Backroad Bicycling Near New York City: 25 One-Day Bike Tours in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania (Paperback)

by Gerry Brooks (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Leave the inner city for biking the nearby country roads and lanes in the New York tristate area.

When people think about New York City, very often the image that's conjured up is of a vast metropolitan and polluted environment, with traffic for miles, and suburban bedroom communities that sprawl in all directions. However, author Gerry Brooks has taken a closer look and discovered the many delightful quiet country roads and lanes that can be reached in 90 minutes to, at most, less than two hours from NYC. From the Connecticut shoreline to the riverbanks of Bucks County along the Delaware River, these 25 cycling tours in the tristate area can easily provide exercise and relaxation for the hurried urbanites/suburbanites of Philadelphia and the 12 million others in the NYC region.

Although not all of the tours chosen for this guide are flat, the name "Cycling for Softies" could be also be given to this compilation of 1-day trips in the New York tristate area. Whether you choose to enjoy riding solo, with friends, or as a family activity, this complete guide will give you all the information you need to make your each day tour unique.

Features include:

• historical background to accompany each tour
• tour ratings from "easy" to "more difficult" terrain
• gear preparation
• road safety (in this land of many roads)
• directions so that a route can be extended

Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; 1 edition (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881506605
• ISBN-13: 978-0881506600
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #360,065 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, practical, useful book, September 28, 2005

By	Peach "Curmudgeon" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I am a veteran of Gerry Brooks' cycling tours in NYC, and was saddened to learn that he's no longer running them on a scheduled basis. So I was really pleased to see this book, which contains the routes, driving directions and other key information relating to the Brooks Country Cycling Daytrips. The trips are fun, varied, pretty, and the routes are designed for quiet and safe cycling. They are designed for casual cyclists who want to enjoy the outdoors and have some fun. The option legs do cater to the more fitness-oriented among the crowd, too. The only quarrel I have with the book is that the drive time estimates seem either very optimistic, or Gerry drives with a lead foot. I would generally say that the drive times are 15-45 minutes longer than stated in the book. But otherwise, I recommend it wholeheartedly.