How To Be A Road Warrior: NYC Biking One Pedal At A Time
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Biking has really been one of the biggest joys in my life– whether it was the first time without training wheels around my cul-de-sac, or traveling across state lines through the vast U.S. countryside. Traveling by bike is my chance to feel the wind on my skin, make personal connections with my landscape, to be a driver of my own physical power.
Since moving to New York City, this love of biking has taken me many places from Pedicab jobs to cross country trips; riding is a powerful tool not only for fossil-free commuting and exercise, but for personal growth.
A lot of New Yorkers are baffled by urban cycling, especially in Manhattan where the pace of cars and pedestrians is enough to trigger your dormant vertigo. But let’s demystify it: being a city cyclist is about always looking three steps ahead – to the pedestrian that’s about to step off the curb, the door that’s about to open, the light that’s about to change. Once you widen your scope of awareness, the chaos will coalesce and become an orchestra that rises and falls to your movements on the road. Your reflexes will quicken, adrenalin will fuel your decisions, and you will arrive at your destination, alive and proud.
Below are 10 tips to get you started, but there is always more to learn – contribute to the discussion!
WHAT TO WEAR
1. A no-brainer: wear your helmet. In fact, wearing a helmet is the new not-wearing-a-helmet. I mean, it’s your life – over 52000 cyclists have died in automobile collisions since the feds starting keeping track 80 years ago.
2. For long commutes or day rides, wear synthetic materials instead of cotton. This will keep your skin dry and body temperature regulated. Layer up, because even if it’s cold you will begin to sweat up those NYC hills.
3. For winter biking, never underestimate the importance of a balaclava. Although it may make you look like a bank robber, it will greatly increase your stamina for freezing wind! In any season, sunglasses are also essential for keeping wind and particles out of your eyes.
WHERE TO RIDE
4. Take up space on the road – the streets belong to all of us, and you are most safe when you are visible to cars. Ride with traffic, in a straight line instead of weaving in between parked cars. Be predictable to drivers. Be aggressive and present, without recklessness.
5. Being “doored” is the most common urban cycling accident, always watch for opening doors – I try to ride doors-length away from parked cars, even in bike lanes (which cars often use as free-for-all parking lanes). Although the road is a battlefield and adrenalin is coursing, for the good of the cycling community it is key that you keep your cool when dealing with drivers and pedestrians.
6. Some roads are friendlier than others for bikers, take advantage of NYC’s 200 miles of bike lanes by getting your free copy of the NYC cycling map available at any bike shop. This map routes an extensive network of bike paths, lanes, bridges, and shops all over the city. All the streets are not visible, so I recommend also carrying a regular street map to be free to truly explore. For planning your commute, try ridethecity.org or Google maps
7. For a less-traffic clogged ride, I love trips along the Shore Parkway bike path, which hugs the edge of southern Brooklyn. Great destinations also include Coney Island, Far Rockaway and Breezy Point Beaches, Red Hook waterfront, Floyd Bennett Field, Ft. Tryon Park in Washington Heights, Palisades Parkway (a great, car-free day ride up north), Flushing Meadows Park in Queens, and the classic – loops in Central or Prospect parks.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
8. Be self sufficient – learn how to fix a flat tire and other roadside repairs for free at Times-Up, a grassroots bicycling and environmental advocacy group in NYC.
9. Don’t use cable locks, they are easiest to cut. I like Kryptonite Mini Evolution u-locks for the best lightweight protection. Carry an extra lock for your tires, especially if they are quick release. Remember, any lock is only a deterrent to bike thieves so bring your bike indoors overnight.
10. Get comfortable on the streets by riding in a group, there are a number of great cycling associations and organized rides in NYC, including the 5 Boro Bike Tour and NYC Century run by Transportation Alternatives. Times-Up also has a calendar of group rides, including critical mass.
Most importantly, riding your bike is liberating and fun! Let your curiosity get the best of you and go explore our enormous city.
Image by clgregor.
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