East Setauket, LI Ride

I heard about this trail on LI called East Setauket that is supposedly 10 times harder than Rocky Point or Glacier Ridge so we decided to check it out and see for ourselves. It was typical CLIMB style riding, but with more short, steep climbs. Very twisty and lots of fun. Looking forward to going back....

Bregt and Paul at the car before the ride....


Bregt blocking the log ride without realizing it....hehehe


Pauly shows us how it's done 29er style...

2 Big Rides!

My Lil' Dutch Princess came back from Amsterdam and we hit the trail on Saturday. She rode in Holland every day for 2 weeks and arrived home in excellent riding shape. We smoked through 18 miles of Rocky Point. Here she is in action...


Sunday I set out to meet the Boys from work at Jungle Habitat in NJ to seek out some of the new trails....and the old ones aren't so bad either. Both Paul and Alberto were riding their new 29ers for the first time. I hit it on my old faithful Pumpkin (Ventana X-5). Here we are getting ready at the car(s)...


Yes Paul, those are some big wheels on that Turner Sultan...

Alberto at the overlook with his new Cannondale 29er SS


We stopped to check out some of the animal cages and this old truck was parked way back in there....

Labor Day Ride Day 3

Yes, there was some soreness setting in... But, the weather was great and we were having a blast ripping the local trails, eating good food, and partying in NYC. A great customer and friend of mine from New Zealand (Ian) was in town and he was on schedule to join us for the Sunday ride. This would be Ian's first time on a 29er. He got to ride JW's Rocky Mtn. geared Hammer 29er hardtail which is crafted from delicious Reynolds 725 tubing. I rode Powder 2, my Rocky Mtn SS 29er. JW rode his Cannondale SS 29er. Sosarillo joined us for the ride too. It's always fun to ride with The Sos. He's a ripper. Sos had to pedal extra hard because he was about 3 inches short of a 29er. We rolled out to Glacier Ridge on LI and came upon a parking lot full of riders! There was a going away ride for someone who was moving to Australia via Virginia (don't ask me?) and about 30 riders had just come out of the woods. Linda from Bike Junkie saw our Rocky's on the roof as we pulled in and she gave us the lowdown...

A motley crew we are...


The Sos rolling old school on his Dragon.


I'm not sure what these 2 were looking at? Some people just like looking at maps....especially Eagle Scouts.


It was fast and furious. A good time had by all and an American tradition to celebrate the finish! A Coke Slurpee....


Ian meet Coke Slurpee....Coke Slurpee, Ian. They got along famously!


Special thanks to JW for making the trip to NYC. A great staycation for me! Can't wait to do it again...

Labor Day 2

Day 2 of our mtb weekend and we're off to Ninham in Carmel, NY about 65 miles north of NYC. JW is looking fresh before we set off to destroy the trail (or be destroyed). We decide to switch Ventana's for the ride so JW takes Pumpkin( the X-5) and I get to rock the El Ciclon. I decide that we should ride the tower side first since JW has never been to that side. I warned him that it's a climb to the top and then all downhill on the way back down the trail. JW does not enjoy the climb. It is abusive, but I like it.
After the tower side we head over to the park side. Ninham is one of the greatest technical trails around the NYC area. It is awesome. And rocky. Big up to The Kook!

I am in my element. The elements. My happy place.


We survive the Ninham ride and it's all good. Back to the East Village to clean up and then down to Chinatown for Vietnamese at Nha Trang. Here it comes...

Summer rolls to start.

Barbecue pork chops.

Salt & pepper shrimp.

Crispy Squid.


Yummy yummy.
It was a great day.

Labor Day Weekend on 2 Wheels

Well... another Labor Day weekend to signify the end of summer. Boohoo. I love summer. More mountain biking in summer. Holiday weekends mean more days of riding in a row. I decided to kick off the weekend with a couple of morning road rides in Central Park Wed & Thur. Perfect weather. 60-62 degrees at 6 AM. Great rides. One of my greatest friends in the world (JW) rolls in Thursday night to kick off 3 days of great mountain biking around NYC. JW brought a couple 29ers with him just in case. The DL kitchen is full up. Mikkie doesn't seem to mind...

Friday morning and we're off to Ringwood, NJ for some rock bashing. JW hasn't been in the rough stuff lately and you can tell by his expression that he has no idea how mangled he will be in a few hours....hehehe


JW at the top before we dip in to the new trail at Ringwood...

We both survived even though I had a couple unpleasant trips over the handlebars. Kneepads are good. Fountain Coke on ice on the way back to NYC...
We finished off the day with a subway ride to Queens for some good ole Indian grub in Jackson Heights. It's hot down in those tunnels! Ride at your own risk...