New York City is easy to love and easier to hate, especially for New York City based cyclists. We are blessed with a plethora of local racing opportunities that may be unmatched anywhere in the country, but also cursed with too much traffic and far too many miles on the usual routes. At some point it becomes vital to escape the concrete jungle, be it a day trip to the back roads and reservoirs North of the city or an afternoon spent on the mountain bike trails just across the Hudson River in New Jersey. Hell, drive for two hours nearly any direction from NYC and there is usually decent riding to be found, from the Catskills to the Hamptons.

But there is something to be said about the sublime ease in packing up a bike, riding past New York City rush hour and hitting open roads en route to a perfect hidden camp spot, just a few miles from New York City. The story of two such escapes, and some of the lessons learned and gear used follows in this new series "Bikepacking NYC."

Bikepacking NYC: Part I: The Weekend Escape

Bikepacking NYC: Part II: Fast and Light