Brewster Ride

For Brompton Bicycles only

Welcome to the Dana Classic, a 50 mile journey that begins in Brewster, NY and ends at Van Cortlandt Park. The ride is 50 miles of glorious rail trail - the entire "North County" and "South County" portions of the Empire State Trail.

The Route
You can see the portion of the trail we'll ride on the Empire State Trail Map. It's basically from point (8) to point (3).

You can also see the ride and elevation on the attached Strava screenshots.

The Ride: Advanced
This is an advanced Brompton ride due to the long distance and also due to the rolling hills at the start of the route. Most of the climbs are within the first 10 miles. During the second half, you can enjoy some long extended downhills. (See the attached elevation map.)

If you're not sure whether the level of this ride is right for you, please try our Tarrytown ride first.

Ride Stats

• Level: Advanced
• Start: Brewster Train Station
• End: Van Cortlandt Park (option to continue biking with the group into town)
• Distance: 50 Miles
• Speed: Average 10 mph
• Elevation gains: 1514 feet
• Trails: Paved rail trail through the woods.

What to expect

• 50 miles of paved rail trail through the woods.
• There is a patch where the paved trail is a bit rough, so make sure your tyres are extra full.
• The route is generally pretty shady since we’re in the woods.
• The ride is mainly rural, so there are limited places to buy food and drink. Riders should bring enough water and snacks for the ride, or buy it at the start of the ride in Brewster.
• Fun with other enthusiastic Brompton riders!

Food and Drink

• Lunch/snack stop in Yorktown Heights, 17 miles into the ride - options include Trailside cafe, Dominos pizza, Taco Bell, etc.
• Final pit stop will be in Yonkers at La Lanterna, 7 miles from the end of the ride. La Laterna is an Italian restaurant with outdoor beer and wine garden.

Meeting Point and Timeline - We Depart on Time!

• 9:45 Meet at Grand Central at the big clock at the information booth (alternatively, meet us at the Brewster station at 11:38am)
• 10:10 Our train departs Grand Central on the Harlem line for Brewster.
• Train arrives into Brewster Station at 11:38am and the ride begins.

Special Note
Our goal is to ride at a touring pace of 10-12 miles per hour. Unlike 2020, we aren't providing a sweep and we don't have a second leader for leisure riders. The reason is that it's a long ride that will minimally last 7 hours (including breaks and dinner). If we don't maintain 10-12 mph, we won't finish before dark when the trail closes.

If you are unsure whether this pace is right for you, please try our Tarrytown ride first.

Safety
Safety is paramount and all riders will be required to wear helmets. We will keep a safe distance between riders on the trail.
Also please ensure your Brommie is road worthy by inflating tyres with enough pressure or stopping by the Junction or authorized Brompton dealer for a quick checkup.
We recommend your purchase your ticket in advance via the MTA eTix app. Price is $15.00 for single journey

Cancelation
This ride will cancel in the event of changes to pandemic or severe weather. If the weather looks uncertain, we will post an update on the morning of the ride by 7:00am.