not to like about that?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Albany_Post_Road

Sunken Mine Rd
https://vimeo.com/266674457

[Billybob62]

I’ll third or fourth or fifth the piermont / nyack via river road suggestion, but please do some advanced research on the route. I think that most of us here in the city forget how confusing the route can be for first-timers. Specifically:

- getting from the greenway to the bridge entrance,
- getting from the GWB to the entrance to river road
- following river road correctly

This goes double if you’ll be riding during the week. You can typically follow others if you’re riding on the weekend.

Consider ash / tweed in piedmont if you’re into steeper climbs!

^This
Probably the first thing to explain is that (although everybody calls it River Rd.), it's actuallly Henry Hudson Dr.

[trener1]

If you are comfortable riding mostly smooth single track on your gravel bike you should definitely check out Cunningham park.

[Cantdog]

Thanks for the tips folks! Will definitely keep these in mind.