Bike riding!

Meet Bianca:

This is me with Bianca during our most recent ride together.

This past year for Christmas, Chris and I decided instead of buying each other gifts, we would buy ourselves bicycles. This was so one didn’t have to feel bad asking for a Mercedes bike if the other wanted one from a garage sale. We could spend as much or as little as we want.

Side note: Mercedes bicycles do exist. This review from the 2009/2010 collection (because of course it is a collection if it is Mercedes) lists the price for the adult bicycles between 4000-5000€. Proof for our reasoning.

So, after finally buying bikes in March, having to replace various parts both by defect of the manufacturer (mine) and by defect of the person (me) who doesn’t stop the car when they hear an unsettling noise coming from the bike on the back (his), we are finally able to enjoy our bikes!

About our bikes: We both have hybrid bikes, which mean skinny, knobby tires and lighter frames. Skinny for roads, knobby for trails. They are primarily for paved or packed trails. They do not do well in soft dirt or very rough terrain. Or it’s just us on those conditions. But we are real people and I think that’s where the best information comes from.

So I am going to backtrack and recap a few places I have gone bike riding. I am generally dissatisfied every time I Google “bike trails ________, NJ” only to discover a jumbled mix of possible trails, maybe closed or in disrepair or requiring serious mountain bikes or serious riders.

I want to compile a comprehensive list of places I have gone, would go again, or would never recommend. Something to know about me and what I look for is that I don’t want just a road. I can find a road outside my house. If I am travelling to ride my bike, I want a journey; I want to see things, like trees, flowers, rivers, and lakes. If not naturesque, then interesting boutiques or shops and houses I wish I could own. Places I want to be. I ride the roads outside my house and I enjoy them. But I can see them anytime. So for me, the effort of packing my bike up and heading out is meant to be an adventure, not just exercise!

Real places I have gone, rated on a scale of 1-10

Columbia Trail, Washington Township, Hunterdon County: 7
I reserve the right to review this trail again when Chris and I go back. Our initial experience was not with our nice, new bicycles that we have now. No, last year I insisted that all I wanted for my birthday was a bike ride, so we used old bicycles from middle school or garage sales (also why we didn’t settle for garage sale bikes for ourselves now). Both were unbelievably uncomfortable in size, seating and everything in between. I am pretty sure I was sore for days afterward. We plan on going back with our new bikes and trekking the 7 mile one way path (14 miles total). After our ride and packing our bikes up, we walked down the street from the parking lot to a liquor store, and then on to the Mexican restaurant at the end of the street (it is a BYOB). It is a cute little strip of a town that was perfect for us to celebrate my birthday!

Duke’s Island Park – Bridgewater: 5
Chris and I enjoyed the trail (not hilly really at all, well paved). It isn’t long. We completed it in less than an hour at a moderate pace, stopping several times (the longest stop was to observe two praying mantis in a compromising position). We would go back, but only because it is about 20 minutes from the Bridgewater Mall and that is convenient sometimes. It was deceptive, as the park is in the middle of the trail. You can basically go left and right from the park, which we did. That is what took a little less than an hour. It isn’t worth more than a 20 minute ride unless you like doing laps.

Henry Hudson Trail – Freehold: 7
I took this trail with my parents one night after work and after dinner. It’s nice. It is a mostly tree lined paved path that doesn’t have much lighting so you can’t do it late or near dusk. Because it was getting dark when we went, we didn’t reach the end. We did ride about half hour out and back though. I know the town is within biking distance and I think it could be nice to ride the trail and then stop in town for a meal (lots of places to choose from). My parents went back and said the entire trail is something like 4.8 miles one way (making it 9.6 total). Not bad.

Note: Henry Hudson Trail exists in and stretches over many towns. I hope to explore other parts of it, but so far I have only gone through Freehold.

Patriots’ Path – Morristown: 8
Chris and I just went here yesterday, and I loved it. I can’t wait to go back. Apparently, the trail is something like 30 miles long and we only did a fraction of that. However, you need a sturdy bike. Not all the trails are paved and the rocky parts may be a bit rough on flimsy or clunky bikes. But this would be a great trail to walk or jog as well. I may be extremely biased since we went at peak leave changing season, so it was beautiful, and the weather very comfortable.

It was a lot of fun. And being so close to Morristown, it was a 7 minute drive to the sushi place where we had a reservation. So plenty to do afterward. I really want to explore more Morris County Parks, they seem to have a good amount.

Other places I enjoy bike riding

Seaside Heights/Park down to Island Beach State Park and into Island Beach State Park – when on vacation with my family this past summer, I rode all around Seaside Park and Seaside Heights and one day went with my parents and my aunt down past Seaside Park into Island Beach State Park (only to the first opening). It is easy to ride around there for hours, but there isn’t a real bike lane (or if there is, it is narrow) so one has to be cautious.

Monmouth County shore towns – I had a random day off in July, so I packed my bike up, parked in Belmar and rode down into and through Spring Lake and all around going as far as Asbury Park and back! I loved it. Easy ride, nice houses/scenery, the hardest part was the hill with the drawbridge between Belmar and Bradley Beach (I think). And the breeze can be a killer. But still very enjoyable.

Please let me know if you recommend anywhere or have any questions about where I have been! I am always looking for new places to journey!