Long Island-Jones Beach Bike Path reopening anytime soon?

Hey all,
I went down to Cedar Creek Park this weekend and I saw that the Jones
Beach bike path is closed until further notice. It said it'd be
reopening Spring 2006 but Spring is here and I haven't been able to
find any info on when it'd reopen. I usually love it down there (even
tho it's full of kiddies and rollerbladers all the time).
In the same vain, does anyone have any info on other bike paths near
water? I live on the North Shore in Nassau County but I'm willing to
travel. Riding on the roads near me is killer because it's all hills
and valleys. I was hoping for a flatter ride somewhere on the South
Shore.
I know there's boardwalks but those are usually too crowded and too
short. Jones Beach is only 9 miles roundtrip and they won't let you
ride along Ocean Parkway at all (got yelled at a ton last summer).
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Lisa Ashley Rafter

wrote in message

I went down to Cedar Creek Park this weekend and I saw that the Jones
Beach bike path is closed until further notice. It said it'd be
reopening Spring 2006 but Spring is here and I haven't been able to
find any info on when it'd reopen. I usually love it down there (even
tho it's full of kiddies and rollerbladers all the time).
In the same vain, does anyone have any info on other bike paths near
water? I live on the North Shore in Nassau County but I'm willing to
travel. Riding on the roads near me is killer because it's all hills
and valleys. I was hoping for a flatter ride somewhere on the South
Shore.
I know there's boardwalks but those are usually too crowded and too
short. Jones Beach is only 9 miles roundtrip and they won't let you
ride along Ocean Parkway at all (got yelled at a ton last summer).
Any advice would be appreciated!

Here's some links:

http://www.geocities.com/nyrides/
http://www.climbonline.org/
http://www.massparkbikeclub.org/
http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/
http://www.transalt.org/
http://www.ebikes.org/

These should keep you busy

SB

Did you try the path between Bethpage State Park and Merrick Road in Massepequa?
--
"There's no such thing as Free Parking!"
Larry Gould

Hey Larry,
No, I'm not familiar with a path between Bethpage and Merrick Road.
I've been to the Greenbelt but lately it's been pretty packed so I
abandoned going there on weekends and I work during the week.
How long is the path you're talking about? Is it paved? What are the
start/end points?
Thanks,
Lisa

wrote:
Hey all,
I went down to Cedar Creek Park this weekend and I saw that the Jones
Beach bike path is closed until further notice. It said it'd be
reopening Spring 2006 but Spring is here and I haven't been able to
find any info on when it'd reopen. I usually love it down there (even
tho it's full of kiddies and rollerbladers all the time).
In the same vain, does anyone have any info on other bike paths near
water? I live on the North Shore in Nassau County but I'm willing to
travel. Riding on the roads near me is killer because it's all hills
and valleys. I was hoping for a flatter ride somewhere on the South
Shore.

Where are you riding on the North Shore? Reason I'm asking is that
there are only a few areas that have any hills of note, and there is
some fine riding on the North Shore. Maybe you're just hitting the,
ahem, high points?

R

Hey R,
To answer your question, this past weekend I went around the Roslyn
Harbor area (along the water) and it's all hills and valleys. I live
by Northern Blvd and everything along that is hilly.
I've also ridden in Glen Cove (few years back), Huntington, Great Neck,
etc (I guess you could say mostly western Nassau).
It seems the further out east you get, the flatter the north shore is.
I'm in Roslyn, so I'd like to stay as close to home if possible.
You're right, LI isn't particulary hilly, but there are some areas that
are challenging. I'd prefer going on a 30-40 mile flat ride than a 10
mile climb.
Thanks,
Lisa

wrote:
Hey R,
To answer your question, this past weekend I went around the Roslyn
Harbor area (along the water) and it's all hills and valleys. I live
by Northern Blvd and everything along that is hilly.
I've also ridden in Glen Cove (few years back), Huntington, Great Neck,
etc (I guess you could say mostly western Nassau).
It seems the further out east you get, the flatter the north shore is.
I'm in Roslyn, so I'd like to stay as close to home if possible.
You're right, LI isn't particulary hilly, but there are some areas that
are challenging. I'd prefer going on a 30-40 mile flat ride than a 10
mile climb.

If there were only 10 mile downhills to make up for the climb. I'm in
the same area so I'm familiar with your rides. Roslyn is in a valley
and you have to climb to get out of it no matter which way you go.

If you go East of Glen Cove Road and south of 25A there are some really
nice rides in there. Nothing as big as the hills around Roslyn. North
of 25A in that same area only has a couple of short hills that you
can't avoid, but the area is worth the effort. Try Wolver Hollow Road
in Brookville (head north at the cop station on 25A) to Chicken Valley
Road, follow that along and stay to the left when it turns into Oyster
Bay Road. Take a right onto Bayville Road - it's a short hill, four or
five blocks long then it's a gradual downhill past Bailey Arboretum
which is an excellent place to stop and take a breather if you decide
to come back by the same route Take a right at the end of the road
just past the Arboretum and it's all dead flat into Bayville. Another
great little destination with places to eat and a nice beach. If you
continue east on Bayville Road, there's a little bit of a hill then
it's pretty much flat again and you can take that all the way to Centre
Island. Warning: rich people live here! so you won't get onto the
island as it's gated, but the ride to that point is well worth the
effort with some more nice beaches and seafood places galore. On the
way back take a left onto Ludlum Ave, cross the Bayville Bridge and
then head along West Shore Road. It's a little narrow, but it's a
beautiful ride and nice and flat. Bear left after you go under the
train trestle onto West Main Street. When you get into Oyster Bay,
stop, smell some roses (email me if you need details on rose smelling
anywhere along this trip). When you're heading out you can skip the
hills on Mill Hill Road (killer if you don't like hills) and 106
(longer but not as steep) by taking Mill River Road south. That'll
bring you back to 25A where you'll turn right to get back to where you
started at the cop station. There's a hill just as you come out onto
25A, which is the way I normally go, but you could also take a right
onto Remsens Lane just before the end of Mill River Road. That will
bring you right back to where you started.

Anyway, sushi just got here. Gotta run!

R

wrote in message

No, I'm not familiar with a path between Bethpage and Merrick Road.
I've been to the Greenbelt but lately it's been pretty packed so I
abandoned going there on weekends and I work during the week.
How long is the path you're talking about? Is it paved? What are the
start/end points?

In a nutshell, the Bethpage Bike Path is 7.5 miles one-way between Merrick
Rd. in the south and the picnic area parking lot inside Bethpage Park in the
north.

The NYRides site (see my post) has a good description, but essentially you
can either park at the picnic area, paying $4 (maybe $6) in-season, or park
1/2 mile west at the TOBY lot across from the Bethpage Library on Powell
Ave - riding over to the park and path right at the Seaford-OBY Expswy. Or
park anywhere the path crosses a road. Boundary Ave is a good location, as
is at the water pumping building (brick blockhouse) on Sunrise, just east of
the Massapequa LIRR station. Note that the Bethpage Library location is
where the Massapequa Park Bike Club meets on Sundays.

When you mention the Greenbelt, I assume you're describing the non-paved
hiking/mt. bike trail(s) that parallel the Bethpage Bike Path from Merrick
Rd to Bethpage Park, then follow the old right-of-way of the never completed
Bethpage Parkway, north of the park to Cold Spring Harbor - now known as
Trailview State Park ?. The CLIMB site has lot's of good info on this, and
other trails, if you like mt. biking off-road.

SB