Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images North AmericaThere exists a novel symbiosis - between a european city founded on a dam in the river Amstel, and an early 17th century Dutch colony, which once went by the name of Nieuw Jorck, later New Amsterdam, finally what we now know as New York.
We're not talking trading post heritage, or shared lack of elevation above sea level. Nor an apparent absence of meaningful gradients. But the mutual appreciation of human-powered, two-wheeled travel. And, much like London town, residents in the Big A are currently experiencing a velo-renaissance. Herewith a small compendium of New York cycling miscellany...
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ride the city offers a free online mapping service for citizens of New York. The system will plot any given journey, showing bike path sections and en route bike service locations. You can proceed in French, Russian or Lithuanian. Then blog your route. Embed it in a website, or even send it via SMS. Given that much of NY is formed out of the classic gridiron plan, travelling in from Brooklyn, for example, is really quite direct and offers few opportunities to lose your way.
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"The physical sensation of gliding with the wind in your face is exhilarating. That automatic activity of pedalling when you have to be awake but not think too much, allows you to let subconscious thoughts bubble up and things seem to just sort themselves out. And the adrenaline wakes you up if you weren't properly alert. If I'm commuting to work by bike, I'm fully awake by the time I get there, having dealt with a little bit of New York traffic en route."
David Byrne
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As of February 2009, about 170 miles (260 km) of painted bike lanes run in New York streets. And the network is growing.
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And the last word we leave to an NY citizen who rides bikes, paints bikes, and rides hard down Broadway - Taliah Lempert.
"Riding a bike is how I get around NYC, it’s the best way. It’s small and flat enough to get around easily and on one gear. Even riding slowly is usually faster than a car or the subway, and more fun.
The views and architecture always inspire. Usually I see someone I know and ride with them or stop for a quick chat. Before I rode, I knew the city mostly in relation to the subway. The walking and waiting was a lot of what it was to be a New Yorker. When I started riding to commute in 1996 the city opened up.
Now this town is mine.
I’ve pedaled over most of the streets and felt it under my wheels. I know the thrill of riding hard down Broadway, hitting the lights and expertly avoiding pedestrians. I squashed a pigeon on 14th Street instead of chancing a swerve into traffic to miss it. Cycling makes the city accessible and it makes me one with it.
New York City is a great place to ride. There’s a few good places to go for longer road rides. We usually ride over the George Washington Bridge to Nyack, out to the Rockaway beaches or in Prospect or Central Parks. For trackies there’s Kissena Velodrome, in Queens.
It’s important to be careful when riding in the city. The cars really do pack a whollop. It’s safer to take a lane if you are riding fast, and never ride between two trucks. I try to keep clear of trucks and busses, especially staying out of the blind spot when they make a right turn. Generally if you’re aware and ride predictably it’s pretty safe.
Most important, perhaps, is a good lock and a bike you feel comfortable locking outside. That way you can ride it everywhere. It’s the best!"
