Monday, March 15, 2010

What’s so great about Martha's Vineyard? * History * About Me!


Each of the Vineyard’s three main towns—Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, and Edgartown—have a completely different flavor! The island has a music and art scene that rivals NYC (on a smaller scale), with plenty of nightlife!

All three Vineyard towns have attractions and nightlife, but Oak Bluffs has it all and its just a 4 mile ride from the campground!

  • Art galleries
  • Blues clubs
  • Movie theaters
  • Arcades
  • Dancing
  • Lots of ice cream shops!

All of which are easily accessible by bicycle, even at night, provided you bring a good light set.

Cars are few and the top speed limit is 45 mph. There are no highways or chain stores, which creates a feeling of being very far from the insane pace of New York City!

In my 30 of cycling experience on Martha’s Vineyard, I still discover new things every time I go. I’m extremely familiar with every inch of the route, and even more familiar with Martha’s Vineyard. I know lots of local spots and a few of the local cyclists to help keep you out of the tourist traps.

Some Local Happenings in June,
http://www.mvol.com/mvy-events/?searchby=month&id=6

Cycling Club of MV
https://ccmv07.com/Home_Page.html



The History behind this Ride


I learned about Martha’s Vineyard about 30 years ago, while camping in Woodstock. A cyclist who had been touring around the States told me about the most amazing place he’d ever seen: Martha’s Vineyard. He was RAVING about it—and he just happened to have an extra ferry ticket.Of course I had a bicycle with me so I packed up the next day and drove off to New Bedford to catch the ferry!

He was absolutely right. Cycling on 60 miles of separated bikeways in incredible Vineyard scenery and along pristine beaches was just too much! I couldn’t get enough. I started going to the Vineyard as often as I could, even trips for Thanksgiving and weekends—even in the dead of winter.

To extend that incredible feeling, I decided to ride my bicycle all the way to the Vineyard from my front door in NYC! That brought things to the next level. Arriving in a cycling paradise—by bicycle—was pure bliss.

Since then, I’ve done this trip about 50 times. Only rarely have I driven or rented a car on the island—it’s just not necessary. Martha’s Vineyard is the perfect place for a car-free cycling vacation!

My route to MV goes by way of Montauk. (I’ve been doing The Ride to Montauk almost since it started in the ’80s.)  So I decided to put the two rides back to back. Two fantastic routes in one week-long vacation! How great is that?!

From Montauk, we do two short day rides with 2  ferry's to Block Island to Pt. Judith, RI to Newport,RI. We spend our second night in Newport,RI then ride on to New Bedford,Mass for our final ferry.We arrive in Martha’s Vineyard on Monday afternoon. There, we spend five full days at the Family Campground cabins in Vineyard Haven. The return from Martha’s Vineyard is via Seastreak Ferry right to Manhattan!


About Me 

I started taking long cycling trips on my Stingray bicycle when I was about 11 years old. Living in NYC, I began using my bike as transportation, going from borough to borough. After giving up my drumming career at age 22, I thought that since I rode my bike everywhere, I might as well make money doing it—and became a hotshot NYC bicycle messenger.

That led me to start my own courier company Born to Run Messengers. I’ve also been a partner in  a cycling advertising company: Adride Outdoor. I still have a fleet of Quadra-cycle ad bikes.

I have done lots of bike touring in the States and Europe; local century rides; and innumerable rides to Nyack on the now-famous Route 9W. I have commuted to my job in Manhattan from all over the New York City area, including  Kew Gardens Hills,Flushing,Queens and Englewood Cliffs, NJ. I first participated in the Ride to Montauk way back when it left from Jamaica Station in Queens, NY.

Today, I am an avid urban-family cyclist. I bike all around NYC with my wife and 6-year-old son. We have many great bicycles to use for whatever we need—including a Recumbent Tandem and Organic Engines Pedicab!

I hope to make this your best cycling experience yet!







Please call or email me with any questions you may have. I look forward to riding with you!
You can register by sending an email to

shelly.urmo1@gmail.com

Sincerely,
Shelly Mossey
Tour Director
Urban Mobility Project
395 South End Ave. 
NYC,NY 10280
917 295 1954
 





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