City Island (Travelogue)

One of the most significant changes that cycling has made in my life is to turn me into a 5-borough New Yorker. I had already begun this process thanks to my Brompton Lucille, but being a member of the 5 Boro Bike Club has taken me to places I would never have gone on my own – and in ways I never would have gone. Today, we go to City Island, a 40+mi ride.

As luck would have it, we are traveling on the best day of the year – and it’s a Saturday. Our leader, Geoffrey, wisely steers us away from the Hudson Greenway, which is more crowded than I’ve ever seen it (I ride it to get to Central Park). Instead, after meeting at Columbus Circle...

We head north to Adam Clayton Powell. We pick up St. Nicholas Avenue at 116th Street - and that’s the last time I know where I’m going. I did not download the route map (a bad habit of mine), but with the Point, Drop Sweep system that 5BBC uses, I know I'll be in good hands.

What I love about the 5BBC is that these are largely urban rides. The views aren’t always pretty, but they’re always interesting.

We ride through some wide bike lanes.

Over the FDR

Along the East River

Through areas with a dubious bike route...

To no bike route (safety in numbers)

Over bridges I don't recognize (the University Heights Bridge?)

And deep into the Bronx...

Guided expertly by our Fearless Leader. And this is when I discover that many of the parkways I’ve traveled for years, have bike paths right next to them: the Hutchinson River Parkway, The Mosholu Parkway. Who knew?

When we get to City Island, we ride to the southern tip for a seafood lunch at a joint that could have come straight out of an SNL skit: a cacophonous cavern with orders yelled back from the counters to the guys with the fryers, in a sort of working pandemonium. The noise level is off the charts, but I have to laugh. Where else in the country would you find a place like this?

I locate the group outside.

That fishing line strung above the table is to protect us (and our meal) from marauding seagulls.

We gobble down our lunch and before I know it, we're on our way back.

This time taking a slightly different route.

Through Westchester (or is it Beverly Hills?)

It’s pretty. It’s relaxed. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about cycling, it’s that there is no such thing as an ordinary ride. Sure enough, we’re at about mile 30, when two spokes from Geoffrey’s bike pop out with a bang. They sound like a gun shot. We’re at a stoplight, so at least he wasn’t riding.

We all pull over as he inspects the damage.

I never really thought about it, but spokes must be under a lot of pressure for a wheel to function properly. And we’ve been riding over city streets. This wheel is completely “Out of true,” as they say. Or in the vernacular, bent the hell out of shape. One more thing to worry about, I think.

But Geoffrey is remarkably unfazed and works to get the spokes back into the wheel, hoping it will align.

Ultimately, the decision is made for him to find his way home via subway, (he hopes), and for the rest of us to push on.

Fortunately some of us have the route map, and we make our way at a leisurely pace back to the Hudson Greenway.

But I have theatre tickets and can’t afford this leisurely pace. So after a 40mi ride, I find myself sprinting the last 8 mi or so down the Greenway – Gah!

En route, I encounter one pothole too many, and the wrist is not happy. I am home long enough to ice, and head out to the theatre, making a note to myself to check on Geoffrey later.

I would like to mention that during this ride, I have consumed:

1 Apple & 4 pieces cheese
1 banana
1 PB&J sandwich
1 Energy Bar
15 small scallops
1 small container boiled veggies
1 cup yogurt
1 Pint each: water, gator aid, lemonade
1 Cup of coffee at 8pm (to get me through the theatre)

And I could still eat!

Here’s the original route map.