Pick your poison: Traffic or nighttime?

[Septimus]

In a few weeks, I will be going on my first ride of any real distance. I will have to take the Jersey Turnpike for a while, which is probably the second most dangerous (or at least most crowded) road on the east coast behind the Beltway/DC I-95 corridor.

If you had no experience on the highway, would you:

- Travel at night, like leave around 8:00 or 8:30pm, when there will be very little traffic, or
- Just try to pick the last congested part of the day and hope you get lucky?

[matthew5656]

I'd ride at night for sure. The lower number of cars to dodge the safer I think. I'd make sure your lights are working properly and still use caution. Reduce speed and following distance because your vision will be limited.

[Ian522]

Night is generally a risky time to ride...especially for a new rider. The best time is early morning on a saturday or sunday...like 8am. There are very few people on the road. Just be aware that the turnpike and garden state parkway southbound get very crowded on the weekends after like 10am...due to loads of people heading to the jersey shore.

Weekdays of course will be crowded but as long as you avoid morning and afternoon rush hour you should be ok.

Why exactly are you taking the turnpike? Whats your destination?

If you dont have a particular destination, there are some much better roads in jersey to choose for a weekend ride. If you are willing to ride for about an hour into northwest jersey there are some excellent two-lane scenic roads. Lemme know if you would like some suggestions.

[Shorts]

Riding at night you'll really need to be vigilant about wildlife. But it'd be a nice ride though - less traffic, cooler temps.

[Veda]

Wildlife on the NJ turnpike? You've been spending too much time out in the mountains, Shorts

I don't know, dude, I think I would opt to ride it at night, but really I don't think either is a good option for a new rider.

[Septimus]

Typically, I'll be headed to Delaware -- I'm anxious to check out the 'avoid highways' feature on Google Maps and see how that goes. I have traveled through NW Jersey on my way to upsate NY (went to school up there) and I love the Water Gap area.

My first trip will just be to the Jersey shore, though, to where a friend of the family who used to be a bike mechanic lives. It's not too far, maybe 50 miles.

Go to Google Maps and put in New York, NY to Little Silver, NJ.

I'm also trying to avoid bridges until I have a bit more experience -- the big ones, not like little road bridges.

I figure a short-ish trip like that is quite doable at around 7:30 or 8:00pm or so on a Saturday - nice and cool, still a little bit of light out, and I know the route pretty well. I'm happy to hear about alternate routes though!

Thanks!

[Shorts]

Wildlife on the NJ turnpike? You've been spending too much time out in the mountains, Shorts

I don't know, dude, I think I would opt to ride it at night, but really I don't think either is a good option for a new rider.

Guess my geography is all wonky

[Septimus]

There aren't really any options for a new rider around here. On the advice of the guy I bought the bike from, I pretty much ride around the city streets in my neighborhood (I'm fortunate in that I live in a pretty well-maintained part of Manhattan with lots of one-way streets and nobody making left turns against traffic). I have another few weeks of this before I do anything else.

So I won't be brand new, but the closest road worth riding on means at least 15-20 minutes of highway first.

[Ian522]

Typically, I'll be headed to Delaware -- I'm anxious to check out the 'avoid highways' feature on Google Maps and see how that goes. I have traveled through NW Jersey on my way to upsate NY (went to school up there) and I love the Water Gap area.

My first trip will just be to the Jersey shore, though, to where a friend of the family who used to be a bike mechanic lives. It's not too far, maybe 50 miles.

Go to Google Maps and put in New York, NY to Little Silver, NJ.

I'm also trying to avoid bridges until I have a bit more experience -- the big ones, not like little road bridges.

I figure a short-ish trip like that is quite doable at around 7:30 or 8:00pm or so on a Saturday - nice and cool, still a little bit of light out, and I know the route pretty well. I'm happy to hear about alternate routes though!

Thanks!

Going to the jersey shore from manhattan you will likely have to take the turnpike(I-95) and eventually get off onto the garden state parkway. I dont think there are much "alternate route" options when it comes to heading down the shore.

Heres a few tips...When you stop to pay a toll on the garden state parkway (if you dont have ez-pass) be careful when you put your feet down...because the ground is pretty slick under those toll booths from oil and stuff.

If you end up on the parkway, you'll have to go over the driscoll bridge. Its a pretty huge bridge and it may feel a bit windy when you ride over it. But dont sweat it, just stay loose and you'll be fine.

I made a similar trip last weekend (north jersey to the shore via the parkway) and it was no sweat.

[Septimus]

aaagagh driscoll bridge nooooo. I forgot about that.

ah, well, you can't really live around NJ and NY and avoid bridges your whole life.

I do have ez-pass so that's not an issue. I think I'll just make it late evening on a Saturday, try to do it while it's still light out but cool. It's only the bridges with metal grating that are difficult to get used to, right? Is that most bridges? I never notice that stuff in a cage.