Our first day of the ride was hectic, exciting, scenic, and strenuous, but we all managed to get through the day feeling satisfied and accomplished. We rolled out of our stayover to meet with the B+ Foundation in Central Park, and we set out to cross state lines into New Jersey. The climbs proved challenging compared to our training ground (Champaign), but we still tackled the day and made it to Clinton, New Jersey.
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 76.8 Miles
Elevation 3,755 ft
Points of Interest: Strawberry Fields, George Washington Bridge, The City of East Orange, Round Valley Reservoir
Ride Dedication: Jeremiah, Gavin, Mary Beth
Quote Of The Day
“Going to the George Washington Bridge? No, you’re not” - Helpful pedestrian on Fort Washington St
Tales of the Trail
The morning started at 4:45 a.m., with everyone gearing up to ride to Strawberry Fields in Central Park to meet with one of our beneficiaries, the B+ Foundation. It was great meeting with Carly and hearing about how our fundraising has supported services for many families dealing with cancer. After taking a team picture in front of the Imagine Mosaic, we rolled out of Central Park around 7:30 en route to Clinton.
We had a fun ride out of New York, biking on a paved path next to the Hudson River. After taking a bit of a detour due to path closures, we were able to ride a narrow path on the north side of the George Washington Bridge. It was truly nice to take in our final views of New York before heading out, and it felt surreal to ride over our first state crossing as we rode into New Jersey. After crossing the bridge, some of us dipped our back tires into a nearby lake that was connected to the Atlantic Ocean – it’ll be great to say our bikes have touched two oceans. After dealing with some busy Jersey roads, we had our first stop at a 7/11 and took some time to chill and refuel.
Soon we were back on the road and traveled through some notable towns such as the City of East Orange. We dealt with a lot of busy Jersey roads, but no worries, everyone stayed safe and patient throughout the ride. Around the halfway point of our ride, we stopped for lunch at a Wawa, which was my first time (Dev). Most riders ate PB&J sandwiches while some got food from Wawa, and we took a well-needed lunch break before heading out again.
In the second half of our trip, we came across some steep inclines, but the team powered through and showed those hills who’s boss – I4K 1, HILLS 0. At our 3rd rest stop, the team took a well-needed nap in the shade and took some time to relax before the final stretch. After a final stretch, which included more hills, we arrived at our second stayover – Clinton United Methodist Church. After a scrumptious meal, we unpacked and hit the hay after a long first day of riding.
Thank you to the community members of Clinton United Methodist Church for giving us a place to sleep and a meal to eat! Also, sorry for being behind by a day, we’ll hopefully be posting blogs the day of our rides coming soon.
Cyclists Corner
COMING SOON