Hi Gang.

Some of you have ridden with us through the Nissequogue River State Park in Kings Park.  This property was preserved as parkland through the hard work of dedicated individuals on Long Island.  Now, we have a new governor, and at least part of the property is in jeopardy, possibly to be sold off to developers.  While this is an unusual communication for our Bike Around Long Island group, the outdoors is important to us all.  I'm hoping that some of you will care enough and find the time to send a letter to the Parks Commissioner.  More information is provided (below) in a letter that I received from Guy Jacob, a friend of ours, and, more importantly, a friend of the great outdoors on Long Island.  I've just composed a letter myself, and will be mailing it shortly.

Thanks,

George

Keep the Park in Kings Park

By Guy Jacob, Conservation Chair

Governor Pataki always vacillated when it came to the future of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center.  It took conservationists, civic leaders and elected officials three years to convince him to dedicate a portion of the land as the new Nissequogue River State Park.  A friend to both conservation and business, he struggled between preservation and development.  His concern over the cost of cleaning up brownfields on the property tilted the balance toward development of the remaining land, but we never gave up hope that he'd annex the remaining 368 acres to the new park.  During the eleventh hour of his administration, he finally heard the voice of the people and did what he should have done years earlier.

Now the Spitzer Administration is questioning Pataki's transfer of these 368 acres to State Parks.  If Spitzer reverses Pataki's decision, it would be the very first time in the history of our state that state park land is sold off to private developers.  That would tarnish this administration's legacy and set a dangerous precedent.  Which would be the next state park sold off piece by piece to the developer with the highest bid?

What's more, it would threaten 127 acres of rare, old growth forest that rests within these 368 acres.  On our finite island, significant areas of old growth forest are priceless resources.  This land rightly belongs under the jurisdiction and guardianship of the public trust.

Not the least of which, it would also be a blatant disregard for what local residents, public officials and environmentalists want: more parkland.  It's more than just disappointing to find out that the elimination of parkland could be the first major decision this administration makes.  It's downright scary.

To find out more go to State Senator John Flanagan's website:

http://www.senatorflanagan.com

ACTION ALERT: Tell Parks Commissioner Ash why you expect her to uphold Governor Pataki's decision to transfer 368 acres to Nissequogue River State Park.

Write to: 

Commissioner Carol Ash

NYS Office of Parks

Empire State Plaza

Agency Building 1

Albany, New York 12238

Hi Gang.

The following link will bring you to the letter that I've sent to Parks Commissioner Carol Ash, regarding the Nissequogue River State Park.

http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/carolash.htm

Although the letter has a Bike Around Long Island "letterhead", nobody should feel that they've been spoken for as a part of our group.  More letters means more impact.  I encourage everyone to make your thoughts known, in this and any other matters that are important to you. 

Regards, George.

Hi Gang.

Okay, it's not a biking thing, but some of you ski, too.  Someone has given me 3 "Owner Courtesy Lodging Coupons" for special nightly rates at Jiminy Peak.  If you're interested, give me a call at 631-499-3953.

George.

Hi Gang.

Registration for the 5-Boro Bike Tour, to be held on May 6, 2007, is now open.

More info and registration is available here:  http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/index.html

For ride merchandise, visit the Image Impact website, here:  http://store.imageimpact.com/20fibobitome.html

I can tell you that it costs a few bucks more than the $6 that I paid the first time I did it, and that included the t-shirt.

George.

Hi Gang, and welcome to our 27th year of Biking Around Long Island.

The 2007 schedule has been posted on our website
(http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker). 

Now's the time to treat your bike to a Spring tune-up, so it's ready to go when you are.  Make sure your tires and brakes are good, and that everything operates smoothly.  Two spare tubes are recommended.  I like to drop my bike at the local bike shop each Spring, just to let them give it a once-over. 

Help us avoid delays on the morning of a ride by printing a release form from our website (http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/signup.htm), and bringing it with you to your first ride. 

If you're considering staying in Montauk in June, it isn't too early to make reservations.  I've already made mine.  Some rooms are booked a year in advance.  The website has some helpful info.

The fun begins on April 7th, with a ride from my house in Commack to Sunken Meadow and back.  I don't know about you, but after this winter I need to get out and do some serious preparation for the 5-Boro Tour that's happening on May 6th.

The bike path to Jones Beach will most likely be closed for some part of the Spring riding season.  We can still do 20 miles from Bethpage to Cedar Creek and back.  The closure schedule has not yet been posted.

I look forward to spending another year "on the road again", with my friends.  Let's hope that the only thing wet about our rides is an occasional beer afterwards.

See you soon.
George.

George J Waldbusser ("Trail Boss")
Bike Around Long Island
http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker
gjwbiker@...

Our first ride is April 7th.  If you need anything for your bike, or even a new bike, Brands Cycle & Fitness is having their Annual Spring Sale on March 22nd through March 25th.  

For location and hours, see their website at: http://brandscycle.com/index.cfm

A spring tune-up at your favorite bike shop is usually a good idea, too.

George.

Hi Gang.

We've had our share of rain-outs over the years, with last year being most memorable for that.  But this Saturday's ride, the intended first of 2007, could possibly be an all-time first for Bike Around Long Island since 1981.  The Weather Channel is predicting a possibility of snow showers on Saturday morning.  Snow would cause a cancellation, as would cold temperatures with a threat of snow.  As usual, I won't make a decision until Saturday morning.  But also as usual, if you're even considering doing this ride, be sure to call the Trail Boss Hotline (631-499-3953) for a recorded message after 6am, on Saturday morning. 

George.

Hi Gang.

I know you're suspicious - me too.  But, for the first 10 people who respond, we can have lunch at Applebee's in Commack on Wednesday, April 18th, at noon.  That includes an entree and a soft drink.  (I'll guess that tips for the servers are up to us).  The lunch is being offered by a representative from Ameriprise in return for us listening to a presentation for between 5 and 7 minutes.  That should leave us plenty of time for socializing.  This could be something a bit different for those of us who are around during the week.

If you want to go, call me at 631-499-3953, before Monday, April 16th.

(I recommend the Chicken Fajita Roll-ups).

George.

Hi Gang.

I know what you're thinking - we could have done the ride.  The snow was heading straight for us, but suddenly began to slow down.  It was a tough call, but I always try to put safety first.  It's the same with the canoe trips, if there's a threat of thunderstorms.  If we had gone out today, and some flurries started up, it could have been amusing, but it also could have been dangerous.  It isn't easy being The Decider.

See you soon.  Really.

George.

Okay, it's not that bad.  But one of our fellow bikers reported a news story of damage to the path during the recent storm.  I called the Park Office, and the damage was described as a 10-foot sinkhole, near the start of our ride in Bethpage State Park.  I was told that the path is usable, but that we would have to go around the hole (just in case we couldn't figure that one out). 

The forecast for this Saturday looks good, but as always, I recommend calling the Trail Boss hotline after 6am on the morning of the trip, just in case.  If there's anything new about the condition of the path, I'll include that in the recorded message. 

See you soon.

George.

http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/photos.htm

John Logerfo, one of our newest members, has designed a logo for our website.  While I was adding the logo, I also changed the website's navigation links.  Chek it out at http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/index.htm.  Comments are welcome.

George

Just in time for this week's ride - last week's photos:

http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/p070421/p070421.htm

Hi Gang.

If you have any photos from the bike tour that you'd like to have posted on our website, just email them to me (gjwbiker@...) and I'll take it from there.

One of our new members, John Logerfo, took an award-winning photo at last year's tour, and I've added that to our photos from that event.  You can see at at the following link, about half-way down the page:  http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/p060507/p060507.htm

George.

Hi,

I just joined this group a week or two ago. I also joined the Long
Island Bicycle Club. I like the idea of having a group or
organization, but I don't want to be associated with the "Critical
Mass" rides, which , IMHO, is a disorganized crowd.

I say what "critical mass" means to me is a fifty five pound utility
bicycle, which uses a cargo box as a bumper for protection, like
this:

<http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/hotbike/00000024-1.jpg>

I live on the North Shore. I don't ride as fast or as far as I used
to. I am getting my stamina back, but I am working on mileage, not
speed. I went forty miles last week, but I had to help my dad work
on some of the properties he owns.
Being a landlord is more difficult than people realize. Some people
have jumped into the business and gave up, selling the property in
less than two years. The cost of putting in new things, like
roofing, floors, refrigerators, stoves, sinks, water-heaters, and
carpeting adds up.
Our last tenant actually stole the toilet, leaving us with a used
1950's era comode in it's place.

Back to the main subject;
I've been trying to put the roads in better condition than when I
found them. I carry a little whisk broom on my bike, and I stop to
sweep broken glass which I find every so often. I wear a reflective
vest and face traffic when doing this, but somebodys got to do it.
In the past I have taken garden shears with me and cut vegetation
back along the road, mostly Bayville Road and Feeks Lane where there
is lots of roadside vegetation. On Horse Hollow Road I was able to
increase visibility from 75 feet to 400 feet, because the road
curves to the right and I cut back several feet. I may have to do it
again thia year. The county (Nassau) DPW doesn't want to do it
because someone might sue them for damaging their hedges. So I sort
of do this in a clandestine manner.
I think overgrown vegetation is a serious threat to cyclists. It
impairs visibility, and alarmed motorists will accuse cyclists of
jumping out of the bushes, rather than blame the person who planted
the bushes too close to the road.

I originaly wanted to start my own bicycle club, and put myself in
the position of clearing road hazards, but I decided to join  an
existing club. Why should I do this work for nobody? So now at least
I have a laminated ID card from Long Island Bicycle Club, and I can
say I preparing the road for their ride on Saturday.

Some of you may have more questions about the bike I showed
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/hotbike/00000024-1.jpg
It was designed by my daughter, Mellisa. It was a number one Google
result in a search for "ladies bicycle" for over a year. It appeared
in bikerodnkustom:
http://mywilson.homestead.com/gallery69.html
<http://mywilson.homestead.com/gallery69.html>
It is supposed to look like a moped, and the fairing (windshield) is
based on the spoiler of the Kenworth truck.
The fiberglass is a quarter inch thick throughout.
I sold the bike for twelve hundred dollars because people were
begging me for it. I had ten other offers in the seven hundred
dollar range, but I held out for $1,200.00
It only cost two hundred seventy in materials, so I imagine there is
a profit potential.
It's really a cargo bike, like they have in the Netherlands, or a
NYC pizza bike, but the box is steamlined.
Fairings don't usually have a place to store cargo inside. My friend
Kevin has a Suzuki Hyabusa and the owners manual says not to store
anything heavier than a pair of sunglasses in the fairing.
I get asked this all the time:
http://www.whatisafairing.com
<http://www.whatisafairing.com>

I've ridden over 135,000 miles since 1972, gone though 28 bicycles.

James Donohue

NFA Vehicles

hotbike@...

The official word regarding the reopening of the Bethpage Bike Path:

"The latest word from our Contractor is that the bike path from Jones Beach to Cedar Creek will be reopening Friday, May 25th. The remaining activities they will be finishing is painting the stripes and planting of shrubs. "

Enjoy!

George.

Hi Gang.

The 5/26 ride, which was originally scheduled as Sag Harbor, has been changed to Jones Beach.  There are 2 reasons for the change:

(1) The bike path is reopening on 5/25.  It's been a long time since we were able to ride on the path, and rumor has it that the entire path has been re-paved.

(2) 5/26 and 5/27 are the dates of the New York Air Show (http://www.jonesbeachairshow.com/), featuring the US Air Force Thunderbirds Jet team as well as some of the best civilian and military aerobatic performers performing today.   

See you there.  (Bring your cameras).

George.

Photos are now available for 5/12/07 Wading River.

http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/p070512/p070512.htm

Hi Gang.

Photos from the 5-Boro Bike Tour have been posted to the website, and are available from the "Photos" page at:  http://hometown.aol.com/gjwbiker/photos.htm

If you have additional photos, please include text to be used as a caption for the photos, where appropriate.

George.

Hi Gang.

This is the first year I've been using the automated reminders that go out 2 days before our events.  When I changed the May 26th ride from Sag Harbor to Jones Beach, I neglected to change the reminder that had previously been set up.

The May 26th ride is Bethpage State Park to Jones Beach.

Sorry for the confusion.

George.