The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge leaps across the entrance to New York Harbor between Brooklyn and Staten Island, and this ride's start and finish sit at its foot, near Fort Hamilton on the Brooklyn side and Fort Wadsworth across the water. When it opened in 1964, the bridge had the longest suspension span in the world, and it is still one of the most impressive structures in the city, especially at dawn or dusk, when its towers catch the light. Every November the New York City Marathon begins on it.
Fort Hamilton is one of the oldest active military posts in the country, built in the early nineteenth century to guard the Narrows, and across the water, Fort Wadsworth played the same role on Staten Island. Between them, ships of every kind pass in and out of the harbour, from container ships to cruise liners. Along the Brooklyn shore, the Shore Road promenade offers views of the bridge and the harbour, and it is a pleasant place to walk.
The rides that start and finish here head in two very different directions: north to the Catskill Mountains, with their forests, streams and winding roads, and east along Long Island to Montauk, the windswept tip of the island, with its lighthouse and beaches. Both involve a long stretch of urban riding at the start and end, on busy highways like the Belt Parkway, the Long Island Expressway and the Palisades Parkway. New York traffic is heavy and aggressive, and the roads are often in poor condition, with potholes and construction.
The bridge charges a toll, collected electronically when travelling towards Staten Island, so make sure you understand how that works for a motorcycle. Bay Ridge, the neighbourhood around Fort Hamilton, has plenty of fuel stations, diners, pizza places and restaurants. Leave early in the morning, especially on summer weekends, to avoid the worst of the traffic, and allow plenty of time for the return.