Parsippany-Troy Hills is suburban New Jersey at its most typical: office parks, shopping centres and the enormous junction of Interstate 80 and Interstate 287, one of the busiest crossroads in the state. Nobody comes here for the scenery, but it is a useful launch point, because the good roads of northern New Jersey begin just beyond the town limits.
The area has a surprising amount of water. Lake Parsippany and the Boonton and Jersey City reservoirs lie close by, and Troy Meadows, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in the state, is home to herons and turtles despite the highways around it. Ride north-west and the ground rises into the New Jersey Highlands, a band of ancient gneiss ridges that runs towards the Hudson. That is where the roads start to twist: tree-lined two-lane routes past lakes and old iron-mining villages, with the Wanaque and Splitrock reservoirs as calm stops.
The local riding is all about avoiding rush hour. Weekday mornings and evenings clog Route 46, Route 10 and the interstates, while early weekend mornings can be wonderfully empty. Expect potholes after harsh winters, plenty of traffic lights and the occasional deer bounding out of the woods on the smaller roads, especially at dusk in autumn.
Fuel is everywhere, and as anywhere in New Jersey, an attendant pumps it for you. Diners are a local institution, many open very long hours, and this part of the state has plenty of them, along with bagel shops and delis for a quick breakfast before heading out. If you are heading for the Hudson Valley or the Delaware Water Gap, this is a good point to check the bike, fill the tank and drink one last coffee before the scenery improves.