These were rides in September - October 2005. Click here for current rides.

August 6, 2005: Why play in traffic when we can have the road all to ourselves? A car-free ride on the Westchester County Trailways en route to Brewster. Photo by Richard Brause.

Got a New Year's resolution to get healthy and trim? We're friendlier than Atkins and cheaper than Weight Watchers. Try our low fat day rides. We're sure there's one in your size. Seriously, can you name a gym that costs only $20 a year, and you go further and see and learn more than on that stupid stationary bike? Your membership keeps our day rides free. If you are a 5BBC member, thank you! If you are not a 5BBC member and enjoy our day rides, please give us your support and discover - or rediscover - the benefits of 5BBC membership. Become part of New York's friendliest bike club for only $20 per year. For more information, please see: Ride locations - where do we meet? Bulletin board - 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.

Indicates relaxed pace, easy ride

Saturday September 3rd

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
9:30AM, White Plains Road & Pelham Parkway, 45 miles

This is the summer edition of the great all-seasonal quick spin to Rye, NY and Byram, CT. Meet in the Bronx and take a fast paced spin out to Rye, NY and Byram, CT. There might even be a stop for a bite at the Austrian pastry place. Min pace 15mph. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. To get to the start by subway take the #2 to Pelham Parkway. Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Mark Trainor. Co-listed with NYCC.

Sunday September 4th

MANHATTAN PERIMETER RIDE AND PERIMETER SERIES BLOWOUT
9AM, City Hall, 30 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. Terrain: Flat as a pizza. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

SANDY HOOK
10:30AM, World Financial Center, 23 miles

If you’re planning to do the Twin Lights bike event, a small preview. We’ll roam through Monmouth County towns of Sea Bright, Rumson, Middletown, Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. We’ll climb Mt. Mitchill Overlook to see a 9/11 monument. Climb and enjoy lunch at the Twin Lights of Navesink. Upon descent, grab some beach time before returning. Bring $30 for the 11:20am cruise (get there early or visit nywaterway.com), $ for food, a lock, sunscreen, beach gear. Co-listed with NYCC. Wet weather @ start cancels. Mostly flat with some busy traffic and hills. Leaders: Alfredo Garcia (646) 312-1677 and others.

Monday September 5th (Labor Day)

NEAR BROOKLYN
9:30AM, City Hall, 25 miles

The twin cities of New York & Brooklyn danced with each other for fifty years before the wedding. We'll get some snapshots of that time & others. Then, maybe, end up at a bike friendly pizzaria near Bowling Greene. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, September 10th

EASTERN CONNECTICUT METRIC CENTURY (QUICK SPIN)
This ride, previously listed as cancelled, will now go out as scheduled.
6:40AM, Grand Central Terminal (7AM train), 67 miles
9AM meet at New Haven Metro North Station

This is a scenic and hilly ride through rustic and rural Connecticut. A metric century plus that will start and return to the New Haven railroad station. We’ll pass through Middletown, Chatfield Hollow and other scenic areas. These inland roads remind me of I. G. Willets on Long Island. We may stop for a local pizza or something along the way but please be sure to bring pocket food and plenty of water. Don’t forget your MTA rail pass. Round Trip ticket for New Haven costs $28. Fast pace (17-20mph). Nasty weather cancels. Co-listed with NYCC. Leaders: Jonathan Friedman and others.

Sunday, September 11th

THE GREAT SWAMP
8:30AM, World Trade Center PATH station, 45-50 miles

If you ain't doing the TA Century, here's a nifty excuse to escape the crowds. The Swamp has long been a mecca for cyclists, and was an early environmental victory when it escaped plans to build a local airport in the 1950's. We'll take the PATH train to Newark, then take a 4-county route to visit either the Somerset Environmental Center or the Raptor Trust, a hospital for injured birds of prey, and home to our feathered friend, the Harris Hawk. Bring $3.00 for train fare plus lunch money and bike lock. Heavy rain cancels. Moderate pace, very hilly. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner and others.

Friday, September 16th

ROSENWACH WOODEN TANK FACTORY TOUR
10:30AM, Prospect Park, Grand Army Plaza, 15 miles

Ellis Island? Closed! Nickel Hot Dogs? Bit the dust! Block Ice? Now frost free! Is there any hope for humanity. Yes there is, and the proof is towering right above you. Look Up! What comes to your eyes? (No, not the pigeon $#?X0) It’s a Rosenwach Water Tank! And, (knock on wood, these icons will be around even longer than the dust on the walls of McSorely’s Old Alehouse. Join us on this Friday tour as Ken the foreman of Rosenwach reveals the secrets of building a quality Made In Brooklyn water tank. Bring a lock and money for lunch at a local ethnic restaurant. Pace: Leisurely. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Dennis Griffin. If it rains the ride is still on and we will hop on a train.

Saturday, September 17th

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
9:30AM, White Plains Road & Pelham Parkway, 45 miles

The Temperature Regulators are back! Meet Jesse up in the Bronx and take a fast paced spin out to Rye, NY and Byram, CT. There might even be a stop for a bite at the Austrian pastry place. Min pace 15mph. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. To get to the start by subway take the #2 to Pelham Parkway. Leaders: Jesse Brown and others.

THE LITTLE RED LIGHTHOUSE
10AM, South Ferry, 24 miles

The Little Red Light House stoped being used as a functioning light house long ago. Located under the George Washington bridge, along a treacherous section of the Hudson river once known as Jefferies Hook. This is one of the few suriving light houses in New York City. It was saved from possible demolition in 1951 by letters to the city from young New Yorkers and children all around the world who loved the bedtime story “The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge.” We will stop at Dinosaur Bar-B-Q for lunch on the way back. Mostly flat with a few short hills. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. Leaders: Jim Mallard and others.

Sunday, September 18th

BROOKLYN PERIMETER, RECONSIDERED
8:30AM, City Hall, 45 miles

When we last rode the Brooklyn Perimter (July) it was raining in Manhattan. Brooklyn was damp but many riders stayed away. They missed a new route (prompted by the rain) which we will expand upon in this encore presentation. Variety makes the trip more enjoyable. Lunch at a great diner in the Marine Park section. Brisk pace (15+mph). Terrain is almost but not entirely flat. Bring a lock, $ for lunch, and a spare tube. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Ed DeFreitas.

Saturday, September 24th

CROTON AQUEDUCT OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE
9AM, Van Cortlandt Park (West 242nd & Broadway), 35 off-road miles

The year was 1835, and New York City was dealing with a few nasty quality-of-life problems, like cholera and a disastrous fire that had just burned down seventeen square blocks of the City's best real estate. In response, the City built a reservoir in Westchester and a 35-mile long water tunnel to bring the water to Manhattan. Above that tunnel we now have the Old Croton Aqueduct trail - a scenic off-road path that goes through Westchester County parks, towns, and back yards. Extra treat: We'll also visit the inside of the water tunnel, thanks to a special tour in Ossining. Hybrid or mountain bike required. Bring Metro-North permit and $7 fare. No previous off-road experience needed. 35 miles, mostly off-road, mostly level with a few steep hills. Leaders: Ed Ravin (eravin@panix.com) and Jim Mallard.

Sunday, September 25th

ROCKAWAY GATEWAY GREENWAY EXTENDED EDITION
8:30AM, Boro Hall (Brooklyn), 45 miles

Last time we attempted this ride it was much too short, so we’ll make the same loop around Jamaica Bay with the lunch stop on Broad Channel Island, but we’ll take in Breezy Point before returning to Brooklyn. Fast paced and windy. Flat terrain aside from the bridges. Bring a spare tube and pump. Bring or buy lunch. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and others.

Saturday, October 1st

BIG ART, BIG HILLS
7:30AM, Grand Central Terminal, 35-40 hilly miles

Join us for a nice but hilly ride to the beautiful Storm King Arts Center (www.stormking.org) , an outdoor museum featuring sculptures by Calder and others, on acres of parkland overlooking the Hudson River. Bring your MTA rail pass, money for train ($20 round trip), museum ($10) and lunch, and a lock. Hilly terrain; pace 12-14mph. If the weather is threatening call Stephen at (917) 301-0707 the morning of the ride. Leaders Stephen Jackel and Susan Levine.

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: CLOSTER LANDING LOOP
8:30AM sharp, GW Bridge Bus Term, W178th & Ft Washington Ave 20 mile ride, 5 mile hike

We ride on "River Road" to Kearney House at Alpine Marina, then we hike with a 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. Click here for hike details. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, bag lunch, and water. Moderate pace. Hike, slow. Terrain: Moderately hilly. Leaders: Jim Zisfein and others.

Sunday, October 2nd

CRANBERRY LAKE AND BRONX RIVER PARKWAY (Bike-Hike)
9AM, Woodlawn (Jerome and Bainbridge Aves, last stop on the #4), 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 usual Bicycle Sunday closings as well as neighboring bike paths, the ride is 46% car free. All paths are paved paths, suitable for road bikes. Bring appropriate walking footwear. Terrain: rolling with a few steep hills. Leaders: Ed Ravin and Sharon Behnke.

Saturday, October 8th

EASTERN CONNECTICUT CRITERIUM (QUICK SPIN)
6:40AM, Grand Central Terminal (7AM train), 80 miles 9AM meet at New Haven Metro North Station
CANCELLED due to weather

This is an even longer distance scenic and hilly ride through rustic and rural Connecticut. We will start and return to the New Haven railroad station. We’ll pass through Middletown, Chatfield Hollow and Old Lyme. These inland roads remind me of I. G. Willets on Long Island. We may stop for a local pizza or something along the way but please be sure to bring pocket food and plenty of water. Don’t forget your MTA rail pass. Round Trip ticket for New Haven costs $28. Fast pace (17-20mph). Nasty weather cancels. Co-listed with NYCC. Leaders: Jonathan Friedman and others.

Sunday, October 9th

OFF-ROAD VISTAS: RIDE TO KENSICO DAM
10AM, E241st St & White Plains Rd (last stop on #2), 35 miles

An “Off-Road Vista” bike journey for a regular bike. In the depths of the Great Depression, the government did a lot of projects to “make work”. This one is a jewel. Flowing water, small dams and bridges, ducks, geese and swans make a most pleasant rolling ride. We’ll follow the Bronx River Parkway bike path up to the dam and back. 35 miles paved path with some riding in traffic as well. Hilly in places. Bring lunch and your Metro North bike pass just in case. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Monday, October 10th (Columbus Day)

BATAMPTE FACTORY VISIT
9:45AM, City Hall, 20 miles

Why didn’t Columbus ever touch the US mainland? Why bother if there is no Batampte Pickle Factory? Now over 500 years later Columbus’ dream has been realized. It just goes to show, that making a good garlic dill can take centuries and who knows better than Batampte how to make pickles?. We’ll visit this family owned business and find out what Chris missed. Bring lock, money for lunch at a local restaurant, and a pannier or bag to hold a jar of pickles if you wish. Pace: Leisurely. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Jim Mallard. Rain at start time cancels.

Saturday, October 15th

OY OY OYSTERS!
9AM, Cunningham Park, 50 miles

They may be slimy, but they sure taste good, whether baked, deep fried, chowdered or lemoned with sauce. So do their cousin shrimpies, scungillis, clams, and other nautical delicacies. Long Island's Oyster Bay Oyster festival celebrates its 22nd anniversary, and what's a better way to cook up an appetite than by cycling to this North Shore enclave. Crafts, kiddie rides, entertainment, tall ships, and maybe a turkey leg or two are also on hand (see http://www.theoysterfestival.org for updates). Free admission, but bring cash for goodies plus bike lock. Moderate pace, with the usual L.I. hills. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner, Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: BOMBAY HOOK
8:30AM sharp, GW Bridge Bus Term (W 178th & Ft Washington Ave) 20 mile ride, 8 mile hike

We ride on "River Road" to Kearney House at Alpine Marina, then we hike with a park historian. This 8-mile "history hike" will bring us to some of the most impressive scenery in the park. Click here for hike details. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, bag lunch, and water. Pace: ride, moderate; hike, slow. Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Dennis Griffin.

Sunday, October 16th

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
9:30AM, White Plains Road & Pelham Parkway, 45 miles

CANCELLED. Consider the MS Bike Tour instead.
Temperature Regulators continue their all-seasonal fun rides northeast of the city. Meet Jesse up in the Bronx and take a fast paced spin out to Rye, NY and Byram, CT. There might even be a stop for a bite at the Austrian pastry place. Min pace 15mph. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. To get to the start by subway take the #2 to Pelham Parkway. Leaders: Jesse Brown and others.

Saturday, October 22nd

IF YOU SEE A FORK IN THE ROAD, PICK IT UP!
9:30AM, AYH, 35 miles... or is it 50?

Was it 35 miles.. or was it 50? We STILL haven't figured out the exact mileage to the Yogi Berra Learning Museum, in nearby Montclair NJ, because the last 2 times we tried, we got rained out. Will this be strike 3? Well, it sure looks nearby on the map, so we'll reset the odometers and navigate our way to see some nifty baseball memorabilia, courtesy of retired Number 8, NY Yankees. See www.yogiberramuseum.org for program updates. Just remember: this ride ain't over til it's over, right Lawrence Peter? Bring $6 for museum admission, World Series predictions, bike locks and lunch dough. Moderate pace with lots of hills. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner, Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

SPINNING UP THE HILLS
8:25AM, Grand Central Terminal, 45 miles
9:45AM at Croton-Harmon station

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 and note that there's about a mile of riding on a hard-packed dirt road. If the weather makes the ride questionable, call Brian at (917) 868-0013. Terrain: hills, hills, and more hills. Approx end time 6PM (Croton) or 7PM (GCT). Leaders: Brian Hoberman and Alfredo Garcia.

Sunday, October 23rd

HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM
10AM, Plaza Hotel, 30 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, an ecological display of the entire Hudson River and lunch with a view of the Palisades. If you didn't love Our river before....well. 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 museum as well. Visit www.hrm.org. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, October 29th

FALLING FOR PLANTING FIELDS
8AM, Bridgemarket (1st Ave & E 60th, Manhattan), 58 miles
9:45AM, Cunningham Park, 45 miles

Join us for a ride to Planting Fields, one of the few remaining Gold Coast estates on Long Island’s North Shore that retains its original 400+ acreage as well as its historic buildings and landscape. We'll spend some time on its rolling lawns and formal gardens, all the while enjoying them at what we hope is the peak of the fall foliage season. And with Halloween in just a couple of days, perhaps there will be some spooky fun to be had while we're there! Free entry to the grounds, but bring a lock and $ for optional visit to its two greenhouses. More info at www.plantingfields.org. If the weather makes the ride questionable, call Brian at (917) 868-0013. Terrain: rolling hills. Ride will end at Cunningham Park approx 6PM (No group return to Manhattan). Leaders: Brian Hoberman and Stephen Jackel.

BEAR MOUNTAIN METRIC CENTURY: THE SIX COUNTY RIDE
8AM, Plaza Hotel, 65 miles

The last day of Daylight Savings is a perfect time for a Fall reprise of the popular Summer ride. After biking along the western shore of the Hudson, challenge yourself by riding up Perkins Drive to the summit (about 1300 feet above sea level). The view is worth it! Return to NYC on Metro North from the Garrison Station. Bring a MTA rail pass and $10 train fare. Terrain: HILLY with some VERY STEEP climbs. Leaders: Ira Najowitz and Jim Zisfein.

Sunday, October 30th (Standard Time Begins)

CEMETERY RIDE SPECIAL EDITION
9AM, Bridgemarket (1st Ave & East 60th St), 40-45 miles

Just thinking about this ride gives me chills. There is a belt of greenery in southern Queens that is populated by quiet parklands and the dead. Let’s take a spin around that quiet part of town. A new, longer route will include more cemeteries and quiet neighborhoods. (It’s still fall foliage time in the city.) Moderate pace. Bring a lock and $ for lunch at a diner. Terrain: some rolling hills. Leaders: Danny Lieberman, John Chiarella and Ed DeFreitas.

Sunday, November 6th

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: GREENBROOK SANCTUARY
9AM, GW Bridge Bus Term, W178th St & Ft Washington Ave 15 mile ride, 3 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. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, water, and $ for lunch at the nearby Royal Cliffs Diner. Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Marina Bekkerman.

QUADRUPLE BYPASS
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

If you wanted to do hills but, not leave the East River... Ah, of course! First ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. Then, the Manhattan Bridge. Go through the Lower East Side. No Katz's please! Okay, maybe a pickle. Now, the Williamsburg Bridge with those @#$%^&* bumps. There outta be law! Okay, now north along Bedford. STAY AWAY FROM THE RESTAURANTS!! Later! We'll eat later. Hop over the Newtown Creek. That's Newtown not newton. Stop thinking cookies. In L.I.C., maybe a museum. Not sure if bike friendly. I'm working on it, relax. Okey, maybe an island hop. Now that you've rested, the QB looms on the horizon. So, up we go. We'll follow the East river south to a bike friendly pizza place. Yeah, yeah, esse kinder. But, I’m not buying! Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.