# Northern Westchester NY routes



## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

Search yielded nothing relevant to what I seek. I am looking for a 30-35 mile route with Rt 100/Rt 118 as the starting point. I'm new to road biking at 47 yrs old, but have been mountain biking and racing for many years. Hoping for something not too challenging just to get my feet wet. Probably 16 mph average these days. I have been mostly riding up and down 100 between 118 and 35. Starting to get very boring, but I worry about venturing out on those winding roads with no shoulders.

If I get any suggestions I would plan to give it try on Friday 10/28 between 3:30 and 5:30.

Thanks in advance for any replies


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## LongIslandTom (Apr 20, 2011)

How about the North County Trail? Go all the way to the end of the trail in Brewster and back and it's 40 miles.

Another alternative is Route 22, which is a NYS-designated bicycle route with a shoulder along most of its length. That road goes all the way from the Bronx up to the Canadian border.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

LongIslandTom said:


> How about the North County Trail? Go all the way to the end of the trail in Brewster and back and it's 40 miles.


Hey, thanks. I should have mentioned that I have ridden the NCT and I like it, but there are sections that absolutely suck. Especially for me on an alum frame/carbon fork. The Mahopac area is so crack ridden that it has been rattling my bones. What if I headed south from Yorktown? I wonder if the pavement is in any better condition in that direction?


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## LongIslandTom (Apr 20, 2011)

Yea the North County Trail is starting to show its age, unfortunately. It's also bumpy along some stretches south of Yorktown.

Definitely check out NY 22 then. The longest ride I've done on NY 22 was from Katonah to Wingdale and back. 60 miles.

Also, the 5-Borough Bicycle Club is doing a ride from Wingdale on Route 22 on November 5, into Connecticut, then back to Wingdale through Amenia. I've done that ride before and it's real pretty. You might want to check out that ride: Five Borough Bicycle Club - New York


EDITED TO ADD: The WCC also has some rides from Katonah into Connecticut.. I'd check out their rides too.


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

I was out riding in that area yesterday.

You could ride on Lake Rd (due east across the water from the 100/118 intersection), then R on Croton Lake Rd, then L on Croton Lake Rd, then R on Haines Rd down into Bedford Center, then up Cherry St, then R on Harris Rd, then maybe loop back on Rt 22 to Rt 35.

I rode on all of the above except 22/35 (from Harris Rd I continued south toward my home in southern Westchester). The roads, while not traffic-free, are quite reasonable for riding and, of course, the leaves are really nice this time of year.

Personally, I HATE riding on the 4-lane section of 35 around the 100 intersection and Katonah -- I try to avoid that section of 35 at all costs. It's one of the few roads that really make me nervous.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

bike981 said:


> I was out riding in that area yesterday.
> 
> You could ride on Lake Rd (due east across the water from the 100/118 intersection), then R on Croton Lake Rd, then L on Croton Lake Rd, then R on Haines Rd down into Bedford Center, then up Cherry St, then R on Harris Rd, then maybe loop back on Rt 22 to Rt 35..


Thanks, I think I might try some version of this. How is the pavement on Lake Rd?




bike981 said:


> Personally, I HATE riding on the 4-lane section of 35 around the 100 intersection and Katonah -- I try to avoid that section of 35 at all costs. It's one of the few roads that really make me nervous.


I know what you mean. Usually I hit that intersection around 6:15AM so the traffic is still pretty light. Otherwise you need to really be on your toes there and watch the changing of the traffic light.


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

lowendrick said:


> Thanks, I think I might try some version of this. How is the pavement on Lake Rd?


Comparable to the shoulders on Rt 100, I'd say.

You also can look on ridewithgps, trimbleoutdoors, and maybe mapmyride and search for routes in this area. For example, click here to get to the trimble search page: Trip Search, and then enter Katonah, NY in the search box.


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## Uprwstsdr (Jul 17, 2002)

Check out the Westchester Cycling club. I don't think the cue sheets are available to non-members, but for only $20 its worth joining. There are many group rides scheduled in that area and its a nice group of people. 
(full disclosure - I am a member). 

Westchester Cycle Club/My WCC: Welcome to the Westchester Cycle Club


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## CHT (Mar 1, 2001)

All good suggestions. Also, take 100 to Rt 22 and head north to Titicus...take a loop around and come back. You can also take 35 into Ridgfield and then take 116 back.

Don't forget to search ridewithgps.com and mapymyride.com. Just plug in a zipcode or area, and you'll see rides people posted.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

CHT said:


> All good suggestions. Also, take 100 to Rt 22 and head north to Titicus...take a loop around and come back. You can also take 35 into Ridgfield and then take 116 back.
> 
> Don't forget to search ridewithgps.com and mapymyride.com. Just plug in a zipcode or area, and you'll see rides people posted.


I just drew this with Ridewithgps. 118/100-Kisco-Bedford-Somers-Yorktown-Trailway - A bike ride in Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, US

I just searched routes on those sites and came up with lots of ideas. Using bike981's suggestion and some roads I am familiar with I created a 25 mile loop. Its fairly flat for the terrain around here.


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

lowendrick said:


> I just drew this with Ridewithgps. 118/100-Kisco-Bedford-Somers-Yorktown-Trailway - A bike ride in Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, US


Looks like a nice route. Let us know how it works out. Only potential issue is the short section you've planned on Meeting House Road between miles 2 and 3. Navteq maps says that Meeting House Road is dirt for that section (as is Haines Rd just to the north, for that matter). If you knew this or don't care, no problem. Otherwise you may need to add a couple of miles to go the long way around on Croton Lake Rd.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

bike981 said:


> Looks like a nice route. Let us know how it works out. Only potential issue is the short section you've planned on Meeting House Road between miles 2 and 3. Navteq maps says that Meeting House Road is dirt for that section (as is Haines Rd just to the north, for that matter). If you knew this or don't care, no problem. Otherwise you may need to add a couple of miles to go the long way around on Croton Lake Rd.


Thanks. That is the section I am least familiar with. I had not realized those were dirt roads. I don't think I will risk it with my 23 tires. I think I will make a right on Croton Lake Rd and take that all the way to Cherry thus avoiding Haines and Meeting House altogether. How does that sound?


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

lowendrick said:


> Thanks. That is the section I am least familiar with. I had not realized those were dirt roads. I don't think I will risk it with my 23 tires. I think I will make a right on Croton Lake Rd and take that all the way to Cherry thus avoiding Haines and Meeting House altogether. How does that sound?


It's just that one section of Haines Rd that is dirt. The other part of Haines Rd, east of Croton Lake Rd going down into Bedford, is definitely paved -- I rode on it this past Tuesday.

That said, I selfishly like your new route because I was wondering how the section of Croton Lake Rd between Haines Rd and Cherry St. is; I have not been on this section myself. Let me know!


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

bike981 said:


> It's just that one section of Haines Rd that is dirt. The other part of Haines Rd, east of Croton Lake Rd going down into Bedford, is definitely paved -- I rode on it this past Tuesday.
> 
> That said, I selfishly like your new route because I was wondering how the section of Croton Lake Rd between Haines Rd and Cherry St. is; I have not been on this section myself. Let me know!


Ah, so I'm guessing you went and looked at my revised route on ridewithgps.com

or not

Either way I will "experiment" with Croton Lake to Cherry and let you know how it is.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

Posting back here to follow up on the route I took last Friday. Since the storm hit Saturday I have been without power and internet. I am currently sitting in a Barnes & Noble getting warm and catching up on some email.

Last Friday I hit the route from the link above. It was a total of 26 miles and very enjoyable for the most part. It certainly had its desirable challenges and some regrettable mistakes. Setting out on Lake Rd was a real nice, mellow and scenic ride. Croton Lake Rd was great climbing until I discovered my first mistake. The last 0.6 of a mile leading up to Cherry is hard packed dirt. It is rideable but slow and the climb is killer. Then Cherry is a quick descent to Rte 35. The road into Pepsi is a nice climb, BUT the road does not go over to 100 by the ballfields as the map suggests. Well, it does but it is GRAVEL. I had to turn around and go back up a steep climb. Then onto 100 North with no shoulder and too much traffic. Its a very difficult and dangerous left turn from there onto Primrose. From there onto 202, then Granite Springs and then the bike path was one of the more enjoyable legs of the trip. Then the bike path was a quick cruise back down to Yorktown. I averaged about 17.5 mph here holding back a bit so as not to run over any unexpected runners or slow-poking old people waking. I left the bike path in Ossining at 134 and crossed back to 100 North and back to my car at 100/118. This was the least enjoyable part with no shoulder and the occasional obnoxious work van buzzing me at 50mph. Very dangerous.

I plan to modify this a bit in order to avoid those danger spots. But for a guy who is mostly a mountain biker this was enjoyable even if I did poke along for a total average speed of 13.2 mph for the total trip. 

Thanks for the advice :thumbsup:


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## vipergts (Aug 18, 2011)

Nice lowen! Could you post up your modified ride? I think it woudl be great to have on here to share with everyone.


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## Mdeth1313 (Nov 1, 2001)

LongIslandTom said:


> Yea the North County Trail is starting to show its age, unfortunately. It's also bumpy along some stretches south of Yorktown.
> 
> Definitely check out NY 22 then. The longest ride I've done on NY 22 was from Katonah to Wingdale and back. 60 miles.
> 
> ...


Yeah, just be ready- most of the roads are clear, but there's still lots of debris on the sides of the roads after our little storm this past weekend. Riding in the Wingdale/Dover area when there are obstacles on the roads always gets interesting.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

Here are 2 modified routes that I designed in ridewithgps based on lessons learned from my ride last Friday 10/28. One route is 30 miles and the other is 22.4. The longer route is very similar to the 10/28 route but I eliminated the dirt portion of Croton Lake Rd, the gravel road thru Pepsi, the dangerous left onto Primrose, and the dangerous last leg on 100 near 134. The only thing I am unsure of (because I haven't ridden it yet) is Cortlandt Manor Rd. I believe it is fully paved, but we'll see.

Both routes also take advantage of the 4.5 mile stretch on rte 100 between 118 and 35 with its wide shoulder and relatively favorable pavement.

30 miler 100-Lake Rd-Cherry-35-Primrose-Bike Path - A bike ride in Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, US

22.4 miler Route 100-Lake Rd-Cherry-35 - A bike ride in Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, US

If anyone gives it a try let me know how it works out. Thanks.

btw- The North County Trailway is in miserable shape right now. I rode it last night between Granite Springs and 118. Tons of large trees down. NYSEG was out there with trucks on the path doing clean-up.


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## bike981 (Sep 14, 2010)

Thanks for the ride report.

For the record, the ridewithgps, bikeroutetoaster, and probably mapmyride all use Google map data. The problem with Google maps is that it doesn't show you which roads are dirt (as you discovered).

What I do to try to make sure I don't end up unexpectedly on dirt is look at my planned route on either Bing maps (Bing Maps - driving directions, routes, and traffic) or on Navteq maps (NAVTEQ Maps and Traffic). Both of these site show dirt roads, usually pretty accurately in my experience. Hope this helps in the future.

For example, here's the Bing maps view of that section of Croton Lake Rd -- you can see where it turns to dirt (dirt section shown as brown).


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

Thanks bike981. That's a very useful map feature. I'll be sure to check Bing or Navteq maps in the future for possible unexpected dirt.


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## lowendrick (Oct 5, 2009)

I rode the 22 miler in the ridewithgps post above. Its an excellent route with a good mix of flats and hills. The scenery is great and the traffic is light for the majority of the route. Even when the traffic is not light the shoulders are pretty wide.


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## blue lotus (Aug 22, 2011)

lowendrick said:


> Hey, thanks. I should have mentioned that I have ridden the NCT and I like it, but there are sections that absolutely suck. Especially for me on an alum frame/carbon fork. The Mahopac area is so crack ridden that it has been rattling my bones. What if I headed south from Yorktown? I wonder if the pavement is in any better condition in that direction?


I'm in good shape, not great, at 60, and shopping for a bike to get into riding, figuring I have to first replace my rarely used but old 10 speed Lotus (although if I were more fit, even the Lotus could be OK), and would like the versatility of road riding, as well as venturing out on the North County Trail, and the like, which apparently is not friendly to road bikes....when I read this comment, it made me think what type of bike would enable a ride on the NCT as well as say a weekly "Dplus" or maybe even "C" rides with Westchester Cycle Club....hybrids too slow for WCC (would be same as Lotus)? What about Cross? Or is this just not feasible?


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## CHT (Mar 1, 2001)

I don't think the NCT is not friendly to road bikes. Depending on your setup and bike materials, the rough spots may be nothing or a jarring experience. The NCT is no worse (or better) than large portions of N. Westchester roads. If you are riding an older, all steel road bike, you should be fine. We're not talking about true cross conditions with dirt roads, etc. Putting larger tires on your lotus (not sure how big you can go but 700 x25 or even larger...700 x32) goes a long way regarding ride comfort. For a new bike, the best recommendation on a bike is to stop in the local bike shops and tell them what type of riding you intend to do and your budget. I'm partial to Yorktown Cycles for various reasons, but there are several quality, local shops (Yorktown Cycles is right off the trailway). Sounds to me an entry level, quality road bike with larger tires is probably a good start for the riding you want to do. Even entry level bikes have carbon forks and potentially carbon seat stays which should take out some of the buzz and vibration from road imperfections.


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## blue lotus (Aug 22, 2011)

CHT said:


> I don't think the NCT is not friendly to road bikes. Depending on your setup and bike materials, the rough spots may be nothing or a jarring experience. The NCT is no worse (or better) than large portions of N. Westchester roads. If you are riding an older, all steel road bike, you should be fine. We're not talking about true cross conditions with dirt roads, etc. Putting larger tires on your lotus (not sure how big you can go but 700 x25 or even larger...700 x32) goes a long way regarding ride comfort. For a new bike, the best recommendation on a bike is to stop in the local bike shops and tell them what type of riding you intend to do and your budget. I'm partial to Yorktown Cycles for various reasons, but there are several quality, local shops (Yorktown Cycles is right off the trailway). Sounds to me an entry level, quality road bike with larger tires is probably a good start for the riding you want to do. Even entry level bikes have carbon forks and potentially carbon seat stays which should take out some of the buzz and vibration from road imperfections.


Thanks, and let me add that "Rust Never Sleeps" is one of my fave albums of all time.

My 1986 Lotus has 27 1/4 tires, so I put the thin tires on it over the summer. When I started to train and get used to riding after a very long absence, my kids thought I should replace the Lotus and bought a store gift card for use at a LBS with a few stores in the area....I have been sized, reading up on entry level racing bikes, which due to the pricing of road bikes, my gift credit lends itself to the Trek "1" series, and the Specialized Senteur or Allez Sport, and those thin tires, aluminum with some carbon bikes wouldn't be optimum for NCT, I'm told... I'm sort of in between on what kind of riding I want to do....the WCC rides are very challenging to me at my fitness level and cycle experience (or inexperience, never been in a paceline, etc.), and in CT, many of the Sound Cyclists road rides get started over in Westport area at 7:30 on weekends in order to beat traffic...yet the hybrids I'm told wouldn't be good for WCC road rides, but would be great for NCT, probably Route 22)...I could buy 2 hybrids for my wife and me to ride around and train on the Lotus and get my fitness level up, even though with 10 speeds I'll not have as many options as the new entry level racing bikes...the WCC claims I'd get wiped up in a "C" ride, so I'd be relegated to "D" rides, I guess, if I kept Lotus...sorry for rambling answer, I come from a time when my 3 speed Rudge still in my garage was all riders needed...


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## TeamCholent (Apr 20, 2005)

*NYCC Ride Library, has plenty*

Westchecter/CT | NYCC.org


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