Recommendation needed for Long Island/ NY

[Laszlo]

Hi,

this year I´ll start my East-to West-Coast trip with Buffalo, maybe Detroit as the finishing point for my first part of this adventure and my plans are so far to start from the JFK airport and to head to the direction of Port Jefferson....
( from there I`ll take the ferry to Bridgeport and then head for the Finger Lakes and Buffalo...)

When I look at Google Earth I got the impression it might be kind of tough to get out of the city of New York heading to Port Jefferson...G.Earth shows me some cycling routes, but they seem to follow the main roads.

What I´d love to have is some more remote/ bikefriendly roads/paths/gravelroads to travel Long Island...any recommendations? What kind of maps should I use?

Thanks in Advance - Laszlo

[canalligators]

The NYC Bicycle Map will get you out of JFK and to Nassau County. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikemaps.shtml

The interactive online map from NYState DOT will get you to Port Jeff.  Go to https://www.dot.ny.gov/bicycle/mapsand click Use The Map.

There's a bike route north from Massapequa.  I think the red line running east is Bike 24.

[dkoloko]

The NYC Bicycle Map will get you out of JFK and to Nassau County. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bikemaps.shtml

The interactive online map from NYState DOT will get you to Port Jeff.  Go to https://www.dot.ny.gov/bicycle/mapsand click Use The Map.

There's a bike route north from Massapequa.  I think the red line running east is Bike 24.

I do not recommend NYState DOT routes. They too often follow main roads. There are more bicycle friendly alternatives. 9W is a particularly bad choice. If you have no other guidance, pick county roads over state roads.

[canalligators]

9W through Rockland County was challenging, but doable.  The rest of Bike Route 9, from Albany to Bear Mountain Bridge is ok, as is 9W in New Jersey.  But that's not where the OP is headed.  He's going east to Port Jeff and taking the ferry to CT.

I've found most of the NY bike routes to be good rides, but each tends to have a few spots I'd avoid.  Bike 5 is good except for through Rochester and between Albany and Schenectady.  I wouldn't be too optimistic about Bike 24, cycling in Nassau County on highways generally stinks.  Compared to, say the Finger Lakes, the Adirondacks or Wisconsin.

[indyfabz]

Not sure why one would fly into that part of the world and hope to find remote cycling roads.

[Laszlo]

Thanks so far for all the information....seems like there is no real "remote & natural" way out of New York..and this will just mean to hurry up for me to get asap to Connecticut Upstate New York.

I´ll consider your recommendations - Thanks again for your help!

Cheers from Germany - Laszlo

[dkoloko]

I've found most of the NY bike routes to be good rides, but each tends to have a few spots I'd avoid. 

I asked why NY State bike routes follow main roads. I was told it was because they were easiest to map. There is no doubt, with more thought, they could be more bicycle friendly.

[canalligators]

Using state routes is probably due to control over road conditions.  If they use other roads, they probably have to get maintenance of service agreements with the road's owner.

[indyfabz]

A buddy of mine talked to someone in PA who helped develop the PA bike routes. He said the reason they stuck with highways under state jurisdiction wherever they could was because it eliminated the need to get permission from individual townships to post route signs. From my relatively limited experience, that worked out o.k. in many places. In other places, not so much. I can think of one place in particular where you end up on a busy state highway when there is a gorgeous, valley alternative that passes by Amish farms.