Has anyone ridden up the Hudson Valley to Poughkeepsie or beyond?
What would be the most bike friendly route?
Thanks!
I’d probably head out of town over the GW Bridge and just keep trucking on 9W the whole way. The advantage there is that’s where everyone rides. Good roads and most drivers have good awareness of cyclists. Not sure about crossing back to the east side at the mid-Hudson bridge, though, so you’ll want to check on that.
Yes I have. I started on Manhattan so adjust as appropriate but the first bit is every NYC rider’s standard weekend - West Side, George Washington Bridge, 9W to Nyack, Muffin and coffee at the Runcible Spoon.
After that I continue up the 9w past Rockland lake, Over Bear Mountain and all the way to the Bear Mountain Bridge. This section is a bit stop start through West Haverstraw with lots of strip malls but there isn’t a more scenic option and it gets a lot better in the five miles before the bridge with lots of rollers and a good climb.
Cross the bridge, turn left up the 9D opposite West Point and ride through Cold Spring - this is all decent riding on a good day. Then just stay on the 9D through Deacon, Wappinger Falls and on to Poughkeepsie. My experience was the last bit of the ride is the worst with narrowish, fast two or four lane roads with plenty of traffic - I had one bad experience in Poughkeepsie itself with a motorist who definitely wasn’t used to sharing the road. Still recommend the ride but be careful up there.
I think I found the answer for the ‘Western Side’, but I was curious about crossing at Bear Mountain and heading up the ‘Eastern Side’.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ny/poughkeepsie/526827711
How the hell do you get over the GW? Is there a pedestrian path on that monstrosity?
It definitely works per my last post but after cold spring it’s not fantastic riding and unfortunately I haven’t done the West Side to compare. When are you going?
How the hell do you get over the GW? Is there a pedestrian path on that monstrosity?
Yes
whenever i try to drive across i imagine that pedestrian walkway would move faster.
As opposed to using the Bear Mountain Bridge , you can continue north on 9W, perhaps traveling along the Storm King Mountain Highway high above the Hudson on the corniche-like road just north of West Point, and cross over the river on the Beacon Newburgh Bridge just south of Poughkeepsie. This is also an amazingly scenic route.