Hey, I will be in the Hamptons on Long Island this weekend…specifically the Water Mill NY area. I was wondering if anyone is familiar with the area and would it be worth me bringing my bike to get some rides in? The directions to the house actually say turn left on NY State Bicycle route 27…I am assuming this is a good place to ride? I tried to search online but there wasnt that much out there on it…anyone familiar with the area?
Bring your bike. From Water Mill and on to the East, it’s perfect riding. And oh by the way, this Saturday is the annual “Ride to Montauk;” just follow the thousands of bikers heading past you going towards the lighthouse, 40 miles to the east.
You won’t be able to partake in the aid stations, but you could easily follow the line of ants going east, and follow the pink markers on the road.
Oh nice thanks!..going out Thursday night so maybe get in a good ride Friday morning and see about that Ride to Montauk…
Just north of you around Sag Harbor are some beautiful open roads. Here’s a link to the bike course of the Mighty Hamptons Olympic triathlon that should give you a general idea of places ride but Noyac Road is pretty much the road to stay on. I was out in East Hampton this past weekend and road out to the Montauk Lighthouse and back. It was a fast 46 miles and there is a very generous shoulder the whole way with no lights or stop signs to slow you down.
http://www.longislandtri.com/2008/maps/MightyHamptonsBike.pdf
Look up the bike course for the Mighty Montauk Half - great loop that brings you through Montauk and past the Lighthouse.
Definitely bring your bike, the riding is spectacular out there. PM me if you want a riding partner, I’ll be riding this weekend also.
Head east on 27. Once you get through East Hampton there are no lights, and past Amagansett not another town out to Montauk. The ride out to the lighthouse is a nice ride. Shoulders are wide and you will be one of many cyclists. The other option is to drive to Montauk, and as another poster suggested, do the Montauk Half loop. It is a 2 loop course so it is a 28 mile loop. The Mighty Hamptons course has been getting a little crowded on the weekends with drivers that know the back roads using them to avoid the traffic on 27, also some of the shoulders are not as wide there.
Weather looks nice this weekend, enjoy.
Mike
So can I just stay on 27 for a decent ride? I am staying on Cobb road which is right off 27…i really dont know the area at all so if I can just stay on there of a 30 35 mile ride I would be happy
You could also head out 114 North from East Hampton Village, to North Haven via Sag Harbour. The South Ferry to Shelter Island is $6 and the North is $5 for bikes IIRC. Shelter Island is a great ride and the North Fork is less traveled. I love that ride.
The Montauk ride is good esp if you get off 27 and do some of the roads less traveled, Dunmere, Further La etc.
You could put it to Map My Ride to see.
Look on a map for “Further Lane” in East Hampton. It’s a good idea to go around EH and Amagansett on the south side, if possible. The traffice on 27 (a/k/a Montauk Highway) is nutty through those towns, and dangerous to bikers. Go around those 2 towns. Otherwise, just head East until you’re happy, then turn around. Best ride is to the light house and back. A couple of challenging hills near The End.
OK Talltris so ride on 27 to Dunemer Lane which turns into Further Lane then back on to 27? Sounds good/safe?
A lot of good suggestions already, and yes, bottom line is bring the bike. I would add:
-A couple of the turnoff roads from 27 can be a bit dicey, especially Stephen Hands Path during busy hours, and Scuttle Hole Road (no shoulder and can get packed). Nothing crazy but keep your wits about you.
-Don’t ride your bike on Main St in Sag Harbor or East Hampton, it’s actually not allowed. Both are absolutely avoidable anyway. The suggestion to take Further Lane as a southern route to clear East/Amagansett is a great one, beautiful riding right by all the various beaches.
Dunemere to Further, then right/left onto Bluff. Runs into 27 East, or a scenic alternative at that point is to go straight across onto Cranberry Hole Rd for a while, before ultimately getting back onto 27E.
See a map. Print a map. Take le map. Read le map. 
But yes, this is the general way to get around EH and Amagansett safely. LOTS of bikers/joggers on this bypass. And if Saturday, it should be swamped with bikers heading to the light house beginning mid- to late-morning.
Awesome ride; it just takes me 25 miles of riding to get where you are starting from.
OK thnaks…I plan on going early morning Friday to hopefully a little less bike and car traffic. See how that goes and decide if riding Saturday also
Last one to the Lobster Roll buys!
See ya Saturday!
Brian
Sag Harbor Cycling Company, a new shop out of Sag offers organized rides on the weekend. After rides some people will then run or swim, might be worth checking out.
I think all of the suggestions are great if you are planning on doing a solo ride. BUT… I would suggest meeting the group that rides from the new Sag Harbor cycling shop in sag harbor at 7am sat and sunday. The ride has A&B groups that ride from sag to Amagansett (approx 45m) on mostly back rds (hardly any car traffic) on sat and goes to shelter island on sundays.
The A group avges approx 23mph and the B approx 21mph and is tons of fun- road bike if you got it, but tri bike is okay as long as you are not in the bars when in the paceline as these guys are mostly roadies. Save some leg for the last half as it gets windy and there are a few short rollers that will hurt unless you have paced it the rt way.
Rte 27 has tons of traffic on weekends and lots of beachgoers so I would avoid that at all costs (unless you are IN Montauk which is approx 25m from Water Mill via rte 27). Then a ride from town to the lighthouse and back with east lake drive thrown in is approx 20m (double loop it for the Mightyman Montauk) but is amazing on a blue sky day.
Rich
www.Toughmantri.com
www.ToughTeentri.com
www.Toughkidstri.com
Lots of great suggestions. I would add, on your way out to Montauk, take Cranberry Hole Rd to Napeague Meadow Rd, then back onto 27.
It’s fairly flat, but the winds, if they are blowing, are a bitch.
Enjoy, I rode the east end for 18 years before moving south. I miss it.
Thanks for posting Richard, great to know. I was bummed to hear of BikeHampton’s shuttering, great to hear the group rides will continue with the new shop!
These group rides are great. If you are looking to train and not just ride, get involved. The A paceline will put you on the rivet, we were pushing 25-32mph at the end of last year, consistently 28mph on the flats. More interval/breakaway sim than steady state unless you play ticket collector in the back, but you will get a very nice juicy TSS & IF score from these rides if you are in the rotation.