Made in Manhattan

Steve and I met Margie, our Canadian riding partner at the Staten Island Hotel. After a quick check in, we were on the 44 bus to the Mahattan ferry. We met our friend and guide for the day "Ticktack", in Battery Park. All of us were hungry and decided on a $14 burger at Fraunces Tavern on Broad St. in Manhattan. Mike who likes to ride his bike across the country, had to back out to finish his thesis. Those of us who decided to imbibe, celebrated cinco de mayo in fine fashion with some fruity French wine.



I mentioned that I would love to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge if it was close enough. It was, we did. That is a very sweet experience. A lane for walking and a lane for biking and no one violated the others space, so the flow stays smooth. It's also nice to look down on the cars.

"Most were bursting with rage. The road is packed with bat black cars, one person in each, going nowhere. Doubled up wherer there's only one lane, honking, fuming, stagnating and stupid". samuelkb

Also there were probably five times more people on the walkway as cars on the roads, but the road was were all the problems were. Nice.





We were closer to the starting line than I was last year, but we did not push to move ahead. I had previously been warned not to get stuck in the "family" secion as it is called, near the back of the pack.
Here is my gift to anyone who asks. "Don't get stuck in the family secion. Work hard to pass as many people as possible during the first 6 or 8 miles. Your ride will be much better.



By being stuck in the back section, we walked most of Central Park. We walked the 59th St. bridge and any little hill that happened our way. Last year I finished the ride around 1PM and got back to my car around 3. Home by 7:30. This year, because of our positioning. We finished the ride around 3. Walked out of the festival around 4:15 and got back to the car around five.

If I go back next year, I will be staying in Brooklyn. Meet the ride in Central Park after riding over the bridge, and leave the ride back in Brooklyn.


Crys heard that pizza in Toronto is not as good as in America. How about a Brooklyn style pizza? There were NYC police on every street for traffic contol in Brooklyn. We stopped and asked, and were sent to Russ Pizza, on Manhattan Ave in Brooklyn. It was the best I ever had by a long shot.

We hung around Manhattan on Saturday and did some sightseeing.