A visit to Shelter Island: On the Road with a Catrike Expedition

After about 200 miles of sheltered riding in a no vehicular traffic zone, it was time to go out and discover the real life road. I will be selective about where to trike, and would never consider myself an urban traffic warrior. It is well known that Long Island is, in general, very cycle-unfriendly. Sheltered bike paths are uncommon, and lots of people just don't ride on the road due to fear. When travelling in California, Paris, and Israel, I found cycle friendly communities, where both could co-exist. Not so for Long Island at this time.   

For it's first road trip, I selected Shelter Island, which lies between Long Island's North and South forks. In season it is crowded with summer residents and visitors, but out of season, it is esentially deserted, and has good roads, lots of varied terrain, and wonderful water views. Shelter Island is not accessable by road, and in order to visit, one must take the ferry. This was easily accomplished, via a 3.5 mile bike path originating from Sag Harbor.

As expected, I had the island largely to myself. My Catrike Expedition performed well during the 38.85 mile ride. Climbing the road to Ram Island was challenging, but the absence of having to maintain a minimum speed to balance on my two wheeled recumbent was something that I greatly appreciated. All in all, the trike performed smoothly and was super comfortable over the slightly longer distance. I believe that doing a century ride on this trike in the Spring is a realistic expectation.

During the last portion of my Shelter island ride, I ran across some friendly witches!