noimagination

For my 60th Bday this past Monday, I wanted to "ride my age".

For those of you in the NYC suburban area, I rode from just North of the NJ border in Rockland, up Strawtown/Sickletown (the eagles are back, in the nest on Strawtown road at the top of the hill (rise? it's a pretty gentle hill) where you can overlook the reservoir, but I didn't see them on this ride), then over S. Mountain road to 9W, 9W for a short bit to Clove Rd, drop down into Haverstraw, North along Riverside/etc./Beach road, up Tomkins to meet back up with 9W, up 9W then over the Bear Mtn Bridge, up 9D to Snake Hill Rd, over to Rt 9 then down to 403, take that back over to 9D, then back home, but instead of turning right on S. Mountain off 9W, continue S on 9W, take 304 over to Old Haverstraw Rd/Kings Hwy, then over Old Mill Rd back to Sickletown/Strawtown and home.

It ended up being 67 miles total, so I made my goal. Saw a few riders, some poppies in bloom, the "castle" on the ridge East of 9D (I think it's actually a monastery?), and a Baltimore Oriole on 9W where it passes the Iona island bird sanctuary. The leaves on the trees are pretty much fully out now, and the flowering trees are still (mostly) doing their stuff. A quick stop at the Cove deli on the way back for some more fluids and a banana.

The pavement on 9W North of Tomkins Ave in Stony Point all the way to the Bear Mountain Circle is getting really, really bad, especially so between Tomkins and the big hill just before the lower Bear Mountain entrance road. I hope they do something about it. Even with the dump trucks using the road I had to take the lane in several many places. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too heavy. There's also construction/maintenance on the Bear Mountain Bridge, so no shoulder, you're in the lane. Again, traffic was light so going East (against the wind that day) there were no cars behind me, and coming back with a tailwind I was able to go fast enough that the cars behind me didn't get too impatient.

That's all, just thought I'd break up the endless lube, tubeless tire, "what is the best...", etc., etc., etc... posts.

shelbyfv

It's a cool tradition! Unfortunately it requires more commitment each year.

Bald Paul

Sounds like a good ride. Do you map your routes on something like RideWGPS?
What chain lube did you use? Are you running clinchers or tubeless? What's the best saddle for this type of ride?

noimagination

That's not a bug, it's a feature.

noimagination

Nah, I've lived in this area for ... 35 years, I can find my way around. I only really care about ride time, I don't track mileage or average or anything like that. During a ride I have ride time and cadence displayed, so I can make it home it time to have lunch, or mow the lawn, or whatever I have on for the day Commutes to work are only 5 mi. each way, so no point in doing any tracking there.

At the end of the year I subtract the beginning odometer reading from the final to get an idea of mileage for the year, but that's about it.

Jrasero

Happy birthday! As a New Yorker maybe I will run into you since I bike 9W

noimagination

Lots of gravel riding just over the border in Putnam - Old Albany Post Road, many of the little roads over the ridge between US 9 and 9D. Probably others.

I'd like to make the loop, and from the Bear Mountain Bridge take Rte 202 up and over that knob then down through Westchester to the TZ Bridge and back to Rockland over the TZ. However, I've only ridden Rte 202 East of the Bear Mtn Bridge in the company of lots of other riders (the MS tour that starts in White Plains and goes over the TZ). Have you ridden that route during a normal day? Is it doable, or is the traffic too much?

melissam

Happy birthday! My Big 6-0 is tomorrow, and I'm celebrating by doing a 64 mile training ride with my Team in Training group. They're just about ready to ride the 72 miles around Lake Tahoe on June 2!

WaveyGravey

My upcoming birthday will be 71 for me. But I recently did a 70-mile ride. So hopefully I can complete a birthday ride.

rsbob 

The problem, as I see it, with birthday rides is that they are relatively easy when young and increasingly more difficult when hitting the 70s and 80s. I believe it is all backwards with 60 being the dividing line. Before 60, you should ride your age plus 10 or 20 miles, and after, reduce by 1 mile for each year.

zacster

I went into NJ over the GWB yesterday for the first time since the new bikeway was opened. Usually though if I go that way I only go as far as Nyack and yesterday didn't make it past Strictly Bikes in Fort Lee, but as I've gotten older (69) those 70 mile rides have become non-existent. Maybe I need to give it a try again, as the R/T to Nyack is 70 from my house in Brooklyn.

OldTryGuy

noimagination -- GREAT RIDE

noimagination wrote -- " ...The pavement on 9W North of Tomkins Ave in Stony Point all the way to the Bear Mountain Circle is getting really, really bad, especially so between Tomkins and the big hill just before the lower Bear Mountain entrance road... " Roads were in much better condition for us back in the 80's.

Sunday ride with guys back in the early '80's used to be Hackensack - Bogota - Ft. Lee up 9W/202 to Bear Mtn. Carousel area and back. BUT we were in our 30's

Moved to FLAT land SW FL in 1986 so doubling age was easy for Birthday rides. My 70th Birthday ride of 141.25 miles -- https://www.strava.com/activities/3741404995

Have had some major health issues and just rode a 100 miler for my Dad's 99th Birthday + 1 extra (born in 1925) if he was still alive.

https://www.strava.com/activities/11074746037 -- segment 1 @ 40.04 miles
https://www.strava.com/activities/11078490218 -- segment 2 @ 60.06 miles

FULL MOON on Thursday so will try for 100 miles.

datlas 

merlinextraligh

unless you switch to metric😁

Bassmanbob

Great job! I did my first Birthday Ride on my 50th birthday. I took off from work to do it. It was also my first half century ride. That day, I said I wanted to do an annual birthday ride until at least 75. I hope I do it. I just turned 59 last month, but I've been training for a much longer ride. I need to do my 59 the weekend after I do my long ride coming up next week.

rsbob 

Love the metric idea. When I hit 70, I’m going in KMs. Yesterday did 104 KMs and 1,088 meters climbing.

jaxgtr

I turn 60 in Dec, luckily it cooler so as I have gotten older, that cooler weather is much appreciated.