NYC/CT FALL CLASSIC 200K
When: Saturday, September 23, 2023
Start: 7:00am from the GWB bus station
Controls: NYC, Somers NY, Bethel CT, Stamford CT
Support: Volunteers will be staffing controls where/when possible.
Time Limit: 13.5 hrs
Fee: $20
Start: 7:00am from the GWB bus station
Controls: NYC, Somers NY, Bethel CT, Stamford CT
Support: Volunteers will be staffing controls where/when possible.
Time Limit: 13.5 hrs
Fee: $20
Welcome to NJ Randonneurs’ NYC-CT Fall Classic 200 km brevet.
Although it’s called “classic,” it’s actually a brand-new brevet route, starting in northern Manhattan and making a loop up to Bethel, CT. It has been about 15 years since NJ Randonneurs last ran a brevet that went through Westchester and Fairfield counties on the east side of the Hudson. We think that riders will enjoy riding many unfamiliar quiet, scenic roads.
Check-in, as well as finish, will be at the George Washington Bridge bus station on Fort Washington Avenue in Manhattan between W. 178th and 179th Streets. It has been a long time since we last started a brevet here, and since then the station has been fully renovated. There are restrooms and water fountains. If you live in the city, you can take the A train to the start. If you’re driving from outside the city, there may be some free parking in the neighborhood, and there are also indoor garages nearby. If you’re driving from New Jersey, you’re probably better off parking in one of the municipal lots in Fort Lee, NJ, and riding across the bridge to the start. If you haven’t been there lately, the old bike path on the south side is now closed and the path on the north side is open, with no stairs or steep ramp to negotiate.
The first 37 miles are mostly flat, with hardly any grades steeper than 2%. Then the hills begin, and don’t let up for long until you cross from Connecticut back into Westchester County at mile 100. After some low-traffic suburban roads, the last 9 miles of the route are more urban, going through Yonkers, the Bronx, and northern Manhattan, but we expect that traffic won’t be heavy there on a Saturday afternoon and evening.
Although it’s called “classic,” it’s actually a brand-new brevet route, starting in northern Manhattan and making a loop up to Bethel, CT. It has been about 15 years since NJ Randonneurs last ran a brevet that went through Westchester and Fairfield counties on the east side of the Hudson. We think that riders will enjoy riding many unfamiliar quiet, scenic roads.
Check-in, as well as finish, will be at the George Washington Bridge bus station on Fort Washington Avenue in Manhattan between W. 178th and 179th Streets. It has been a long time since we last started a brevet here, and since then the station has been fully renovated. There are restrooms and water fountains. If you live in the city, you can take the A train to the start. If you’re driving from outside the city, there may be some free parking in the neighborhood, and there are also indoor garages nearby. If you’re driving from New Jersey, you’re probably better off parking in one of the municipal lots in Fort Lee, NJ, and riding across the bridge to the start. If you haven’t been there lately, the old bike path on the south side is now closed and the path on the north side is open, with no stairs or steep ramp to negotiate.
The first 37 miles are mostly flat, with hardly any grades steeper than 2%. Then the hills begin, and don’t let up for long until you cross from Connecticut back into Westchester County at mile 100. After some low-traffic suburban roads, the last 9 miles of the route are more urban, going through Yonkers, the Bronx, and northern Manhattan, but we expect that traffic won’t be heavy there on a Saturday afternoon and evening.
NOTE: Brevets are a long-distance cycling event for riders with experience riding on public roads. These events are NOT races! As organizers our goal is to provide you with a reasonably suitable route, some support, and information before and during the event to help you have a safe and successful day. However, the rides take place on public roads that are open to all traffic; therefore, we cannot eliminate all hazards or risks.
Your responsibility is to show up in appropriate physical condition for completing the event with a bicycle in good working condition, comply with all traffic laws, comply with the requirements of RUSA and NJ Randonneurs, including rules governing lighting and reflective clothing, respect the rights of all other users of the route, and plan for the possibility of you not being able to finish the ride. Although we cannot eliminate the risks, you can click on the SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS BELOW for some recommendations on reducing them.
Your responsibility is to show up in appropriate physical condition for completing the event with a bicycle in good working condition, comply with all traffic laws, comply with the requirements of RUSA and NJ Randonneurs, including rules governing lighting and reflective clothing, respect the rights of all other users of the route, and plan for the possibility of you not being able to finish the ride. Although we cannot eliminate the risks, you can click on the SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS BELOW for some recommendations on reducing them.