Suggested bike routes in Manhattan/ NNJ ? ` (New York, Long Beach: neighborhoods, shops, beach)

[Popfizz]

What are some good bike paths in Manhattan & Bergen / Essex Counties in NJ ???

I am not a professional bike rider by any means , but would like to know where is a good place to ride my bike that I just bought ???

Thanks !

[DarkWolf]

Theres a few in this region , one is from the Hartsdale Train station to the Valhalla Station which is 6 miles , theres one along the Hudson River on the Jersey Side from Downtown Jersey City to North Hoboken. You could bike through Branch Brook Park , take the LRT from Newark Penn Station to Park Ave , this would be great to do during the Cherry Blossom festival.

[nybbler]

Hudson River greenway, west side of Manhattan. Central Park, when the roads are closed to cars. Prospect Park in Brooklyn as well. Strangely the better/longer bike trails are in NYC, not NJ. The Westchester county trailways are OK, except the section of the north trailway which runs along route 100.

[lammius]

nybbler's right. NYC's bike infrastructure is light years ahead of anywhere in NJ. NJ has some nice parks where you can ride, but I get bored really quickly doing 1-mile laps around county park X or town park Y. In NYC (and most civilized cities anymore) there are bike lanes, paths, etc. that you can use to connect to other parks and points of interest.

Look at the NYC bike map for some ideas. NYC DOT - Bicycle Maps. When I got my bike I would just pick a destination and then look at the bike map or google to find a good, safe, and/or scenic route there. It was a great way to familiarize myself with a lot of the outer borough neighborhoods I didn't know much about.

Perhaps the most popular ride in the region outside the city is to go over the GWB and ride north on the Jersey side along Route 9W up into Piermont and Nyack, NY. It's a long ride with some good hills, and plenty of chances to turn around if you get worn out. There are a lot of lycra-clad "pros" out there, but also a lot of more casual riders out for fun. There are also some bike shops, delis and other stopping points that are filled with cyclists. On a good day, people will be chatty and you may make some new riding buddies. Just head for the bridge on a weekend morning and follow the bikes north.

Another fun one is to cross over the Brooklyn Bridge, meander your way down to Prospect Park, follow Ocean Pkwy down to Coney Island, and reward yourself with a hot dog.

If you're looking to make a good day trip out of it, go a little farther away and do some road riding on the North Fork. If you're into dirt riding, take a train or drive down to New Brunswick and ride along the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath. I've done the section from NB to Princeton & back a few times, but the trail continues to Trenton and then up the Delaware to Frenchtown. In fact there's another towpath trail on the PA side of the Delaware so you could do a loop from Frenchtown down to Lambertville, cross to New Hope and ride back up the PA side to Erwinna and back over to Frenchtown.

Lastly, look into some of the cycling groups like Bike New York or the Morris County Freewheelers. These groups put on a few rides each season that you can participate in, or steal the cue sheets for and ride on your own one weekend. I have to recommend MCFW's Revolutionary Ramble in June. My favorite organized ride. Good crowd, well managed, and a fun, scenic ride. You don't need to be a "pro" to do these rides, either. Lots of people on fat wheels and wearing shorts and sneakers, just out for the fun too!

[nei]

Google maps shows one in New Jersey north of the GWB along Henry Hudson Dr running parallel to the Hudson; probably nicer than 9W if it exists.

Might be fun to ride through Southern Brooklyn to Breezy Point and then through the length of the Rockaway Peninsula, a local could give better advice on that than me.

[lammius]

Originally Posted by nei

Google maps shows one in New Jersey north of the GWB along Henry Hudson Dr running parallel to the Hudson; probably nicer than 9W if it exists.

Might be fun to ride through Southern Brooklyn to Breezy Point and then through the length of the Rockaway Peninsula, a local could give better advice on that than me.

Henry Hudson Drive is nice and scenic, but you can only go about 1.5 miles north of the bridge to the picnic area. It's closed north of that point. Most riders go up Hudson Terrace and then use Palisade Ave to cut over to 9W. Strictly Bicycles is a bike shop along Hud Terr and is the first "official" rest stop after the bridge. 9W is a bit busy until you get beyond the office parks in Englewood Cliffs, then it's a nice ride through the woods into Rockland, with wide shoulders to protect you from traffic.

I've done that ride across the Marine Pkwy Bridge to Breezy Point and the Rockaways too. It's nice, but I'd stick to the streets over the boardwalk unless you have a cruiser that can handle the chewed-up boards. You can continue on to Atlantic Beach and Long Beach too. I wish I could remember the name of the deli where I got the most satisfyingly fattening hoagie in Atlantic Beach. The bad of it was after eating it I had to pedal 40 miles to get home.

[Kefir King]

You cannot beat the Manhattan Waterfron Greenway...especially the West Side. It is unimpeded bikeing without traffic from BVattery Park to the George Washington Bridge. East Side is improving but there are many breaks.

In Jersey, biking from the bottom of Bergen County along the river through Liberty State park and down to Bayonne is very nice but it is often hokey pokey because you share with a lot of walkers, and baby carriages, etc. Plus there is an into the city detour around an inlet/marina at the top of the park.