Biking Ideas for Beginners
Although I have always been terrible at making plans, this predicament has only been exacerbated by Covid-19. While it may have taken me an hour to decide what to do prior, it would be but a slight exaggeration if I said it now takes twice as long when health, safety, and government restrictions are considered. Despite this, I have always felt completely liberated from these lengthy internal delegations when hit with the irresistible urge to ride my bicycle. Biking is healthy, enjoyable, and inherently deferential to social distancing guidelines (unless you ride tandem, but I will conveniently ignore this). If those of you on campus who have bikes that they never use feel similarly impelled, I will share some good ideas for navigating Utica on your rims.
When I first moved into the SUNY Poly dorms, I was shocked at how hilly the surrounding land was. Before I had really made friends, I would ride my old dingy Mongoose down the hill of Oriskany and walk it back up for hours at a time. However, I soon began to look elsewhere to ride because I wanted to actually be able to pedal without the risk of hitting someone walking on the paths (also, I crashed into the Campus Center’s loading dock one time). If one wishes to avoid a similar fate, I would strongly recommend going across the street from the Dunkin’ Donuts right off campus on River Road. There, you will find a small green sign pointing towards a discrete trail surrounded by foliage.
Although this initially runs parallel to the highway, it is separated from vehicular traffic entirely. As one continues, they are placed in a remote trail that grows more exciting at every turn. There are deep forests, steep declines, and paths towards a rickety metallic bridge encompassing the canal. This path is decently maintained, although you may have to walk around a fallen tree every so often. It is lightly trafficked with many different paths within it, so it can provide means for many biking adventures before getting boring. However, if it ever does, I recommend racing down Mulaney Road, which is just off campus and immediately adjacent to Hilltop Drive. The grade is insanely steep by novice standards, making it easy to go close to thirty miles per hour while zipping down the precipice.
While this may all sound thrilling amid the doldrums of quarantine, I know that not everyone reading this has a bicycle. For some of you, it may be a simple matter of heading down to the nearby Walmart and paying a cool hundred for a hot pink Huffy. However, economic insecurity becomes a more pressing concern than ever during times like these, which is why I emphatically suggest heading down to the Utica Bike Rescue if money is preventing you from riding. This non-profit shop has helped restore my neglected rusty bicycle to working order gratis, and they will also gladly donate bikes to those who could not otherwise afford them. I hope to see some of you on local trails soon (it’s getting a little less fun having them all to myself!)
