Exercise R Us

Question:

> I just moved to New York City a while ago and I am interested in > finding some trails for mountain biking.  Unfortunately, I don’t have > a car, so I am mainly interested in trails that can be accessed by > trains, if there are any.  If any one knows of any trails that are > within reasonable distance from the city and can be accessed by the > subway, metro, etc., please let me know.

You might try the Inwood station at 207th St., on the A. Though I haven’t been, the stories say that Inwood Park is very wild (in a natural sense, as opposed to a NYC sense), and has a lot of uncharted riding space. I HAVE been to Fort Tryon Park around the Cloisters (above 190th), and it does get rural pretty quickly up there. But most of that area has paved trails, for walking and such. Jim

Response:

> >another good option is pelham bay park, in the bronx. > >there are some pretty cool trails. > Just wondering, are these legal bike trails?  I’m asking because I > just got a ticket a few weeks ago for biking off road in Central Park, > even though I see lots of other people doing the same.  I certainly > don’t want a ticket again.

Adding my $.02 as a former manhattanite now dwelling in the boogie down (Bronx that is.) Official NYC Parks Department rules prohibit off-road bicycling in any city park. However the reality of enforcement is that only Central Park is ticketed. Understandable given how every dog-owning, bird-watching, roller-blading-with-walkman-on, pushing-a-baby-stroller- down-the-middle-of-the-roadway-on-a-saturday-afternoon, look-at-me-I’ve got-a-six thousand dollar mountain bike-that’s-never-touched-dirt citizen feels that CP is their private property to do with as they please.         That rant aside, I’ve been riding  Pelham and Van Cortlandt Parks on a regular basis for the last four years. I’ve seen many a cop and park ranger, and actually stopped and asked them if it was OK to ride there, and been given the go-ahead. Bike traffic on the trails has greatly increased over this time in that small single tracks where I would have to push low-hanging branches aside, are now well established thouroughfares. There’s also a lot of kids shredding the park without helmets, skidding around corners. Not cool in any circumstances, but especially so given that there are a lot of cross-country runners in VC, including many high school teams. I would say that Pelham is a nice little cruise, and I’m glad that the trailhead is ten minutes from my door, but I wouldn’t make a special trip for it. VC is worth the trip either by bike or subway. I’d stay the hell out of Central Park, cause the riding there is so minimal, that it’s just not worth it.                 –o       /                          `<,      /                            0/ 0     /  e/                   Andrew Ross  __o              __o  /    I                    AECOM ‘96 O/ O       –o   O/ O/     O/ O           `<,      /           0/ 0     /                                          __o  /                                           `- /              0/ 0                /                                

Response:

Re: Legality.  There is officially no riding in any City park.  As a practical matter, this is only enforced in Central and Prospect Parks. The Greenbelt in Staten Island (rumored to have very good riding) may officially open to MTBs soon. By the way, Time Out magazine will soon have a major article on where to ride in the NYC area.  Probably the May 26 issue, or shortly thereafter. I hear its brilliant.  Actually, I wrote it.

Response:

>another good option is pelham bay park, in the bronx.  take the number >6 subway uptown (green/east side) to the end of the line and you are >basically there. metro north to pelham will bring you within a couple >of miles, too. >there are some pretty cool trails.

Just wondering, are these legal bike trails?  I’m asking because I just got a ticket a few weeks ago for biking off road in Central Park, even though I see lots of other people doing the same.  I certainly don’t want a ticket again. Paul.

Response:

> > I just moved to New York City a while ago and I am interested in > finding some trails for mountain biking.  Unfortunately, I don’t have > a car, so I am mainly interested in trails that can be accessed by > trains, if there are any.  If any one knows of any trails that are > within reasonable distance from the city and can be accessed by the > subway, metro, etc., please let me know.

another good option is pelham bay park, in the bronx.  take the number 6 subway uptown (green/east side) to the end of the line and you are basically there. metro north to pelham will bring you within a couple of miles, too. there are some pretty cool trails.

Response:

SingleTrack in Forest Park, (Richmond Hills, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens) Queens Take F or E train to Union Turnpike station and ride up Union Tnpk. If you have questions, e-mail me                 O                 /==^^                /     /               /      ,, – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     SKI BUM

Response:

I just moved to New York City a while ago and I am interested in finding some trails for mountain biking.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a car, so I am mainly interested in trails that can be accessed by trains, if there are any.  If any one knows of any trails that are within reasonable distance from the city and can be accessed by the subway, metro, etc., please let me know.  Thanks. Paul.

Response: