UniChris

What's it like getting from the North County Trail to the Pleasantville Metro North station?

Bronx - Brewster as a one way trip is something I've enjoyed several times, but a round trip is still a future goal. Working towards that, I was thinking of riding up to the highest point in Carmel - I guess the tunnel above Lake Gleneida just before the big downhill, then turning around and riding back to Pleasantville to take the train back to NYC, after about 71 miles riding.

The complications are that it would be my longest ride ever (vs 62 miles last summer or 50 earlier this week) so I'll be a bit worn out by that point, I've never ventured off the trail in Pleasantville, and that as I'm doing this a bit slowly on a unicycle, I'd probably hit that part at or after sunset. Not that I mind riding after dark - actually kind of enjoy it - but both ongoing subway service changes and not wanting to dodge roots and mud puddles on the to Old Put in Van Cortlandt Park in the dark (the way my round trip to Yorktown ended last summer) point towards ending at a Metro North station rather than a subway one.

To some extent I'm tempted to take Bedford Road / 117 over Pleasantville Road - it's a shorter distance off the trail, and being a bit skittish about riding in traffic simply walking the sidewalk the mile and a half is a reserve option.

I guess another option is to continue south and take the Tarrytown Lakes path - I've ridden that out to the park parking lot, seems like it's a just over a mile then down to the Tarrytown train station? Looks like that would make 75 miles overall.

Are there any other good bailout points?

Edit: After trying all three, the Tarrytown Lakes path is quite nice after a brief initial up and down, and Neperan Road is low traffic, apart from a brief initial hill an easy ride from the lakes parking lot downhill through town to the train. Also the trains from there are more frequent. In contrast, neither Pleasantville Rd nor Route 117 makes nice riding to Pleasantville.

Steve B.

I think I'd rather ride Nepperhan Rd downhill into T-Town then Rt 117 to Pleasantville.

dendawg

Google maps shows the tarrytown option as around 2.7 miles from the north county, vs 1.3 miles to pleasantville. Mostly up and down to pleasantville vs mostly down to tarrytown, plus the extra mileage back to tarrytown from 117. There may or may not be sidewalks on 117 until you actually get to pleasantville

UniChris

Thanks, Streetview does show sidewalks on both Bedford Rd/117 to Pleasantville, and on Neperan Road down to Tarrytown.

Unfortunately it shows a general lack of shoulder on both as well, except for the middle third of the Neperan stretch.

Apart from the short brief up and down to get from the NCT to the Tarrytown Lakes trail, a lot of that 2.7 miles is actually on the trail, and it's only a little over a mile on Neperan road from the parking lot where the trail ends. Pleasantville on 117 is about 1.4 miles, not all that hilly according to the map.

In a way it's a question of if at the time I end up feeling like I've got the four miles of trail in me - likelihood is that I'd end up walking the road portion either way rather than deal with that on a unicycle while substantial fatigued. Ironically on my local ride Friday I threw in the towel a few hundred yards short of where I usually consider the east river greenway obstructions to make it to be no longer worth riding, so the distance I ended up walking back to my apartment was almost a mile.

Or maybe if we get a break in the rain this week I'll take a one way ride up to one or the other of them to try it out in a more relaxed situation.

dendawg

Another consideration is that there is more frequent train service in Tarrytown, vs 1 train an hour in Pleasantville. Take a look at the Metro North weekend schedules

UniChris

Good point!

My second Brewster ride I was 57 minutes early for the train. Though last week worked out nicely - walked up, looked at the sign, and realized I had two minutes to make it up and down the stairs and buy a ticket.

UniChris

Well, that was so-so.

Set out from Van Cortland early on Friday but bogged down in the mid-day sun so it was late afternoon by the time I turned around at the tunnel above lake Gleneida in Carmel, right before that big descent to Tilly Foster. I find the Putnam trial relatively easy riding on the unicycle northbound, and know it well, but returning southbound I kept having difficulty remounting on even the slightest inclines after the road crossings and often ended up walking quite a ways until it leveled out and I could get back on top of the big 36" wheel. Caught sunset at the Kitchawan bridge, and it was good and dark by the time I hit Millwood so rode the entire stretch of route 100 on the southbound shoulder because I couldn't see where to cross to the stretch of path on the east side.

Ironically what caused me to throw in the towel was the marked drop in pavement quality once the NCT switched to its own side of the guard rail - I guess that little fence means it no longer gets repaved when the highway does, but even though the mile from Biarcliff down to route 117 is fairly open beside the highway, I decided I didn't have the reserve to deal with hitting bumps under a headlamp or the confidence that I'd be able to run it out if I did come off the unicycle at faster than a walk. So I ultimately ended up hiking a bit over two miles on Pleastanville Road to the train, pushing the unicycle and walking facing traffic in the sections without any shoulder so I could climb up on the curb in the few cases where cars didn't seem to be responding to my headlamp and hi-vis.

Technically a personal record - well over last summer's 100 km, and around 70 miles counting the hill- and road- walking, but discouraging due to the difficulty with the route and hope of working up to longer rides on it this summer.

I don't suppose there's any flat, level, smooth, traffic- and stoplight- free 15+ mile stretch in the tri-state area that one could do laps of to hit a distance goal? Passing the same point more often than once in each direction feels a little pathetic, on the other hand having a set stop for water, food, bathroom, and a shorter exhaustion/injury/mechanical bailout could be nice, too. Was just watching a video of a unicycle record being broken on an auto track in the UK, where friends would sprint up and hand them bananas.

Hoping I'll get a chance to ride some of the Farmington Valley rail trail in CT and MA while visiting relatives sometime in the next few weeks, maybe part of that has potential...

Jarrettsin

Nice ride, that's a lot of miles on any cycle.

Steve B.

UniChris

Thanks, I should take the LIRR out there and try that. Though wind does love to grab the big wheel. Also noticing on streetview a total lack of shade - one thing the Putnam route does have a fair amount of. Sun really takes a toll of exhaustion - kept being tempted on Friday to find a shaded bench and take a nap. Switched to a long sleeve jersey a week previous and been meaning to get or make a helmet brim thing to hide from the sun under.

dendawg

The only shade I've found on that route is stooping by the restrooms at Zach Bay or the bathhouse on the beach. :-). FWIW the boardwalk is now rideable year round and there are even bike racks by the east bath house. And the wind is usually out of the west. Another possible long trail is the Delaware Canal Tow Path in PA. Not paved, but packed dirt.

UniChris

Yeah, I did see some info on that one. Would be a bit more of an "adventure" as there's a trip involved in just getting there.

Also been thinking about the Farmington Canal Trail, or just today possibly doing a sort of rotating-leg-star ride centered on Northampton, MA since I have family who live a block from one of the three trails that join together there. Riding each leg four ways instead of two would be more boring than a traditional out-and-back but being able to stop in and perhaps have family join up for a couple miles at various points in a long day could be nice.

Or I could do out and back on the Farmington followed by a less repetitive star centered in Northampton, but sitting in a car for a half hour in the middle of a distance ride to get from Westfield to Easthampton seems both weird and a good way to stiffen muscles.

dendawg

Found this online
https://www.fodc.org/visit-the-canal...hikers-bikers/
Don't know how far it would be to pick it up from the trenton train station

UniChris

That actually looks quite possible, thanks! Easy to imagine doing a set of S shaped half loops of those crossings going outbound and their complement for the return.

Might have to walk a few blocks from the train in Trenton, but also looks like the trail runs back up to New Brunsnwick giving another potential starting point.

NYNJrider

is there decent biking around Westchester??

UniChris

Yes, that's an implicit point of this thread.

- South and North County trails the entire height of the county from the NYC line at Van Cortlandt park (and through that to the NYC subway) up to the Putnam County line (and beyond that to Metro North at Brewster)
- Bike Sundays when they close the Bronx River parkway for recreation several weekends early and late each summer (though beware the intensity of sun on four lanes of pavement)
- The Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, varying in condition
- Various mountain bike options in Sprain Ridge Park

That said, in contrast to the paths riding around the urban streetscape is a reportedly a bit variable. Probably places where it's fine, but others (some familiar from their proximity to the dedicated trails) where I'd not be comfortable to try that. Some of the street gaps between pieces of OCA are reportedly quite unpleasant.

On another note, caught a ride back to NYC on Sunday, with someone who was originally going to cross the Tappan Zee after dropping me in Tarrytown, but then traffic projections changed and we came down the thruway to the GWB. Seeing the highway sign mentions of Elmsford, etc I was thinking "we're going to go right over the South County Trail" but wasn't quite spotting familiar territory. And then Woodland's Lake was right there. Managed to maintain a sense of the trail for the next several miles down to a bit below the Mile Sq road crossing. Odd to see the area from a different perspective - it's quite a bit more built-up than one would realize from the right of way of a former rail line as it runs through the woods with only a general sense of a highway or another off to the side, or the occasional glimpse of an industrial edge business or a few houses. Also a lot of hills that impressively level route manages to snake its way in between.

A bit later the upper switchback of the new access to the OCA trail was visible beside the highway; still need to try exploring that from where it branches off the Mosholu route into Van Cortlandt.

Oso Polar

Do you know which parts of it have usable condition? I've tried this trail around Ossining and Croton, got an impression that it is way more suitable for hiking. Narrow singletrack. In some places I was hardly able to walk upon it - slippery wet ground descents with fallen trees across etc. Plus constant crossings of the streets.

UniChris

No, I've never been on any of it. Only passed by the entry where it splits from the Mosholu route into VCP. If I ever decide to try some, I'd probably just do that up into Tibbets Brook park and then try to cut over to the SCT for the rest o the day. Or try it on foot.

Try putting "Croton" or "OCA" into the search box, there seem to be a number of threads. Also Eben Weiss aka Bike Snob is a big OCA fan and mentions it sometimes.

csport

I biked it from Yonkers Avenue to Hastings-on-Hudson. In Yonkers the trail has lots of garbage despite the sign informing of a 3,000$ fine for dumping trash. Then it becomes a singletrack with some rocks. North of Greystone station it is a very nice double track dirt road. It can have some puddles and mud after the rain, which is expected.

UniChris

Finally made it into the actual village of Tarrytown - was a hot day in the city and wanted an escape, didn't quite have time for a round trip from VCP to Elmsford and back before dark, so just decided to ride on up to the branch, through the lakes path, and if necessary walk Neperan down to the train so I'd know what I was getting into if I end a long ride by retracing that far south.

Needless to say, walking wasn't necessary. Very quiet road, probably only passed by 10-12 cars in the whole mile on Neperan, though one did slowly pass a bit close before turning left... there's always someone.

And riding a unicycle gingerly down the hill through the outdoor dining section of Tarrytown right before sunset was good for a few grins.

Feel like I should get some friends together and repeat today's late afternoon ride up, lock our wheels to a lamp post we can keep an eye on, enjoy a sunset dinner, then take the train back to the city.

Any experiences with particularly good/bad extremes of those sidewalk seating dinner spots?

Best comment of the ride - from a southbound bike at Woodland's lake: "Please tell me you didn't ride that up from the Bronx" Alas I only had time for, "actually, I did" and not "If I'd gotten going earlier I'd be headed to Brewster" or "did a metric a few weeks back"

Further Edit: Color this "confusing" - it's Neperan Road in Tarrytown. But there's a Nepperhan Ave in Yonkers. If we're going to do cultural appropriation, can't we at least spell it consistently?

UniChris

Oh, related question: anyone know where bikes are supposed to go on Hudson Line Metro North trains? On the Harlem Line I know how to find the fold-down seats wheelchair/bike area, but I wasn't finding that on the older looking cars of the Hudson Line train back from Tarrytown tonight.

Given that I only have half a bike and unless I'm just barely making the train it's usually in a big shoulder bag before I board, I'm not going to make an issue of it by asking unless the conductor does, so just ended up squeezed into a regular 3-seat in the northernmost open car this time.

But sort of wondering what I should have been aiming for if I wanted to be fully "why yes, I have an MNR bike pass right here in my wallet" orthodox about it.

UniChris

Had occasion to try 117 into Pleasantville yesterday after road-rashing my knee (despite pads) on the NCT behind the county police barracks a mile below it.

Not a fan. Going out that way looked closer and in terms of trail miles it was, but not a nice street, only scarcely better than my previous venture that way on Pleasantville Rd. Homeowner doing yard work that I talked to near the end said he'd had his cars hit while they were parked on the street.

Riding the mile up to to 117 proved I was actually okay, if I'd realized that from the start I should have instead ridden the few miles back to the Tarrytown Lakes path and out on Neperan.

Walked a few miles today to get more tegaderm... so not that bad a lesson. And next time, if at all possible, Tarrytown.

UniChris

So I did 80 miles yesterday.

At least if you count the several walking. 7:45 am at Mosholu subway below Van Cortlandt, Kitchawan rail bridge at noon, turned around atop the hill after the Weber Hill Road tunnel in Carmel at 2:30 pm. Southbound ran out of daylight around Grey Oaks in Yonkers, although Van Cordlandt park was near ideally dry decided not to risk it after dark and hiked over Caryl's insane hills to Broadway and rode the new bike lane down to the 1 train.

In a sense I accomplished what I set out to. In another, I'm still not sure how I go further. Could get a little more time on the starting side, but still chose my fraction of the route to avoid the most taxing parts in and north of Carmel.

csport

NCT is closed North of Route 133 in Millwood (where Coutry Deli is) for approximately 1 mile. It was open a week ago. I had to resort to Route 100, and it has no to almost no shoulder. I asked people who went across the barricades, and they said it was impossible to pass. Allegedly some trucks came and blocked the pass. They are to do some work there. The sign says "closed until further notice".
Also, they are doing some work near Brewster.
Posting in this thread since we already have many threads related to SCT/NCT.

UniChris

Sorry to hear that but thanks for the report... odd as Millwood up into the Kitchawan preserve didn't seem like an area due for maintenance compared to some other segments, though I guess something could have happened since I last saw it in early August.