Thursday, October 31, 2013

A 100km Fixed Gear Ride Long Island's North Fork

It was a wonderful day. The temperature was 78F and September was almost over. No clouds were in the sky, and a gentle breeze was blowing from the West, as it almost always does in this part of the country. I decided to take a 100km ride from Mattituck to Orient Point and back, traversing the North Fork of Long Island.
Most people fromother places do not realize that Long Island is not just a lot of suburbs, but has a wonderful set of forks, the North and the South. The North Fork is mainly agricultural, and has a myriad of wineries and farmstands to explore. Those looking for glitz had better travel to the South Fork instead. For today's ride, I chose Miss Pinarello, my 1984 Italian made bike, which rides as well as when I got her 29 years ago. The current equipment iteration is as a fixed gear, and my 68.4 gear inch ratio was perfect for the flattish to rolling hills of this ride.

Lots and lots of wineries dot the low traffic and highly scenic route. Along the way, the town of Greenport offers a nice walk around, with shops, crafts, restaurants, and a ferry to Shelter Island...but that is another story for another time. Lots and lots of farmstands are also along the route, many of them small family affairs

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