Jeffrey Donenfeld

Tag: biking

Biking from Hue to Hoi An, Vietnam

Next stop after Hue was our final destination of Hoi An, Vietnam. For this last leg, we rented motor scooters, and took to the open road.

Fueling up in the morning before departing town.

Out on the road, the views were beautiful.

For lunch, we stopped at the Langco Bay Banyan Tree Resort – a strangely desolated place which apparently fills up in seconds when package tourists arrive, and then empties completely when they depart. They did have a nice pool, though.

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Continuing on, we ascended up Hai Van Pass, before descending down the mountains towards Danang, and eventually Hoi An.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9455978970/in/set-72157634959634783

Arriving at the Sunflower Hotel, finally in Hoi An.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9455950430/in/set-72157634959634783

2013-06-10
Arrival in Hue, Vietnam

A few days on the road, and finally we were in our first larger town, Hue, Vietnam. We stayed at a local hostel, and upon checking into our dorm rooms, immediately grabbed a few bikes and set off to watch the sunset, again, over the farmland. Hue is a beautiful town, and it took just moments on bikes to ride from the center of town to pristine rice paddies.

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Cruising on out of town on our hip bikes. Biking in Vietnam is instantly great.
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On the outskirts of town, we got to see all sorts of neat propaganda billboards.
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Soon, rice paddies are everywhere, with sun glinting off the water between perfectly even rows.

And of course, what good is a sunset bikeride without a perfect dinner at the end? Some local flavors at one of the best restaurants of the trip.

2013-06-08
Biking to the Cave of Prehistoric Man

After departing the beautifully abandoned Cuc Phuong National Park Resort and stopping to see a few monkeys and turtles, we hopped on bikes to complete the next leg of the journey through Cuc Phuong National Park.

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There’s a reasonably well maintained concrete road that winds its way through the park – perfect for leisurely biking.

Our main stop during our day of biking was at the Na Mo Cave of Prehistoric Man. From Wikitravel:

The Cave of Prehistoric man is the site of the one of the earliest discoveries of human habitation in Vietnam. Excavated in 1966, the cave revealed human graves, stone axes, pointed bone spears, oyster shell knives, and tools for grinding dating back 7,500 years ago.

Exploring the cave was interesting – it wasn’t particularly difficult to access the entrance – but when we arrived, it was realized that nobody had brought a flashlight or headlamp except for me. I was lucky to have my headlamp with me, but everybody else used the flashes on their smartphones as flashlights – lame, but it worked. In traveling alone through asia, I got to meet all sorts of people – including ones who go caving without a proper light! It was all in good fun, though.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/9448100044/in/set-72157634944112311

2013-06-06
Biking the Total 200

This past weekend I biked the Total 200 bike ride in DC with a few friends. A few pics, videos, and ride stats from the day..

A few video clips from our ride on YouTube..

2012-07-01
Biking to Piermont

A Saturday ride is always nice. This past Saturday I biked with friends up to Piermont, NY. About 50 miles round trip. And yes, I was wearing my Gran Fondo NY jersey. It’s actually the only biking jersey I own right now.

2012-06-17
Biking the 110 Mile Gran Fondo NY

Last sunday was the Gran Fondo NY, a 110 mile bike ride through NJ and NY, done in the classic Italian Style. My friend Chris came up from DC for the ride, and we met up with a group of friends. I did the ride on my new Cannondale SuperSix bike, which I love.

A bit on the Gran Fondo:

Gran Fondo New York brings Italian cycling culture to the world’s greatest city on May 19, 2013. Join thousands of cyclists on a challenging 110-mile Gran Fondo New York course from New York City to Bear Mountain and back in an experience fit for a pro and open to anyone who loves to ride.

The Couse:

Gran Fondo New York starts with a bang on the world’s most travelled bridge, George Washington Bridge, exclusively closed for you. Enjoy magnificent views of Manhattan during this once in a lifetime car free stint. Following Hudson upstream on rural roads and through scenic towns, riders will compete against each other and themselves on a timed climbs which will count towards the King and Queen of Mountain competition. The featured climb of the event and Cima Coppi (highest point of the ride) is the nearly four mile climb up to Bear Mountain in Harriman State Park. After descending, the course will wind its way back, hitting two more timed climbs before finishing in Weehawken with stunning NYC views.

The total ride distance is 110miles/177k and the elevation gain is 8,500ft/2,800m.

A few pics and videos from the ride:

2012-05-22
Biking to Bear Mountain with the New York Cycle Club

Today I spent the morning and most of the afternoon biking up to Bear Mountain with the New York Cycle Club. The ride was about 65 miles overal, and we started out in Central Park, NYC. I rode my Cannondale Super Six road bike, which I love more and more each time I ride. With the addition of a small “bento box” to my top tube, I was able to conveniently store and access my camera, allowing me to shoot relatively safely and conveniently while riding. A few pics and video clips from the ride…

GPS Track of the ride:

Pics:
Starting out in central park…

Pit stop for coffee in New Jersey, right next to the George Washington Bridge

Absolutely required pie stop in Nyack

Final climb to the top

Top of Bear Mountain!

Our biking group at the top of Bear Mountain

Cool drinks after a great ride

Clips:

2012-05-06
Frozen Tide in Amsterdam

As the waves come to shore, they freeze, and leave a large area of frozen chards. Beautiful biking north of Amsterdam.

2012-02-20