Difficulty Rating:
5 out of 5
Amazing selection of roads. This is a very rewarding route but you must be strong enough for the distance and vertical.
On his cue sheet, the author increased the difficult factor 0.5 X each mile of hardpack, but this is not factored into the number above. The difficulty factor = 1 X 90 miles + 6700/100 vertical feet + 0.5 X 20 miles hardpack = 167. 6500' vertical gain, (Gray's difficulty factor = miles + vertical gain/100) The hardpack accounts for 20 miles total: Shagticoke Rd, Macedonia Brook Rd, Keeler Rd, West Woods 2 Rd, Deep Hollow Rd, Tower Hill Rd & Corbin Rd.
Metro North both ways, return on Harlem line above Southeast. Trains run every other hour; meaning Harlem Valley/Wingdale. Check time table and bring bike pass.
The Corbin Rd turn off Chestnut Ridge is easy to miss because it occurs at a fast part of the road; it is at a sharp bend.
The 6700 vertical feet is true climbing -- not many rollers. But there are nice long flat parts along the Housatonic, Route 41/Route is fast and downhill until Route 22 and 8 miles is either downhill or totally flat.
HS 3/5/2021
