Various Routes

Hoboken - Jersey City (5-6 miles round trip)
I commute between 4-5 miles per day from Hoboken to Jersey City, depending on the route I take, which varies. This involves riding in alot of traffic. It's fun to use the airhorn!

Hoboken - North Bergen (12 miles round trip)
I don't have a car, which translates to doing things like a 6 mile ride to North Bergen, uphill all the way, to get to the best bike store I've found so far in this area (James Vincent Bicycles). Some of the hills are really brutal -- there's one that killed me the first time through, but I've made it (albeit with some panting) every time since then. Coming back from that ride is incredible -- downhill all the way, if you catch the lights just right. The last time I did this my cycle computer freaked out after 35 mph and recorded my max speed as 86.3 mph -- man, I was really flying!

Hoboken - George Washington Bridge (22 miles round trip)
This is a great ride. It runs along River Road, by the Hudson River. During non-rush hour times the road is mainly unused, although during rush hour it can get pretty hectic. Once you're on River Road you just stay on it and enjoy the scenery until you come to the GWB, where a pedestrian walkway is accessible to bicyclists, although they do ask that you yield to pedestrians and ride responsibly. I had started out riding again recently with the urge to ride to the GWB, and it was a rush to finally make it out and back. If you attempt this ride, be warned -- there's a bad hill about a mile long, and for the last 1/4 mile the climb sweeps up even steeper, seemingly to drive the final nail in your coffin. I barely made it up in my granny gear -- and was passed by a guy on a mountain bike cruising along at 8 or 9 miles per hour! Oh well, I'll get there eventually at better speeds than 3.

Riding in this area is fairly challenging at times. During rush hour, there are tens of thousands of people commuting into or out of New York City by car. Thus the airhorn mounted on my handlebars. This can really work wonders, as it sounds like a 20-ton semi is bearing down on the poor victim it's directed at, and generally results in them slamming on their brakes. Before I had the horn and lights, my 2.5 mile standard ride (one way) would take 30-40 minutes. Now I've cut that time to a more respectable 18 minutes, due to greater visibility and better audio signals -- no more waiting 10 minutes for a break in traffic. That's not to say I ride recklessly, but I do have more confidence in crossing heavy traffic.