Cycling | Scott Meyers

This year I pre-rode the Ronkonkoma 200k, which worked out well as I was expecting to miss the actual ride due to travel, and I hadn’t done a pre-ride before. Being able to start much earlier than usual, just about 4:30 am, made a huge difference as the roads were hauntingly quiet for the first few hours. While driving up to Ronkonkoma LIRR Station, there were intermittent moderate downpours, but once I arrived, the rain thankfully subsided.

I had actually parked at this station three days earlier, before taking a train into the city, which was the first time I gave the parking garage a shot. It was a breeze and a reasonable $5, so I opted to do so again, parking on the rooftop, which is where I took the photograph shared here.

Last year, I rode this on my Miyata Triple Cross with 38mm tires and had a complete blast, but I was looking forward to giving it a go on a more capable and nimble road bike this year.

As was the case last year, there was a nice tailwind heading East, so I made exceptional time out to the first control in Wainscott. I took a moment to catch my breath and drink some water, and pressed on into Sag Harbor, cruising past the East Hampton Airport before merging onto Route 114, aka “Lost At Sea Memorial Pike”. I grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Grindstone Coffee & Donuts, and then headed towards the South Ferry to Shelter Island. There was a slight change on Shelter Island from last year’s route, along a few roads I had never ridden before, along the south western corner, so I enjoyed the fresh scenery.

After departing the North Ferry, there was a control at the Greenport 7-Eleven. I refilled my water and kicked it in the shade for around ten minutes. It’s always pretty pleasant riding along the North Fork, especially as this route traces Peconic Bay. The last time I was up this way was in November 2025, when I rode from the Montauk Lighthouse out to Orient Point and back to the South Fork. So it was nice to be back, and I ended up losing track of time and found myself at the control in Calverton.

The next section was definitely my favorite, riding up to Wading River and through Rocky Point. Maybe it’s because I’m rarely in that area, or because it’s pretty mellow and reminds me a bit of how the South Fork used to be, not sure. It also includes some fun climbs and rolling sections. I was glad that this section of the route had remained the same as last year.

The final section of the route included another tweak from last year, which I consider an improvement. Having us head down around Miller Place and cutting south via South Setauket instead of going into Setauket proper, which I recall feeling a bit chaotic at times.

Overall, I think this year’s route is a definite improvement. I might try to ride this one each year, since it is convenient.

Route | Results | Long Island Randonneurs