Five Borough Bicycle Club

August 17, 2006: The joy of bicycling on the Westchester County Trailways. You can now go most of the way from Bronx to Carmel on paths that are paved, level, and car-free. Hooray! Photo by John Chiarella.

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. For only $20 per year, enjoy the benefits of membership in New York's friendliest bike club.

Get the 5BBC Weekly Update! All members are eligible to receive this weekly newsletter that summarizes the upcoming weekend's 5BBC rides and other Club-related or bicycling events. If you are a Club member and would like to subscribe, drop a note to communications@5bbc.org.

CANCELLED : NEW YORK CITY TO NEW HAVEN CENTURY QUICK SPIN
7:15AM, Eleanor Roosevelt Statue (West 72nd & Riverside Dr), 100+ miles

This hilly ride takes a straight shot up NY-22 to Brewster and then cuts east on US-6 to Danbury and CT-34. Some portions on very heavily trafficked roads. Remember to ride single-file on road shoulders. Fast “A” pace (18-20mph). Bring MTA bike pass, plenty of water, $$ for return train ticket and pocket food. Terrain is very hilly. We will return to NYC by MetroNorth from New Haven. Suggestion: buy return ticket in advance! Leaders: Jonathan Friedman and Dennis Griffin. Co-listed with NYCC.

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 Jeffries 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.” Bring a camera, lock and $$ for lunch at Dinosaur Barbeque. Flat terrain. Leaders Jim Mallard and Josh Gosciak.

An "Off Road Vista" bike journey for a regular bikes. 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. Please bring your MTA bike pass, just in case. Varied terrain. Pace will be 10-15mph. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and others.

Enjoy the views of the Narrows and Lower NY Bay with a tour of historic Fort Wadsworth, Miller Field and the natural habitats of the Great Kills National Park. We’ll time our return by baywatching on the late afternoon ferry. Bring a snack and a lock. Leaders Terry Chin and Ed DeFreitas.

It can be uplifting to know that someone below will always be with us. Join us on our ride to Brooklyn where we learn from local craftsmen the art of engraving loved ones' pictures into marble gravestones. Bring lock and money for a restful lunch at a local ethnic restaurant. Rain at start cancels. Leaders:Richard Sanford, Maria Cummings and Jim Mallard.

An organized century ride is scheduled for tomorrow (TA’s NYC Century) so let’s get a few easy miles up to Nyack and the Runcible, today. We can add in a few extra hills or a few extra miles, if people feel like it, or just go straight up 501 or 9W. Bring hydration and lunch money. Quick Spin pace. Leaders Jonathan Friedman and others.

If you ain't doing the TA Century today, this respite into suburbia is a keeper. Deep in the heart of Joisey lies an environmental treasure that has become a mecca for cyclists, hikers, and bird watchers. The Swamp nearly fell victim to plans for a local airport in the late 1950's but is now a National Wildlife refuge. We'll hop on the PATH train to Newark, then pedal to the Somerset County Environmental Center via a 4-county route, passing at least 10 different municipalities. Who says taxes out here are high. Bring $3.00 for PATH fare plus lunch money. Moderate pace, flat to rolling with some very steep hills. Leaders: Ted M. Kushner and others

PIZZA TOWN AND SADDLE RIVER TRAILS, Quick Spin
9:30AM, AYH, 60 miles, some hills

Tomorrow is the Golden Apple Century, so today we'll take it easy. We'll stop for Bagels in Ft Lee, for Pizza at Pizza Town & then head up to Ridgewood on the bike trails. Pace 16-18 mph with stops. Bring $$ for lunch and snacks. Terrain: some climbs but mostly flat. Leaders Jonathan Friedman and others.

WESTCHESTER BIKE/HIKE: BRONX RIVER PARKWAY & CRANBERRY LAKE
9AM, Van Cortlandt Park (Broadway & W 242nd St), 42 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. Since we'll be using the Bronx River Parkway during the Bicycle Sunday closings, as well as neighboring bike paths, the ride is 44% car free. All paths are paved and suitable for road bikes. Bring sandals or sneakers for the hike, a lightweight lock, bring or buy lunch. Rolling terrain with a few steep hills. Leaders Ed Ravin and Natalia Lincoln.

The Bronx has an abundance of fine greenways and also many places for exotic eats. Experience these and much more on this new ride through many Bronx neighborhoods. We will pick up Bureks, an Albanian pizza-like delicacy, or other ethnic cuisine on our way to the Bartow-Pell Mansion in Pelham Bay Park. Plenty of greenway riding and some hilly, urban terrain. Moderate Pace. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. Leaders Josh Gosciak and Alfredo Garcia.

A good time to visit the Gold Coast country of northern LI. We'll head to Oyster Bay via Syosset before heading over to Bayville,Lattington & Old Westbury. This quick spin will require only a 15 mph average speed,water bottle,spare tube, pump and a smile. Lunch will be ordered at the start of the ride to prevent wait time in Oyster Bay. Leaders: Dennis Griffin and others.

Avast, ye maties! We’ll be sailing with the fall trade winds, climbing hills and cliffs through three states! If you’re a pirate and want to plunder those lottery tickets, you’ll have to be fast enough! Figure 18-20 mph through the day. Don’t forget to bring water, snacks, and some $ for the precious tickets! Leaders Jesse Brown and Rodney Millard.

BRONX PERIMETER RAIN DATE RIDE
9AM, Yankee Stadium (River Ave & E161st St), 35 miles

The Bronx Perimeter ride that was held in June was a partial washout, so they gave us a rain check when we left the stadium. We’ll going back for a fall classic tour of our mainland borough that starts and ends at the big ballpark, Yankee Stadium. We’ll conquer the wilds of Riverdale, touch on Westchester, pass by Coop City and Fort Schuyler and the isle of the unclaimed dead. Come circumcycle the Bronx, and if you've done the other 4 borough perimeters this year, you've earned your series patch! Some hills. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and Lee Ann Van Wyck.

Pleasant riding through Queens and nearby Nassau county to one of the Island’s oldest state parks. We will pick up lunch at Guido’s, an Italian deli with food and much more worth seeing. Still hungry? Well, on our return we will take a break at Nice Ices. Bring $ for lunch and of course an appetite worthy of these ices. Moderate pace and flat terrain. Leaders Martial Henrys and others.

WE LAUGH AT HILLS: BIKE TO ART, REDUX
7:30AM, Grand Central, 30 very hilly miles

Enjoy a 30-mile ride through the hills of the Hudson Valley and then tour the Dia: Beacon Museum. The 300,000 square-foot former factory displays art from the 1960's to the present, including works by Richard Serra, Andy Warhol and Don Flavin. Bring a lock and money for Metro North & the museum ($27 total), your MTA train pass and lunch (or $ for it). Note that a few miles are on a dirt road, but road bikes are fine. Leaders Stephen Jackel and Brian Hoberman

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: PEANUT LEAP CASCADE
9AM, GWB Bus Terminal, Ft Washington Ave & W 178th St, 20 mile ride, 4 mile hike

We’re going again on one of my favorite hikes, and this time a Palisades Interstate Park historical interpreter will walk with us and educate us on the history of the area. The hike starts from State Line Lookout, the highest point on New Jersey’s Palisades Clifffs, and meanders down, past a waterfall to the ruins of a 19th-century estate (njpalisades.org/slo-hike.htm#Peanut) at the water’s edge. The ride from NYC to the hike point is short and fairly easy, but the hike itself is strenuous: it involves climbing down, then up, the equivalent of a 50 story building. Bring a bike lock, comfy shoes for walking, backpack or other method of carrying water and snacks on the hike, and bag lunch or $ for it. Leaders Jim Zisfein and Lee Ann Van Wyck.

See September 24th for complete description. Approxomately 18-20mph. Very hilly. Bring water, snacks and a few $ for the lottery tickets. Leaders Jesse Brown and Rodney Millard.

A pre-Yom Kippur ride that will cross the Willy-B into Hassidic Williamsburgh and continue through Brooklyn to a little-known but beautifully conceived holocaust memorial. We may take a moment to toss our sins into the Atlantic before heading to lunch at Totonno’s Pizzeria. Flat terrain with a brisk pace out and a more leisurely return. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. Co-listed with Hazon (www.hazon.org). Leaders Josh Gosciak and Susan Levine.

LAMONT-DOHERTY EARTH OBSERVATORY OPEN HOUSE
10AM, GWB Bus Station, 23 miles (some hills)

Join us for this annual Columbia University event (www.ldeo.columbia.edu), between the New Jersey-New York State border. Attend various exhibits, demonstrations and lectures about the earth sciences. Bring a lock and lunch (some food will be served at the institute). Possible sidetrip afterwards to nearby Stateline Lookout Park (njpalisades.org/overlooks.htm#State) for spacious views. Co-listed with NYCC. Leaders: Stephen Jackel and Alfredo Garcia.

Wave Hill, the gardens and estate in the Northwest Bronx is one of many featured sites in the 4th Annual Open House New York (www.ohny.org). We will also visit the Highbridge Water Tower, built in 1872. Other sites may include historic houses and other surprises in the Bronx and upper Manhattan. Be sure to bring a lock, bag lunch or $ for it. Moderate pace. Terrain is level to moderately hilly. Leaders Jim Zisfein and Ed Ravin.

The Open House New York visits continue for a second day as we check out a few more unusual and rarely seen places in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Perhaps we will visit a rarely seen graveyard, a power plant some former military locations. The final list won’t be available until closer to ride date (don’t you love surprises?). Moderate pace, mostly flat riding. Bring a lock, hydration, bag lunch or but it along the way. Leaders Danny Lieberman and Maria Cummings.

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, but 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 your MTA 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.

We visited the 5 towns on July 4th and it was so much fun I had to do it again for the fall foliage. New starting point in lower Manhattan takes us over the Willy-B to sprint out to southern Queens. Lunch in downtown Cedarhurst. Bring a lock, $ for lunch and hydration. Leaders Danny Lieberman and Maria Cummings.

Ahoy there mateys! Before ye swab the decks, unfurl those sails for our fall foliage visit to Oyster Bay's yearly classic Oyster Festival. Not only do they look slimy, but they also sure taste good. So do their cousin shrimps, clammies, steamers, and other nautical delicacies, plus the best chowder this side of Cape Horn, music, crafts, souvenirs, tall ships and maybe a turkey leg or two. What's a better way to work up an appetite than by cycling to this North Shore enclave. Free admission, but bring pieces of eight for goodies, bike locks, that wooden pegleg, and a hearty appetite. Moderate pace with the usual Long Island hills. Leaders: Captain Kushner, Lt. Pino, Master at Arms Baum, and maybe a Bike 21.

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 the Blue Pig near the end. N.B.: Triples are recommended, bring a MTA bike permit and be aware that there's a mile or two of riding on a hard-packed dirt road. Terrain: hills, hills, and more hills. Expect to finish by 5PM and return to Grand Central by 6PM. Leaders Brian Hoberman and Jim Zisfein.

We will join with the UN Bicycle Club for this ride to the Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY. Scenic and quiet riding around the reservoirs, state parks and lakes of upper Westchester. We will have lunch at the monastery. Remember to bring your MTA bicycle permit, water and snacks. Leaders Josh Gosciak and Susan Rodetis.

These birds really know how to earn their frequent flier miles! Witness New York City homing pigeons as they clock in from Ohio on a high energy and high stakes race where fowl play is definitely out. You'll get an earful (hopefully not an eyeful) from the guys and gals in Maspeth, Queens who really know their birds. Bring lock, and money for lunch at a local Maspeth Pizzeria. Have night lights for the ride home! Rain at start cancels. Leaders: Richard Sanford and Phil Goldberg.

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. Free entry to the grounds. Bring a lock. Lunch will be carried a few miles to PF if the weather is nice. Expect to return to Cunningham Park. No group return to Bridgemarket. Terrain is rolling hills. More info at www.plantingfields.org. Leaders Brian Hoberman and Andrea Mercado.

We will ride to the Original Bike Shop in Saddle Brook, New Jersey for a demonstration on the Compu Trainer, a virtual reality bicycle training system complete with simulation and computer screens. There are two trainers side by side allowing two cyclists to compete with each other. Mel, the proprietor, is offering this demonstration with our participation at no charge. Leaders Maria Cummings and Jim Mallard.

CT RAMBLINGS HOUSATONIC RIVER VALLEY, Quick Spin
7:50AM, Grand Central, 55-65 very hilly miles
9:40AM, Milford, CT Station (Rain date, Oct 29th)

Take the 8:07am train to this near-peak foliage over this fabulous loop route enjoyed earlier this summer. Fast paced - 17mph on the flats and no point-drop-sweep. Back roads through historic towns and Naugatuck River bike path.Tour the pretty Housatonic River Valley, climb hills, skim ridgelines, and skirt rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Challenging ride with serious climbs. Ride with the group on pace OR follow the awesome detailed, accurate cue sheet. Return 4:14 PM Bridgeport bike train (maybe earlier). A few limited shortcuts are possible. Bring plenty of hydration & some snacks. You can buy lunch along the way. Preregister for group train permit. Check club Bulletin Board for late breaking posts. Free parking at Milford Station. Leaders Susan Rodetis (srodetis@earthlink.net, 212-288-9663) and Dennis Griffin. Co-listed with NYCC.

As if we didn’t have enough cemetery-themed rides already this year, this is the final roundup with some encores and new faces. If riding to cemeteries seems odd to you, keep in mind that we maintain a somber tone, dress in black, and make a dignified appearance to pay our respects to both notables and forgotten souls. We intend to have fun, but quietly and with dignity. Among the final resting places we will visit today is perhaps Brooklyn’s most distinguished, Green-Wood cemetery, home of turn-of-the-20th Century cycling icon, Charles “Mile-A-Minute” Murphy. We will also visit a number of other cherished resting spots in Brooklyn and Queens, with a lunch stop somewhere in Queens. Terrain is mostly flat with some easy climbs. We will definitely get to some new places in both Brooklyn and Queens. Brisk pace (approx 15-16 mph). Leaders John Chiarella and Danny Lieberman.

Electric cars aren't new. Beautiful brownstones not the expected neighborhoods (smell a bargain). Nothing weak about Weeksville. And, oh yeah, a piece of Brooklyn Dodger history. And, maybe more are the points in a Brooklyn sojourn. Bring a lock & $ for lunch. Moderate pace. Leaders: Ed DeFreitas and Beth Katz.

PALISADES BIKE HIKE: BOMBAY HOOK
9AM, GWB Bus Terminal (W 178th & Ft Washington Ave), 20 mile ride, 7 mile hike

Get up close and personal with the New Jersey's Palisades cliffs on this classic bike hike. The ride takes River Road through the park to Alpine Marina. The hike (www.njpalisades.org/alp-hike.htm#Bombay) brings you to some of the most impressive scenery in the area. It includes a 500 foot climb that is moderately strenuous but not technically difficult. Bring a bike lock, comfortable walking shoes, bag lunch, and water. Relaxed, easy pace for both ride and hike. Leaders Jim Zisfein and others.

Details for this ride will be posted online when they become available. Bring a lock and $ for lunch. Leaders Ed Pino and Liz Baum.

We rode out to Elmont, Long Island on Memorial Day and I don’t mind going back there. We found a fine diner along the way, after all. This time I’d like to ride a little farther (Garden City), a little faster (15-17mph), and see what else we might find. Bring hydration, a lock, and a few $ for lunch at the diner. Leaders Danny Lieberman and Rhonda Wittorf.

These were rides in September-October 2006. Click here for current rides.