30 miles
\nstarted at Jackie Robinson Park W 147th Street
\nhad to backtrack to get around the park
\n(cycling up a hill better than carrying your bike up steep stairs at 155th)
\nbit of trouble finding the bike path along the Harlem River
\nbut there are some beautiful uncrowded spots for picnicking there<\/p>\n
city streets (Dyckman) for a few blocks
\nto intersect with the beginning of the west side bike path<\/p>\n
main challenges: heat, various sore body parts, crowds
\nbut on the whole, pleasant interesting riding <\/p>\n
one more challenge: darkness, being caught in
\nhad to navigate from 181st street back to 147th in the dark
\ndouble parked cars, car with flat tire bumping along,
\nbuses pulling across the bike lane, other cyclists, many pedestrians<\/p>\n
reward: dinner at Celeste, 84th and Amsterdam
\nnot a fan of fried food, but I loved the fried artichokes topped off
\nwith a frothy pile of fried parsley! <\/p>\n
map only gives a vague idea of the route
\nfor one thing, it’s showing driving directions, not bike routes
\nfor another, it doesn’t show the return trip, which included a short cut at the end<\/p>\n