Memorial Day long weekend

It is Memorial Day Monday, the unofficial start of summer. Can't go to Millerton this weekend because of work commitments, so on Saturday we decided to ride down to see the beach at Coney Island, a 40 mile round trip. This will probably be our last big ride before France. Set off at 3 pm and home at 7.30 pm, a long time in the saddle. we headed down along the East River (picture 1), over the Manhattan Bridge (2), past the brownstones of Brooklyn Heights (3), then all the way along Ocean Parkway to the board walk at Coney Island (4), then back along the water and under the Verazzano Bridge (5) to the Brooklyn suburbs of Bay Ridge, Sunset Park, and Park Slope before returning to Manhattan pretty exhausted.

on the road to the Dordogne

Saturday it was a glorious spring day, around 20C in the arvo and much less windy than last week. we rode in the horse and dairy country to the NE of Millerton, in the direction of Ancramdale . This requires climbing Winchell Mountain for a mile straight up, and then it was quite undulating, which all should be good training for France in 6 weeks time. It was very bucolic up on the plateau.





Sunday morning (also glorious weather but only 10C when we set off at 9), we rode to Rudd Pond State Park, just 3-4 miles N of town. Named after a Maj Bezeleal Rudd, an early settler (1770's) in the area and who 'served the Revolution', according to the historical marker.

What with the commuting to/from Grand Central and Wassaic, we did 52 miles (85km) for the weekend.

Mother's Day in Millerton

We went to Millerton again this weekend, but this time by rail and bike. Can only bring bikes on train outside peak hours, so came up on Saturday morning. we ended up riding about 100km for the weekend.

Saturday rode down to Grand Central Station on 42nd st (3 km), then from Wassaic station to Millerton (17 km). then after lunch rode back to Wassiac to attend an art show, then back to Millerton. Including riding to the supermarket did precisely 41.00 miles for the day (approx 65km). A mile is a lot further than a km!






Then Sunday we rode over into NW Connecticut to the village of Salisbury, for Mother's Day breakfast at the White Hart Inn, a charming newly renovated olde worlde inn. The ride involved 10km undulating country highway each way, with not much shoulder in places. And the Sunday weather was back to winter, so the ride was hard and not particularly enjoyable. Only 4C when we set off at 9 am, with a 25km wind gusting up to 50km, and the wind chill making it feel like sub-zero, and even colder on the bike. Then it was back to Wassaic Station once more for the 2hr rail trip home.

Bike ride to Brooklyn, Fri april 29

Now that spring is here, we are in a race against time desperately attempting to get cycling-fit for France, so Friday morning we got up at 6 am to go for a ride before work: ok until 7 but a dumb idea in the second hour as the traffic built up. but we made it - a 20 mile (32km) round trip to Red Hook, a Brooklyn neighborhood that is a bit like Pyrmont, via Brooklyn Briduge then home via Manhattan Bridge. Won't be cycling on a midweek morning again.

Brooklyn Bridge

Gowanus Canal, Red Hook

Manhattan Bridge