TrackSmart4K

When I got summoned for "Standby Jury Duty" in Mineola (Nassau County, NY) I tried to look up a bunch of logistical details, but mostly found general information about actual courtroom rules. Most of that information was not applicable for the jury selection stage (i.e. day 1 of showing up for Jury Duty). For future people's benefit, here's what I learned:

1. What can you bring to the first day of in-person Jury Duty? Yes, you can bring your phone, laptop, and even food and drink to the court house in Mineola! You will go through a metal detector on the way in, but other than dangerous items, everything else is okay. *You are not yet going into a trial on this first day, so the rul

FYI: I just posted a new ride to the GrNY (Gravel NY) group on Strava for this Sunday, May 30. For folks in the NYC area who are willing to take a bit of a drive or train ride, we will be leaving from Garrison, NY for a 64 miler (with 50 mile "bailout" option if you run out of steam). The link for the Strava event is below. I've included some photos from the last time I did this ride. I'll keep the Strava event updated with any changes to route or time.

Detailed route information on Strava:

https://www.strava.com/clubs/513005/group_events/960986

​

If you are interested in future rides, feel free to join the St

Hi Folks,

I often see people asking about riding in the region, so I just wanted to announce another gravel ride that the Gravel NY group will be doing this Saturday, May 8 in the NYC metro area. Feel free to reach out via email for more info. Also feel free to join our group in Strava (where we post rides).

Note: If you don't have much of a Strava history you can email me with your Strava username, so I'll know to look for your join request and know it's not a spam bot!

--

RIDE DETAILS:

This will be an informal gravel ride in two parts, which starts and ends in in Westchester, NY. Some riders will end their day after Part 1 (37 miles). Stronger riders will continue for a second

Hi Folks,

This Saturday (4/24), I'm planning an informal gravel ride with the GravelNY group and thought I would let folks know if they are in the region. It should be low-key (i.e. just a few riders). That said, it is a "big" ride, in the sense that we will be covering 62 miles and over 6,000 feet of climbing -- and a lot of this on dirt roads -- so make sure you are ready for it! I normally average ~16 MPH on solo paved rides, but I only managed 11 to 12 MPH when I did this ride for the first time (when I scouted it this winter).

The ride is centered in Dutchess County, NY about 1hr 15min away from New York City (assuming no traffic on a Saturday morning). So it is a bit of a drive

It seems like 2x drivetrains (i.e. with front derailleurs) are becoming "uncool" -- or at least much less popular -- on gravel bikes. That's my impression, anyway.

In my mind, gravel bikes are all about versatility and the ability to move between fast-moving paved rides and moderately rough dirt/gravel/trail rides. With a simple change of tires, you can optimize your bike for maximum speed on anything from smooth pavement to cross country trails -- or somewhere in between.

In that context, I think that a 2x setup provides greater versatility and flexibility. You can have high gears, low gears, and closer spacing between gears to keep a good cadence on fast-paced rides. 2x drivetrains h