bromptonyc

Hey guys -

For all the folding bikers out there in NYC, I think it would be awesome to start a folding bike meet up and ride amongst other folding bike members.

I am thinking of a once or twice a month ride over a few laps in central park, then we can bring our bikes into a local bar or pub and chat and hang out a bit.

Please post if you'd be interested in this kind of regular folding bike group meet up.

The sight of 10 folding bikes riding together doing laps in central park!

noteon 

I'd be interested, as my schedule allows.

rhm

Same here.

The problem for me is that I work in NYC but don't live here. So weekends are pretty much out. But some weekday afternoon, I'm in.

Hey, here's a crazy idea: anyone want to do a folding bike century? I'd come to the city on a weekend to ride a century.

aixaix 

Folding bike century, huh? I have a Dahon Helios, first generation, whose saddle was a product of the M. de Sade/M. Guillotine Design Cooperative. Its use for more than 15 miles has been banned by the Geneva Convention.

Seriously, I like the bike: it is crazy light, fast and fun to ride. The saddle and post are unusual and don't allow for mounting a Brooks (which would increase the weight of the bike 25%, btw). Doing 100 miles on it would cripple my posterior for a week.

Still, it is a cool idea. Great excuse for buying a Brompton...

noteon 

Sounds fun to me. I actually did a 200K on my Swift last April.

rhm

Michael, send me a photo of that saddle, and how it mounts! Maybe we can figure out a way to put a decent leather saddle on there.

I'll do it! I'd suggest we meet at Penn Station and finish at some other station from where we can get a train back to Penn Station. This restricts our riding options to... uh... well, pretty much none at all. I know some good routes in South-Central NJ and Eastern Long Island, but would be happy to see other areas.

noteon 

Hmm. Long Island really starts getting pretty out by the Hamptons, and we'd be done before that.

noteon 

Actually...Hudson Greenway -> Dyckman -> Broadway -> Van Cortlandt Park -> Rail trail to New Croton Reservoir is an 80-mile round trip. Tack another ten north after the reservoir, and there's a century.

rhm

That might work.

For Long Island, I have an excellent loop that starts and ends at the Mastic-Shirley LIRR station. It adds up to about 108 miles but you get to see a few cute towns, expensive homes, the dunes on the barrier island, a short walk on the beach, some farmland, crazy rolling hills in the moraine, Sag Harbor, Shelter Island, vineyards, pinelands, and duck farms. In other words, all the island has to offer. I led a century of c&v bikes there last summer, and the summer before. Haven't done it on the folder, but eh, what's the difference?

noteon 

Works for me.

Spring?

rhm

We don't need much notice. At least, I don't. Keep an eye out for a warm weekend.

1nterceptor

I did this ride with the 5 Boro Bike club last year, it was a lot of fun. The club started at Van Cortland park, then
went to the Croton Reservoir. After that the group went to the train station to go back to NYC. I started in New Jersey,
met the club at the starting point then rode back from the train station. Around 100 miles or so. Would like to do it
again this year, if you guys don't mind a slow middle aged guy bogging the group down

Cyclerock

A NYC based environmental group, Times Up!, has an annual folding bike festival and ride. T.U. puts on a ton of fun rides!
https://times-up.org/index.php?page=folds-up-ride