Come ready for adventure! Black Rock Forest is a hidden gem in our region. Steve has visited across seasons, whether riding the forest roads, hiking the trails, XC skiing, or snowshoeing. We will stick to the maintained forest roads, which were highly rideable - and a lot of fun - when we scouted them in July. It's a beautiful place!

We'll also visit Storm King Highway, a better-known highlight of our region, which offers magnificent views of the Hudson River and beyond. Black Rock Forest and Storm King both suffered severe damage during a storm in July of 2023. Thankfully both places have been repaired, so we can return to these favorite spots.  The Long Distance group will start the morning with a climb up Bear Mountain for some lovely views.  Other groups will head directly towards Black Rock Forest.

We will have the usual three pace groups (short, medium, long) and expect all groups to end at around the same time.  We can celebrate at Bear Mountain after the ride.  See the route links, below, for the picnic spot (look for the picnic table icon).

START TIME: 8:30am *wheels rolling*.  Drivers should plan to arrive considerably early and be ready to ride.

START LOCATION: Bear Mountain State Park, Parking Lot 1. 
- DRIVERS: There is a $10 fee for parking at Bear Mountain. If you have a NYS Empire Pass, you'll be able to park for free, just like in any other NYS park. 
- TRAIN RIDERS can hop off at Manitou Station.  The train arrives at 8:04am. It is a 3-mile ride to Bear Mountain. Let us know if you plan to come by train.  We won’t start the ride until train riders make it to the park. 
[There is no parking lot at Manitou Station.  If drivers want to avoid the parking fee at Bear Mountain, you'll have to find a different place.]

END OF RIDE HANGOUT: Picnic at Bear Mountain. See the RidewithGPS routes for the location where we plan to gather after the ride. Look for the picnic table symbol on the map.

ROUTES: See “grny dot org”, since Strava is removing external links.
Long (60mi, ~6000ft): 
Medium (48mi, ~4500ft): 
Short (38mi, ~3500ft): 
*** All riders should use extra caution at the start and end of the route!  We'll have to navigate a busy road and traffic circle as we leave Bear Mountain State Park. The same goes for train riders, who will have to navigate to the park. 

QUESTIONS? You can email Steve at track “dot” smart “at” gmail “dot” com, but be sure to read all of the information below and the group information on the grny dot org website first.

==
DISCLAIMER: This is totally informal. You ride at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety. You are expected to be self-sufficient. We cannot guarantee the condition or safety of roads and trails. Nor can we control the behavior of other riders. This is not a supported event. We expect everyone to be an experienced cyclist who can repair a flat, carry appropriate food and hydration, and navigate independently if they lose the group.
==

PACE GROUPS
- Long (60-65+ miles, faster speed, and killer climbs): Led by Steve. 17+ mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo rides); 19-20mph (NYCC standards); >14MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

- Medium (45-55 miles, moderate speed, skips some of the deadliest climbs): Kathy will lead these rides, which will still be challenging, but travel at a slower speed. Pace expectation: 14 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes);l 16-17 mph (NYCC standards); ~12 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

- Short (40-45 miles, no-drop): Ralph will typically lead these rides. This group will stop more often to rest, take photos, and enjoy the scenery, riding at a friendly, no-drop pace. Pace expectation: 12-13 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes); 14-15 mph (NYCC standards); 10 MPH average on gravel rides with 100ft/mile of elevation gain.

“Strava speed” = actual recorded average speed for long, solo paved rides on relatively flat terrain (i.e., not group rides with drafting).

EXAMPLE RIDES FOR EACH PACE GROUP
It is difficult to describe pace for rides that include dirt, pavement, and substantial climbing. You can compare these examples to your own gravel rides over similar distances and elevation gains. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ELEVATION GAIN. THESE WILL BE HILLY RIDES.

Long: 63 miles, 6300 ft climbing, >14 MPH
– Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023394582

Medium: 47 miles, 4500 ft climbing, ~12 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023193918

Short: 45 miles, 3600 ft climbing, ~10.5 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9197009980

[These examples are from last year’s SGS rides]

RIDE ORGANIZATION
We will have at least one place to buy food and drink on each ride, but we are only doing grab-and-go during the ride itself (e.g., Gatorade + portable snacks). Each group will have a few “wait for everyone” stops. That said, the Long and Medium groups will not wait for riders who are considerably behind the pace. The Short group will be no-drop — with some limits. If you are walking the hills and suffering, even at the slower ride pace, please take a shortcut back to the start and tell the rest of the group to travel without you. We can all hangout after the ride.

THREE REQUESTS
1) Choose a ride group based on your riding speed, not distance. We want the groups to finish around the same time, so we can all hang out post-ride. We understand you can go the longer distance, but it will be more fun if people ride together (rather than get dropped) and then hangout for food and drink after the ride.

2) Ride safely! Please read our ride guidelines:  Key points:
– Control your speed when traveling downhill. Racing downhill is how many serious injuries happen. If you’d like to ride hard, save it for the climbs! Then wait at the top.
– Being predictable to other riders and cars will keep everyone safer. Never pass a rider on the right. If you want to pass, call out, and then pass on their left (like a car).
– You need some form of off-line navigation and should have a backup navigation plan. Why? Many areas won’t have cell coverage. And phone batteries can die during long rides. Examples of offline navigation: Dedicated bike computer (Garmin, Wahoo, etc); Phone with paid subscription to Ride with GPS or Strava and remembering to download to route for offline usage before the ride; Paper map + cue sheets.

3) Don't blow up your pace group
- If one or two riders are traveling much faster than the group leader, others will chase them. Then everybody will get strung out riding alone.
- If you are faster than the group average, wait at the top of hills and after major road crossings.
- If there are big speed differences within a group, the group will subdivide at the first catch-up stop. This way everybody will have somebody to ride with.


GrNY: Black Rock Forest & Storm King (SATURDAY)

GrNY is an informal club for gravel riding in the New York metro area. Rides involve dirt and paved surfaces, since it is difficult to string together continuous unpaved routes in our area. The goal is to get away from cars and seek gravel where we can find it.

Join us for rides that emphasize:
- Fun exploration
- Non-competitive atmosphere
- No dress code (whether lycra, MTB baggies, or flannel)
- Some members enjoy challenging rides, but the goal is the experience, not speed/stats
- Pacelining on dirt roads is strongly discouraged.

Info & how to join: https://grny.org/guidelines

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GrNY: Black Rock Forest & Storm King (SATURDAY)

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