$0.00
Borough(s): Staten Island, Distance: 1.8 miles, Elevation: 76′, Terrain: Flat, bike paths, mostly protected from cars, Ride Rating: @
Description
Teaser (Staten Island Miller Field Ride)
Miller Field, yet another reminder of New York’s military past, is moving into the past as it moves into the future. It’s currently a huge grassy expanse, over 187 acres; somewhat between its military use as an airstrip and its previous life as a farm. The farm, built by the Vanderbilts, was a freshwater wetland before it was a farm. You can still see remainders of the wetland in the northwest corner today. The Swamp White Oak Forest, its soil formed from glacial outwash, spends part of the year flooded.
General text (Staten Island Miller Field Ride)
This is an easy family ride. One of the easiest on this island. You don’t need directions, you don’t need a map: you just ride around the field. It’s short, so if you’re learning how to ride, teaching someone to ride, or just starting out using cycling as part of your fitness routine, this ride asks very little of you and allows you to stop pretty much whenever you want. Perfect for beginners; the only problem is you have to go around the field counter-clockwise rather than clockwise because the north end has one-way traffic, a directive we cyclists must follow.
There is some car traffic, but it’s mostly people coming and going from their parking spot. They’re going slow and will have their heads up. And on nice days, the field itself will have a decent level of activity, but as it is a fairly vast field, even when it’s crowded, it isn’t crowded.
If you want to take a break before riding more, there are benches. If you want to go to the beach, it’s at the end of New Dorp Lane or just before you turn past the entry to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk. You can drop people off to play on the field (baseball, football, Frisbee, soccer, etc) and get a good ride in all by yourself. If you’re bringing kids, there’s a playground on site. Considering the shopping nearby, the ride can be integrated into your errands.
If you’re feeling like making this part of a larger ride, you can link up with most of the rides we have outlined in Staten Island.
To sum up (Staten Island Miller Field Ride)
The ride is simple. It gives you a chance to use your creativity to build whatever you want around it.
Ride Specifics
Borough(s): Staten Island
Distance: 1.8 miles
Elevation: 76′
Terrain: Flat, bike paths, mostly protected from cars.
Ride Rating: @
Notes: Former military air field. It’s one giant field that takes a long time to get around. Perfect for learning how to ride. A great starting point for lots of other rides up and down the coast.
Includes: A PDF to print out or put on your phone. A GPX file to go on your phone or a GPS-enabled bike computer.
If you need a tutorial, here’s where you find that info. https://jralong.com/wheretobikenyc/2020/06/18/download-a-ride/
LInks to: SI02, SI03, SI06
