May 21st, 2004 - 12:56 AM
all the way around Staten Island
As part of Bike Summer 2003 the Staten Island Bicycle Association folks did what (I think) they do every Saturday at 8:30am. They got together and rode around their island. But this time was different. Check out the link for the Bike Summer calendar, chock-ful-o-stuff
For Bike Summer they moved the start time and location to better accomadate us "off-islander". Brian and I checked it out, both on just 1 gear.
I think Brian gets the big-nuts award for doing it on his Redline MonoCog, 45 miles isn't that much but with 1 gear and puffy tires...
Anyway, as can be expected Staten Island provided many interesting sights and smells. Interestingly, I don't remember any of the 'sounds' of Staten Island, except this one woman who kept screaming about passingor cars or something, I never understood 1 word she said.
The SIBA guys were way cool, the last guy that lead even took off to give us a unexpected and scenic "man, we are lost" detour. But even that was cool.
All in all, it was a good distance and very light traffic... some hills (though they weren't much) and some haul-ass sections... It would be real fun on a race bike... step it up a notch and really hammer...
Oh yeah, there is a beach over there, clean and quiet and nearly empty... and an old army fort.
It all ended the way it started with a quiet majestic ferry ride, punctuated by some really bad ferry driving (those guys are always drunk).
Thanks for clueing me in to this ride Brian.
I think Brian gets the big-nuts award for doing it on his Redline MonoCog, 45 miles isn't that much but with 1 gear and puffy tires...
Anyway, as can be expected Staten Island provided many interesting sights and smells. Interestingly, I don't remember any of the 'sounds' of Staten Island, except this one woman who kept screaming about passingor cars or something, I never understood 1 word she said.
The SIBA guys were way cool, the last guy that lead even took off to give us a unexpected and scenic "man, we are lost" detour. But even that was cool.
All in all, it was a good distance and very light traffic... some hills (though they weren't much) and some haul-ass sections... It would be real fun on a race bike... step it up a notch and really hammer...
Oh yeah, there is a beach over there, clean and quiet and nearly empty... and an old army fort.
It all ended the way it started with a quiet majestic ferry ride, punctuated by some really bad ferry driving (those guys are always drunk).
Thanks for clueing me in to this ride Brian.