LI to Albany to Boston...long, pleasant ride

[eddiekay]

Temps are dropping fast in NY metro but the ninjette loves the cold so we did a long ride Saturday. As for bikes…we owned the road. I counted maybe 20 cruisers in over 500 miles, 1,2 sport guys.
We went up to Albany, turned right and headed for Boston. Route 90 is the fastest road I’ve ever been on. Except to stop for gas, I ran at 90 for about 160 miles and only slowed to 75-ish as we approached Boston. And, yeah, I was getting passed by semi’s and a few busses. I have the bike geared for touring so I need to run near 10k to make 90….of course, I have nothing left at 90 but too, I’m no where near red either. Route 90 is a near perfect road. It’s very well maintained with easy hills, nice scenery in western mass and can easily be driven or ridden very fast. Even approaching Boston, traffic moves at 70+ and in the whole 160 miles on Rt 90…I only saw 3 people getting tickets…nice.
Boston back to Long Island can be done either on 95…a dirty, bumpy, unattractive slab that you don’t ride unless you have to…or by doing a few dozen miles on suburban highways that lead to route 15…Merrit pkwy in CT. Up here..parkway means no trucks and the Merrit runs thru prosperous CT so…yeah….you get to play with 328 I’s and Saabs on a nice small road.
The CT-Mass crowd drive very fast on their highways but they are incredibly polite. Switch on the hi beam and they will move over…without giving you the finger or throwing a beer can out the window. Brake a little too hard and they are not up your ass just to teach you a lesson. I have to admit that I’ve always enjoyed the roads for the roads….but never enjoyed them for the other drivers until spending a few hundred miles in Mass and CT.
And…I have to add something too” get a headlight modulator !
I’ve had mine for a year now and foregot how effective it was in traffic until the past few weekends.
We normally split lanes in very heavy NY traffic…cross Bronx, deegan,
Southern state…you NY guys know the roads. Usually. I lead the way and the cars seem to move over and I figured they were just being polite. The past few weekends, when coming back to LI, my friends led the way on a big-assed Strat and an equally monstrous FJR1300. Even with their laser beam brights on…it was very slow. I took the lead…with my puny little headlamp and modulator winking and I felt like Moses….the traffic parted and we were on our way. For $80 and 10 minutes work…it continues to be a useful tool.

[Alex]