There's lots of ideas at
http://www.roberts-1.com/bikehudson and also links to lots of other
resources.
Some ideas:
- - most of the Hudson valley south of Albany is _hilly_. And most of the prettiest and funnest
riding is hilly. So my advice is not to try to move your base every day, because carrying heavy
loads is going to make you avoid the best parts. Instead I'd suggest one or two bases. And a motor
vehicle to take you to the best rides around the base -- especially if you've got some riders who
would prefer to avoid the hillier parts.
- - if you want days and days of exploring quiet rural roads with pretty farms, think Columbia
County (and northern Dutchess County). Making a base around West Taghkanic or Taghkanic State Park
could provide at least three days of great loops. Or Copake / Copake Falls as a base would also
put you near some nice riding in the southern Berkshires of MA and CT.
- - New York City is part of the Hudson valley. If you can handle the urban traffic, it can be very
interesting and spectacular to ride there. Maybe you can coordinate with their special BikeSummer
program this year. If you're transporting your bikes in a vehicle, consider parking it on the New
Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge and then riding into Manhattan. (It can be a
wonderful experience just to ride across the GWB and down Riverside Dr early on a weekend
morning). Like one group could ride from the GWB to Central Park, do a loop and come back. A more
ambitious group could circle the whole harbor. And possibly a group that wasn't ready to handle
urban traffic could walk their bikes from the Manhattan end of the GWB to an access point on the
West side Greenway.
Ken
