The 5th Rock'n Ride Bike Tour was neld on September 8, 2002 on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. You might have the same picture in your head as I did about what NJ looks like, but you would be wrong! Southern Jersey is very scenic and LBI is gorgeous. When we were off the bike, we were on the beach (click here to hear what we heard. Virtually all of the 18 miles of island coast is beach.

The Rock'n Ride is a benefit ride for the Jersey Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross. Starting from the northern end of the island, riders head south to the end of the island and then back on a slightly different route. Slightly different because the island itself is about five blocks wide. There are two distances, 10 or 40 miles.

The ride is pretty similar to the Hilly Hundred in the type of crowd you get. The guy shown in the first picture was pretty typical. It's hard to see, but the alligator has a PowerBar in his mouth. There were even some cheerleaders at the start. Oh sure, there were some racer types there too, and I jumped in with couple of them for a bit, but this is a ride to be enjoyed, not raced. Besides, with all the sand on the streets, racing on them isn't the smartest thing to do. Even on the weekend after the end of the summer season there were plenty of people around.

One thing that was kinda different was the lack of lawns. Many of the older homes have white stone instead, with shrubs providing some contrast. The other thing was that, by building code, all new houses must be built on pilings. In the past, hurricanes and other severe storms flooded the island and in one case severed it in two.

At the south end of the island was a nice sag, and if you walked over the sand dune you would see another nice beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The water temp was VERY warm (remember, I usually go swimming in the Atlantic at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. There the water is warm if it gets up to 63 or so.).

The first SAG was interesting, with a dog powered bike, plenty of food, and a couple of very attractive NYC ladies trying to get their bike seat adjusted. There was no shortage of guys willing to, help, but none had the right tool for the job. Another point of interest was Atlantic City: if you walked on top of the sand dune and look south by southwest you have a clear view of it. So close, yet so far. There's no easy way to get there from LBI since you have to drive back onto the mainland and fight the traffic for about 45 minutes. Maybe next time.

Travel by bike is one of the main methods of travel on the island. There are bike lanes that go from one end of the island to the other. Even so, you have to be careful riding your bike here. I almost got wacked on my way home by some idiot in an SUV in a big damn hurry. It was pretty close, REALLY close actually.

After the first stop, there is only one direction to go: north. Heading back you ride and ride and ride, or so it seems. Dead flat. But, after passing many unofficial food stops you finally arrive at Barnegat Light State Park.

Barnegat Light is the focal point of a beautiful State Park that features an extensive system of jetties that are popular with fishermen. The Lighthouse is operated as an historical Museum with exhibits featuring the original light and other artifacts. Visitors climbing the 217 steps to the lightkeeper's catwalk are rewarded with a magnificent view of Island Beach State Park, Barnegat Bay, and Long Beach Island. Interpretive signs throughout the tower interpret its history and its importance to early navigation.

I waited to do the climb until after the ride and I'm glad I did. It was quite a workout just getting to the top. Click here to climb the lighthouse.

There are several bike rental places on the island, and even something I called bicycle cars.You can comfortably fit four or more in these cruisers. They look like something out of The Prisoner TV show. At least you don't have to worry about slipping on the sand.

After the lighthouse there are about 5 miles left the end. I wanted a few more miles, so I rode back to the hotel that was right across the street from the first SAG stop at the south end of the island. If I had know that, I would have ridden to the ride start. Even so, riding back gave me about 50 miles for the day.

After the ride, it was time to change and walk across the street to the ocean and a nice refreshing "swim". Actually, the surf wasn't too bad and I had a ton of fun body surfing. And jumping when the little crabs would pinch my toes.

All in all this was a great ride, well organized, lots of fun, way too many places to stop and eat along the way, and beautiful scenery. The ride itself might make the trip worthwhile, but the beaches certainly make it worth the trip.

To find out more about LBI, visit "Where the world goes for information about Long Beach Island, NJ." http://www.longbeachisland.com.

And, one last silly song about LBI from the above website: LBI Song

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