These were rides in September - October 2004. Click here for current rides.

Here we list only a selection of 5BBC day rides. All 5BBC rides are described in Bicycletter, our bimonthly newsletter-magazine, which Club members can read here. If you are not a 5BBC member, you can join - or rejoin - by printing and mailing in the membership application. Prospective members can obtain a sample issue of Bicycletter by leaving their names and addresses on our voicemail at (212) 932-2300 x115.

Indicates relaxed pace, easy ride

Ride locations - where do we meet?

Ride Update Center - is my ride cancelled?

DayTripper Column - periodic yammerings from the Day Trips Coordinator

More about day rides - what to bring on rides, what's that smiley thing, participants under age 18, bike access on trains

Please note that helmets are required on all 5BBC rides.

Saturday, September 4th

WHITE PLAINS ON RYE
9AM, White Plains Road & Pelham Parkway, 50 rolling miles

You don’t have to be a hero to do this ride but it helps if you like rolling hills. You’ll relish the trip to White Plains and if you’re not too fast you’ll play ketchup with the pack by the time you get to Rye. Ride may stop at a Brazilian lunch place and an Austrian pastry shop just to keep you rolling. Moderate pace. Rolling hills. Bring or buy lunch. Leaders: Jesse Brown and TBD.

HALO HALO
8AM, South Ferry, 25 miles

Come ride for Filipino pastries and Halo Halo, via restaurants and shops on Jersey City's West Side Ave. We'll get there via Staten Island & Bayonne. Three parks included. Bring a pannier for ube cake, Biblingka, Ensaymadas, Hopia and other sweetstuffs. Please make sure your bike is in good working order (e.g. pump your tires before ride). Bring $ for dessert & snacks, $2 for PATH train or $6 for New York Waterway ferry return. Wet weather at the start cancels. Co-listed with the NYCC. Emphasis on single file riding. Terrain: mostly flat with bumpy & busy roads and hills. Leader: Alfredo Garcia (646) 212-1677.

Sunday, September 5th

MANHATTAN PERIMETER RIDE AND PERIMETER SERIES BLOWOUT
9AM, City Hall, 35 flat miles

Free Pizza. Do we have your attention? Yes, this is the final of the "Perimeter Series" rides and we will circle the island where it all started with $24 of baubles and beads paid to the natives. Today, it wouldn't even pay the brokers fee for your condo parking space. We'll zoom up the bikers version of a west side I-95. Lunch at a Harlem River back water spot shared with the Columbia sculling team, trace the uneven shore of the Harlem and East Rivers all the way down to South Ferry and the afore mentioned FREE PIZZA at the "Perimeter Series" Blow Out. Flat terrain. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas, Jesse Brown & Rodney Millard.

QUICK SPIN TO THE JERSEY SHORE
9AM, World Trade Center, 65+ flat miles

Take a quick spin to the Jersey Shore. Well make a quiet getaway from downtown Newark, slip through industrial districts to suburbia and then the beach. Return home on a refreshing fast ferry cruise after an invigorating ride. No point-drop-sweep, minimal stops and a late lunch. Bring plenty of water, pocket food, $20 for fares and the usual emergency bike supplies. Rain cancels. Pace: 15+ mph. Leaders: Wentworth Price & TBA

Monday, September 6th (Labor Day)

SANDY HOOK OKEY DOKEY
8:30AM, NY Waterway Terminal, Pier 78, West 38th St & 12th Ave, 23 miles

Boat-bike-boat trip excursion with beach time, under the summer sun. Trip includes Monmouth County run with four bridges, quiet places and a climb to a breathtaking overlook . Lunch at Navesink Twin Lighthouse. Then back to the Hook for swim time & other fun options. Bring lock, swim gear, sunscreen and water. Note: you are responsible to get your NY Waterway round trip cruise ticket ($29). Get to the terminal pronto or call (800) 53-FERRY for a reservation, several days in advance. Wet weather at the start cancels. Mostly flat, some climbs, some busy traffic. Leader: Alfredo Garcia (646) 312-1677.

Saturday, September 11th

Bella Piccola Italia
10AM, Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, approximately 35 miles

Join us for a pleasant, yet reflective ride to the little Italian town of Belmont, better known as Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. We'll pay a visit to Borgatti's Pasta Factory and have lunch at a local restaurant. You'll find it hard to say "Arrivederci Belmont," as this place will grab your heart. We'll even speak some Italian along the way. Bring lock and $15-20 lunch money. Pace: easy with language practice along the way. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Randy Horowitz

Sunday, September 12th

PHANTOM RIDE:

Check the club web page or voice mail after Wednesday, Sept 8th to see if a ride has been scheduled for this date.

Saturday, September 18th

2ND ANNUAL STEPHANIE C. DAVIS MEMORIAL RIDE
7:45AM, Grand Central Terminal, 40 hilly miles

Stephanie created this beautiful ride from Milford, Connecticut, out to Bethany and back some years ago. Join us to celebrate her life and her love of cycling. Even if you didn't know her, you will still enjoy this ride, so come along and be uplifted! Note: 8:07 train to Milford arrives at 9:37AM. Pace: moderate. Terrain: hilly. Leaders: Ed Sobin, Stephen Jackel, Nancy Asquith. Rain or iffy weather call Steve's cell phone at (917) 301-0707.

Sunday, September 19th

ROCKAWAY GATEWAY GREENWAY SHUFFLE
9AM, Boro Hall, Brooklyn, 40+ flat and fast miles

Back by popular demand. This is a spin around Jamaica Bay using lots of bike lanes and greenway sections, with a lunch stop right in the middle of the bay, on Broad Channel Island. We might also make a pizza or ice cream stop later on. Flat, sure to be windy, and fast paced. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and TBA.

Saturday, September 25th

LONG BEACH TRAFFIC HATERS’ RIDE
9:30AM, Cunningham Park, 45+ flat miles

Travel every back street of Queens and Nassau counties as we avoid all of the major roads and have lunch on the boardwalk. Rain cancels. Leaders: Bob Castro and Manny Sanudo.

Sunday, September 26th

WESTCHESTER BIKE/HIKE: BRONX RIVER PARKWAY AND CRANBERRY LAKE
9AM, Woodlawn (Jerome and Bainbridge Aves, Bronx), 40 rolling miles

40 miles of scenic Westchester County roads, bike paths, and a stop at a nature preserve where we'll take a walk around a swampy lake in a quiet, forested area. Optional return via Metro-North after 25 miles (permit required). Since we'll be using the Bronx River Parkway during the Bicycle Sunday closings, as well as the neighboring bike paths, the ride is 44% car free. All paths are paved paths, suitable for road bikes. Bring appropriate walking footwear. Terrain: rolling hills with a few steep climbs. Leaders: Ed Ravin (eravin@panix.com) and Jim Zisfein.

A LONGER RIDE TO A SHORTER PIER
9AM, Plaza Hotel, 50 hilly miles

This is the Piermont replacement ride for the one we listed in early July, that one was rained out. OK, so it’s not Independence Day, but riding to Piermont is still fun. So what are you waiting for? You can still bring or buy lunch in town. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and Danny Lieberman

Saturday, October 2nd

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: MILLIONAIRE’S ROW PT I CLOSTER LANDING LOOP
8:30AM, PROMPT, GW Bridge Bus Terminal, 20 mile ride (5 mile hike)

We ride to Kearney House at Alpine Marina, then hike with a Palisades Interstate Park historian. This "history hike" explores the ruins of estates that dotted the Palisades cliff before they were demolished to make way for the park and parkway. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, bag lunch, and water. See zisfein.com/palisades for additional information and ride updates. Pace: moderate. Terrain: rolling hills. Ride leaders: Jim Zisfein & Marina Bekkerman.

STRANGE SCIENCE
9AM, Plaza Hotel, 50 hilly miles

Check out Columbia U's world-renowned Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory during their annual open house. Scientists present exhibits and lectures about their ongoing research on such topics as earthquakes and oceanography. Comfortable pace. Bring lock, lunch or money for lunch. Leaders: Eileen Kapp, Stephen Jackel. (If rain threatens, call Stephen's cell phone AFTER 10 pm Friday evening to see whether ride will go out: 917 301-0707.)

DOWN UNDER RIDE
10:30AM, Plaza Hotel, 20 miles

We knew you'd rather do this than go to Australia, so this ride is for the "on the go with little time to spare," side of you. We'll pay a visit to the New York Transit Museum in Downtown Brooklyn, where you can sit on shiny straw seats of subway cars mom and dad used to ride (or was that you?). In your precious time, you'll be able to compare the comfort (or lack of it) as you test the seats of one old fashioned train car from another, or salivate behind the wheel of a big city bus. If tunnel building is your thing, you'll have no trouble finding out how to get down and dirty should you ever need to start your own subway line. We've made this ride short, so you'll have no excuse to say you had no time to stop and smell the electricity. Bring lock, $5.00 museum fee and lunch money. Leader: Richard Sanford & Manny Sanudo.

Sunday, October 3rd

THE GREAT SWAMP
8:30AM Sharp, World Trade Center, 50 hilly miles

Bucolic New Jersey? It may sound strange, but the Garden State is aptly named, and the Swamp, a National Wildlife refuge, is evidence of pristine beauty. Hikers, bird watchers, and cyclists flock to this huge plot of land that almost fell victim to plans to build an airport, only to be rescued in the 1950's by one of the early environmental victories. We will visit the Somerset County Environmental Center via a 4-county route, and if time permits, the Raptor Trust, a sanctuary for injured birds of prey, and the leader's mansion for apple cider and football previews. Bring $3 for PATH fare and lunch money. No slowpokes please. Very hilly, with one short stretch of hard packed gravel. Heavy rain cancels. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner and Susan Rodetis

EAST ISLAND
9:30AM, Cunningham Park, 50 miles

Come on a scenic Fall ride to East Island in Glen Cove, located on Long Island's North Shore and formerly the estate of J.P. Morgan, Jr. If the weather is warm, we'll eat lunch at Pryibil Beach and return via Sea Cliff. Great views of Long Island Sound are guaranteed. Moderate pace. Rolling terrain with some steep climbs. Leader: Ira Najowitz

Saturday, October 9th

PHANTOM RIDE:

Check the club web page or voice mail after Wednesday, October 5th to see if a ride has been scheduled for this date.

Sunday, October 10th ♣ THE "GET TO KNOW US" RIDES ♣

Choose one of the following day rides, have a great time on the ride, and then all of the rides will meet up at Hudson River Park at West 14th St and 10th Ave, after 2PM. See the "Day Tripper" article for further information. For all of these rides rain at the start cancels the ride. The picnic is also weather sensitive. But it’s not going to rain!

STATEN ISLAND EXPRESSO QUICK SPIN ONLY
8AM, South Ferry Terminal (8:30 boat), 45 miles

Brief & thrilling affair, of mind & body, short of devastating anarchy in the 5BBC. Escape torrid heat, 40-hour workweeks and annoying organisms in a wink of an eye. No point-drop-sweep, no cuesheets--bring map if needed, eat no lunch--well maybe. Just keep riding, in guided yet safe madness--till the climatic end. You won't remember anything except feelings of pain & delight in your taut sexy body--for the next 23 hours. Bring pocket food & water. Not for beginners or fussbudgets. Wet weather at the start cancels. Pace: 15+ mph, emphasis on riding single file. Terrain: mostly flat but oh so lovely hills (e.g. Ft. Wadsworth) Leaders: Alfredo Garcia (cyclistxxiii@yahoo.com) and TBA.

HACKENSACK SUBMARINE EXPRESS - QUICK SPIN ONLY
8:30AM, GW Bridge Bus Terminal, 40 miles

Visit a real World War II naval submarine in this quick spin ride to Hackensack, New Jersey. The USS Ling, SS-297, one of the few remaining WWII-era submarines, is parked at the New Jersey Naval Museum. Optional guided tour of the Ling costs $5. We’ll make a diner stop before zooming back for the club party downtown. Please bring a lock. Bring or buy lunch. 15mph pace. Leaders: Dan Finton and Jim Zisfein.

WAVE HILL
9AM, Columbus Circle, 30 rolling miles

Wave Hill Park is one of those magical places - far too beautiful to be inside New York City, and yet it is, tucked into one of the more quiet sections of Riverdale. We’ll follow some of the newer Manhattan Waterfront Greenways getting there and coming back. Moderate pace but hilly terrain. Bring a lock and lunch. Leaders: Victor Sanchez-Valdado and Mark Trainor.

RED HOOK RAMBLE
9AM, City Hall, 25 miles

Red Hook is one of those quiet industrial neighborhoods that has what mountain bike riders love most - deserted cobblestone streets! We’ll tour the waterfronts of several older Brooklyn neighborhoods. Mountain or hybrid bikes recommended but not mandatory. Easy pace. Bring or buy lunch. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Ed DeFreitas.

AROUND THE WORLD
9:30AM, AYH, 30 miles

Join Ed and Liz as they go around the world of Queens. This ride might include a merrry go round or an ice cream stop or both. We will have a great day and then join up with the other rides at the GTKU party. Bring or buy lunch. Easy pace. Leaders: Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

Monday, October 11th

PHANTOM RIDE:

Check the club web page or voice mail after Wednesday, October 5th to see if a ride has been scheduled for this date.

Saturday, October 16th

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: MILLIONAIRE’S ROW PT II BOMBAY HOOK
8:30AM, PROMPT, GW Bridge Bus Terminal, 178 St & Ft Washington Ave, 20 mile ride (8 mile hike)

We ride to Kearney House at Alpine Marina, then hike with a Palisades Interstate Park historian. On this "history hike" we continue our exploration of the ruins of estates that preceded the creation of the park. Our hike includes some of the most impressive scenery in the area. This is my favorite Palisades hike. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, bag lunch, and water. See zisfein.com/palisades for additional information and ride updates. Pace: moderate. Terrain: rolling hills. Ride leaders: Jim Zisfein & Marina Bekkerman.

Sunday, October 17th

OY OY OYSTERS!
8:30AM, Cunningham Park, 50 miles

Not only do they look slimy, but they also sure taste good. So do their cousins, shrimps, clammies, steamers, and other nautical delicacies. Oyster Bay's yearly classic Oyster Festival draws hordes of food lovers, and what's a better way to work up a hearty appetite than by cycling to this North Shore enclave. Food, music, crafts, souvenirs, and maybe a turkey leg or two, hopefully in perfect foliage season. Free admission, but bring money for goodies, bike locks, and World Series predictions. Moderate pace, some hills. LIRR return available, bring bike permit. Heavy rain cancels. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner, Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

Saturday, October 23rd

SPINNING UP THE HILLS
8:30AM, Grand Central Terminal (or 9:45, Croton-Harmon station), 45 hilly miles

Join us for this beautiful, but very hilly ride through northern Westchester. While spinning on the hills (with cumulative climbing of 3500 feet), we can enjoy the fall foliage and look forward to homemade ice cream near the end. N.B.: Triples are highly recommended, bring a MTA bike permit & about $14 for train fare, and be aware that there's about a mile of riding on a hard-packed dirt road. If the weather makes the ride questionable, call Brian in the morning at (917) 868-0013. Terrain: hills, hills, and more hills. End Time: Approx. 6 pm (Croton)/7 pm (GCT) Leaders: Brian Hoberman & TBA

ARCHITECTURAL TOUR: THE WRIGHT RIDE
10AM, Plaza Hotel, 20 miles (in traffic)

How best to showcase the greatest city in the world than to celebrate the works of the self proclaimed not just American, but greatest Architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. We will view his most acclaimed and controversial building the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. We will also visit some other less well known sites of Wright’s. There is more Wright in NYC than you may have thought. There will be a long lunch break to allow for optional Museum visits, so make sure to bring a lock, money for lunch and museum admission ($15 Gug $12 Met suggested). Rain cancels. Flat terrain. Leaders: Victor Sanchez-Valado & TBA.

Sunday, October 24th

HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM
9AM, Plaza Hotel, 35 miles

We'll ride through Central Park and up the center spine of Manhattan. We'll cross the Harlem river into The Bronx, follow Broadway through Yonkers and spend a little time on the Old Croton Aqueduct till we reach the Hudson River Museum. This is not just a museum. It's also a Mansion and a planetarium. So, bring your inquisitiveness, $6.00 for admission, lunch or money to buy it, lock and Metro-North pass in case you have to bag-it. Some hills, road bikes OK. Maybe a bonus additional museum. Varied terrain. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas & TBA.

Saturday, October 30th

WHEN YOU SEE A FORK IN THE ROAD, PICK IT UP
8:45AM, AYH, 35 miles... or is it 50?

Was it 35 miles or was it 50? We never could quite figure out the mileage on this trip to the Yogi Berra Museum, so by popular demand (at least of our esteemed club president), we're gonna reset the odometers, and head to nearby Montclair to peruse some nifty baseball history, courtesy of retired Number 8, N.Y. Yankees. Well, it sure looks nearby on the map, doesn't it? Just remember: this ride ain't over til it's over. Bring $6 for museum admission, lunch money, bike locks. See www.yogiberramuseum.org for updates on programs. Moderate pace, fairly hilly. Heavy rain cancels. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner, Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY TRAILWAYS
9AM, Van Cortlandt Park, W242nd & Broadway, 50 miles

Paved. Level. Car-free. What's not to like? We ride Westchester's North and South County Trailways, a.k.a. the "Old Put", from Yonkers to Yorktown Heights, then back to Eastview and west to Tarrytown for a Metro-North ride home (or easy return to the start point). Bring water, snacks, Metro-North pass, $ for train fare and lunch, and an appetite for a good workout. See zisfein.com/yorktown for additional information and ride updates. This ride will be led at a 14 mph pace. Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Ed Ravin

Sunday, October 31st

CEMETERY RIDE
9AM, Bridgemarket, 40 miles

By request, this quiet and relaxed ride around southern Queens neighborhoods returns for Halloween. We’ll pass through the "cemetery belt" and see the turning colors of Forest Park. If it’s warm enough we’ll eat lunch in the park. Come and enjoy the fall weather. Bring or buy lunch. Take a lock just in case. Costumes optional. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Brian Hoberman

FOUR BOROUGH BIKE RIDE
9AM, City Hall, 35 miles

Sorry S.I. We promise to dedicate an entire ride to you. We want have enough time give justice to Arthur Avenue, deep in the heart of The Bronx. On our way, we'll pass through Brooklyn and Queens and cross the Triborough Bridge into The Bronx. Lunch along Arthur Ave., an Italian enclave. Belmont Ave. is the origin of the "Dion & The Belmonts" name. Look around for others. Then, back to Manhattan along the East River to City Hall. Bring a lock & $ for lunch. Mostly flat. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas & TBA.

Saturday, November 6

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: GREENBROOK SANCTUARY
9AM, PROMPT, GW Bridge Bus Terminal, 15 miles (4 mile hike)

From the Greenbrook website (njpalisades.org/greenbrook.htm): "Greenbrook Sanctuary is 165 acres of woodland on top of New Jersey's magnificent Palisades. 4.7 miles north of the George Washington Bridge, off U.S. Route 9W, the sanctuary is an oasis of solitude and natural beauty, minutes away from one of the noisiest, most densely populated areas in the world." Escape from the city to this nearby and truly natural wonder, and learn about its history on a professionally-guided hike by a park historian. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, water, and $ for lunch at the nearby Royal Cliffs Diner. See zisfein.com/palisades for additional information and ride updates. Ride leaders: Jim Zisfein & Marina Bekkerman.

Sunday, November 7th

ROCK AROUND THE ROCK
8:45AM, City Hall, 40 miles

What would be if the Revolutionary War never happened? Well, on Staten Island, that almost happened. And, we're going to that spot. We'll enjoy some flats and hills. Bring lunch or money for it. Mostly flat with one !@#$%^&* hill. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas & TBA.