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Cycling in New York

by nickwadd
Sun, May 01, 2011 14:02
7

Hello,

I've got to be in New York for work next week and due to the flights I have a day to kill. I've seen the sights before so thought about having a day on the bike. A quick scoot around the internet has given me a few ideas, plenty of bike hire places, a good cycle friendly map from the Dept of Transport but just wondered if anyone on the forum had any tips/ideas/recommendations for me. Any responses are greatly appreciated.

cheers

Nick

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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7 comments

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nickwadd | 13 years ago
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thanks again folks,

hired a "seat like a sofa sit up and beg monstrosity" from the place above and had a great time. a quick lap of Central Park to get used to it, then down the waterfront on the Hudson side, across Brooklyn Bridge, back on Manhattan Bridge, then up to the park for another lap. Not the most hardcore workout I'll grant you but a great way to see the city. Traffic can be a bit hectic at times but if anything I'd say I felt more comfortable riding there than in central London. Probably as the roads are wider.

cheers

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nickwadd | 13 years ago
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OldRidgeBack - yep - fully intend to do Brooklyn Bridge

Ped - thanks for the tip - I will probably use http://www.bikerentalcentralpark.com/ as they are very close to my hotel. I may even book on one of their tours.

thanks all again

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ped | 13 years ago
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I do this every couple of months, as I too get stranded there with work with a day to kill.

I've never found anywhere to rent a bike I'd want to spend more than a few hours on, but do enjoy taking whatever seat-like-a-sofa sit up and beg monstrosity they've got and drafting the fully-kitted-out folk who take to the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway of a Sunday.

As it's local to me, I've usually used Canal Street Bicycles at Canal & Varick then head out and back on the Western side of Manhattan as far as the George Washington Bridge, then head back up say 6th to Central Park, pootle around there, and then back down 7th just to take in some proper city cycling too. Not any kind of training/proper ride, but good to help ward off jetlag and to have a nosey around the place.

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OldRidgeback | 13 years ago
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The Brooklyn Bridge is another popular run. There are a lot of bike lanes across the city.

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nickwadd | 13 years ago
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Wow - thanks for the quick responses!

Simon - I was thinking of a simple pootle round central park as I'm doing the classic oxfordshire on Sunday and don't know what my legs will be like. Its my first big ride so I will have to see. However, the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway does look very tempting...

A V - thanks for those great ideas. I will have a look at their websites and start following Matt Seaton.

Once again thanks for your help folks!

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A V Lowe | 13 years ago
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Why not do a tour with Times Up or Transportation Alternatives, or visit some of the Recycle-a-Bicycle youth projects (I introduced the UK to YBEN back in 1994 and they have a strong movement to engage kids with cycling* A key organiser for RAB is due to visit UK in June, so you could preview NYC operations for Road CC?)

Matt Seaton (Guardian's former f/t cycling correspondent is based in NYC and writes on his rides an finds. Check out his tweets)

George Bliss - is he still building bikes? Classic stuff with chaise longue fitted to cargo bike - giant rubbish carrying dumper bikes etc.

DM me for other ideas! What's the official reason for trip?

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Simon_MacMichael | 13 years ago
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Didn't end up hiring a bike when I went, but the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway looks like fun and pretty much loops the entire island with very few on-road bits.

Just be careful on the streets - getting doored seems to be much more prevalent there than it is here.

There's some video clips of the Greenway here:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/mwg/virtual_ride_home.shtml

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