Categories: Adventure & Sports; Fitness & Health

Hot Wheels: Biking in New York City

By aliciak
updated 3 months ago

If I had my say, every street in New York would be outfitted with a bike lane, restrooms and water fountains every 2 miles, and Bloomberg would pay for everything involved including my bike tune-ups. Even though I don't see any of these happening in the near future, it's still, surprisingly, a fun, manageable city to bike around. It beats sitting underground on the train or idling in a car up above, but there a few things you should know if you're pondering more biking in your New York future.

General Biking Tips

New York doesn’t seem bike-friendly at first glance, but once you gain some self-esteem on the road, you will feel in control…and ready to swerve around any pedestrians that get in your way. Technically, us bikers share the road with cars, but this isn’t preschool play time.

Drivers hate bikers and vice versa, so be aggressive while still trying to respect the rights of others.
Obey traffic laws at least 60% of the time. I’m not advocating breaking the law, but I sort of am. It’s hard to wait at a red light when there is no one coming in sight.
Wear your helmet. Women look so cute in their summer dresses, hair flowing, face glowing, but there’s nothing cute about your brain on the sidewalk. PLEASE wear a helmet no matter how much helmet hair it gives you.
Pay attention! A successful bike trip in New York is all about staying alert. This isn’t the subway, or even the sidewalk when you try to tune out as much as possible.

Bike Shopping

Luckily, my parents have some neighbors back home who buy bikes regularly and give us their leftovers for free. Now that’s some value-shopping! But most of you will probably have to shell out money for some wheels.

There are literally HUNDREDS of bike shops in the 5 boroughs, but below are my favorite resources for bike help and parts. This is New York, so most bike shops are not huge; thus, you will have to do some research if you’re looking to buy a particular kind of bike.

Recycle-A-Bicycle Inc

75 Avenue Centre, New York, NY 10009

I’m a fan of used bikes obviously, but not only because it’s the cheaper option; if you take care of your bike, replace parts, there’s no reason you need something shiny and new. The idea of a perfectly good bicycle in need of a little work in a landfill makes me sad. Have a heart?

And come on, “Recycle-A-Bicycle”? You can’t resist a name like that! On top of that, they offer bike classes to kids and hold free “Ladies’ Nights” where women in the know can learn basic bike mechanics. They’re always looking for volunteers!

Frank's Bike Shop

553 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002

What can I say, I was planning a long ride up the East side and realized my tires were out of air: Franks’ appeared out of NOWHERE, and lo and behold, there was a tire pump. Saved my bike ride on a beautiful fall day.

It’s a little dirty and claustrophobic inside, the place exploding with bikes and such, but if you’re looking to buy used, it’s a decent place to start.

Bicycle Station

560 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238

Ah, my neighborhood bike shop. Pathetically, it took me over a year to realize that even when the shop is closed, the bike pump is always available. GEEEZ. How many times did I spend valuable quarters at the gas station a block away for the same purpose?

Anyway, very friendly folks. I was missing the tire cap and they gave me one free! These are the kinds of things that pleasantly surprise you in New York and totally make your day. (I know, I know, those caps probably cost next to nothing).

On A Sad Note

Not to be a downer, but people die in bike accidents. New York is no exception, and with the crazy driving seen here and overall congestion, accidents are quite common. My best friend has been in two, one of which broke her collarbone and the other caused by someone opening a car door. Surprisingly, I have only fallen off my bike due to stupidity (using my cell phone or estimating curb height incorrectly), with only a few bruises to show for it.

Ghost Bikes are part of the Street Memorial Project, which honors those bikers and pedestrians killed in bike accidents. It’s eerie to see one of these as you’re trekking along, but it’s a reminder to be as careful as possible.

Critical Mass in New York

Critical Mass is all about assembling tons of bikers at a scheduled time and (semi-annoyingly) dominating the streets of Manhattan or Brooklyn. Sometimes people get arrested! I support this cause.

New York’s CM group also schedules TONS of themed rides throughout the year such as, “Bridges By Night,” “Mystery, History, Murder, and Money Tour,” and “Traffic-Calming Rides.”

So, in case you haven’t already concluded this yourself, if you want to do some social biking, i.e. meet fellow bikers, attend some Critical Mass rides.

Central Park

5th Ave & 59th St, Manhattan, NY 10024

Central Park is over 60 blocks from top to bottom, which is a lot to cover walking. Much more doable by bike! It’s a particularly beautiful ride in the fall, but the “streets” in the park are often still shared with cars.