S
Scott Gordo
Guest
Highbridge Park is the only legal trail riding in Manhattan. It's
located at Inwood, Manhattan's northern tip, around 200th Street. The
MTB trails were opened on May 19th. This was my first time heading up
there to check it out. It was also only maybe the 3rd or third time
I'd been on my MTB this year.
My expectations for an NYC Parks System-sanctioned trail were pretty
much a combination of fireroads, basic xc trails with some rocks and
roots, and maybe some offshoots with more technical stuff. The only
info I had was on this page:
http://www.nycmtb.com/trails/highbridge.html
The highlights of the description are:
- 3 miles of trails (Whaddaya want? It's Manhattan. Be thankful it's
not covered in co-ops.)
- "...smooth cruisers to wickedly technical "east coast gnar..."
- "25% beginner, 25% intermediate, 50% expert XC trails" - I didn't
take this very seriously.
I took the 2/3 to the 1 train up to Dykman Street, about an hour from
my apt in Brooklyn. The park was easy to find (trees among the
elevated bodegas drives and tracks), but I looked for some sort of
entrance near the Dykman stop vainly. I wound up riding some paved
trails in the park looking for the dirt. Finally I saw a couple riders
resting. We made our greetings and discussed the trail. They were
kitted like me, 80mm basic XC hardtails. They were pretty worked, and
said that the trails had been much tougher than they expected. They
didn't seem like pros, but they didn't seem inexperienced either.
We hit the trail, and they weren't kidding. Lots of tight rocks,
broken glass, and off-camber stuff, much of it looking rather
unforgiving. I gotta say, I'm definitely not the careless 22 year old
I once was, but I had to walk a lot of it (as did my fellow riders.)
It was shameful.
We'd find very short sections that we could ride smoothly, but for the
most part Highbridge really dished it out. Maybe it's the
proliferation of freeride, full sus stunt guys around here, but the
toodle I expected was more of a trial. Although rolling/flat, many of
the sections were reminiscent of Plattekill's intermediate downhill
route (which wasn't much fun on my bike either.) Part of what made it
tough is that it wasn't "normal" trail where you could get some flow
before hitting interspersed technical bits. It was one technical bit
after another in tight succession.
I hate to say it, but next time I'm going back with the pads. And
maybe flat pedals. I'll wait to get it wired, section by section,
before inviting any of you guys out
There's also a bmx track and a jump park.
In summary, Highbridge put the wood to me. Good use of a small space
with a higher pucker-factor than expected.
Scott
located at Inwood, Manhattan's northern tip, around 200th Street. The
MTB trails were opened on May 19th. This was my first time heading up
there to check it out. It was also only maybe the 3rd or third time
I'd been on my MTB this year.
My expectations for an NYC Parks System-sanctioned trail were pretty
much a combination of fireroads, basic xc trails with some rocks and
roots, and maybe some offshoots with more technical stuff. The only
info I had was on this page:
http://www.nycmtb.com/trails/highbridge.html
The highlights of the description are:
- 3 miles of trails (Whaddaya want? It's Manhattan. Be thankful it's
not covered in co-ops.)
- "...smooth cruisers to wickedly technical "east coast gnar..."
- "25% beginner, 25% intermediate, 50% expert XC trails" - I didn't
take this very seriously.
I took the 2/3 to the 1 train up to Dykman Street, about an hour from
my apt in Brooklyn. The park was easy to find (trees among the
elevated bodegas drives and tracks), but I looked for some sort of
entrance near the Dykman stop vainly. I wound up riding some paved
trails in the park looking for the dirt. Finally I saw a couple riders
resting. We made our greetings and discussed the trail. They were
kitted like me, 80mm basic XC hardtails. They were pretty worked, and
said that the trails had been much tougher than they expected. They
didn't seem like pros, but they didn't seem inexperienced either.
We hit the trail, and they weren't kidding. Lots of tight rocks,
broken glass, and off-camber stuff, much of it looking rather
unforgiving. I gotta say, I'm definitely not the careless 22 year old
I once was, but I had to walk a lot of it (as did my fellow riders.)
It was shameful.
We'd find very short sections that we could ride smoothly, but for the
most part Highbridge really dished it out. Maybe it's the
proliferation of freeride, full sus stunt guys around here, but the
toodle I expected was more of a trial. Although rolling/flat, many of
the sections were reminiscent of Plattekill's intermediate downhill
route (which wasn't much fun on my bike either.) Part of what made it
tough is that it wasn't "normal" trail where you could get some flow
before hitting interspersed technical bits. It was one technical bit
after another in tight succession.
I hate to say it, but next time I'm going back with the pads. And
maybe flat pedals. I'll wait to get it wired, section by section,
before inviting any of you guys out
There's also a bmx track and a jump park.
In summary, Highbridge put the wood to me. Good use of a small space
with a higher pucker-factor than expected.
Scott
