The dirt roads between Nyack and Haverstraw shouldn't be too bad. It’s been dry recently. 

I don't think I can join, but can you please clarify where and when does this ride start?

5:30am at jersey side of GWB

Yep want to avoid 9w coming down. Going up we will largely avoid it, but it's very quiet that early in the morn on any road up there.

RJ no worries I would rather not split up, we'll work it out. 

FWIW, in the dark ages, I rode the gravel by Nyack beach on 20mm clincher tires.  And the guys who first took me there were on 20mm cotton-casing race tubulars.  

The sector from Nyack beach to Rockland lake should be easy.  There are a few short sectors between Rockland Lake and Haverstraw which call for a little more care.  But, since the point is the ride, we should be able to slow down there enough that it's not an issue, even for those who aren't certain of their gravel riding skills.  

I also say that the road surface on 9w we avoid is sketchier 
RJ this path is used by recreational cyclist and family’s in the area and nothing to be intimidated by 

How many are we. Shall we all dawn the white jerseys?

Looks like we're a crew of 6 or 7. I would personally go with white jerseys for slightly better visibility early in the morning and also just mentally feels cooler if we're under the sun,

I’m bringing my buddy Max

Alrighty folks, a reminder:

GWB/NJ, 530a.
...Don't forget your flat kit and pump/co2
...Pack plenty of calories
...Double large bottles if possible with electrolytes/drink mix 
...And get a good night's sleep!

See you all soon!

I am sadly out this year. Hope you guys have fun! It will be a blast and the forecast looks perfect. 

i think i will need to turn around around Nyack...fitness isn't there post illness. Excited to see everyone regardless!

I missed this.  Body is still calling out for rest.

But...

A 3-15am alarm call  
Dave is the only man that could convince us to do this crazy early start ,
River road and then up through Nyack and along the river path to Bear , took the climb easy while everyone else pushed 
re fuel at Tompkins cove was welcomed 
couple of flats on the way back , and leaking sealants ( Kevin plugged👍)
, struggled a bit on the way home but happy to log 125 mile 
Kevin, Max,Lennart ,Patrick ,Greg ,Jeff ,Dave and RJ 
made for great company .

It took me 3 days after the ride to figure out I got sun burned on my back through my jersey so apologies for the late write up.

https://www.strava.com/activities/15245310988


 
I'm a recovering insomniac, but some of my favorite moments in life have been watching the sun come up on a new day. College, after an all-nighter, through cigarette smoke hazed dorm windows. As a delinquent teenager, sitting on softball bleachers in Central Park, $0.50 coffee and bagel in hand. Parked with friends on the side of Hither Hills Montauk, mere hours after convincing them over dinner in the east village that this was a great idea.

Riding bikes with pals along the historic Hudson, the sun casting long shadows, our drive trains and tires against tarmac as functional white noise machines.

The individual moments are almost mundane. Lennart wondering what idiot is riding their bike pre-dawn then realizing it is me on the Queensboro Bridge. I notice my frozen bidons thawed within half an hour as we zip up Madison Ave to the GWB. Catching up with Kevin on the GWB and having Mark and Jeff greet us, incredulous that they have been bamboozled into meeting up so goddamn early. Max is here too, thanks for joining the adventure! Pat is late. Greg is late. We mention their names 3 times and they appear suddenly like Beetlejuice. Off we go.

We roll along River Road, jumping the barrier to ride the brick road Max postulates is from the Gatsby era. The sun appears in flashes of orange through the trees casting it's resonant color on the hillside and on us. I descend into boat basin for the full Alpine Climb. RJ and Kevin come with and we sweat it out to the top. It's a long way to Bear Mountain, but if not now, when? We're out of the woods and a very quiet 9W awaits.

State line sprint. Everyone knows I can not resist. I settle in a few wheels back, tighten my shoes and deny deny deny. It's go time, Kevin and I hustle and my rear light pops off. Kevin wins. RJ picks up my light.

Off to Nyack we go, smooth rolling tarmac through the quiet waterside neighborhood along the river, the sun's reflection skips and follows us. We enter Nyack looking for a place to fill our bottles before heading up to Bear. A bee hits my eye and it hurts like hell. We make it to the entrance to Nyack beach and pause to fill our bottles from the water fountain (thank god for public works), eat some calories, and we're off. The sandy path leading to the woods is still perfect, level with the Hudson next to us, the sun still low in the sky. We head through the woods, some sections overgrown with weeds and tall grass, feeling like intrusive fans lining the tarmac as if we are riding Le Tour.

We made it to Haverstraw, pass through the industrial quarry operations, our bikes covered in dried mud? cement?

More quiet riverside neighborhoods and there it is, the entrance to Bear. RJ is excited, his first time here.

We hang out at the circle so everyone can catch up but as soon as the group is back, the fast guys get moving. No mercy, no looking back. I gulp down the rest of my gel and hustle watching them steadily ride away. Patrick is the moving target and I slowly close in on him, finally catching his wheel, barely able to catch my breath. He drops me on the first part of Perkins. I catch up and think I'm putting in some distance. Pat closes in and sprints around to the top. By the time I arrive I am drenched in sweat, like I've jumped into the ocean. 

The view is spectacular as always. 

It's the usual mix of motorcycles and cyclists, couples on dates, families with parents dragging their kids out into nature. We're all here for it. I've been coming up here since I was a kid. I have to imagine what it was like pre-colonial times when native peoples saw the sunrise from the top. 

Descend, power through, race to Cove Deli where sandwiches and Gatorade and cokes and civilization awaits us. We replace one cycling group at the table. I have two sodas and double up on Gatorade. BEC with hotsauce on the side. Lite FM radio with an eclectic mix of the 80s, 90s and 00s plays Kenny Loggins Danger Zone and then Backstreet Boys I Want It That Way. We leave and are replaced by another cycling group - Good Guys. Have a good sandwich, guys.

Back at it, the final stretch (you're still with me?), we hustle through the neighborhoods passing by the marinas. Greg drops a few times and hustles ahead knowing we would catch up. We end up never catching up as we thought was behind. This is how breakaways win races, this is how Greg secretly takes all the state line points, like Alex Stieda in the opening stage of the 86 tour. Lennart, Max and RJ ride off into the woods, while Jeff catches a flat and Mark and Pat hang back to help. Kev and I come across a forlorn RJ who has a rear flat in the middle of the woods and tells us to go, leave him to the whims of Uber. Silly RJ, we don't do that shit around here. I pull out my patch kit and Kevin offers a CO2 and we give him a quick tutorial on how to fix-a-flat. He's got 50-60psi but that'll do to get us to a bike shop.

We hit Nyack, but the pump at the cafe isn't working so we head down the road to Piermont. I don't know why but somehow I'm on the front pushing 300watts and then jumping at 600watts to catch back onto the tail. I think Lennart is pedaling angry as we were fiercely debating waxed chains. We get to Piermont in record time and hang out as people get pumped up. G5 Performance has a tent set up in front of the shop and we grab some complimentary gels. 

Off we go, the final-final stretch. Tallman: 💀. Market to state line climb: 💀. Final hill: 💀. False flat: 💀. Regroup at Kiku, hide under the awning for shade. Jeff, Mark and Pat roll by, we hitch back on and we pull, passing by riders who surely have fewer miles in their legs and less calorie deficits in their stomachs. A random strong guy in brown kit (brown kit???) rotates in with us. He's strong and we're at the front, two up, when I realize we're coming up on gas station sprint. I shout at him through the wind that the sprint is coming up. I go hard to lead whoever is behind me out and pull off watching everyone contest. I think Kevin took it?

Regroup and we turn on to Hudson Terrace for the final sprint. I have nothing in me so I go early hoping to catch people off guard. Jeff comes barreling past with the fury of a thousand suns. When we catch back up he notes that I told him a few weeks ago that he's no good for the short punchy stuff. Note to self: Batman holds grudges. I nicknamed him "Batman" because he used to train before sunrise and we'd see him leaving the park just when the rest of us were arriving at 6am (the irony).

We're at the bridge, Pat heads off to his parking spot. I'm about to call Greg, who's phone call I missed and who shows up? It's Greg! Apparently he had been hanging out at Strictly's for half an hour. 

Over the bridge, into Manhattan. Kev, Max and RJ split off. Lennart, Greg and I take to the streets. We somehow lose Greg again. Lennart and I hit the QBB and like he's been doing all day Greg is already in front of us.

It's a day of catch up. It's a day of catching up.

Final fluid intake: 6 full 550ml bottle changes with drink mix or Gatorade. 1x 20oz bottle of Coke. 1x 12oz bottle of Mexican Pepsi.