Before it became the place known as the "Little Neck Triangle", it was merely a geometric reminder that the open roads lay ahead. Those who rode in the late seventies were in the habit of leaving from home and meeting other riders along the way or at specific places in Flushing. For the Dunkin Donuts group and the Kissena Cycling Club racers, the Triangle was the first respite on long training rides after the warmup of Douglaston Hill. Everyone knew that serious pedaling of the open roads came right after the city line. In those days traffic was less dense and Queens cyclists originated their rides from Flushing or Astoria. Various suburban groups on Long Island met in schoolyards where they could park their cars, and it was rare for them to mix with the Queens cyclists.
In the early eighties it was not unusual for the Kissena Cycling Club to pass the Little Neck Triangle after racing. They would barrel down on small groups of cyclists from Queens and Long Island led by Ernesto Cuevas the frame builder. These groups appeared to be getting ready at this location, and it was a typical New York sort of happening that eventually sparked interest in starting at the Triangle. Soon it became a way to catch the start of a ride for many cyclists who rushed by car from Central Park and Prospect Park races. The more ambitious and fit riders continued to ride along Union Turnpike, and somehow the Triangle became the location for everyone to regroup.
Soon the number of riders at the Triangle became substantial and the natural differences in riding strengths started to show. The unofficial time to accommodate all different schedules was a ten o'clock start at the Triangle. The slower riders were getting into the groove of starting earlier and expecting the racers to catch them. There was a clear separation between waves of cyclists, and the fusion back into one group would only occur in the last few miles of the ride on the slight incline that came to be referred to as the "Golf Course".
The Triangle is a good example of the melting pot that the New York cycling scene exhibits. Besides the Cuevas group, which became the matrix for a growing population of Latin American riders, it was the meeting point for "Club Breton".... a surviving small group of French cyclists and soccer players who worked in the restaurant industry.
All the clubs that competed in local races were represented in the Triangle group. It was not uncommon to see a Kissena Cycling Club's orange jersey riding next to a Century Club rider with a guy from the German Club either in front or not far behind. These clubs brought a long list of young riders, some of whom went on to become famous at local races and on a national and international level on the road or track. Most came on their own, such a Leonard H Nitz and his wife Leslie Moore. Moore's sister Carroll went on to win many challenging races in the veteran class in Europe and Cuba. There were also the Loehner brothers who made it to pro status, and Amnon Magor who had raced in Israel and will forever be sorely missed. Female club cyclists, though few, make up for their numbers by the strength and determination they bring to each ride, either for race training or to keep up their fitness and edge.
A few young cyclists rode along with their fathers. There was Charlie Isendorf with his dad puffing on a cigar while pacing the group on a motorcycle; the Hincapie brothers with George, barely a teenager, being a cut above in talent and riding with the promise of greatness in each pedal stroke; Santos Gomes and his son Gabe graced the peloton for many seasons; and Monica with her father Dominic who still are both a presence in the pack to this day.
There was an established Triangle Ride which consisted of the same simple route, and concessions were made as the season progressed and the need for leaders naturally emerged. It was ironic that one of the smaller riders became notorious for his leadership. Cezar Delcampo may have been 5'3" but he never lacked the enthusiasm needed to tell the group where to ride. And since he had the pedal stroke to match his requests, riders often followed his preferences leading them to Oyster Bay and the now famous Turkey Lane.
By the mid-nineties the mini groups had metamorphosed into two larger groups representing specific levels of riding. The eight o'clock group, heavily manned and represented by a colorful medley of cyclists, was often followed by an informal sag wagon driven by a jolly fellow nicknamed Pappy. The second group started at eight thirty and was often fast enough to gobble up the earlier group.
As the popularity of the Triangle Ride grew, mini groups formed once again. To eliminate confusion among groups Ernest Knox thought the Triangle Ride needed an identity. So in 2012 Ernest created the name "Triangle Cyclists" and had the first uniforms made and a website established. Two years later a charter was adopted and the club became official with Ernest as President until 2016. Today, as a result of the formation of the club, there is less confusion among groups and only one recognized as the Triangle Ride....."Triangle Cyclists".
Today the Triangle Ride maintains many of the traditions of its past and continues to be a training ride for local racing teams & individuals. It is a breeding ground for competitive cyclists and has a reputation as one of the most formidable rides on Long Island.