Not So Urban Athletics: Bike the Jersey Shore

What comes to mind when you think of the Jersey Shore? If you said Snookie, The Situation, and fist pumping then you REALLY need to turn off the television and join me on this cycle tour to see a side of the Jersey Shore never shown on television. This ride is a meetup favorite so let's do it again.

The plan...

We'll gather at the New Jersey Transit train station in Long Branch to begin our adventure. From here we'll ride a few blocks over to the shoreline and begin our journey Southward. We'll take in the sights as we ride down the coast and watch the neighborhoods change -- starting with the town of Deal and its uber-wealth and seaside mansions, through Asbury Park, the home of The Boss and one-time resort destination [and home of Purple Glaze, one of the best donut shops in Jersey], to Ocean Grove, a curious and beautiful Victorian Christian settlement, on through to scenic Spring Lake.

We'll have a late lunch in Spring Lake and if we are feeling a bit lazy and want to hang out, we can park our rides and spend an hour or two on the sand shooting the breeze and enjoying the weather. The last part of our ride will bring us back to Long Branch to depart for home.

The important stuff...

• By RSVPing for this event, you agree to the following waiver of liability https://bit.ly/3atj0C5

• This is going to be a casually-paced ride of about 30 miles. Most of the ride will take place on flat terrain in bike lanes and on quiet roads but there will be parts with some automobile congestion. You must be comfortable riding in a group and in traffic. Helmets are required.

• Leave your evening open as this event could take 4 hours or it could take 12 hours. Our time is limited only by the amount of fun the group is having.

• Dress for physical activity.

• Bring money for lunch or a snack.

• Make sure your bike is in good working order before the meetup and bring a lock in case we need to leave our cycles.

• Rain or similar un-favorable weather cancels the meetup.

• Check your email the evening before for last minute meetup updates as well as my mobile phone number which will be sent to those who RSVP.

• Please DO NOT RSVP if you do not seriously plan to attend as space is limited. No flakes allowed! If you RSVP and I notice that you have a number of no shows or have a history of last minute cancellations, you will be removed.

How to get there...

By Car
You can use the coordinates 40.297145,-73.988331 in your GPS to guide you, but the station is on 3rd Avenue in Long Branch. Parking at the station lot is free on the weekends and there is also plentiful on street parking.

Mass Transit
(If you take the train be sure to CHECK the NJT website BEFOREHAND for current guidance/restrictions.)

You can catch the 7:53 AM NJT train #7225 from New York Penn Station and you will arrive in Long Branch at 9:30 AM. Train fare is $19.20 each way. NOTE: NJT rules indicate that only two bicycles are allowed per train car so be sure to arrive at Penn Station early enough to make sure you will be among the first in line to board the train in case there are other cyclists traveling.

Access a map of the ride route HERE.