These were rides in January-February 2006. Click here for current rides.

November 5, 2005: Beneath the parabolic arches of the Bayonne Bridge. Bridges of New York. Photo by Jim Zisfein.

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

Indicates relaxed pace, easy ride

For more information, please see:

• Ride locations - where do we meet?
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• Rides archive - what we did last month, and last year

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Sunday, January 1st

FROSTBITE RIDE # 5: NEW YEARS AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS
10AM, Plaza Hotel, 25 miles

Elly Spangenberg's perennial ride. Smell fresh roses at one of the foremost American public gardens. Take a look at the Holiday Train Show. Go to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory for "A World of Plants" in a warm environment. See www.nybg.org for internet info. Bring a digital camera, lock, $ for lunch and $13 admission. Leaders Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, January 7th

FREEZER JAM # 2: RED HOOK
10AM, Bridgemarket, 20 miles

Staying with the industrial post-modern theme, we’ll ride through more of the chic Brooklyn neighborhoods to wonderful Red Hook, with harbor views, neighborhood gardens and magnificent deserted warehouses. Bring a lock, $ for lunch and a smile. Easy paced and flat terrain. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Mark Trainor.

Sunday, January 8th

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
10AM, Pelham Parkway & White Plains Road (SW corner), 40+ miles

To Byram, Conn, via Rye, NY. Note the Quick Spin pace means group expects to ride at 15mph, min. You’ve got your love of cycling to keep you warm. Come join your friends and discover some new and special places to ride. No point, drop, or sweep on these faster rides. Cue sheets for all and for all a good night. Dress appropriately and bring a lock. There will be an indoor lunch stop. Starting point is at the #2 train to Pelham Parkway ( and White Plains Road). Leaders: Jesse Brown and friends.

FROSTBITE RIDE # 6: RIDE TO GARIBALDI & ALICE AUSTEN
9:45AM, City Hall, 20 miles
10:15, South Ferry or 11AM, St George

Get transported again by the Staten Island Ferry for scenic riding. You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant - oops, wrong song, it’s Cargo’s. Visit the home of famed photographer Alice Austen, with gleaming views of New York Bay. She won’t be home, but appreciates you coming. Check the trip-related web site at http://www.aliceausten.org/ Dont’ worry about Giuseppe Garibaldi, baby. Bring $ for lunch, a lock and a digital camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Sunday, January 15th

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
10AM, Pelham Parkway & White Plains Road (SW corner), 40+ miles

To Byram, Conn, via Rye, NY. Note the Quick Spin pace means group expects to ride at 15mph, min. You’ve got your love of cycling to keep you warm. Come join your friends and discover some new and special places to ride. No point, drop, or sweep on these faster rides. Cue sheets for all and for all a good night. Dress appropriately and bring a lock. There will be an indoor lunch stop. Starting point is at the #2 train to Pelham Parkway ( and White Plains Road). Leaders: Jesse Brown and friends.

FROSTBITE RIDE # 7: UNCLE GEORGE’S
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

Oceanography, what ? Ride into the borough that brought the likes of Phil Goldberg, Brian Hoberman, Ira Najowitz, Manny Sanudo and David Seto. Feast on Greek Cuisine. Who knows, we might even run into Queen’s own Steve “Wildman” Brill (see http://www.econetwork.net/~wildmansteve/ ) and eat something else. Possible excursions to Museum of the Moving Image, Socrates Sculpture Park, and other waterfront delights. Bring a lock, $ for lunch, and a disposable camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Monday, January 16th

AROUND THE WORLD TO FILLMORE’S
10AM, AYH, 30 miles

Join Ed & Liz on our Ride to Fillmore’s for lunch. This will be an easy, flat ride of 30 miles through the borough of Queens. We will circle the globe and eat in a pub like atmosphere. Join us on this warm winter journey for a trip around the world and a great lunch. Bring $10-15 for a real lunch and bring a lock. The restaurant is bike friendly, and has a good attitude. Leaders: Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

Saturday, January 21st

CANTIAGUE CRUISE
9:30AM, Cunningham Park, 35 miles

The depths of winter are a perfect time to bike through central Nassau County to Cantiague Park in Hicksville, and then to a warm destination - a diner! After fortifying ourselves we’ll return to the colder climes of Queens. Moderate pace, mostly flat terrain. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. NOTE: Temperature below 32 degrees one hour before the start or any ice or snow on the road, cancels. Leaders: Ira Najowitz and Bob Castro

EVOLUTION OF SOUND RIDE
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

Music boxes, gramophones, steel records, clay cylinders, a nickelodeon, and they all work! Where? At the Enrico Caruso museum of America in Brooklyn. Aldo (who promises to be there this time) does a demonstration of sound devices from the 1850s to the early 1900’s that will make you wish you can on your high-wheeler. We’ll also get a down home introduction to Enrico Caruso. Then, it’s off to a local ethnic restaurant. Bring $8 museum admission, lock, and $ for lunch. Leisurely paced. Snow, rain, or ice at start cancels. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Susan Rodetis.

Sunday, January 22nd

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
10AM, Pelham Parkway & White Plains Road (SW corner), 40+ miles

To Byram, Conn, via Rye, NY. Note the Quick Spin pace means group expects to ride at 15mph, min. You’ve got your love of cycling to keep you warm. Come join your friends and discover some new and special places to ride. No point, drop, or sweep on these faster rides. Cue sheets for all and for all a good night. Dress appropriately and bring a lock. There will be an indoor lunch stop. Starting point is at the #2 train to Pelham Parkway ( and White Plains Road). Leaders: Jesse Brown and friends.

FROSTBITE RIDE # 8: UNDER AND OVER THE HUDSON
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

We go to the World Trade Center PATH and take it to Hoboken. From there we go straight north along the Hudson to the George Washington Bridge and across to Manhattan. We pass Seinfield’s old haunt in favor of Italian, Indian, or eastern european cuisine. After refueling we follow the Hudson back to City Hall. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, January 28th

QUEENS QUICK SPIN
9AM, Kew Gardens, 25 miles

Dress warmly in layers and use thermal gloves and ear coverings for the day. We’ll stick to a Queens Ride and an indoor lunch (bikes are welcome!) in Forest Hills. A pace of 15+mph will chase away the cold. NOTE: snow, ice on the ground, or temperatures below 20 degrees will cancel. Leaders: Dennis Griffin and others.

THROWING POTS RIDE
9:30AM, Plaza Hotel, 20 miles

Does life have you spinning your wheels and throwing pots? Madam Claire’s been doing both successfully for years. We’ll visit her Brooklyn studio and learn how professional potters throw pots and turn clay into functional and beautiful porcelain. Then, it’s off to a local ethnic restaurant where you can get a crock of whatever your heart desires. Bring a lock and $10-15 lunch money. Leisurely paced. Snow, rain, or ice at start cancels. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Jim Mallard.

Sunday, January 29th

TEMPERATURE REGULATORS (Quick Spin)
10AM, Pelham Parkway & White Plains Road (SW corner), 40+ miles

To Byram, Conn, via Rye, NY. Note the Quick Spin pace means group expects to ride at 15mph, min. You’ve got your love of cycling to keep you warm. Come join your friends and discover some new and special places to ride. No point, drop, or sweep on these faster rides. Cue sheets for all and for all a good night. Dress appropriately and bring a lock. There will be an indoor lunch stop. Starting point is at the #2 train to Pelham Parkway ( and White Plains Road). Leaders: Jesse Brown and friends.

FROSTBITE RIDE # 9: SHEEPSHEAD BAY AND BEYOND
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

Yet another excursion into the Borough of Churches. We’ll check out the Shore Parkway Greenway, a path frequented on Bicycle Beach Bum rides, with a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean. You can look but you better not bike over the pedestrian bridge in the area. See www.transalt.org/bridges/sheep.html to know why. Bring a lock, $ for lunch, and a digital camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, February 4th

4TH ANNUAL HOT CHOCOLATE RIDE
10AM, City Hall, 25 miles

This is the hottest ride of the winter and it’s really cold outside! Seriously, I’ve been researching where to get the tastiest hot chocolate beverages in town and this ride is the result. Join us in the quest for these fine concoctions around Manhattan. Please bring a camera, lock and $$$ for all the sweet goodies along the way. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Beth Katz.

Sunday, February 5th

FROSTBITE RIDE # 10: RIDE TO GARIBALDI & ALICE AUSTEN
9:45AM, City Hall, 20 miles
10:15AM, South Ferry or 11AM, St George

Get transported again by the Staten Island Ferry for scenic riding. You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant - oops, wrong song, it’s Cargo’s. Visit the home of famed photographer Alice Austen, with gleaming views of New York Bay. She won’t be home, but appreciates you coming. Check the trip-related web site at http://www.aliceausten.org/ Dont’ worry about Giuseppe Garibaldi, baby. Bring $ for lunch, a lock and a digital camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, February 11th

MERCHANT MARINE CONVOY
10AM, Cunningham Park, 35 moderately hilly miles

Warm up those dormant cycling muscles on a leisurely ride to the US Merchant Marine Academy (http://www.usmma.edu) overlooking Long Island Sound. We’ll bike through some scenic residential areas, enjoy an indoor lunch in Great Neck, and then proceed to the academy. On the way back there will be nice views of Little Neck Bay from Douglas Manor and the Joe Michaels’ Mile Bike Path. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. NOTE: temperature below 32 degrees one hour before the start or ANY ice or snow on the road cancels. Leaders: Ira Najowitz and John Chiarella

STATE LINE LOOKOUT
10AM, George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal (Ft Washington Ave & West 178th St) , 25 miles

State Line Lookout Inn (http://njpalisades.org/overlooks.htm#state) is a miniature Ski Chalet built in 1937 by the WPA. Situated on the NJ/NY state line at the highest point on the Palisades cliffs (532 ft) it offers magnificent views across the Hudson and is a perfect place to enjoy lunch and a hot drink on a winter’s day. Options include hiking on trails around the inn (weather permitting) and a return ride on scenic but hilly “River Road”. Bring a bike lock and $ for lunch. Moderate Pace (12-15mph). Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Lee Ann Van Wyck.

Sunday, February 12th

QUEENS QUICK SPIN
9AM, Kew Gardens, 25 miles

Dress warmly in layers and use thermal gloves and ear coverings for the day. We’ll stick to a Queens Ride and an indoor lunch (bikes are welcome!) in Forest Hills. A pace of 15+mph will chase away the cold. NOTE: snow, ice on the ground, or temperatures below 20 degrees will cancel. Leaders: Dennis Griffin and others.

FROSTBITE RIDE # 11: CONEY ISLAND DREAMING ON SUCH A WINTER’S DAY
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

To the borough of churches we will go. Ride to the serene waterfronts of the Verrazano and Coney Island. Have lunch at Totonno’s, renowned for their prized pizza. Check out http://id.essortment.com/historyofpizza_rgmf.htm for interesting and mouth-watering facts about our this favorite big apple food. For instance, pizza was first developed by the ancient Greeks and we now consume nearly 4 acres of it a day. Get that mozzarella! Bring a lock, $ for pizza, and a film camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Saturday, February 18th

AROUND THE WORLD TO FILLMORE’S
10AM, AYH, 30 miles

Join Ed & Liz on our Ride to Fillmore’s for lunch. This will be an easy, flat ride of 30 miles through the borough of Queens. We will circle the globe and eat in a pub like atmosphere. Join us on this warm winter journey for a trip around the world and a great lunch. Bring $10-15 for a real lunch and bring a lock. The restaurant is bike friendly, and has a good attitude. Leaders: Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

Sunday, February 19th

FROSTBITE RIDE # 12: QUADRUPLE BYPASS
10AM, City Hall, 20 miles

If you wanted to do some hills today but not leave the East River. Of course, first cross the Brooklyn Bridge, then the Manhattan Bridge. We go through the Lower East Side, but no stops at Katz’s Deli. Then cross the Williamsburg Bridge (those hideous bumps are gone!) and then north along Bedford. Stay away from the restaurants, we’ll eat later. Hop over Newtown Creek and maybe a museum stop in LIC or maybe an island hop. Now that you’ve rested the Queensborough looms on the horizon, so up we go. We’ll follow the East River south again back to that bike friendly pizzeria. Yeah, but I’m not buying! Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Monday, February 20th (President’s Day)

FREEZER JAM # 3 : MIDDLE VILLAGE
10AM, Bridgemarket, 25 miles

One last Freezer Jam! We’ll take a turn with a more pastoral ride through Queens neighborhoods. We’ll see some of the post-industrial sections such as Maspeth and Ridgewood and more pleasant riding in Middle Village and Glendale. Lunch at a Chinese establishment in Flushing. Bring a lock, $ for lunch, and a smile. Leaders: Danny Lieberman and Mark Trainor.

Saturday, February 25th

MONTAUK CENTURY TRAINING RIDE # 0: WAVE HILL
10AM, Columbus Circle, 25 miles

Start the new training season off right! This training series “prologue” is optional but sure to please. The ride to Riverdale is a relatively easy one because the hills are few and the bike paths are beckoning. We will see a couple of hills since it’s Riverdale, and we will pass by Wave Hill Park. Planned lunch stop is at the Riverdale Diner. Please remember to bring a lock, water bottles, spare tube and pump, and always dress right for the weather. If you enjoy this ride you can look forward to the rest of the club’s spring series that will end up with the 90 mile ride to Eaton’s Neck in mid-May. The usual wet and nasty weather conditions will cancel, as well as temperatures below 30 at start time or heavy winds. Check the 5bbc message board for last minute updates if the forecast is in doubt. Ride leaders will be announced in the March-April issue of the Bicycletter.

Sunday, February 26th

FROSTBITE RIDE # 13: WORLD’S GREATEST PANCAKES
9:45AM, City Hall, 30 miles

10:15, South Ferry or 11AM, St George Once again we close our frosty wintry series with an encore trip to the Broadway Diner in Bayonne, the legendary home of the “World’s Greatest Pancakes”. Magnificent views of the harbor from the Bayonne Bridge and Liberty State Park frame this trip around the harbor. We go further to Liberty State Park where Ed will give a tribute to the Liberation monument. Transportation details can be found at siferry.com, nywaterway.com and Liberty Park info is at libertystatepark.com. Final return to Manhattan via PATH train or Waterway ferryboat. Dress warmly, bring a lock, $ for the pancakes and your choice of camera. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.