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photo post: autumn weekend ride in sag harbor

My recent photo ride along the Palisades in New Jersey was so much fun that I took my “good” camera — as opposed to the point-and-shoot that I customarily use for the blog — out again last weekend to photograph a ride in the Sag Harbor area. A 25-mile loop took me from East Hampton, through the Northwest Woods, to Sag Harbor and then to North Haven and back.

With most vistas now faded to brown, the photo ops that coaxed me off my bike were either small splashes of residual autumn color or views that hint at the restful beauty of the coming winter season. Although the wooded back roads here are familiar to me, the contrast between summer and late autumn in a resort area is always striking — and wonderful.

Read more…

an autumn bicycle ride along the palisades

One of my favorite places for a fall weekend bicycle ride is Henry Hudson Road along the cliffs of the Palisades in New Jersey. The always-spectacular views of the George Washington Bridge and of Manhattan and points north (above) are framed at this time of year in foliage at the peak of its autumn glory. In particular, I love the riotous rush of reds, yellows and oranges that accompanies some of the fast (and fun!) descents along the rolling roadway. I often travel this route with friends, but last Saturday I strapped my 35-millimeter camera across my back and set out alone, free to stop frequently to snap pictures. My 4o-mile round trip from the Meatpacking District in Manhattan stretched a bit took longer than usual, but the photo payoff was worth it. Read more…

weekend joyrides: new year’s edition

What better way to kick off the New Year than with a social ride along the scenic Hudson River in Manhattan? This Saturday, Velo City and Recycle-A-Bicycle host a 10-mile ride to benefit their cycling-based youth education programs. A forecast of relatively balmy temperatures in the 40s is our reward for having soldiered through New York City’s sixth-worst snowstorm on record. Ride registration and details here.

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End of an Era? Flywheel Sports Acquires Ride the Zone

Flywheel Sports this week announced the acquisition of the Ride the Zone (RTZ) indoor cycling studios located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and in East Hampton and Water Mill, bringing Flywheel’s portfolio to eight facilities.

RTZ  founder and studio cycling pioneer Marion Roaman will continue as a master instructor with Flywheel.  New York Magazine’s Daily Intel reported that weeks of negotiations by Roaman with the SoulCycle chain ended in a Christmas Day deal with rival Flywheel. Roaman’s original studio, on Newtown Lane in East Hampton and later relocated to Route 27, was the mother ship that ultimately spawned a host of imitators.

The converted studios are scheduled to open in February 2011. Flywheel currently operates facilities in the Flatiron District, at the JCC on the Upper West Side, in Sag Harbor and in Boca Raton, Florida.

nyc area weekend bicycling – October 2 – 3

velojoy presents a list of bike rides in the New York City area for your weekend enjoyment.

photo: velojoy

Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2 and 3 – Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz

Celebrate New York Craft Beer Week with a guided bicycle tour of Williamsburg, East Williamsburg and Bushwick, neighborhoods well populated with breweries at the close of the 19th century. From 1 – 4 pm, visit brewery sites, view vintage photos, savor the history and toss back (one) brew. www.levysuniqueny.com.  RSVP: matt@levysuniqueny.com

Saturday, Oct. 2 – Livestrong Day

On the anniversary of Lance Armstrong’s cancer diagnosis, wear yellow to help raise awareness and to support the over 28 million people living with cancer worldwide. Join the cyber rally.  Search for Livestrong Day events.

Saturday, Oct. 2 – Pedal in the Park

100 butts. 100 spin bikes. 100 miles. “Pedal in the Park,” a mega spin class to benefit the 100 Mile Man Scholarship Foundation is sold out. But spectators are welcome to help cheer on the action between 11 am and 5 pm at Summer Stage in Central Park. DJs, celebrity guests and more. www.the100mileman.com

Sunday, Oct. 3 – Bike MS New York City

This annual benefit ride to support the National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers 30, 50 and 100-mile routes with start and finish at Pier 94, West 54th Street and the Hudson River, in Manhattan.  www.bikenyn.nationalmssociety.org.

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photo: velojoy

Passing Fancy?

Current “I’m Going to Saks”-themed displays throughout the Fifth Avenue flagship store hype wheeled transportation, including rides ranging from a unicycle to a cargo trike (right).  The ongoing retail merchandising craze begs a question:  Is fashion’s embrace of cycling a lasting thing, or just window dressing?

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Bike Buys

Farewell and thanks for a great ride to the Rapha Cycle Club NYC pop-up shop, which for 3 months provided a downtown gathering spot for cyclists to shop the stylish British apparel line, sip espresso, watch a bike race or film  – and park indoors. No word yet on where Rapha might pop up next. Continue to get your shopping fix in Manhattan at Paragon Sports and Signature Cycles. The women’s line is expanding with a new long-sleeved jersey, bib short, and soft-shell jacket. Check www.rapha.cc for availability.

Via BikeBlogNYC, news of a new source for used bikes, kids bikes and accessories and service: Green Point Bikes. www.greenpointbikes.com

Public Bikes continues its online summer clearance of cycling apparel and accessories with savings of up to 50 percent. www.publicbikes.com

Please check the joyrides page for upcoming October cycling events in the New York City area.

weekend joyrides september 18 – 19

Saturday, Sept. 18 – Rapha Ladies’ Ride

Join in a friendly ride to Alpine, New Jersey each Saturday morning through the end of September. Meet at 9 am at the Rapha Cycle Club, 532 Bowery, between East 4th Street and Great Jones.  After the ride, which takes you over the George Washington Bridge and up the Palisades, return to the shop at 12:30 pm for strawberries and Champagne. Better than Wimbledon, and no silly hats! (The ride is no-drop, but a road bike and comfort with a 40-mile ride are musts.) Contact Allison at Rapha for details: 212.228.1529.

Saturday, Sept. 18 – 1st Downtown Upright Bicycle Ride

If your gorgeous city bike is your pride and joy, check out this ride “to celebrate and encourage the comeback of beautiful, utilitarian bicycles of yore.” Posture on your Brooks will be upright on this leisurely outing through Chelsea, the Flatiron District, Greenwich Village, Soho and Tribecca from 5 to 9 pm. Dress stylishly, of course.

The event begins and ends at Hudson Urban Bicycles, 139 Charles Street at Washington Street. For information call 212-965-9334 or visit the shop’s facebook page. An rsvp is required for the after party: puma-bikes.info@puma.com

For a calendar of weekend bicycling events for the month of September, please check the joyrides tab on the home page or click here.

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read about the hottest trends in bikes and gear for 2011

velojoy will be blogging the latest news about bikes, accessories and gear, and trends in cycling from the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas next week, so please check in often. To follow via twitter @velojoy, please click the twitter icon at the top left of this page. The hashtag is #interbike.

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photo: fishs eddy

the dish on a bike-themed tableware sale

Who can resist a bargain, especially on whimsical bike-themed dishes and glassware? Fishs Eddy, the vintage-style tableware store on Broadway at 19th Street, is offering its “Pedestrian”-motif square and rectangular trays, mugs and sets of glasses at 50 percent savings through Sunday. It’s a tableau of urban harmony for your table.

Readers: We love to share the joy. Please visit our Contact page to send us information about your favorite cycling events. weekend joyrides is presented as a service to the cycling community; listing does not imply endorsement by velojoy.

weekend joyrides september 4 – 6

weekend joyrides is on vacation this week and returns after Labor Day. Have a safe and happy holiday!

A lemonade stand offers refreshment to passing pedestrians and cyclists in South Hampton. photo: velojoy

Down the road:

Summer may be fading, but  plenty of great rides are on the horizon for September. Mark your calendars for these upcoming signature cycling events in New York City and on Long Island.

Sept. 12 – Annual Freedom Ride Bike-A-Thon, Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Long Island

Sept. 12 – NYC Century Bike Tour, Transportation Alternatives

Sept. 25 – Escape New York, New York Cycle Club

Sept. 25 – The NIght Ride (Moonlight), Long Island

Sept. 26 - Tour of the Hamptons, Massapequa Park Bicycle Club, Long Island

Readers: We love to share the joy. Please visit our Contact page to send us information about your favorite upcoming cycling events. weekend joyrides is presented as a service to the cycling community; listing does not imply endorsement by velojoy.

weekend joyrides august 28 – 29

velojoy presents a list of bike rides in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey for your weekend enjoyment.

Orient yourself: An Orient Point view from the 2009 North Fork Century on Long Island. Photo: Simon Bird

Sunday, Aug. 29 – North Fork Century

The North Fork offers a mellow counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of the Hamptons. I consider my club ride along this eastern stretch of Long Island last month — past farmland and vineyards, through quiet villages and along the Long Island Sound – one of the prettiest of the summer.

Photo: velojoy

The fully supported North Fork Century offers 25, 50, 72 and 100 mile options. Those new to distance riding can join with an experienced guide on the 25 and 72 mile routes. There’s also bag check, so you can freshen up with a hot shower at the end of the ride before savoring a meal and a massage.

All routes begin and end at Greenport High School, 72 Front Street in Greenport, NY. Transportation from Manhattan is offered. Day-of-event registration available.

Information: www.northforkcentury.com

Saturday, Aug. 28 – Benefit Spin for Haiti with Chelsea Clinton, SoulCycle, Bridgehampton

Eight months after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, SoulCycle presents a follow-up to its January fundraiser. Join Chelsea Clinton in a one-hour spin class led by master instructors, all to benefit the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Check this SoulCycle facebook event page for information.

New to Amagansett:

Photo: velojoy

For the best skim latte in the Hamptons, pull over at Jack’s Stir Brew, a branch of the West Village shop of the same name. It opened in July in Amagansett at 154 Montauk Highway (adjacent to the Sylvester & Company store). There’s plenty of room on the green behind the shop to put down your bike and take in the summer sunshine.

Down the road:

Sept. 3 – 6 – Hazon’s New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride

Sept. 5 – Golden Apple, Westchester Cycle Club

Sept. 12 – NYC Century Bike Tour, Transportation Alternatives

Readers: We love to share the joy. Please visit our Contact page to send us information about your favorite upcoming cycling events. weekend joyrides is presented as a service to the cycling community; listing does not imply endorsement by velojoy.

weekend joyrides august 14 – 15

velojoy presents a list of bike rides in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey for your weekend enjoyment.

Sunday, Aug. 15 – Ramapo Rally, New Jersey

photo: velojoy

The Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey presents its annual Ramapo Rally with cycling options for every level, ranging from family friendly 12- and 25-mile rides right on up through a challenging, 125-mile ultra-century.

Along the routes: country roads, estates, lakes and farmland, including – here’s something novel for city-dwellers – alpaca and llama farms. The fully supported event begins at Campgaw Ski Area, Mahwah, NJ. The ultra-century goes off at 7:15 am, with staggered starts thereafter. Last year’s ride drew more than 1,000 participants. Day-of-event registration available. Information: www.ramaporally.com

Sunday, Aug. 15 – Brooklyn to Queens Street Food Ride

One word: Yum. Brooklyn by Bike hosts a casual, 10-mile ride from Brooklyn to Flushing, Queens to sample the bountiful and diverse fare offered by the street food vendors along Roosevelt Avenue, from 11:30 am to 5 pm. Will you ride off the calories? Not a chance. FREE. Meet-up information: www.brooklynbybike.com

Left: A taco de lengua from Tacos Mi Mexico Lindo at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and Gleane Street. More photos of Roosevelt Avenue Street vendors via www.ediblecommunities.com/queens.

Saturday, Aug. 14 – Summer Streets Continues – tweet-up #bikenyc

The Third Annual Summer Streets, sponsored by the New York City Department of Transportation, offers 6.9 miles of car-free goodness and special events from 7 am to 1 pm on three consecutive Saturdays through Aug. 21. FREE. Information.

For those who share in the New York City bicycling scene via twitter, check #bikenyc for the latest on Saturday’s Summer Streets tweet-up. It will include a ride along the Summer Streets route followed by a trip to Governor’s Island for a picnic. Information.

LAST CHANCE THIS WEEKEND

Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle at the Museum of Art and Design at Columbus Circle in Manhattan features a collection of some of the most gorgeous handbuilt bikes you’ll ever see. Closes Sunday. Information.
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In the Hamptons:

Saturday, Aug. 14 – Ride for Kids Benefit Spin

SoulCycle® on Butter Lane in Bridgehampton, NY sponsors its second annual spin to benefit Change for Kids, a NYC education charity that partners with public schools to help provide innovative literacy, arts and music programs.  The event, from 6 to 8 pm, includes a spin class led by Stacey Griffin followed by cocktails on the studio deck. Information and photos from last year’s event.

Down the Road:

Sunday, Aug. 22 – Discover Hudson Valley Ride (new ride!)

Sunday, Aug. 29 - The North Fork Century

Readers: We love to share the joy. Please visit our Contact page to send us information about your favorite upcoming cycling events. weekend joyrides is presented as a service to the cycling community; listing does not imply endorsement by velojoy.

weekend joyrides august 6 – 8

velojoy presents a list of bike rides in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey for your weekend enJOYment. This week, it’s all about Manhattan.

Friday, Aug. 6 – Central Park Moonlight Ride

Times Up!, the environmental advocacy group, offers a relaxed night ride around an auto-free Central Park. The route passes waterways and landmarks, but the scene-stealer just may be the lighted panorama of high rises and skyscrapers that rings the park. Riders meet at 10 pm at Columbus Circle, southwest corner of Central Park (intersection of Broadway, 59th Street and Central Park West). Information.

Saturday, Aug. 7 – Summer Streets Kick-Off

Cyclists and pedestrians reJOYce! The Third Annual Summer Streets, sponsored by the New York City Department of Transportation, offers you 6.9 miles of car-free goodness from 7 am to 1 pm on three consecutive Saturdays beginning this weekend. The route includes Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park.

Fitness classes, gardening demonstrations, entertainment and more can be found at four rest stops along the route. Free bike rentals are offered by Bike and Roll New York at the Uptown, Midtown and Soho rest stops. Your Summer Streets guide here.

Cyclists can also join in Joy Ride a big group ride to music created by theater artist Liz Sherman with a soundtrack designed by Grammy-award nominee Duncan Bridgeman [hat tip to bikeblognyc]. It follows the Summer Streets route and concludes with a picnic in Central Park.  The ride begins each Summer Streets Saturday at 11 am at Foley Square. Additional information: www.joyrideo.com

photo: Katie Sokoler/Gothamist

As for the the much-discussed — even by Letterman — Dumpster Pools, new to Summer Streets this year and located near the Grand Central viaduct: If your ride leaves you longing for a dip, but you’re feeling squeamish about the combination of the words Dumpster + Pool, a representative of Macro Sea, creators of these compact wonders, tells Time Out New York that water cycles through the pools every 10 minutes and a UV filter kills bacteria. velojoy would never have guessed that the pool shown above started life as a (new) trash receptacle. Note that you’ll need a timed-entry bracelet.

Down the Road:

Sunday, Aug. 15 – Ramapo Rally Mahwah, New Jersey

weekend joyrides july 31 – august 1

velojoy presents a list of bike rides in New York City, Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey for your weekend enJOYment:

Sunday, Aug.  1 – The Tour of the Litchfield Hills

That other Tour is over now (sigh!) so it’s time to turn our attention elsewhere. Take a break from New York City, and join in the scenic Tour of the Litchfield Hills.

This fully supported, seventh annual non-competitive event features routes of 100, 75, 50, 30 and 12 miles, beginning at Coe Park in Torrington, CT. (Walking routes through downtown Torrington also available.)

Sign up online or register on the day of the event beginning at 6 am; the 100-milers are off at 7 am with staggered starts thereafter. The event drew 1,100 participants last year; it supports cancer care, treatment, education and prevention for residents of Northwest Connecticut.

Information and registration.

Sunday, Aug. 1 – Bike Brooklyn Baseball Tour

Washington Park 1890. photo: sportsencyclopedia.com

Offered by Gotham Sidewalks: NYC Walking and Bike Tours, this 2-hour, 10-mile ride along urban bike paths leads you through 100 years of baseball history from Washington Park in Park Slope, where local gentlemen’s clubs played baseball in the late 19th century to Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn Heights, where the Dodgers toasted their 1955 World Series win over the Yanks. Departs at 11 am from Ride Brooklyn Bike Shop, 468 Bergen Street. Bike rentals available. Information and registration.

For the spontaneous…

Want your weekend cycling getaway to be more spontaneous? The advocacy group Transportation Alternatives publishes an online guide for traveling with your bike by train, bus or ferry. Access rules vary widely — so, um,  some advance planning may actually be required.
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In the Hamptons:

Saturday, July 30 — Ride the Zone Benefit Outdoor Spin

photo: velojoy

Combine the group energy of a spin class with the sensation of pedaling under an open sky at Ride the Zone’s Outdoor Spin to benefit Project ALS. This popular annual event, from 4 – 7 pm at Sporttime Amagansett features spinning with RTZ instructors, as well as activities for children including Goat on a Boat Puppet Theater, tennis lessons and face-painting. Non-cycling friends and guests can check out a Tracy Anderson Method class or yoga. Refreshments, too.

Project ALS supports research to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Learn more at the organization’s website.

To register for the event, call Ride The Zone at 631.329.8622, or e-mail info@ridethezone.com

Saturday, July 30 — (B) East HNF Hamptons Spin for the Cure

Meanwhile, (B) East Real Ryder Fitness Studio is sponsoring the second annual HNF Hamptons Spin for the Cure. The two-hour spinathon gets underway at 3 pm at (B) East’s Amagansett studio; an after party at Amagansett Beach Club runs from 7 – 10 pm.

It’s all to raise awareness of and help find a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), the most commonly inherited form of peripheral neuropathy. Learn more at the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation website.

Event information and registration.

Down the road:

Friday, Aug.  6 – Time’s Up! Moonlight Ride in Central Park

Beginning Saturday, Aug. 7 – Summer Streets 2010

Early registration special offers:

Sunday, Sept. 12 – NYC Century Bike Tour, featuring America’s only urban century ride.  Sign up before Aug. 22 to be eligible for Express Start in Central Park or Prospect Park, without having to check in first.

Saturday, Sept. 25 – The Night Ride 2010 starting in Greenport, NY. Early-registration discounts to first 100 registrants — while they last.

Sunday, Oct. 3 – Bike MS NYC benefit ride. Discount on registration through Aug. 4.

Readers: We love to share the joy. Please send information about upcoming cycling events to info@velojoy.com. weekend joyrides is presented as a service to the cycling community; listing does not imply endorsement by velojoy.