To be a cyclist in New York City is to know your exit strategy. Early morning training and racing in Central and Prospect Parks serve their purpose, but for longer rides and more serious leg stretching, head across the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan to New Jersey.

There, to the surprise of many, lies one of the best training roads in the region: Henry Hudson Drive, colloquially known as "River Road". This lightly trafficked drive, just minutes from Manhattan, follows a scenic and undulating path through the Palisades Interstate Park from the bridge north to Alpine and offers Gotham cyclists a gateway to classic rides north in the Hudson River Valley.