State Line Lookout - My first NYCC club ride!
This past Saturday was an anomaly, weather-wise, so I knew I had to take my road bike off the trainer, switch the wheels, and get myself outside for a ride. I have ridden the Harlem Valley Rail Trail a few times and a large addition to that trail has been completed since the last time I rode it. I was going to take Metro North up to Wassaic, but after attending NYCC’s monthly meeting this week, I thought it would be wise to get myself to a club ride to make sure I wouldn’t be in over my head with the B SIG.
I decided to start with a C level ride for a few reasons:
It was my first “big” ride of the season
I had just done over a thousand feet of climbing over 16 miles on the ride I did on my trainer on Thursday night (while I was attending WE Bike NYC’s Bike Law workshop, led by Vaccaro & White)
I didn’t want to overestimate my abilities for my first club ride
I’m lazy
The C ride I chose was a thirty-five mile ride up to State Line Lookout, part of the Palisades Interstate Park in New Jersey. This ride was designated as a no-drop ride with a 14 MPH pace and was being led by Jerry, who sent out multiple emails, including a cue sheet and a link to the route. Unfortunately, the Ride with GPS link did not work, which meant I was not privy to the elevation gain on the (in)famous River Road. I know this information is readily available but I figured I didn’t have much to worry about since this was a C ride (also, perhaps knowing beforehand would have deterred me since again, I am lazy). Ah, naïve little Sam, blissfully unaware of what River Road (really Henry Hudson Drive?) had in store for me.
The ride would be leaving from the starting point at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive at 9 AM. I left Brooklyn at around 7 AM because I always panic about the amount of time it will take me to get somewhere. My early departure was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and a chance encounter on Eastern Parkway:
It took me about an hour to ride from Brooklyn to the start point. The city was still relatively quiet and the Hudson River Greenway was empty, which is always a nice treat. Since I had a lot of spare time, I hung out in Riverside Park South and admired the George Washington Bridge from afar (we would be up close and personal later, when our group rode over it).
I got to the meeting point at 8:15 (LOL) and dog- and people-watched until it got a little closer to 9 AM and more riders started showing up. The Eleanor Roosevelt statue is apparently a popular start point and there were about three or four rides leaving from there that morning.
As I was waiting, some NYCC members and ride leaders began to arrive. The ride leaders I spoke with were leading a B/17 ride (B level ride with a 17 MPH pace) and I began to panic. Yes, I did sign up for the B SIG but they have a variety of pacing levels and I assume I’ll be at the bottom end: 15/16 MPH. So when the leaders said it was a B/17 ride, I just about pooped my chamois (not literally). That was when I learned that MULTIPLE rides were leaving from this start point. Phew! Crisis averted. I still chatted with the leaders of the B ride and everyone was SO friendly and welcoming.
Jerry, the ride leader, arrived and gathered the C group riders for introductions and a review of the rules to follow while riding. We discussed signaling, call outs, riding in a single line and a hair pin turn that is part of the ramp leading to the GW. There was a focus on safety, which was especially important for the ride out of the city and over the bridge.
We rolled out a little after 9 AM and headed north to take the bridge over to New Jersey before riding up Henry Hudson Drive/River Road. I consulted with another rider in the group who was familiar with this route and was told there would be some “rolling hills” on River Road, through the Palisades Interstate Park.
Entrance to the Palisades Interstate Park.
Perhaps there are varying definitions of “rolling hills” but the elevation gain depicted below, around mile 25, does not fall under my definition of “rolling hills”:
I was barely rolling up this hill, that’s for sure.
At this point, we were all able to ride at our own pace since there was a meeting point at the top of this section of the route. I am not ashamed to admit that I took MULTIPLE breaks on my trip up River Road. I hate elevation gains to begin with (I really am a lazy cyclist!) so, whether I am just not in shape or was still dying from the climbing I did on my Thursday ride, the trip up was both a physical and mental challenge. I tried to not beat myself up over the fact that I had to take breaks and instead, tried to enjoy some of the scenery I was riding past.
I eventually made it to the top (and end) of this ride up River Road and was able to fuel and hydrate after the climb.
After we all regrouped and had a short break, we rode north out of the park, on 9W, until we reached the pedestrian footbridge that would allow us to cross over the Palisade Parkway. From there, we did some hiking - yes, hiking - through the woods to State Line Lookout Park, our lunch destination. I got a turkey sandwich (and a snickers bar LOL THAT CLIMB ON RIVER ROAD REALLY GOT TO ME) from the little café and took in some of the views over the Hudson River.
During lunch, I was able to chat with other members who have either completed the B SIG themselves or are leaders for it. Everyone assured me that I would survive the SIG and this was incredibly helpful to hear. All of the club members I spoke with during this ride were immensely supportive and encouraging, and sometimes, that’s exactly what I need!
Our ride back was a little more forgiving since Jerry decided to take a route home that would avoid Walnut Hill (I don’t know the elevation gain entailed in this section but my new friend, Linda, and I were appreciative of the alternate route!). It was a slower pace on the return ride but I was grateful to be able to take some of these unfamiliar roads and routes with people who knew their way around. We ended our ride just on the other side of the George Washington Bridge (and with a few less riders, since we all had different routes home).
My very ambitious goal was to ride the route AND make my way back home by bicycle but the subway was too enticing. I admired both the Brompton folded up neatly next to my own bicycle and the amount of mud I collected on my cycling hiking shoes.
As is tradition, upon my arrival home, I collapsed on my kitchen floor and had a hang sesh with Benjamin Franklin.
