Yesterday’s adventures were unbelievable and intense! When we woke up, after eight hours of sleep, Bo asked if I’d consider doing a long bike ride instead of a long run since he’s training for his first triathlon! I was apprehensive at first but as soon as I saw the glorious weather and had some motivation from Theodora who was also embarking on a long ride, I said of course!
After breakfast we headed up town to Pedal Pushers bike shop. The staff at Pedal Pushers were super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! We went in there ready to rent road bikes for the day including clips and the whole nine yards. Unbeknownst to me, clips are scary shit! After getting the requisite lecture about the dangers of biking in New York City and how much cab drivers hate bikers, I was more than a little fearful. Bo on the other hand was ready for clips and excited for the adventure. For once, I listened to my gut and brain and opted to get a bike with cages instead of clips.
This is the smile of girl who is excited to bike for the day with cages instead of clips! Cages allowed me to easily start and stop cycling on the busy city streets.
Our route wasn’t planned very clearly, instead we just went wherever we felt. We started with a loop in Central Park before exiting in Harlem and heading towards Riverside Park.
After an adventurous hike and ride through Riverside Park we headed up towards the George Washington bridge.The views of the river and New Jersey were amazing!
After reaching the bridge we took a water break and then headed down the Hudson River parkway back towards Manhattan.
Fleet week and the tourists made riding on the Hudson River Parkway less than desirable but I had one thing on my mind, a cold smoothie!
Thirty miles later we were exhausted but excited for many more long rides in New York. Now we just have to find a better path next time!
We also learned a few things from yesterday’s ride:
- If you want to get serious about riding, experiencing a road bike is very important. But, you need to be confident of your abilities before embarking on a long ride in a congested area. Bo felt more confident and therefore chose to go with cages but I on the other hand, just wanted to become comfortable with a road bike versus dealing with clips too.
- Be sure to wear the proper attire! Having padded bike shorts on made the ride far more enjoyable for both us and I was still sore at the end! They don’t cure everything but they definitely help!
- Carry plenty of water and fuel because YOU will sweat and you will work your body. I’ve always figured that riding a bike was easier than running but there were points yesterday, when I was keeping a 16 mph pace on an incline and was amazed how tough it was. I loved it and was happy I had my Camelbak for easy water access.
- If you’re cycling with someone else, have a plan because it’s tough to stay within speaking distance of each other. We started the ride without a plan and quickly got separated which made for a stressful situation. Even though we had our phones, it is IMPOSSIBLE to ride a road bike and talk at the same time on the streets of Manhattan.
