A Tale of two Votes

It was the worst of times, It was the best of times. It was a long cold spell in early March 2007 when temperatures were in the teens. We were discussing plans for the family's annual Spring Holiday. I suggested we head West where there was good Spring Skiing as there wasn't any good snow in the Northeast. Other members had their own ideas. Being a good natured person and naive to a plot that had been hatched, I suggested we vote on it, secret ballots, everyone write on a piece of paper their destination choice. I lost, by two votes. I'm not a gracious loser, but in this case, hey, It's dirty job but somebody has to do it.

The Tour de France in French

Since Lance left the Tour de France American interest has declined but the French have figured how to 'arouse' American interest in it again.

Aquebogue and Jamesport

Out in the east end of Long Island the summer rental crowds are gone and everything seems to return to its bucolic state. The trees, compared to the Catskill Mountains are not as showy with their colors, the sandy beaches and the gold brown seagrass of the salt marshes all add to the tranquility. These photos were taken along my bicycle route from Aquebogue to Jamesport and Mattituck.

Bethpage State Park

This path runs from the middle of the Island in Bethpage to the south shore village of Massapequa New York, paralleling the southern section of the Nassau-Suffolk Greenbelt Trail. Despite the fact that it is in the heart of a densely populated area, it provides a quiet, bucolic environment that is rare in this part of the island. The northern starting point of the path is the Bethpage State Park picnic area.

Back To The East End

Back to the East End of Long Island this weekend, back to beaches, farms, vineyards and flat roads. The sun is setting earlier as winter is slowly but surly coming. Retuning later than expected from my ride I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the changing colors of the setting sun reflecting off the Peconic Bay. I paid the penality for stopping. My legs stiffened and my fingers numbed from the cold as I struggled to maintain a pace during the last few miles toward home. It's not too soon to plan for an alternative to my bicycling weekends. Door Number One or Door Number Two

Catskills Fall Foliage

The date of this MTB ride in Minnewaska State Park Preserve was agreed upon several months in advance. However no amount of planning assures that you will see the fall foliage at its peak. We got lucky as the colors and the weather couldn't be better. Minnewaska Preserve is part of the Shawangunk Ridge located in a sparsely populated area in the Catskills. The carriage trails provide the most spectacular views. The Nature Conservancy has designated the preserve as one of the "75 Last Great Places on Earth".

North Fork Pumpkin Picking

It's mid Fall, as I bicycle pass the farms they are full of families with children picking pumpkins and losing each other in the tall corn stalk mazes. Most pumpkins are made into jack-o-lanterns and with stacks of hay and corn stalks used as decorations for halloween and the fall season.

Lehman College

Though not bicycling related this thought is a recurring theme. Only three weeks into the 2008 Fall school term. I'm seriously beginning to feel it's my time to retire as each freshman class appears to be younger and more naive than the previous. Some instructors see their naiveté as youthful enthusiasm. I am not so sure. But as I walk around the Campus I decided to preserve some images.

Fall Farm Harvest

It's Fall out East, the farms stands are displaying their harvests. It's always a colorful and amazing display of what the land provides. My bicycle ride is always interupted in the morning by the smell of fresh baked doughnuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and in the afternoon by pumpkin pies and a glass of fresh squeezed apple cider at Wickham's Farm

Tour Of The Hamptons

The Tour of The Hamptons organized by The Massapequa Park Bicycle Club is a bicycle tour through the summer playground of New York's Rich and Shameless. The club offers tours from 25 miles up to a century.

Hurricane Hanna 2008

Hurricane Hanna more or less shut down the entire day not much one can do, but sit it out. I decided to shoot Hanna safely from inside of my house, I was hoping to capture the dreariness outside and my boredom from being inside.

Sunday morning. Hanna had left the NY area Saturday evening. She also left piles of broken branches and leaves making most of the roads unrideable. Hanna shut down my bicycling for the entire weekend. I consoled myself with some Shinn Chardonny.

Shinn Estate Vineyard

The Shinn Estate Vineyards is one of the smaller of over 25 Vineyards in Long Island's North Fork. The tranquil and peaceful setting reminds me of a Zen Garden. I didn't try the wines, but definitely will when being steady on two wheels is not required.

Mattituck to Greenport Again

Greenport is a favorite destination. From there other tour options are available, take a short cruise on the Shelter Island ferry to enjoy the view of the Harbor. While on the Island follow SBRA's BBB scenic bicycle tour of the Island. Return to Greenport and enjoy lunch, or snack, or dinner. Then work off the calories by riding back to your starting point.

Orient Point State Park

A ride to Orient Point State Park was this weekends destination. Orient though not as popular as Montauk with its light house, is primarily a nature preserve. The summer nesting of Ospreys, Common Terns and Piping Plovers are the attraction here. During the nesting season Park Rangers are available with educational programs on these endangered birds.

Nesting Osprey

Orient Point Salt Marsh

Piping Plover protected area

Lobster Trap Markers

Wildlife Crossing

Cars and Bicyclists

After reading this article Bicyclist and Cars I was not as surprised as the writer seem to be, by the conflict between motorist and bicyclist. Another article in which an SUV owner harassed a bicyclist was reported in the Seattle PI. The attitude of "I own the road" appears to more prevelent of SUV owners, yet in the same breath they are the first to to whine and cry about the rising price of gasoline. Hopefully gas prices will continue to rise so more drivers will become riders and maybe understand what "share the road means."

Greenport Sunset

Greenport Sunset
Originally uploaded by bicyclistken

After a late ride back from Shelter Island and the sun started to set I decided to have dinner in Greenport and wait for the train back to Riverhead.

All Dressed Up And No Race To Go

All dressed up and no race to go. My bicycle racing days are long over at least in the peloton with the big wheels - the elite Category ones and twos and possibly even the Masters. I've tried getting in touch with my domestique side and realized carrying water was too much work. So, this Friday I decided to attend the evening races at Suffolk Community College in Riverhead - as a spectator of course.

The Peloton.

The Chase Group.

The Breakaway.

Harlem Valley Rails Trail Millerton, New York

Since there are no hills to speak of in Long Island's Suffolk County I decided this weekend to take on the foothills of The Berkshires. You might call it my own private Alpe d'Huez. This ride was a 2 day event organized by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Bike New York. The first 10 miles are flat as we're on the Harlem Valley Line's Rails Trail. This abandoned rail track is now paved as a muti-use recreational trail. In 1845, the New York State Legislature authorized further rail road extension northward to create a connection with Albany. This inland route later became known as the "Harlem Valley" line. The valley route was easier and less costly to construct than a route following the Hudson River. However, competing business interests in cities along the river simultaneously started construction on The Hudson River Railroad. This competing project was completed at almost the same time and eventually became the primary route. The inland counties of Putnam and Dutchess formerly served by the Harlem Valley Line was known as The Harlem Valley and is still called that today.

The first 10 miles on the Rails to Trails.

The first rest stop at Wassaic. Ten miles south of Millerton.

What hill? Piece of cake.

No need to pedal for this hill!

The Shinnecock Inlet

The hottest day so far this summer. I took a short ride to the Ocean to catch some cool off shore breezes. I got off my bicycle to watch this Catamaran sail into the Shinnecock Inlet. After a few minutes it was getting chilly. The high humidity combined with the ocean breeze was cooling me down too quickly. I decided to start off to my next stop Southampton across the inlet, you can see mobile campers on the beach in the background.

Florence Bicycle Club

Nothing exciting this weekend so I dug this up from my travel archives. We were hiking through Tuscany at the time and it was early Sunday morning in Florence. We stopped for breakfast in the cafe across from this bicycle shop. As we sat down with some espresso and rolls this group of bicyclists came in gulped some espresso smoked 2 cigaretts and left. They appeared ready for their century fueled with cafeine and nicotine. No sissy carb loading for these guys.

Cicada Seeks Love on Route 51

Before starting out this morning I decided to inflate my tires to the recommended 130PSI's. I had been riding them slightly under inflated at 100 PSI's, believing that the increased rolling resistance would result in an increased training effect. I will needed every advantage to keep up with the SBRA 'B Animals' today. Turning onto the hard macadam pavement of Hubbard Road I started to hear the familiar buzz of the tires. In fact the 130 PSI made it louder than than usual, a runner 15 feet ahead turned around and moved to the side. On Route 51 I increased my pace, cresting the hill I started to pedaled harder that's when I heard an unfamiliar whirling sound. I thought my fork was resonating due to the higher tire pressure. Suddenly there was a loud pop from the rear followed by the unmistakeable hissing of air running out of the tire. I muttered a few choice words, stopped the bicycle and got off. Between swating at large bugs trying to land on me and sweat burning my eyes I eventually changed the tube. I inflated the tire and moaned, there was a large gash on the side wall exposing the replaced inner tube. It was too risky to ride further, better to get home safely. At home I did some research on the bugs. According to entomologist Dr. Frank Hale, with the University of Tennessee Extension in Nashville, the bugs were Cicadas. "Cicadas are very social insects", he says. "Every 17 years thousands of male Cicadas aggregate to sing." "The females are attracted by their love calls and because of this aggregation tendency, both sexes are attracted to noisy machines like lawn mowers and farm tractors." I would add also the buzzing of high pressure bicycle tires! "People can be unsettled by the 1 1/2-inch bugs' with red eyes (except for rare white-eyed ones) their clumsy flight and their tendency to assume anything upright is a landing spot for their tryst." I can confirm that! Some thought I was there to answer their 'Female Cicadas seeking bicyclist for mating tryst' personals.

My blown tire

Cicada Love

Mattituck Strawberry Festival

Bicycling to an event destination has a special appeal to most riders. You can get some excercise, enjoy the scenery enroute, and when you arrive there's food, and often entertainment. At times it feels like the celebration was for your arrival. The Mattituck Strawberry Festival is one ride I have enjoyed for many years in the past, but this weekend's festival was a disappointment. The huge numbers of cars waiting to enter the festival forced all thru traffic into the right lane slowing traffic to a crawl. Impatient drivers illegally passed on the shoulder coming dangerously close to the group of bicyclist. At this point everyone agreed to skip the traffic and the festival. The festival has grown too big. It was no longer a local event. It has become a big commercial production and has lost its charm and fun.

New Suffolk

My Plan was to get up early, however getting up at 8:30 is not early. Though some of my retired friends would argue that. I just couldn't get out of bed! Still it was early enough to avoid the heat and humidity. Well here I am on Main Street New Suffolk. My bicycle resting on the bench between Summer Girl and Legends. Total of 11.2 Miles.



On the return trip I passed this clammer in Downs Creek walking toward the house with a bucketful of clams. An ice cold beer with clams on the half shell!

Another Rainy Saturday

This is possibly the 5th or 6th Saturday since April that the weather forecast called for possible thunder showers. Spring in New York is so undependable. Despite the forecast I decided to go out for an early "quickie" before the rain. The rain came down simultaneously with my stepping out the door. I sat on the deck depressed fully outfitted, shod, gloved and helmeted. Thirty minutes later the sun came out and the roads dried. Halfway through my "quickie" thick clouds rolled in. I continued my ride praying that the Bicycling Gods would be kind to me. Come to think of it, whose names would be on that list?.














High tide was above normal. The bridge over Meeting House Creek was about an inch above the water.













The seat with the best view in the house.


















Trek's newest model. The E.T built for the 2008 Tour De France.

Riverhead to Cutchogue #3 and "Sophia's Choice"

Saturday, Memeorial Day weekend an opportunity to ride 3 consequetive days. More importantly our ride leader received an e-mail from Sophia Loren promising to join the ride. At 9:30 AM about 19 Sophia Loren groupies gathered with their bicycles at the Riverhead Town Marina, many whom would remember Sophia Loren. But by 10:00 AM the group was ready to leave "Sophia-less". As we started off everyone quietly acknowledged "Sophia's Choice" was Carlo and not our ride leader.
The complete set of photos are here.

"Fashionable" post ride snack

One ride leader, in order to get more people to join his ride, added "dinner at a fashionable restuarant", Here's my "fashionable" lunch at a unfashionable dining establishment "Home."

Riverhead to Cutchogue, #2

The first time this season riding 2 days back to back. I had anticipated the second day to be tough. However with unexpected headwind of 15-20 mph from the west the ride back was miserable. I stopped to give my legs a needed break. It was low tide and walking onto a sand bar I took this shot. I suddenly had a craving for a Conch (Scungilli) Salad.

Farm Stand Vegetables

Farm Stand Vegetables
Originally uploaded by bicyclistken

Bayview Farms in Aquebogue. One of the many bountiful Farms along the main Road in the North Fork. A good place for bicyclists to stop for roasted corn, home made pie, apple cider or lemonade.

Reeves Bay Sunrise

I Woke up early to get a short ride in before work. I was doubly rewarded for my efforts.

Riverhead to Cutchogue #1

Meeting in Rivehead's waterfront at 9:30 AM.




Hava and Norm with their Trek Tandem

Bob, Norman and Hava round up the group

Bob and Rich

Norm and Hava saddle up

Bob decides to model his outfit

Norm and Hava in New Suffolk

Rich and Sue

Rich and Tricia

Dusk On The Peconic Bay

Dusk On The Peconic BaY
bicyclistken

It was a late afternoon ride and I had to wait until a sudden thunder shower had passed. Just about a mile from home I stopped on the bridge over the creek to admire and capture this view.

Shelter Island

Shelter Island is nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island. The island is around 8,000 acres in size. However, vast tracts are protected wetlands nature preserve marshland. Nearly one-third of the island is owned by The Nature Conservancy and kept in a forever-wild state. The Island can be reached via ferry from Greenport to the north (approximately 15-minute trip) or from North Haven to the south (approximately 5-minute trip).


On the Greenport Ferry








Goose Neck Pond

Silver Beach

Briemere Pie Ride

The Briermere Pie ride lead by Barbara a SBRA and ADK trip leader. The ride name refers to the rest stop for a slice of pie at Briemere Farms.


Peconic Bay





Jamesport Marina

Peach Cherry, Blueberry or Apple Pie?

One of each please.

Anyone want a second piece?

Thanks, one will do for now.
Hmm... on second thought, the additional fuel will come in handy