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Route description: NYC/Central Park
Runner's map of the park: Click HERE. This shows all of the park entrances.
Short, dull version: Meet behind Tavern On The Green restaurant and ride the main loop with the flow of traffic. Six miles, one notable hill. Recongregate at the Loeb Boat House (east side, 74th St.) for a snack, or at whatever place/time the group agrees on. Given the shortness of the loop (maximum six miles), it doesn't really make much sense to try to keep a big group together, but that's really up to the group and may get decided on the spot.
Long, entertaining version (thanks Joao!):
Note: Most (but not all) of the embedded links in this text lead to close-up detail maps of the park.
The standard meeting spot is behind Tavern On The Green (west side of the park, 67th. St.), inside the park... NOT on Central Park West!
Across the loop road from the restaurant you'll see the Sheep's Meadow lawn, which is the place to go if you're into people watching. The ride proceeds south with the flow of traffic.
On the South road, right after the 6th Avenue exit, keep your eyes out for the horse drawn carriages. They have the right of way and know it. And stay away from the right lane even if there are no carriages, since they carve a deep groove on the pavement.
Then come a few rollers, and a few more sights. The Wollman rink on your right, then the carousel on your left; the zoo down the road to your right; the beach volleyball courts some 30 miles from the nearest beach; the roller-dancing rink and the summer stage area which holds some fantastic concerts for free every weekend during the summer (thus the name)
Next up on your left is the Loeb Boat House, where food is served. This is a common spot to stop for a snack later on in the ride, and occasionally serves as the meeting spot for the ride. The Boat House is located just north of the East 72nd Street entrance. It's actually right in front of east 74th, but there is no entrance at E74th. If you enter on East 72nd, bear right, stay on the right on the downhill road split, and the boathouse is immediately to your left. There will be a traffic light (beware of pedestrians), and the place where we meet is right there by the pedestrian crossing, or having a snack at the tables just down from it.
From the Boat House, we follow the road north (left), since going south (right) would mean going against the traffic of several million cyclists, roller bladders, skateboarders, pedestrians, emergency vehicles, wacky pets, and outer-space aliens. The first part of the ride is a slight uphill (Cedar Hill). Good to get those muscles warmed up for the ride, and gives you time to see all the regular bike riders who you'll be catching up to and overtaking in the flat and downhill parts. .
Towards the end of the uphill, you'll see an obelisk on your left (Cleopatra's Needle). That's an actual Egyptian obelisk. Then to your right, there's the Metropolitan Museum. If you have a safe place to store your bike, it's well worth a visit. Don't trust your lock and chain, since they don't mean much for the average NYC bike thief. Never lock a bike in the city, unless you're within view and sprint distance from it.
At the museum, the road becomes a slight downhill, followed by a long flat part next to the reservoir. If you've ever seen the movies "Marathon Man" or "The Devil's Advocate", you'll immediately recognize the reservoir. Just don't ride on the horse path or the jogging one to get to it to check out the view, or you may get a big fat ticket. It is widely considered a bad idea to slap the officer's horse in the butt while your ticket is being issued, so do like any New Yorker would do, and pretend you don't speak any English. The officer will then either give up in frustration, or ship you off to Mexico.
As you approach the East 90th Street exit, keep your eyes open. There tends to be a lot of pedestrians crossing here. Then after the Reservoir section, you'll hit some rolling terrain. Nothing to worry about. Shortly after the 102nd Street entrance, on your left hand side, you'll see a road. That is the short cut for those who don't want to face the hilliest part of the park, or for those trying to catch up with the faster riders. It cuts straight across to the West side of the park, at around 100th street or so.
If you decide to bypass the short cut, then its time for the hills. You'll first start with the downhill, and a couple of left turns. Then comes a right turn that can be a bit dangerous, since a lot of roller bladders and slower riders slow waaaaaaay down to negotiate it. So keep your eyes open. The downhill ends shortly after this right turn. Try to keep your momentum going on the flat part, but beware of kids running out of the swimming pool area, while pointing at your bike going "Look! Looook!! Looooooooook!!!!", or just plain laughing at you. After the 110th street entrance, the uphill starts. Don't overwork yourself on the first part of the hill, since it keeps on getting steeper as it goes. After the uphill, you'll be on the West side, and then its time for some more rollers. If you keep your momentum, you'll just cruise by. If you lose your momentum, the uphills will be a bit of a pain.
Once you're back to the low 80s or upper 70s, its time to wake up from your rolling trance. It can get very crowded here. Keep your eyes open, and a couple of fingers on the brake levers at all times. Sometimes the park patrol places barricades at around 75th street, forcing you to slow down and zigzag around them. At 72nd street, shortly after passing Strawberry Fields, you can take a left against traffic to see the water fountain (Cherry Hill), street performers, or to just short cut back to the boathouse while bypassing the entire south section, and maybe catching up the faster riders.
This completes one lap of the park. by this time it's a fair bet that everyone's gotten separated. If you want to regroup, the initial meeting spot is a good place to stop and wait, or the Boathouse.
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