Shakedown Ride Day #1
Shakedown Ride Day #1
May 7, 2018
Brooklyn to Harriman - 65 Miles
Ride Time 6.5 Hours
Total 65 Miles
details at: http://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180507-1154
I began the ride shortly before noon, after taking Blanka to Charlotte’s House (which should count as an extra 10 miles). Seven hours later, I’m laying in my hammock listening to the birds chirp as I eat granola and apples.
The nearest restaurant is 5 miles down an enormous hill. There’s no way I’m going back down there for warm food and beer. I’m exhausted and sore. The end of the ride was frustrating having gotten lost and going an extra 15 miles. I had map problems and gps problems. One of my biggest difficulties is not being able to read the gps because of my crappy vision. The magnifier I bought didn’t work. My reading glasses are tricking putting and off on while riding, and I loathe constantly stopping- which I really need to do, until I get a better solution worked out. There’s nothing more aggravating than going 15 miles out of the way on a bike.
I climbed some ridiculous hills which I suppose is good training. The modified gearing works well. I got to the campground an hour and a half later than I had expected, without provisions and inexperienced with the gear as the season’s news crop of insects buzzed around me. I didn’t feel like putting on deet- or sunscreen or chamois butter for that matter.
It’s beautiful here. The bare tree branches are silhouetted against the sun setting in the pink and orange sky. The frogs have begun chirping. This is my summer.
I had a nice ride out of Manhattan. Last week’s ride to Wave Hill familiarized me with the route. The directions I printed for today started at the George Washington bridge, and they worked flawlessly for over an hour until dead ending on a private road at the North Nyak beach on the West Bank of the Hudson. Before getting off track it was a great ride. There were Grand Fondo banners along much of the way. When I realized I was lost, I turned on my Garmin and decided to give that a try. I had plugged in the address of the campground the night before. It beeps at me to go this way or that, and is a little annoying. I crossed NY Bicycle Route 9 - which my gut told me was wrong. But the Garmin was taking me west and I thought I was cutting over to Harriman. I crossed over a large saddle and passed down between two beautiful lakes - and then got dumped back on NY 9W. Maybe my Garmin found a short cut. I would have preferred to go around the hill. I went through Haverstraw and there was a lot of car traffic and sprawl and I checked out the restaurants, some of which I thought I recognized from my planning. I thought I was close to my destination. Eventually I passed a deli with a sign out front that read “last store before the park”, so I pulled over. They didn’t have anything to my liking. My Garmin seemed to indicate that the turn off towards the campground was coming up. Many more miles down the road, with Indian Point Power station in view across the river, I realized I had gone too far. Reluctantly I put new points into the Garmin, and I compared information with my phone. Unfortunately Google bicycle map directions don’t talk. The Garmin chirps so I used that. I cut south west away from the river and after many steep long hills, I finally reached the campground. After yet another steep hill I arrived at the office. I always love indicating a two-wheeled vehicle on the registration form.
It’s cold and dark as I write this. I’m still in my hammock on my second bag of granola. Whatever I don’t finish gets hung in the bear bag. The first star that appeared was Venus. The clouds have all disappeared and now all the stars are out. I’m gonna have fun this summer with my star gazing app.
Today I saw many squirrels, 2 chipmunks, and angry dog (behind a fence), a cat, a dear, a dead snake in the middle of the road, and many types of birds. The leaves still aren’t out yet at Harriman, but today I passed countless flowering trees and so many beautiful spring flowers.
May 7, 2018
Brooklyn to Harriman - 65 Miles
Ride Time 6.5 Hours
Total 65 Miles
details at: http://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180507-1154
The nearest restaurant is 5 miles down an enormous hill. There’s no way I’m going back down there for warm food and beer. I’m exhausted and sore. The end of the ride was frustrating having gotten lost and going an extra 15 miles. I had map problems and gps problems. One of my biggest difficulties is not being able to read the gps because of my crappy vision. The magnifier I bought didn’t work. My reading glasses are tricking putting and off on while riding, and I loathe constantly stopping- which I really need to do, until I get a better solution worked out. There’s nothing more aggravating than going 15 miles out of the way on a bike.
I climbed some ridiculous hills which I suppose is good training. The modified gearing works well. I got to the campground an hour and a half later than I had expected, without provisions and inexperienced with the gear as the season’s news crop of insects buzzed around me. I didn’t feel like putting on deet- or sunscreen or chamois butter for that matter.
It’s beautiful here. The bare tree branches are silhouetted against the sun setting in the pink and orange sky. The frogs have begun chirping. This is my summer.
I had a nice ride out of Manhattan. Last week’s ride to Wave Hill familiarized me with the route. The directions I printed for today started at the George Washington bridge, and they worked flawlessly for over an hour until dead ending on a private road at the North Nyak beach on the West Bank of the Hudson. Before getting off track it was a great ride. There were Grand Fondo banners along much of the way. When I realized I was lost, I turned on my Garmin and decided to give that a try. I had plugged in the address of the campground the night before. It beeps at me to go this way or that, and is a little annoying. I crossed NY Bicycle Route 9 - which my gut told me was wrong. But the Garmin was taking me west and I thought I was cutting over to Harriman. I crossed over a large saddle and passed down between two beautiful lakes - and then got dumped back on NY 9W. Maybe my Garmin found a short cut. I would have preferred to go around the hill. I went through Haverstraw and there was a lot of car traffic and sprawl and I checked out the restaurants, some of which I thought I recognized from my planning. I thought I was close to my destination. Eventually I passed a deli with a sign out front that read “last store before the park”, so I pulled over. They didn’t have anything to my liking. My Garmin seemed to indicate that the turn off towards the campground was coming up. Many more miles down the road, with Indian Point Power station in view across the river, I realized I had gone too far. Reluctantly I put new points into the Garmin, and I compared information with my phone. Unfortunately Google bicycle map directions don’t talk. The Garmin chirps so I used that. I cut south west away from the river and after many steep long hills, I finally reached the campground. After yet another steep hill I arrived at the office. I always love indicating a two-wheeled vehicle on the registration form.
It’s cold and dark as I write this. I’m still in my hammock on my second bag of granola. Whatever I don’t finish gets hung in the bear bag. The first star that appeared was Venus. The clouds have all disappeared and now all the stars are out. I’m gonna have fun this summer with my star gazing app.
Today I saw many squirrels, 2 chipmunks, and angry dog (behind a fence), a cat, a dear, a dead snake in the middle of the road, and many types of birds. The leaves still aren’t out yet at Harriman, but today I passed countless flowering trees and so many beautiful spring flowers.
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