Hi {{contact.first_name}},
November is when most New York riders put the bike away, and that is a shame on the good days. The leaves are mostly down, the leaf-peeper traffic is gone, and a dry, sunny Saturday still feels great in a warm jacket. The clocks went back on Sunday, November 1, so it gets dark early and the evenings turn cold fast. Keep the rides short, go in the middle of the day, and be home before the light goes.
Ride of the Month: The New Croton Reservoir on Route 129
A giant stone dam, reservoir views and wooded curves less than an hour from the city
Head north through Westchester to Croton-on-Hudson, then pick up Route 129 as it leaves the river and runs along the north shore of the New Croton Reservoir toward Yorktown. The two-lane winds through the woods with the water showing through the bare trees, and November is when you can see the most of it. Near the start, look for the New Croton Dam at Croton Gorge Park, a massive stone dam finished in the early 1900s with water spilling down its face into the gorge.
At Yorktown, turn around and ride it back the other way, or head home on the parkway. It is a short run, which is exactly what November calls for. Pick a dry day, watch for wet leaves and sand in the shady corners, and keep an eye on the wooded shoulders for deer. Grab lunch in Croton or Yorktown and be back in the city well before dark.
On Long Island, Route 25A along the North Shore runs through the old harbor towns from Roslyn out toward Huntington and Northport and makes an easy ride on a sunny afternoon. On Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, take a minute to thank the veterans in your riding crew. Plenty of them are the reason this community exists.
Late-Fall Safety: New York Edition
November in the city and the suburbs means less light, colder pavement and more drivers in a hurry.
- You are riding home in the dark. Since the clocks went back, the evening rush happens after sunset. Cabs, delivery vans and rideshare drivers are not looking for a single headlight. Run your lights, wear something reflective, and cover your brakes at every intersection.
- Deer season peaks now. November is the worst month for deer crashes in New York. They move at dawn and dusk along the Saw Mill, the Hutch and every wooded road north of the city. Slow down near tree lines and never swerve across the center line to miss one.
- Cold pavement, wet leaves and steel. Cold tires have less grip, and wet leaves, metal grate bridges, steel plates and painted lines get slick fast. Give your tires a few miles to warm up and ride gently over anything shiny.
- Thanksgiving week traffic. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26. The Wednesday night before is one of the worst nights of the year for drunk driving. If you ride that week, ride early in the day and stay off the road that night.
Know Your New York Law
- No-fault leaves you out on a motorcycle. New York is a no-fault state, but its no-fault system does not cover motorcyclists. There is no basic PIP on your bike to pay your own medical bills and lost wages after a crash, so good health coverage, UM coverage and the claim against the at-fault driver matter even more.
- Blame gets shared, but the door stays open. New York uses pure comparative negligence. If you are partly at fault, your recovery goes down by that share, but you are never barred outright. Insurers still push hard to put blame on the rider, so the details of the crash matter.
- Everyone wears a helmet. New York has a universal helmet law. Every rider and every passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet, no exceptions.
- Three years, or far less. Most injury claims in New York must be filed within three years. If the crash involves the City, the MTA or another public agency, you may need to file a Notice of Claim in as little as 90 days. Do not wait to get advice.
Ride Nation New York
Riding season is winding down, but the New York riding community is not. Post your last good ride of the year, share where you are storing the bike for winter, and let other riders know about the potholes, steel plates and leaf-covered corners you find. Tag us in your photos. This is your scene, run by riders who ride these roads.
Final Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are already entered for a chance at 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, and the winner is drawn December 10. That is only a few weeks away. Know a riding buddy who has not entered yet? Entry is free, so send them the link before it closes.
Enter the giveaway
A cab that never saw your headlight on the FDR after dark. A deer jumping out on the Saw Mill. A driver turning left across your lane on a wet Bronx avenue. If you ever go down in New York, remember no-fault does not cover you on a bike, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows how the fault game gets played against riders.