Yesterday, I took the biggest ride I've taken yet this year, around 80 miles, up to Haverstraw, NY. I thought that I would be doing 100+ mile rides by this time of the year, but I underestimate the amount of psychological and physiological fitness it requires to be in the saddle for even 80 miles. Yesterday was hard, I'll be real. I know that I'm physically capable of riding 80 miles, but I can't help but feel this lingering sense of doubt in the back of my mind that I just won't be able to make it. This sort of thought usually plagues the start of my ride, when I'm in the 2nd quarter of the journey. Luckily, I went out late in the day, so I was mostly alone on the highways, meaning that I could yell and swear and make a big fuss. The scenery absorbs all of my emotions, joy or frustration, and doesn't care. This grand indifference comforts me, and eventually lulls me into a state of flow. Sometimes I don't think about anything when I'm cycling. Waking up today, my legs are super sore, and the prospect of spending another 5 hours on the bike is not at all appealing. As a result, I'll only ride for about 3 hours today, just up to the edge of Palisades State Park.

The ride itself was pretty uneventful. I had a bit of a head wind on the way out, and a killer tail wind on the way in, such that between Piermont and the GW bridge I was kicking it pretty hard. I must have been averaging 22 mph! The coolest part of the ride was the discovery of a county bike trail in between Nyack and Piermont. It starts off as an unpaved (packed dirt/gravel) trail and turns into a nicely paved trail for the last 2 miles or so. The gravel was super fun! I was sliding all over the place, while making great time. My 40c tires just mush over everything on the road, so I was cruising along like it was tarmac.

Gravel trail in between Nyack and Piermont.
Sign in Haverstraw, NY indicating that the Hudson reaches its widest point there.

Tappan Zee bridge


Panorama of the Hudson valley just south of Haverstraw, NY.