Difficulty Rating:
3 out of 5
This is a fairly short ride with a lot of climbing, but it's an excellent way for strong C-riders and slower B riders to enjoy the back roads and splendid views of Westchester County. The ride begins at the comfort station in Sachkerah Woods Playground at Jerome Ave & W Gun Hill Rd in the Bronx. Take the #4 train to Mosholu Pkwy or Woodlawn, or take the D train to 205th St Norwood.
Bring plenty of snack food and fluids. The first pit stop is at mile 15 - a gas station/mini-mart. Then there's one more stop, if needed at mile 25, before lunch in Pleasantville at the end of the ride. All the significant climbing is after the first pit stop, so do a good refueling there and have food with you to eat at the tops of climbs. A lot of the climbing is fairly gentle, but there are a few sections that hit 10% - similar to the steep sections of Walnut. This is a beautiful ride to do in mid-late October when the trees are in their fall colors.
Lunch is at Jean Jacques, a French bistro in Pleasantville. Go ahead and indulge in desert - you've earned it, and you're just a block from the train station. (Of course, if you still have energy to burn, you can ride back to NYC via the North & South County Trailways - about 22 miles to the #1 train, trending downhill.)
cw 11/2020
