Starting was a mess and not organized at all. Each mile ride should have a specific start time, not just go as you wish. No fanfare, instructions, pictures etc... Starting area was sparse as far as vendors, food, coffee. We all felt we could have done this ride on our own for free. The value was terrible for the cost. We have done many rides with various organizations and you got much more bang for your buck. BNY needs to tighten up the start process and offer more if they are going to continue to charge these very high rates. read more

Twin Lights is a bike ride organized by Bike New York, who are perhaps best known for the 5-boro bike tour. It takes place annually in September and covers an area near Sandy Hook. I did the 30-mile route, which went past some shore areas and was mostly the roads around Middletown. To see the shore, you would need to do the 15 mile ride. A few people from our group did that as a little bonus after the ride. The other ride lengths are (I think) 45 mi, 60 mi, and 100 mi. I went with some people from a Meetup biking group, some of whom I had biked with a few times over the summer. It was a good way to cap off a couple of months of riding. I would not advise just going on one of these rides cold, as some people do. I hadn't ridden 30 miles before, but I had done around mid 20s a few times. In the immediate few weeks before the ride, I dropped off to 7-14 mile rides, just once or twice a week (due to being busy, not for training purposes). I thought that 30 miles might be a challenge for me, but it was fine. I think as long as you keep riding *some*, you maintain your abilities. In addition, the energy of the event itself gives you a boost (though, I still wouldn't ride too much out of your range). Lots of bikers are around at all times, and plenty of signs. It's kind of like how when you're walking in New York, you don't realize how far you've walked because there's so many buildings and things to see. More checkpoints = less perception of distance or fatigue. Oh and there are SNACKS-- I brought my own, but they had bagels and juice, etc at the start as well as two rest stops with PBJ's, cookies, bananas, etc. The second station on my route had a chocolate fondue fountain. It's kind of social, or could be- people hanging out for a few minutes at these stops. They also had a "finish festival" which was a band playing in a gazebo and some picnic tables. There is time to hang out before the ride as well. I think they could probably do one or two other things to make it more social and facilitate interactions. But they've put some really good pieces in place, by setting up that environment. This was my first ride, so I didn't realize there would be people taking pictures for you. Several days after the ride, you get an email with a link to a photographer's website where you can search for yourself by your bib number. I just did the ride to see what this type of thing is all about. It's a fun thing to do with some biking friends and to celebrate your hobby, at whatever fitness level you've achieved. read more

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Roads were so pitted and really needed to stay focused on pot holes. Plus the traffic of cars was insane. It was exhausting not relaxing. I saw so many riders crash into each other. Ocean avenue was ridiculous to ride on with all the cars. Each turn was still full of cars!!! Save your money! Too many riders most of whom were inexperienced and made the ride dangerous!! read more