

Unfortunately, neither Tenth nor Twelfth Avenues cross the railroad tracks between 61st and 62nd Streets, and Fort Hamilton Parkway is arguably worse for the vulnerable road user.

But once you get to Eleventh Avenue, you’ll have nine blocks of ground to cover with cars and trucks before you get to your next turn at 58th Street it’s one of those spots where a small reserve of courage comes in handy. The jog from the 70th Street bridge over the Gowanus Expressway, and along 67th Street from Eighth Avenue to Eleventh Avenue isn’t so bad. Getting started/the dodgy bit: The hardest part of this route is the start. The skinny: About four miles of relatively flat riding that is also a car-light route… once you get clear of Dyker Heights, that is. The trails are a bit rocky and rooty in some spots, and you’ll have to walk anything less than a mountain bike over those spots, but it will get you around Hylan. (I suppose I can legally walk my bike I just don’t.) The out-of-your-way-but-legal method is to continue uphill along Guyon and just past the Staten Island Railway and make a left at North Railroad Avenue, at the end of which is a short trail system that leads downhill, back toward the park. You could ride along the sidewalk for a half-mile to Buffalo Road-it isn’t legal, but I’d rather take my chances with law enforcement than Hylan Boulevard traffic. The direct route to Great Kills Park would be along Hylan itself, but this part of Hylan is not casual-cyclist friendly. Up to Hylan Boulevard, the ride is fairly easy, with some low-to-moderate traffic on a wide road.
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The dodgy bit, and the workaround: To exercise the Great Kills option, you would ride up Guyon from the Mill Road.

You shouldn’t have any problem traversing this 1/4-mile stretch with a mountain bike or hybrid, but you might have to walk a road bike. They’re not fancy they are on the good side of Hylan Boulevard.Īsterisk: The blacktop road past Cedar Grove Beach ends and turns into a fairly silty trail. Where to eat: For a quick bite or sandwich near the Miller Field/Cedar Beach area, I’ll stop off at King’s Deli, on New Dorp Lane and Finley Avenue, or Nino’s Salumeria, at the corner of Ebbits and Roma. The greenway entrance is on the left, and from there, you’ll have clear riding along Staten Island’s best beaches for about five miles. At the bottom, turn right, continue down and past the campground, and keep going to the barricades across U.S.S. You’ll go past an Army Reserve center, then down a short, steep hill. From there, head to the next light and turn right at McClean Avenue, toward Fort Wadsworth. You can place your bike on the rack on the front of the bus, pay your normal bus fare and ride across the Verrazano Bridge to the first stop in Staten Island. Getting started: You’ll need to work your way to one of the bus stops for the S53 (Fourth Avenue and 86th St, Fourth Avenue and 90th Street, or Fort Hamilton Parkway and 92nd Street). The skinny: About five miles of car-free boardwalk and bike path along the East Shore beaches of Staten Island, with an option to continue on to Great Kills Park over city roads And while the city government has outfitted streets in other parts of New York with safe biking spaces, it has neglected the southern half of Brooklyn.īut while cycling in and out of Bay Ridge using the current infrastructure is challenging, it isn’t impossible, either-if you’re looking to give it a shot, here are three rides you can try, from easiest to third-easiest.Īll maps by Dan Hetteix Staten Island East Shore Beaches Grand Tour I agree! No one should bike some place they don’t feel comfortable. From this group, I’ll often hear some variant of this comment: “I used to ride a bike a bit, but I stopped because the streets here aren’t safe.” In my role as a Bay Ridge bicycling advocate, I’ve spoken to a few people I would describe as “bike-curious,” or at least a “bike-sympathizer,” but not an active bike rider. We’ll meet outside of the office of Community Board 10 (8119 Fifth Avenue), aka Bay Ridge’s Little City Hall, at 11am.
Easy mtb ride in bay area free#
The dual-purpose of the ride is to highlight cycling as sustainable transportation, free of the carbon pollution that has placed the climate of the planet on a precipice, while also following one of the easier routes in southern Brooklyn in a friendly group setting. Author’s note: this Saturday (April 21, 2018), the Transportation Alternatives committee for southwest Brooklyn will be organizing an Earth Day weekend social bike ride to Prospect Park along the second route described in this article.
