1 Week Until The 2005 Twin Lights Ride!
The 2005 Twin Lights Ride is one week away!
I did the Twin Lights Ride last year and it was very challenging, but a great time.
The tour is great for cyclists of all fitness levels, as there are a number of routes to choose from, from a 15 mile route to a 100 mile (century) route. If you chose one of the longer routes, you'll get to see much of Monmouth County, New Jersey.
I found the tour challenging because of the unnumbered hills which were very steep and seemed to go on forever. As soon as you conquer one killer incline, you are often presented with another one right away, with no time to rest and catch your breath. Best to take it easy on the hilly parts (unless, of course, you've been training on hills all year) as I witness many cyclists give up half way up one of these monsters. I am glad to report that I successfully climbed each and every hill, though at a very slow pace.
I also found the climate challenging. You are near the water for most of the tour, and that means breezes that are well chilled. The chill got into my lungs when I was about 20 miles from the finish, and I suffered with some severe shortness of breath for the entire final stretch. So, my advice: suit up like you're going on a winter ride and you should be OK. If you are asthmatic, carry an inhaler that is fully charged.
The rest stops were very well spaced-out with port-a-potties at each stop. After using one of the portable toilets once, I opted to pee in the bushes: those things are just too nasty for me.
Each rest stop had plenty of snacks, but none that I liked, so I had to rely on my emergency stash of peanuts, cold chicken and sweet potato (I can fit half my fridge in my Carradice Nelson Longflap!)
The Support and Gear (SAG) facility on the Twin Lights Right is first class. A SAG support van passed me on the road many times throughout the ride, often filled to capacity with cyclists who'd underestimated the challenge of the ride. About half way through the ride, I almost took the wrong road, which would have put me onto a interstate highway(!), but a very nice SAG support volunteer was there right when I needed her, and she put me back onto the right path. I was both impressed and relieved by the top notch SAG system they had going; relieved because I wasn't sure how long my lungs would hold out.
The driving directions that the Twin Lights Ride website provided were not very helpful, but I've recently revisited the site and I think they updated that section. Last year, I got lost for about half an hour, and started the tour late. It didn't matter in the end, because I wasn't going to be able to manage the 100 mile route anyway.
For those of you who don't drive, there's a ferry that can take you from Pier 11 in Manhattan to Highlands, New Jersey where the ride initiates.
I'm skipping this year's ride, as my neck problems persist, but I'm looking forward to doing the Twin Lights Ride in 2006.
The Monmouth County Twin Lights Ride: highly recommended!
http://www.bikenewyork.org/TLR.htm
I did the Twin Lights Ride last year and it was very challenging, but a great time.
The tour is great for cyclists of all fitness levels, as there are a number of routes to choose from, from a 15 mile route to a 100 mile (century) route. If you chose one of the longer routes, you'll get to see much of Monmouth County, New Jersey.
I found the tour challenging because of the unnumbered hills which were very steep and seemed to go on forever. As soon as you conquer one killer incline, you are often presented with another one right away, with no time to rest and catch your breath. Best to take it easy on the hilly parts (unless, of course, you've been training on hills all year) as I witness many cyclists give up half way up one of these monsters. I am glad to report that I successfully climbed each and every hill, though at a very slow pace.
I also found the climate challenging. You are near the water for most of the tour, and that means breezes that are well chilled. The chill got into my lungs when I was about 20 miles from the finish, and I suffered with some severe shortness of breath for the entire final stretch. So, my advice: suit up like you're going on a winter ride and you should be OK. If you are asthmatic, carry an inhaler that is fully charged.
The rest stops were very well spaced-out with port-a-potties at each stop. After using one of the portable toilets once, I opted to pee in the bushes: those things are just too nasty for me.
Each rest stop had plenty of snacks, but none that I liked, so I had to rely on my emergency stash of peanuts, cold chicken and sweet potato (I can fit half my fridge in my Carradice Nelson Longflap!)
The Support and Gear (SAG) facility on the Twin Lights Right is first class. A SAG support van passed me on the road many times throughout the ride, often filled to capacity with cyclists who'd underestimated the challenge of the ride. About half way through the ride, I almost took the wrong road, which would have put me onto a interstate highway(!), but a very nice SAG support volunteer was there right when I needed her, and she put me back onto the right path. I was both impressed and relieved by the top notch SAG system they had going; relieved because I wasn't sure how long my lungs would hold out.
The driving directions that the Twin Lights Ride website provided were not very helpful, but I've recently revisited the site and I think they updated that section. Last year, I got lost for about half an hour, and started the tour late. It didn't matter in the end, because I wasn't going to be able to manage the 100 mile route anyway.
For those of you who don't drive, there's a ferry that can take you from Pier 11 in Manhattan to Highlands, New Jersey where the ride initiates.
I'm skipping this year's ride, as my neck problems persist, but I'm looking forward to doing the Twin Lights Ride in 2006.
The Monmouth County Twin Lights Ride: highly recommended!
http://www.bikenewyork.org/TLR.htm
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posted by Steve Brown | 4:33 PM
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