visiting Philadelphia on a bicycle

Say, do you really mean to use "9" from NYC to Albany? It's really
full of traffic. I know some parts of it have separate bikeways, but,
having done it from the Bear Mountain Bridge (Peekskill) back down into
the Bronx and Manhattan, it's not the most fun on a bike I know of, for
the most part! Does it improve the closer one gets to Albany? I'd
love to visit Glenmont again! So there's Philly, DC, Albany, and
Boston to check out -- the ultimate for the foreseeable future would be
down to Florida! (Damn, I wonder when I'm supposed to get time for
kayaking!)

Interesting what you say about the roads between Philly and NYC.
Googlemaps makes it look like farmland! The tricky thing for me is the
river crossings. I also wonder about pitching up a tent and camping
somewhere overnight, in case I somehow enjoy the journey so much I
don't rush into Philly in a day's time. Seems like I'd have to do that
"stealth camping" stuff?? Any bears or hillbilles with shotguns out
there?



Ken Roberts wrote:


If you want quiet and scenic, then I'd suggest some totally different
touring idea. Between NYC + Phila is one of highest people density and
motor-vehicle density areas in North America.

And I think the most "scenic" parts of the area are New York City itself and
the city of Philadelphia. If looking for scenery there's not much point in
riding in between the two -- instead just put your bike on the train and use
the time saved to spend more time exploring around each city on each end.

Having done both, my feeling is that NYC to Albany is clearly superior for
variety of scenery, and in its northern section for quiet roads. And I'd say
the tourist / historic sites through the Hudson valley are more interesting.
And while I prefer some quieter roads and different towns for some sections
(http://roberts-1.com/bikehudson/r/nyc_albany), the official "NY Bicycle
Route 9" (with road-sign markers) from NYC to Albany is a decent base route
to which you can add your own improvements and variations.

Ken

Ken Roberts wrote:
NYC XYZ wrote

I'm curious as to which are quiet ones, which scenic ones,


If you want quiet and scenic, then I'd suggest some totally different
touring idea. Between NYC + Phila is one of highest people density and
motor-vehicle density areas in North America.

And I think the most "scenic" parts of the area are New York City itself and
the city of Philadelphia. If looking for scenery there's not much point in
riding in between the two -- instead just put your bike on the train and use
the time saved to spend more time exploring around each city on each end.


There's pleanty of scenery in NJ. You just have to get away from the
turnpike corridor.

Janet

"NYC XYZ" wrote in message
oups.com...

Good stuff!

I've not explored Jersey much past Newark, so thanks...it was nice to
see that some of your routes were familiar to me...confirm or deny:
more downhills than up going north-to-south in Jersey??

Congrats on yet another happy return. You're a one-man bike club!

Interesting that you ask: However, New York to Philly is westernly. A cue is
that Trenton to New Brunswick is the Delaware and Rartin Canal that is still
flowing and it flows west to east. The ECGA Green way utlize the tow path
for that segment, hardpack gravel.
I just rode a ride north to south in New Jersey Philly to Wildwood. I rode
down further west and return more century. The elevation gain was going 3720
and the return 3430. http://www.billcotton.com/my_training.htm

Bill Cotton wrote:


Woa!! Every cue and route on my site is made and rode by me. I just got
home
an hour ago riding a different route from Philly to Sea Isle City
http://www.billcotton.com/Bill%20cot...e%20sheets.htm I spent the
night
and rode back today.
I have cue on my webpage that from Newark to the GW bridge and tell you
how
to get down to the Hudson Bike Path.
http://www.billcotton.com/GW%20bridge.htm
The Peter Odel ride by Bicycle Club of Philadelphia is Sunday Sept 3, 06.
This ride use the Hobkon ferry to enter NY. Contact BCP at
http://phillybikeclub.org/
The East Coast Greenway Mane to Florida. One day totally off road.
Ridable
Now with on roads connection I and several people from BCP planned toe
Pennsylvania links, It is completly signed, BikePA E Route. ( my web also
have the other BikePA letter routes
http://www.billcotton.com/bikepa_s_route.htm ) The ECGA can be reach here
http://www.billcotton.com/east_coast_greenway.htm .

Janet wrote
There's pleanty of scenery in NJ. You just have to get away from the
turnpike corridor.

I agree that there's some scenery to be found on bicycle tours in New
Jersey, and the idea that most of it is to be found elsewhere than the
corridor between Philadelphia and New York City sounds closely in harmony
with that I was saying.

But I do not agree that you "just" have to get away from that corridor -- I
think you also need some specific positive pointers about where to look for
scenic bicycle tours.

So how about some suggestions for scenic bicycling in New Jersey?

Here's some of mine:
* lots of roads in western NJ around 10 miles from the Delaware river from
Belvidere down to Lambertville.
* lots of water + skyline + seaport views of the Hudson river and Newark Bay
around Hoboken, Jersey City, and Bayonne.
* a short section in the southern part of the Sandy Hook trail in between
the ocean and the bay, and some views of the bay between Bay Head and
Seaside Heights -- but it's not so easy to put together a substantial Jersey
shore ride of consistent quality.

Ken

Bill Cotton wrote
Woa!!

Bill, I voluntarily and gladly gave prominent mention to your route in my
earlier post on subject.

I did not say there, and did not believe and do not believe that your route
avoids the GWB. But as you seem well aware, there are other routes which
definitely do avoid the GWB. Those are the ones I was complaining about --
though I have doubts that it's a good time to try riding the GWB, because
I've heard the south sidewalk might be closed for awhile, and the north
sidewalk is not much fun.

All I said was that your route from Phila to NYC has a different strategy
than what I skated. I then said what my strategy was. But I did not presume
to say what your strategy was. So how about taking this opportunity to give
us a few sentences to characterize your route?

What's the overall strategy of your Phila to NYC route, and what did you
feel were some of the highlights from when you rode it?

Ken

NYC XYZ wrote
Say, do you really mean to use "9" from NYC to Albany?

"New York state Bicycle route 9" is mostly different from the route 9 shown
on most NY road maps -- though I've heard that the two overlap for some
miles in Columbia county.

having done it from the Bear Mountain Bridge (Peekskill)
back down into the Bronx and Manhattan

NY state Bicycle route 9 does not go thru Peekskill or Bronx, last I
checked. I've only ridden a few sections of it.

Try a web search for something like "New York Bicycle Route 9".

Ken

"Ken Roberts" wrote in message
...
Bill Cotton wrote
Woa!!

Bill, I voluntarily and gladly gave prominent mention to your route in my
earlier post on subject.

I did not say there, and did not believe and do not believe that your
route avoids the GWB. But as you seem well aware, there are other routes
which definitely do avoid the GWB. Those are the ones I was complaining
about -- though I have doubts that it's a good time to try riding the
GWB, because I've heard the south sidewalk might be closed for awhile, and
the north sidewalk is not much fun.
Inserted from a previous post
I recall there's at least two other routes on the web, one is Bill
Cotton's -- and they take different strategies, like I'm not sure how

Ayup -- that's the Adventure Cycling map he's got. It's exactly where
they end: the train at Newark, barely fifteen miles away!

Woa!! Every cue and route on my site is made and rode by me. I just got home
an hour ago riding a different route from Philly to Sea Isle City
http://www.billcotton.com/Bill%20cot...e%20sheets.htm

The "woa" was for the paragraph above "that's the Adventure Cycling map he's
got. " I think someone else wrote that Ken.
I have a cue that goes from Philly to St Johnbury, New Hampshire. It goes
through Hackettown NJ. near there is a include railroad, road marker lining
George Washington's retreat route from New York to Pennsylvania near Rt. 31
northern end and the town of Washington is waiting for bicyclist to ride
through. I made the route at the request from this news group I rode it from
Frenchtown to Hackettown.
I ride for health, in different directions to avoid boredom. Usually I find
site that are interesting and I try to remember to report them.