Looks quite possible that I will be moving to Long Island in the very near future and am looking for advice on all things triathlon related, particularly:
Best places to live where you have good routes to ride before work while still having a decent commute (under 30’) to Central Islip? I am thinking Huntington, but would really be interested and grateful for other suggestions, including specific riding routes I could try.
Masters swimming in Long Island - where/when/how do you sign up?
You are on the right track with Huntington. Huntington, Northport, Fort Salonga; all nice areas with some great biking routes on the north shore of Long Island.
As far as masters swimming goes: www.aquafitmasters.com
Ashamed as I am to admit it, I’m the last one to be giving swimming advice so I’ll stick to what I know.
Your choice of Huntington would be good, as it places you on the North Shore, where there are significantly better riding opportunities.
Let me know when you’re closer and I’ll be glad to help you out with route info, which will become crystal clear when you arrive - because there’s not a whole lot of great routes to choose from.
I would try to be further east if possible. That opens up routes even further east from there with less traffic. We lived in Stony Brook and I wished I could have lived 10-15 miles east from there.
Stony Brook University has a great Master’s program and there is another due south on the south shore, but I don’t recall the name.
Just my personal opinion having lived in a lot of places in the last 5 years. The routes on Long Island can be really nice, but the traffic and the inconsiderateness (a word?) of the drivers really put me off riding as much as I would have liked. Traffic laws don’t really apply to Long Islanders. They pretty much do whatever gets them home the quickest, everyone else be damned.
Now I live in Oklahoma which is about as different from Long Island as you can get in this country.
I was looking at Stony Brook too - it seems real nice. What towns + riding routes further east would you suggest and why?
Also, any particular areas/routes/rides where you found the traffic to be especially crappy (or not too bad)?
Thanks again for the insights. I have lived in NYC for 11 years and need a change. That said, I have my little routine set up to do the things I like to do (mostly ride my bike and train for IMs) and want to be sure I don’t set up a new life where they are harder to fit in.
I think it depends how old you are and what you are looking for. Stony Brook has the university, Huntington is a little more “urban” and has a nice downtown. Port Jefferson is nearby and is a cute, touristy little town. There is lots of good riding near Huntington and from there you can easily head west into Nassau County where I think there are lots of nice, interesting rides. You are also near the expressway service road where you can ride straight for miles and miles and get in a good non-stop training ride. Both towns are on the north shore which is the hilliest part of Long Island. If you have kids, check out the school districts - some of Huntington’s are not that great from what I hear.
Hey
After your settled in, give Will at Road Worx a call. He has indoor training sessions and when the weather is nicer there is a group ride that goes out of the shop. roadworxli.com
Nassau Counry is great for tri and for tri training. This is the Nassau County Aquatic Center where Aquafit and Total Training train. There is also plenty of open training time, it’s open for lap swimming from 6am to 10pm.
There are lots of excellent cycling routes along the north shore. Don’t miss the Gold Coast Century in July. It hits every hill in Nassau County. I don’t find traffic to be a problem on the bike. You just have to be aggressive and stake out your territory. The problem is trying to go across the island at rush hour, you can hit a lot of bad intersections. For rides after work I stick to the Service Road, everyone’s going in the same direction so it’s not a problem.
Good running routes, tons of races. Usually several running races every weekend. A good schedule of triathlons right here on Long Island. Triathletes everywhere. Coaches everywhere…I could go on and on…
Thanks, will do!