zacster

I finally got up to the GWB to check out the new north side ramps and lane. First off, the ride up from my house is 18 miles to the lighthouse, and I guess another mile to the bridge from there. I was doing fine until I turned onto the West Side Greenway. It was a Saturday and a nice day and that means everybody is out on their Citibikes, and Citibike riders are pretty clueless. They ride 3 abreast on the path, wobble, stop abruptly and just generally get annoying. But as is frequently the case too the wind was in my face going north. I'm in terrible shape and having a wind in my face just made it miserable. I persevered knowing that once past 96th St it'll empty out and it did. Did they widen the greenway? It felt wider, as if they paved over some of the border bricks, in particular by Chelsea Piers.

I'm totally wiped on what I consider an easy ride by the time I get to the lighthouse and then have to climb to the bridge. On the hairpin turn I've always walked it as navigating going up and having to turn while clipped in and having someone coming down at you always made me nervous. I use the overpass over the HHP, and then climb 181st to Cabrini, not as bad as I thought it would be. I stopped at the bodega before getting on the bridge for a gatorade. The guy at the counter says they sell out all the time now. The ramps on the NY side are pretty easy with wide turns, the bridge path is still between the cables, but the towers have a wide approach and it is very narrow going through as they haven't changed it and you can't really see if someone is coming through as you go in. The NJ side though is kind of a PITA. You go to the right and climb the ramp, there's a hairpin turn while going up (sound familiar), another hairpin and you head down. You go back and forth 4 times to do it. The alternative is to just take the stairs, which avoid all the ramps, and I saw a few people doing that. Going the other way I considered that but decided to just ride it and it wasn't so bad. It really was the first hairpin, when you are on the inside and climbing that is bad, especially if someone is coming down. There's a curved mirror so you can see but I didn't notice that until the second turn as I was too busy thinking about how to navigate it. When you are done with the ramps it leaves you on Hudson Terrace, same as the south side did.

I've driven across many times while it was being built and I never could figure out where the ramps were going because I always take the Palisades Pkwy from there and they sort of disappear from view. Now I know.

I had only planned a 20-25 mile ride for the day so I didn't even go up to the bike shop, never mind Alpine hill or Piermont/Nyack. I'm looking to increase my weekly miles back over 100 but it'll take a little time. At 68 years old it gets harder every year and I just started again. I went back across the bridge and had my long silver limousine pick me up. As I was crossing back across the bridge I realized though that I'd have a tailwind and considered riding, but I just wanted to get back home.

blacknbluebikes 

appreciate the report. thx

BTinNYC 

It's soooo much better than gulag-style south walkway.