Two Speeds Gravel Ride in Westchester

May 9, 2021:  What a fun ride!  We had a nice group (8 of us) show up for Sunday’s two-part gravel grinder in Westchester.  The weather was perfect for riding.  Sunny, but not too hot.
The entire group did Part 1 of the ride (37 miles with ~3000′ of climbing), which featured some of the most pleasant gravel roads in Westchester County.  Views included forests, fields of horses, and beautiful reservoirs.  

After lunch, half the group continued for “Part 2B” of the ride (another 26 miles).  This section featured the challenging climb up to (and through) Mountain Lakes Park, which is always an adventure.  The climb goes from pavement, to rough gravel, to cobble-sized rocks, to a final segment that is probably best traversed on a mountain bike.  We were bumping over rocks for the latter half of the climb.  I remember saying to Brian “It gets pretty rough up ahead”.  I believe his humorous response was “It’s not rough enough already?!”  That wild climb through Mountain Lakes was followed by some lovely descents and rolling terrain until the end.  Our choice of the shorter version of “Part 2” was a good one.  Rain drops started falling as we returned to the Train Station parking lot.  Perfect timing.  Strava clocked the total ride at ~63 miles and 5300′ of climbing.

A few photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mcc3hGoHnzihAccH8

PS:  I’m planning at least one big gravel ride on Memorial Day weekend (May 29-31).  Maybe two.  Reach out if you have preference/requirement for a particular day that weekend (Sat/Sun/Mon, weather-dependent, of course).  I’ll post details and potential options to this group as we get closer to the time. Email: track.smart@gmail.com

Unofficial Dirty Dutchess Gravel Grider

April 24,2021: This was my first gravel ride of the spring season with Gravel NY (GrNY). The weather was beautiful at the ride start and got better as the day continued. We conquered ~62 miles of steep hills, screaming dirt road descents, and beautiful countryside filled with forests and farm fields. We opted for the more adventurous path around mile 48, where the dirt road ended in some chunky gravel before disappearing completely into the woods. Our bike handling skills were definitely tested! By the end of the ride, Sam’s GPS reported ~5500 feet of climbing — though my linked RidewithGPS account said the route was closer to ~6500 feet. Clearly the larger number has to be correct, right? Either way, it was an excellent adventure.

West Clove Mountain
Sam conquering West Clove Mountain

Awesome Gravel Roads This Past Weekend…

This past Sunday a guy from Out Cycling and I did a scouting ride on a circuitous, hilly 45 mile route between Mount Kisco and Golden’s Bridge and it was incredible… Even without leaves on the trees, the scenery was beautiful, and the homes and farms along the way were nothing less than picturesque.

Very little time (maybe 15%) was spent on semi-busy paved roads – the type most road cyclists ride on. The rest of the time was on lovely rural roads and at least half of that time was on gravel. The cars on those back roads weren’t in a rush to get anywhere and were incredibly polite and seemed to value everyone’s safety. It was an awesome experience. We even came across a rider on horseback!

There was only one place along the route to stop for food and fluids (located in North Salem). It was über cute and turned out to be owned by couple I knew (something I didn’t realize until the day before the ride).

I had 650b x 47mm tires on and they really helped. The ride would have been impossible on skinny tires and probably pretty jarring on my 700C x 35mm tires.

Here’s the route…
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38749233

Gravel roads in Westchester are HILLY.
Gravel roads in Westchester are HILLY. It’s up one hill, down the same hill, then up the next hill…
Mountain Lakes Park
Mountain Lakes Park
The Old Bedford Oak Tree
The Old Bedford Oak Tree was along the route. It’s over 230 years old!
My favorite sign!
My favorite sign!
Lovely cream colored barn
And one of the many lovely barns…
The dam at Cross River Reservoir
The dam at Cross River Reservoir
picturesque home
One of the many picturesque homes along the route…
Car free gravel road in Mountain Lakes Park
Car free gravel road in Mountain Lakes Park

Our First Ride!

Had tons of fun today going to Treason Site! Really great group for GrNY’s inaugural ride!

Zak & Robin.
Zak & Robin. It was #NewBikeDay for Robin! A proper gravel bike — Cannondale Topstone!
Riding along the Hudson between Nyack & Haverstraw was the highlight of the trip…
Probably never crossed Benedict’s mind that cyclists would journey to where he tried to sell out the Colonial Army…