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Looking to Ride in Suffern NY

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Looking to Ride in Suffern NY

Old 10-23-22, 08:30 PM
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Attilio
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Looking to Ride in Suffern NY

Hello Everyone;

During the winter my kids will have an all weekend fencing tournament in Suffern NY. I have different bikes available but my carbon road bike will NOT be on the table due to winter conditions. So I can choose either my gravel all rounder beater bike for road/light trails or MTB for more serious trail riding. I notice there are mountains and trails north of there but it's hard to make out what is accessible. A lot what looks like power lines (my favorite) is gas line but it's SUPER steep going up. A few miles north there look to be some lakes with fire roads accessing them but a google car view shows there are gates though not necessarily no trespassing or no access situations. Obviously with more than a few inches of snow in the winter I would not be riding the trails. I can do light snow but not 2 feet that's not doable even in a fat bike.

I am trying to cobble a route together and figure out where it's worth riding and what places to see. Would the fire roads leading to the lakes be ploughed? Anyone from the area or has visited there and can advise me of what is allowable, what is worth it, and which bike to bring accordingly, Gravel or MTB?
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Old 10-23-22, 08:42 PM
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First issue may be is there any snow cover ?. That pretty much closes down trails and rail trails. If no snow, I was going to suggest ride the Esposito Rail Trail that goes south from the Cuomo Bridge in Nyack (so drive and park), head down to Piermont (good town for a coffee or lunch) head back , about 8-9 miles RT, then get on the bridge path over to Tarrytown (3.5 miles one way), its a beautiful ride. Maybe then down the Old Croton Aqueduct trail just south of the bridge for as many miles as you want, its 9 miles one way to Yonkers. Its all doable (and perfect) on a gravel bike. Thats 30 plus miles. The OCA is a dirt path, flat as can be. The bridge path is paved.

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Old 10-29-22, 09:36 AM
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Plenty of good riding in nearby Harriman Park. Seven Lakes Drive is maitained and plowed year round with decent shoulders. From Nov 15 to Apr 15 Tiorati Brook drive, Lake Welch Parkway and Arden Valley Road are closed to vehicle traffic as they are un mantained but great for biking if there is no snow cover. The only trail on which mtn biking is allowed is acessed at the Anthony Wayne area in Bear Mtn Park.It is pretty much single track though. Also starting from Bear Mtn Park you can climb Perkins drive to the top of Bear Mtn, which is also closed to vehicles in the winter months, but a great 2 1/2 mile climb when there is no snow cover. You would start from the parking lots at the Bear Mtn Inn. You are also close to NYS Bike Rt 9 which pretty much follows Rt 9W with some nice hills. Park at Rockland Lake State Park to the south or the Bear Mtn Inn at the north, and do a round trip. Follow the bike rt 9 signs through Haverstraw, as there is very little shoulder on 9W through that area. All of the above can be quite hilly. I'd go with the gravel bike if no snow cover or just sticking to the roads. If there is snow the old mountain roads in the park get used by skiers, so as a skier try not to mess up any set tracks. The hikers and dog walkers do enough damage as is.

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Old 10-29-22, 07:06 PM
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Is Rt 6 or Pallisades Interstate Parkway as well as Bear Mountain bridge rideable by bike? The latter says yes but the parkway looks like limited access highway. It's a bit of a quandry because the parkway is the only way to get there, so how if the bridge is bikeable if the parkway that takes you there isn't? Would like to know if I want to plan a longer route.
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Old 11-01-22, 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by dendawg
Tiorati Brook drive, Lake Welch Parkway and Arden Valley Road are closed to vehicle traffic as they are un mantained but great for biking if there is no snow cover.
Has Arden Valley Road re-opened? I was up there 2 or 3 months ago and couldn't ride it because a bridge was out towards the Route 17 end.
(Well, I mean, I could have ridden it...but only from Tiorati Circle to where the bridge was out, and then I would have had to climb all the way back out from whence I came!)

Originally Posted by Attilio
Is Rt 6 or Pallisades Interstate Parkway as well as Bear Mountain bridge rideable by bike? The latter says yes but the parkway looks like limited access highway.
Palisades Interstate Parkway is most definitely not rideable by bike; clearly posted as passenger cars only (so not only no bikes, horses, or pedestrians, but also no trucks nor any vehicle that has commercial plates). Also, the PIP police have ticketed cyclists just for trying to cross the Parkway. :::angryface:::
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Old 11-01-22, 03:18 PM
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Assuming another no snow winter...
You'll be a half hour from Nyack area, which has good documented rides north and south, and east is interesting because you cross the new bridge into Westchester County. On that side of the Hudson, the South County section of the Empire State Trailway is about a mile away and heads to Brewster and north.
South from Nyack there's the classic loop on 9W toward the George Washington Br and up River Road.
Empire State Trailway, Maywood trail.

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Old 11-10-22, 07:36 PM
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Thanks for the suggestions. Was thinking of riding north towards Bear Notch Bridge and attempting a winter century. Yes while it will be my first one I have good clothing have done up to 35 miles in winter without any sign of getting cold as am all geared up. Only water was freezing and I just got some fancy bike compatible size thermos bottles to pour hot coffee into to keep it nice and warm throughout. I have to be careful to stay off certain trails and areas due to West Point as well but looking forward to exploring the woods and lakes region provided the roads are ploughed which by the presence of at last some private residences in the area I would think the roads would be cleaned up eventually should it snow. Will obviously call local authorities to check last minute. Looks like a VERY beautiful area
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Old 11-10-22, 08:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Attilio
Thanks for the suggestions. Was thinking of riding north towards Bear Notch Bridge and attempting a winter century. Yes while it will be my first one I have good clothing have done up to 35 miles in winter without any sign of getting cold as am all geared up. Only water was freezing and I just got some fancy bike compatible size thermos bottles to pour hot coffee into to keep it nice and warm throughout. I have to be careful to stay off certain trails and areas due to West Point as well but looking forward to exploring the woods and lakes region provided the roads are ploughed which by the presence of at last some private residences in the area I would think the roads would be cleaned up eventually should it snow. Will obviously call local authorities to check last minute. Looks like a VERY beautiful area
Do a route if you can on the west side of the Hudson. Crossing the Bear Mt. bridge either has you go north on Rt 9D (not terrible) or south in Rt 202, which is a really bad road to be on till you get to the Rt 9 junction. Its a hilly, slow, winding road, no shoulders and a ton of traffic that will not want to be behind a bike. Just heads up. Theres a rail trail, goes from Harriman to Middletown, 18 miles miles one way. I would drive to Harriman, do the trail, then extend out from Middletown to whatever distance you want. Note that Rt 9W is not bad to Highland Falls, but you cannot bike through West Point and 9W north is a Interstate type road, not a fun bike ride. The countryside west of the Bear Mt. And Harriman State parks has a better road infrastructure and maybe more options.

Last edited by Steve B.; 11-10-22 at 08:39 PM.
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Old 11-14-22, 07:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Attilio
Is Rt 6 or Pallisades Interstate Parkway as well as Bear Mountain bridge rideable by bike? The latter says yes but the parkway looks like limited access highway. It's a bit of a quandry because the parkway is the only way to get there, so how if the bridge is bikeable if the parkway that takes you there isn't? Would like to know if I want to plan a longer route.
The bridge yes, the parkway no
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Old 11-14-22, 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by dendawg
The bridge yes, the parkway no
This. You can ride up 7 Lakes Drive as far as the traffic circle, but cannot ride the 1/2. mile to where it goes up towards Bear Mt. Some of the Parkways (Palisades as example) are off limits to bikes, As well as as stated earlier, limited options once you are on the east side of the Hudson over the Bear Mt. Bridge.
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