How to Get to the Ride
The best way is by car, but read on for other options, especially for our friends from Philadelphia and NYC.
BY CAR
The ride starts on The Boardwalk. If you set your GPS for this address it will put you within 1/4 of a block:
There is no parking in that area, so....
PARKING
Here are there some options for parking:
Look for this sign -- parking is around the corner.
This is an open-air lot, so even if you have a van or your bike on a roof rack you'll be fine -- no height clearance issues.
From the Department of Insane Trivia:
If you use your favorite map software (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze, in-car GPS...) to get to that address you will see the parking lot.
Even though the lot's official address is listed as being on ATLANTIC Avenue, the actual entrance is on DELAWARE Avenue between Atlantic and Pacific.
No, I can not explain this.
Parking is about $25 per car. We don't get any of that money.
After you park it's an easy flat pedal down Pacific Avenue to the ride's start line, which is on The Boardwalk at S. New Hampshire Avenue. We're even going to paint the route on the street for you so you can follow our easy arrows.
I Don't Care About Parking -- Where's the Start Line?
Don't care about parking? Maybe your friend is dropping you off, or perhaps you stayed in Atlantic City the night before and now you just want to head over to the start.
The start line is ON THE BOARDWALK. Follow S. New Hampshire Avenue to where it dead ends then hop up on The Boardwalk, or set your GPS to this address:
212 S. New Hampshire Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Which will put you about 1/4 block away from our meet-up spot ON The Boardwalk.
Parking here is free. It's about 2.4 miles to the bike ride start line. Much of that pedal is on bike lanes or sleepy back streets; a very small part is nasty urban riding. We'll mark the route for you, starting at the end of the Golden Nugget's driveway (we won't be painting on their property!) or see map below.
WARNING WARNING WARNING!
The Golden Nugget parking garage has a height clearance of 6'4". Fine for any regular car, and all but the tallest SUVs, but if you have a van, or a bike rack on the roof of your car you will destroy your bike and your car if you try to park here!
OR...
There is some street parking here and there, but quite honestly you have to feed the meter (actually, you pay at the little computerized kiosk) and it's going to cost about as much as parking in the lots.
I DON'T HAVE A CAR!
From Philadelphia
You can take your bike on the NJ transit train from Philadelphia to Atlantic City.
Your choice: head to Atlantic City the night before, or catch the first train in the morning on ride day, which will get you to the start line on time. It is about a 2.2 mile pedal from the Atlantic City train station to the start line. We'll mark the route to the start on the ground, or use your favorite map software (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.) to get to this address:
212 S. New Hampshire Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ
That will put you about a half a block from the start line, which is ON The Boardwalk at New Hampshire Avenue.
During online registration we offer optional return transport for your bike and you back to the Atlantic City train station. (Hey, maybe your friend is picking you up at the finish line and you don't need return transport! Your choice).
From New York City
We have thought about this a lot. (A LOT! Like, every single day for two months...) Transporting our friends from NYC to Atlantic City for the ride is a serious money-loser for us, but we feel like we owe it to you. Here are some choices:
Rent a Car
See the info above on taking a car to Atlantic City. If there is more than one of you in the car it'll be less expensive to rent a car than taking our transport to Atlantic City (details below).
Need a way to transport your bikes with a rental car? Buy this bike rack online from Amazon. It folds up for storage under your bed, and even with the cost of buying a rack this choice is STILL less expensive for two or more people traveling together.
How to get home after the ride? During online registration sign up for our return transport for your bike and you from the Cape May finish line back to Atlantic City.
Departures from Cape May at:
1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
We will drop folks off with their bikes at the two parking options we recommend, above. (Golden Nugget parking lot and Showboat Overflow lot).
OR...
Take Our Transport to and From the Ride With Your Bike
Sign up for our optional transport from NYC to the Atlantic City start line during online registration. We will meet you crazy early in Manhattan on ride day (3:30 a.m.) and transport your fully-assembled bike and you to the ride. Price one-way: $100. (Our cost to provide this service? Oh, about $150 one way...)
You sign up for the return transport separately during online registration. (Hey, maybe a friend is picking you up at the finish and you don't need transport home...)
If you opt for our return transport we will drive you on ride day from Cape May to the Atlantic City bus station. Departures from Cape May at:
1:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
At the bus station you buy your own ticket back to NYC. (Many departures from Greyhound and other bus lines). You can see the schedule here.
WARNING -- Do NOT buy your bus ticket from Atlantic City to NYC in advance -- buy it at the bus station on the way home. No one (NO ONE!) can accurately predict what time they will finish the ride. If you buy a bus ticket that departs at 2:30 p.m. and you show up at 3:15 p.m. there is going to be trouble. Probably.
We will bring all the NYC bikes to W. 34th Street and 8th Avenue (Penn Station/Madison Square Garden) on Sunday August 16, the day AFTER the ride at 11:00 a.m.
There is no ride-day bike delivery to NYC.
Why?
Because we tried it for years and it never went well. As Robert Townsend, former CEO of American Express and Avis car rental famously said, "If you don't do it excellently, dont do it at all, because if it's not excellent it won't be fun or profitable, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what are you doing here?"
All this bound to lead to lots of questions and we are here to help. Just click here and drop us a note -- always glad to hear from you.