Difficulty Rating:
4 out of 5
43 miles/ 60.3 miles longer version Staten Island is home to some fantastic hills. This route traverses the ridges in the northeast part of the island, seeking to present these challenging climbs in a manageable fashion. The first 30 miles of the route average about 100 feet/mile of elevation, and many of the climbs are steep - over 10%. The next section is flat, with a long spin along the beach and through Ft. Wadsworth. Finally, the coup de grâce: Oakland Terrace. The route stays away from the busy main drags as much as possible, but it's still best to ride it early on a weekend morning to avoid traffic. The cue sheet starts & ends at the St. George ferry terminal. There's a bathroom/water break at High Rock Park; if you need food or other fluids hit one of the bagel joints on Victory Blvd, Richmond Rd or New Dorp Ln. Route variations: To avoid the last, tough climb up Oakland Terrace, after Ft. Wadsworth continue on Bay St. to the ferry terminal. To make it a pure hill workout (skipping the beach and Ft. Wadsworth): on the third descent of Todt Hill Rd (mile 29.8), go left on Four Corners; left on Richmond Rd; continue straight on Targee; then turn left on Laurel Ave and pick up the cue sheet at mile 39.9. Throw in a gratuitous climb up Vista Ave (left off of Richmond) if you're so inclined. Cue sheet is a longer version: 60.3 miles. Map and elevation profile here: http://www.bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=74406
Comments by Wendell, 8/2018:
This concerns the left turn from New Dorp Ln. onto Mill Rd. just beyond mile 32. It looks like it once went through a parking lot adjacent to New Dorp HS that is now blocked off. There is a substantial amount of construction occurring at the fields surrounding the school, including at that parking lot. It was difficult to tell if the blockage is permanent, but I was able to work around it by going another 1/2 mile down New Dorp Ln. opposite Cedar Grove Ave. to make a left at an access road to parking lots and ball fields at the opposite end of Miller Field from the school. This eventually goes into a bikeway that routes right to the bike path adjacent to FDR Boardwalk. With regard to that section, it wasn’t particularly crowded, although there were a few pedestrians and kids riding erratically. Brian is right that Fr. Capadanno might be the better way. The bike path is dead flat with bumpy asphalt pavers, and any view of the bay is blocked by dunes or by the boardwalk which looms next to it. Overall it was a bit rough and kind of boring.
Regarding High Rock Park: I didn’t see any bathrooms, but I was able to fill up with water at a spigot at the side of a building housing a learning center, and I made good use of a tree in the dense woods :).
One more thing. I thought that I would check the regional hill grades on the NYCC site to see if the Oakland Terrace climb is there. It seems to be the only climb listed for Staten Island, but I don’t think that it is identified correctly. It’s in Grymes Hill, but it should be “Oakland Terrace/Park Ln.” , not “Terrace”. I think that if one includes the short piece of Laurel Ave. that goes into Oakland Terrace, where the hill actually starts, it could well be the steepest .5 miles in the city, climbing from 55 Ft. to 309 Ft. (about 9.6%), according to my RWGPS elevation graph. It’s between miles 39 and 40 on the route.
Thank you Brian and Wendell Green for getting this route up in the Ride Library.
HS 8/28/2018
