A Training Suggestion

A friend, who isn’t a cyclist so easy for her to make suggestions, thought that it might be a good idea for us to bicycle down to a conference in NYC. The April date is perfect timing for doing a sort of shake-down tour, probably a good idea because……? She says that nobody else will arrive at the conference in this manner. That just shows how smart the rest of the attendees are. At first I thought the idea was a possibility, but now I am looking at routes between Albany and NYC. I found one that basically follows the Hudson, but since I have been wanting to ride the Harlem Rail Trail, I am thinking of one that leaves the banks of the river. A quick look at the Metro North stations that allow overnight options has narrowed down our choices of destination. I don’t really want to ride into the city and putting the bike on the train involves getting a ticket for the bike. Since I will be staying in NYC and Robert will be heading back, it will be easier if the bikes can be transported without a lot of hassle. So, it looks like we can ride to a station just outside the city where we will have left our car. I can hop the train to NYC for the conference along with a suitcase packed for the occasion.

Panniers are excellent for on the bike, but lugging them around has never been one of my favorite things. Just dismantling them and carrying them to the hotel room is a real pain even when they aren’t heavy. Having a packed suitcase in the car solves the packing problem. I can take a regular suitcase, which I can fill with materials that I pick up. Guess that I should wait for somebody to attach wheels and a handle to panniers.

This conference is just a week before we head out to Portland so it will give us a chance to check our equipment and adjust accordingly. Now, I need to find a nice route to whichever station we find convenient. Not that the transcontinental route is complete, but those of us with ADD love distractions and going off on tangents.