DAVETREK ADVENTURES

6/19 Biking, BBQ, Volleyball & Fun 

 

RIDES & FAQ’S

 

RSVP Deadlines

Early Bird Deadline - Sunday, June 12, 2011

Final Deadline - Thursday 10:00 am, June 16, 2011

 

RSVP For The Weekend Here

Return to the main site for this event

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BIKE RIDE DETAILS

 

THREE BIKING GROUPS

 

A) STANDARD RIDE (10 - 15 MILES, all on the paved bike trail, most bikes and helmets will be rentals)

B) ADVANCED RIDE (25—35 MILES, all on the paved bike trail, most bikes and helmets will be rentals)

C) EXTREME RIDE (50 - 55 miles, with 15+ miles of road riding, using your own bike, starting from the Upper West Side, riding to FDR State Park and then to a train station to go home)

 

 

We have three groups, an easy shorter ride (10 -15 Miles) for beginners, a longer trip (25 - 35 miles) for intermediate and advanced riders and an extreme ride starting on the Upper West Side for extreme riders.

 

We will all be riding along a portion of the North County Trailway, a scenic, paved bike trail in Westchester county .  The standard and advanced riding groups will be together for part of the day through and after lunch, then will go their separate ways. The Extreme group may join us for lunch, or may just meet us directly in FDR State Park for the sports portion of the day and the BBQ, depending on timing. The Standard & Advanced groups will be ferried via their drivers from the bike trail to the FDR State Park, about 3 miles away.

 

See below for all details.

 

A) Shorter Ride -  10 to 15 miles, all along a paved bike trail - Suitable for beginners who can ride a bike well

 

You will be riding the entire time along a scenic and fairly level paved bike trailway. It has great views,  rides alongside a stream and some great wetlands, then goes over a former railroad bridge that crosses the stunning New Croton Reservoir( see above pix), while you are separated from any road traffic.

 

We will ride with the advanced group until lunch, which is 5 miles down the bike trail right after we go over the scenic railroad bridge pictured above, then they will separate from us and we will all meet up later in the park. Folks on this ride will likely get to the park between between 2 and 3 PM and have the most time in the park.

 

While 10 to 15 miles sounds like a lot if you haven't biked in a while. its not as ominous as it sounds. Since the trail is fairly level, paved and you do not have to contend with cars when on the bike path, its something that most folks that can easily ride a bike can do. The 15 miles should take most people no more than 2 to 3 hours total, plus a stop for lunch. Please let me know your level of biking, and which ride you want to do so we have some sense of the level of folks coming. You can switch rides on the day of the event, but we want to get a sense of who is planning to do what. See the FAQ below for more details for beginners. Nearly everyone will be renting bikes, so unless you are driving your bike to the event, assume you will be renting.

 

Once you are done with the ride, you will return the bike rental and then go in a car ( hopefully the one you rode up in) over to FDR State Park, about 3 miles away. You might have to wait a bit for a ride, though we will try and shuffle people around into cars as folks come back from the ride earlier or later than their driver/passengers.

 

B) ADVANCED RIDE (25 - 35 MILES, all on the paved bike trail, most bikes will be rentals)

 

This is for folks who are intermediate or advanced riders. Folks on this ride will be together with the standard ride folks until lunch, then after lunch you will retrace part of the ride and head north into Putnam county, going along most of the paved portion of the Putnam County Trailway. You will be riding for about 40 miles, which should take folks 4 to 5 hours, plus lunch. You will likely get to the BBQ around 3:30 to 4:30 PM. This ride is designed for folks who are good intermediate level or advanced level riders. Its very level, but its long and it becomes an issue of stamina, so err on the side of doing the standard ride vs the advanced ride if you are not sure you can do this ride. Also, nearly everyone will be renting bikes, so unless you are driving your bike to the event, assume you will be renting.

 

Once you are done with the ride, you will return the bike rental and then go in a car ( hopefully the one you rode up in) over to FDR State Park, about 3 miles away. You might have to wait a bit for a ride, though we will try and shuffle people around into cars as folks come back from the ride earlier or later than their driver/passengers.

 

C) EXTREME RIDE (50 - 55 miles, with 15+ miles of road riding, using your own bike, starting from the Upper West Side, riding to FDR State Park and then to a train station to go home)

 

 This is a ride designed for the extreme riders out there, who want a tough ride and want to bring your own bike. You will be doing a fair bit of road riding, so make sure you are comfortable with this. You will be riding along the Hudson Bike trail up to the GW, then heading inland for some road riding till you get to Van Cortland Park, and then biking a mix of road riding and trail riding, along the entire length of the South County Trail Way and half of the North County Trailway. Most of the riding is level without too many hills, but then you get to the most fun part, a good sized series of hills you need to bike up for the last 3 miles, from the North County Trailway to FDR State Park. Here is a site which details much of the ride from Van Vortland Park using google maps, though we might vary the ride somewhat from this site’s version of the ride. The folks on this ride may or may not ride with others—it depends on when we have you leave. You might just meet us in the park at 3 or 4PM. We will determine this among the folks coming on this ride.

You will then need to ride to a metro north station within 8 to 12 miles (TBD). The fair home is about $16—$20, plus a one time $5 MTA/LIRR bike pass you will need to buy if you do not have one. Its likely a 4 to 5 hour ride to the park, and then another 1 to 1.5 hours to the train station, depending on which one we choose.

 

Unless we are confident that you can do this ride in advance of the ride, we reserve the right to switch you to the Advanced ride, as we can’t allow this group to lag given the amount and difficulty of the ride. Also, this option is contingent on folks signing up for it—I have some people interested who are capable of the ride, but it may not occur if people don’t sign up for this option. Let us know your preferences on the RSVP form! 

 

For those not on the Extreme ride, be aware that you will likely not be able to take your bike unless you are driving to the location yourself and you will have to rent a bike  and helmet like the rest of the group.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?

 

Lunch, at least 1 liter of water, sunscreen & bug spray ( you never know this time of year!), comfortable shoes & clothing for biking and playing sports/boating/swimming, a small backpack/bag to enable you to carry your lunch and water while biking, a bathing suit if you plan to go swimming, a helmet if you bring your own bike, etc. Also, as we get closer and I know the weather, I might advise people to bring a sweater and a wind breaker - it gets colder when you ride, unless its really hot - you will appreciate it if its needed!

 

For those renting bikes, your rental includes a helmet. Please bring a helmet if you are bringing your own bike. We will not allow you to ride with the group if you and each member of your party does not have a helmet and does not wear it during the ride.

 

For those coming with a car, you might want to bring some sports equipment, and a comfortable portable chair if you want to relax in the park. I will have volleyballs, frisbees, basketballs and perhaps a hammock for people's use.

 

I HAVE NOT BIKED IN MANY YEARS - CAN I DO A 10 - 15 MILE BIKE RIDE?

 

Surprisingly, on a level paved trail like this, the answer is generally yes. I have run several similar bike trips in the Berkshires on our weekends at the Shaker Mill and most people have been fine with biking similar distances without having biked in years/decades! If you are not sure, let me know on the form in the comments and I can talk with you about it. As this is an 'out and back' trail, you can always limit how far you go and turn back before the lunch destination, which is about 7.5 miles from the park - I hope you don't though, since lunch is near the bridge over the reservoir and thats the most scenic part of the ride...

 

I WANT TO BRING A  CHILD - CAN THEY RENT A BIKE ALSO?

 

We have a limited number of rental bikes available for children, 9 and older. Realize that the the younger the child is, the less they will be able to ride for the 15 miles of the shorter ride. We also have a limited number of bike trailers for children 2 to 4, and some dual bikes designed for kids 7 to 10. Let us know on the form and we will see what we can do!

 

Extreme Bikers - When and where do I leave from and how am I getting home? Do I need a bike permit for the train? If so, how much does it cost and where do I get one?

 

For those who are biking up from Manhattan, you will be meeting at a location TBD on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Leaving time will likely be around 8am. The ride will take you up to 6 hours.

 

For your return, you will be going to a nearby Metro North Rail Station, and then taking your bike on the train. In order to do so, you will need a $5 bike permit. This permit is a one time purchase and is good for as long as you have it on your person, on both Metro North & LIRR trains. You can get the permit via any open train station, or via mail. You may also  get a temporary permit by paying the conductor an extra $5 on the train itself, and then you can present the receipt the conductor gives you to a ticket agent at Grand Central or any other open train station and you will receive the official permit. Your bike must also conform with the bike regulations of the railroad, which restrict size and types of bikes. Check the site to be sure about your bike, but most bikes except tandems seem fine under the policy.

 

 

RIDES & DRIVERS: We make reasonable efforts to sort out rides for people. However, the sooner you RSVP, the more likely you are to get a ride, as preference goes to those who RSVP sooner. Drivers, please help us out by letting us know if you can drive and take any bikes. Drivers who take 3 passengers are fully reimbursed for their expenses.

 

I AM A VEGETARIAN - WILL YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR ME AT THE BBQ?

 

Yes, we always have plenty for the vegetarians, such as vegetarian hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled vegetables like portobello mushrooms and even grilled fruits such as bananas, apples, etc. all prepared on pareve grills,

 

WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF KASHRUT?

For our snacks and other items, we buy all of the items with the standard recognized hechsers such as OU, OK, etc. For the BBQ, all of the meat/chicken is purchased from local kosher markets such as Brachs in Queens, Glatt Mart, or Costco, which now carries OU certified meats in many locations. All of the grill and equipment used for the event are items that we use only for these types of events.

 

Where are we biking, and BBQ’ing?

 

All the details are here, on the directions page.

 

 

RAIN IN THE FORECAST WILL CANCEL THIS EVENT.

 

 THIS EVENT WILL SELL OUT BECAUSE WE ARE LIMITED IN THE NUMBER OF BIKES WE CAN RENT, SO SIGN UP ASAP!

 

SEE YOU AT THE EVENT!!

 

PS. Feel free to send this to GOOD friends, but DO NOT BROADCAST this your list - This is not a 'public' event.

 

RSVP form

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS - Here is a google map link to the biking location and the FDR State Park—stay tuned for more specific directions.