Route 6, just northwest of Bear Moutain, NY

Mark Rides

I've been riding bicycles since I was a kid, and since 1993 I've been using my 750cc Honda Shadow to tour the country, including a coast-to-coast trip back in 1999. This page contains some photos, links and information about my love of biking.

The picture on the right was taken returning from a 2 week trip up to Montreal and then back through the 1000 Islands and the Adirondacks. You can't see my poor friend Dominique, she's sitting just off to the right completely exhausted from riding over 300 miles that day.

BTW, many people ask the same question about this picture, so let me tell you now that the man in the upper right corner is not peeing and the woman crouching down in front of him is not watching him pee. :)

My Bikes

Currently I have 4 bicycles and 1 motorcycle. The bicycles are all dusty and unused though, because I like the motorcycle too much. And yes, I've gotten fat again from not bicycling enough. The Motorcycle is a 1983 750cc Honda Shadow, and rides very nicely. My best bicycle is a 53cm Bottecchia with cheap Campagnolo parts. The other bikes are just for kicking around, and include a Diamond Back ATB with a chain that skips.

The Bottecchia, Paris 1992

My Riding

I've been lucky enough to take some really nice trips on my bikes, including cycling through France, and riding cross-country on my Honda. Here are a couple of pages about some of the trips I've taken:

• Bicycling Page
• Motorcycling Page

Learning To Ride

People keep asking me about getting a motorcycle, and all I can say is first take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Rider Course. It has undoubtedly saved my life, and made motorcycle fun rather than scary.

Don't just learn from a friend, that is a sure way to find yourself going too fast and panicing as you try to slow down too much for an exit you know you're going to miss. If you want to really learn how to ride like the professionals, then take a look at the California Superbike School, founded by Keith Code. Also buy his books and tapes, they are excellent!

There's also an excellent page on Motorcycle Tips and Techniques run by The Master Strategy Group. I've watched this page grow over the years, and I'm really glad its still around.

Riding In New York City

Most people think I'm nuts for riding in New York, whether bicycle or motorcycle. All I can say is that I had no choice -- I grew up in Manhattan and had nowhere to play but in traffic. Yes, its dangerous but its also beautiful and sublime. There is nothing like coming over the Brooklyn Bridge during a sunset on a spring day at 40 miles per hour. For more tastes of what its like to ride in New York, and some excellent links to other resources, check out the NYC-Moto Home Page.