Chicago to NYC – Day 24: The End!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Start: Point Pleasant, New Jersey
End: New York City, New York
Mileage/cumulative: 28 / 1,177
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 299′ / 27,950′
Weather: Sunny, 38º at start; sunny, 60º at finish; Winds: none
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 11

This was the big day. We would finish this journey that began over three weeks ago in front of Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain by riding our bicycles in New York City. First, though, we had to put in a few more miles up the Jersey Shore before boarding a ferry to Manhattan.

Even though it was a short mileage day, we had a cold, early start so that we didn’t miss the ferry. Just like our departure day in Chicago, we had beautiful blue skies that afforded spectacular views of the shore and the New York City skyline. As we rode north, we passed through Asbury Park, a small seaside city made famous by Bruce Springsteen, and Long Branch, Springsteen’s hometown. This ranked right up there with some of the other historical locations we’d ridden through!

When boarding the ferry, the crew directed us to the bow of the boat, where they showed us how to secure our bikes. It wasn’t exactly complicated – just hook a handlebar over the railing. We looked skeptical but did as told – although Bev secured hers to the bow’s front rail with a cable lock that she’d been carrying in her bike bag for over 1,000 miles. Nobody was going to steal her bike, nor was it going to fly overboard.

The ferry passed smoothly under the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge and past the Statue of Liberty before docking at the Wall Street ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan. We retrieved our bikes, stepped off the boat, and rode around in a circle to make it official: our journey from Chicago to New York City was complete.  

There was no time to celebrate though. Immediately after we came off the boat, we were met by a guide who had been hired to lead the entire group on a bike tour of New York City. In addition to instructions that can be summarized as “this is going to be dangerous and pay attention out there because nobody cares if you’re in a bike path”, we each received a whistle to blow at pedestrians, taxi drivers, and anyone else who could cause us to crash. The next thing we knew, we were kinda-sorta riding our bikes across the Brooklyn Bridge, where there were hundreds (thousands?) of pedestrians all across the walkway and the bike path. Yikes – lots of whistles blowing! After a brief tour of Brooklyn, we rode back into Manhattan via the Williamsburg Bridge and straight into chaos. Somehow we rode through Midtown and into Times Square. Members of our group described the experience as simultaneously exciting and terrifying but by the looks on some of their faces during the tour, I’m pretty sure those emotions were disproportionate.  Bicycling in New York City isn’t for the faint of heart but now we can say that we did it. Box checked.

We’ve had some time to reflect on this trip and ponder all of the cool things we experienced along the way. That list is far too long to include here but this adventure validated what “happiness” researchers continue to tell us – that experiences result in longer lasting happiness than material possessions (except, perhaps, a bicycle). This was a unique experience shared with friends, including those who rode with us and those who generously provided off-road logistical support.  A huge thanks to our friends Deb, Julie, Katy, John, and Marlin. We look forward to repaying all of your kindness.

There are many lasting memories from the trip. Here are just a handful:

• An overnight train ride from Washington DC to Chicago.
• Traveling back in time on the C&O Canal Towpath. 
• Post-ride whiskey and storytelling at our Hancock, MD motel with the sun bursting out after a cold, wet day on the C&O.
• The expansive and beautiful trail network in Ohio.
• Being highlighted on two business Facebook pages as cycling rock stars. Thank you Vagabond Kitchen (Wheeling, WV) and Latte-Da (York, PA). It may be just a coincidence that these two establishments had beers, Bloody Marys, and coffee. Ahem.
• A bunch of adults riding circles around Susan’s Indianapolis childhood cul-de-sac, replicating her youthful fantasy of doing Indy 500 laps on her bicycle.

And, finally, a few additional data points:

• The entire entourage included eleven badass riders and one super cool mechanic/driver.
• In all, 35% of the trip was on dedicated bike paths or trails;  most of the remaining 65% was on low-traffic backroads.
• Dogs greeted and petted: countless. Really – there were so many that we lost track.
• Ten breweries; 38 beers sampled (4 oz. each and sometimes a bit more…). Tracked using “Untappd”, my first choice in social media apps. Don’t leave home without it.

Well, that’s all for this adventure. Thanks for tagging along. We appreciated all of your comments and support throughout.