# Bear Mountain and Harriman Park ride



## 9W9W

This forum isn't so heavily trafficked and so I figured I'd post up pictures from a really nice ride in Harriman Park / Bear. It was actually my first time in Harriman on bicycle. 

Started @ Bear Mountain Inn, went up Bear. We came back down and ride partner led me right across the parkway on Seven Lakes, something I've read about here. Heading south across it isn't as sketchy as coming north where you actually have to cross it. Headed down Seven Lakes until we ended up on route 17. Remembered our 5+ miles of fantastic downhill roads and just knew we'd have to climb it back up. Saw the Bear 16 miles ahead sign and turnoff for 106 and took that back up to Seven Lakes.

On the way back made the turn right onto Tiorati but my drive train was making an increasing amount of noise and I didn't want to dip all the way down to the construction site to have to climb out. (turned out to be a loose rear skewer and not tightly torqued rear der hanger)

Route 17 were miserable miles but it was too go replenish water and food before heading back in. 

I'm a heavier guy and what I like about the climbs at Harriman is that they are long but not too steep. I can do 4-6% for hours, which is what the majority of the long popular ones seem to be. Once it bumps up to 9-11% it's really tough for me and I really liked the park for this. I clocked 4,100 vertical feet and I didn't expire. 

I'm looking to repeat this season. Weather looks good for the next two weeks.


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## cnardone

great pictures. I am so glad I live just a few miles to the entrance to Harriman (inbetween Willow Grove and Gate Hill). There are so few cars and they almost always give space. Just a great place to ride. 

Have you ever ridden up 17A past the Ren Fair? I am thinking of riding to Ice cream, Ice cream cakes and pies | Bellvale Farms Creamery

It is just over 20 miles from my door. I can't think of a better ride. 20 miles out. A nice Ice Cream and then 20 miles home.

Edit:
Let me add that I find rides in the early morning with the mist still lingering on Lake Askoti or Tiorati almost.....magical. It is a special way to start the day.


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## 9W9W

You are lucky. Not as lucky as the guy who lives at the foothills of the California Redwoods, but lucky nonetheless. 

Points west like Sterling Forest and Warwick seem like they would be fun remote/hilly places to ride, but I haven't been. I nicked those areas on a north/south out and back ride from Butler, NJ.

We're doing the whole apple/pumpkin thing this weekend and I'm thinking about heading to the area, thanks for the ice cream recommendation. Taking bike would be fun but with two bikes on the hitch there's always the problem of what to do with bikes when you walk away. One can go in the back of the car, two not so much. Most likely well leave them home, but enjoy ourselves nonetheless.


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## robt57

Having moved out of Bergen County Joisey in 2002, these remind me of all I loved and enjoyed cycling for years in the area.

Now I have nice views here too. Frequently seeing 4 mountain/volcanos at a time out on the road. But the PNW lacks the deciduous trees mostly and I definitely miss the fall colors with predominate conifers dominating the landscape. 

Thanks for the sharing the pictures and memories akin. 


I will add a pic to you thread. This pic/view is 3.5 miles from my house and a the pay off at the top of a nasty hill. Also, not in the shot to the right/east is Mt Hood that is more/most prevalent MTN you see here.

Pic is St Helens, then just right [and 125 miles out] Mt Rainier, and to the right is Mt Adams.


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## 9W9W

I've seen the beauty of the PNW with my own eyes recently. PNW > NE anyday. Don't worry, you made out alright friend.


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## PCM

Great pics... thanks for sharing


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## robt57

9W9W said:


> I've seen the beauty of the PNW with my own eyes recently. PNW > NE anyday. Don't worry, you made out alright friend.


You missed me complaining about living in Nashville between NJ/Portland.  Luckily too I might add. 

Wife and I were not happy in TN to say the least. But the cycling there was excellent, especially in the Autumn foliage season, just stunning...


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## 9W9W

Here's the other sketchy side of riding in NYC metro.

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Look at all that wonderful cycling infrastructure! Wow!


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## Wetworks

Great pics 9W, thanks for sharing! I am so doing this ride eventually, hopefully next year. I really wanted to do it this year but there have been way too many life issues getting in the way. 

Anyway, I'm a heavier rider too (220) and am pretty good on the 5-6% hills as well, although maybe not as good as what you're describing. What gearing are you using on them (as well as cadence/speed if you know)? I like to sprint the shorter climbs at that grade but am admittedly inexperienced (and intimidated) at the prospect of trying a longer one with little in the way of technical knowledge.


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## robt57

9W9W said:


> Here's the other sketchy side of riding in NYC metro.
> 
> View attachment 309797
> View attachment 309798
> 
> 
> Look at all that wonderful cycling infrastructure! Wow!


Link not resolving, but the burbs is where I always felt the riding was. Even the 5 borough ride was insanity and unsafe IMO.  Maybe especially is a better word than even. ;O


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## 9W9W

Here they are...how about riding against 50-70mph highway traffic on a 7-8 foot ledge

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## 9W9W

These are from Shelter Island and the north fork of Long Island. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme/reason as to which links work (appear inline) and which show up dead. The set below was working 100% and after hitting refresh only a few photos are visible.

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## robt57

Interesting experience here: The I-205 bridge that traverses the Columbia river connecting Vancouver, WA to Portland has the MUT going down the center. Vehicles including speeding Semi rigs just to each side of the barriers you are between. But there is chain link to protect you from flying semi parts above the barriers, ahhh yeah...

Expansion joints with plates bolted over, it is fun fin fun. It can be like riding in a tornado with the rotations that occurs. It is like you will be in Kansas and not WA or OR anymore sometimes when the gale is coming up the gorge simultaneously!

See the barrier slot in the middle, I think it is 7' wide at most. 2 miles across. Going South into PDX 1/4 mile drop @ about 5% 90'. If you are not a Clydesdale I have to imagine hitting 30 MPH in the slot inside the tornado must be scary. Being a Clyde myself and hitting 33-4 MOH med/soft pedaling the big ring is fun and exhilarating. 

Yesterday when the 2 guys caught me up on the PDX side, they asked if I was insane. I said "you mean like you skinny ars guys blasting up hills I have to gap back to from the top/descent?"


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## robt57

Oh, and then there is this. Surprise!

Riders discover woman driving car on I-205 Bridge bike path - BikePortland.org



And before POT was legalized too!


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## 9W9W

ha! To her, I'm sure it looked like a mini sized personal highway, markings and all. You can't fix stupid. 

Here are some shots from the park right below Fort Lee and the GWB: 



















































That huge brick colored residential tower is on River Road, just north of the colony (about two blocks south of GWB bridge toll plaza). The cliffs are on the border of NY/NJ heading up 9W north.


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## robt57

9W9W said:


> That huge brick colored residential tower is on River Road, just north of the colony (about two blocks south of GWB bridge toll plaza). The cliffs are on the border of NY/NJ heading up 9W north.


If by the 'colony' you mean the Edgewater 'Camps' residential area, that is where I grew up. Saw the bridge from the house every day until I was 20, and Columbia Presbyterian University/Hospital right across out my bedroom window too. Not to mention the little red light house, although it was small from a mile across the river. 

So when I said to you 9W9W your pics make me miss home, now you are literally 1/4 mile from the bull-eye with these last pictures. 

I'll assume you mean Ross's dock I think it was called. That is where the carnival scene in Tom Hanks movie BIG was filmed. I got kicked off the set.


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## Trek_5200

Beautiful pictures. I know those roads well. And this is a terrific time of year to ride Bear and Harriman. I was up @ Bear mid-week myself and could not help but notice the changing colors beginning to take hold.


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## 9W9W

Checked some of my stats from the ride: I'm a bigger guy but have always biked in some shape or form and am a decent bike handler. I placed 170th out of 6,300 something on the descent of bear mountain aaaaand something like 5,900 out of 6,300 on the ascent.


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## TricrossRich

9W9W said:


> Checked some of my stats from the ride: I'm a bigger guy but have always biked in some shape or form and am a decent bike handler. I placed 170th out of 6,300 something on the descent of bear mountain aaaaand something like 5,900 out of 6,300 on the ascent.


awesome Pics... love the fall color. I was supposed to go up there and ride today, but a bunch of my riding buddies bailed, so I ended up going out to Long Island and riding with a friend there.

For the ascent, the "Perkins Memorial Drive- Rt 202/9W to the top" segment, I'm 819 out of 5200.

For the descent, the "Bear Mountain Full Downhill" segment, I'm 921 out of 5554.. 

I definitely want to get back up there before the winter hits.


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## 9W9W

TricrossRich said:


> I definitely want to get back up there before the winter hits.


I've been doing a lot of thinking about my downhill run (I was actually stuck behind a car and coasting for a bit of it). I'm 80th for 2015. I'm not reckless, just fat and a pretty, pretty, pretty good bike handler. If I tried and didn't have cars to contend with, I could find those fifteen seconds. 

Then I thought about the pathetic uphill run. Literally a handful of people between me and last place (shakes head)... that's got to change.

Like you, I will come back before winter sets in. I hope they don't salt those roads too early.


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## 9W9W

I did a short stint in the park today. Went down Tiorati to the bridge and back. On my way back I said to myself "well I can ride in the middle of the road since it's blocked off". Almost as if on queue a a sedan came flying downhill and then back up again as it passed me after presumably turning around at the bridge. The thing is..that road was blocked off... really strange. Just my luck on top I ran into a ranger by the chains/blockade who chided me for riding there. I told her about the encounter and she kept asking if it was a 4X4. I guess the only other way way to access it is by truck, but the car that passed me (twice) was an older gold Honda Accord. I was so startled to see that car come around the bend right at the bridge...


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## stoked

Hey 9W,

Any improvement on that bridge on Tiorati? About 6 weeks ago we rode from bottom and hiked a bike across the creek by stepping on few stones. Is the creek walk-able now?


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## 9W9W

stoked said:


> Hey 9W,
> 
> Any improvement on that bridge on Tiorati? About 6 weeks ago we rode from bottom and hiked a bike across the creek by stepping on few stones. Is the creek walk-able now?


Sorry, but I am unable to give you any cleats on the ground updates. When I did this ride I had a sleeping spouse in a parked car who felt under the weather. I rode down and turned around for the climb out, it wasn't a "destination" ride where I needed to be on the other end of Tiorati.


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## mtrac

robt57 said:


> If by the 'colony' you mean the Edgewater 'Camps' residential area, that is where I grew up.


Cool. I lived across the street from the ball field for 9 years.


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## chriscc63

9W9W:
As always your posts are great and your pictures are in inspiring, especially the first ones in this posting,,,, you bragard.:lol:

I am in the Bronx, so any ride to Bear would be a days long century ride for me. Although I haven't done this ride up there yet I am really looking forward to it and are hoping to find another local to me who has done it. All those "shoulderless" roads really scare me though.


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## Christine

Such a great time of year, love that I can look at these pictures from my cubicle-hell! Thanks for the scenery!

Reminds me that my very first "epic" bike ride was in high school, when I borrowed a bike to ride to Bear Mtn. Rode from NYC, camped out, where I ate s'mores and got no sleep, then bonked hard on the way back the next day. Had to ride in the SAG wagon. 

Decades later, can't say much has changed


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