Tweed Ride: 59-mile ride from Jersey City, NJ to Nyack, NY

60 degrees and overcast made for a great ride in the first day of the winter. We decided to do "Tweed" again, a ride we name after the 14-15 min steep climb called "Tweed" between Piermont and Nyack.

We left around 10:30, which wasn't ideal with traffic around the area, and rode along River Road up to the George Washington Bridge. There we started to see more cyclists coming from NYC taking mother nature's early Xmas gift to get on the bike and put some miles in. Groups formed quickly on both sides of the road to quickly become a cyclist fest on the 9W road. So much fun to see that many cyclists that late in the year!
At Piermont, NY we took a left to climb Tweed, approximately 600 feet of elevation gain, and almost free to traffic. After a month off training, the HR was almost higher than the watts, but the most important to me was to get back on the bike and enjoy a free ride. The climb is not a straight 14-min ride up to the peak (at least we rode it in 14 min). It has steep short segments coupled with flats and some downhills. It's not what I am used to in the French Alps, but it certainly got my HR through the roof, and my average power went up in the high 200's.
We headed back after that, but stopped for a muffin at the Runcible Spoon. If you like muffin and feel like taking a break, I'd highly recommend this place. It's located in the town of Nyack, and you can't miss it, hundreds of cyclists stop there on their way to Rockland County or on their way back to the city.
Riding back to Jersey City was a bit more complicated with a lot more traffic. 9W is fine as there are bike paths on each side of the road, but once passed the GW bridge, you're sharing the roads with cars, and you quickly realized that they don't share it with you. It can get dangerous (I got hit by a car in late October, 3 days before Miami half Ironman), and the best advice I'd have is to wear flashy gear and ride a good 2 feet off the curbs so you can always use that space if you feel pushed.
The fun ended when I got home and realized that I needed to do laundry and clean my bike to get all the salt off. It took me a good 1 1/2 hour, but at least the bike is ready to go tomorrow.

If you want more details on this ride, take a look at my Strava: http://www.strava.com/activities/101309464, and feel free to reach out on twitter @eviandrinker