Northeast - Best type of bike for Manhattan

Hi all NYers. I was planning on getting a bike soon but have been wrestling with what type of bike to get. I plan to ride in the city, mostly on the West Side Highway bike path and prob in Central Park. Of course there will be some street riding as well.

So the question is, whats better, a road bike or a mountain bike? All signs point to a road bike but I worry about the possible wear it could experience riding on some rough NYC roads. The good thing about a mtb is that it can do it all, though it won't be as fast on the streets. I have experience riding mtb's so thats where my comfort level is.

Am I too worried about the road bike experience in NYC? Is it justified?

Roadbike or crossbike. Unless you plan to do some mtb'ing in Manhattan.

Road or cyclocross bikes will do just fine, if you're pressed for space or don't like the idea of chaining your bike somewhere then a folder. A MTB is pretty pointless unless you like fat knobby tires on the pavement or plan on weekend trips to find some bike trails.

What's a good entry level cross bike? Budget of about $500. I just want to do some research cuz I know very little about cross bikes. Do all of the big names carry a line of cross bikes?

What's a good entry level cross bike? Budget of about $500. I just want to do some research cuz I know very little about cross bikes. Do all of the big names carry a line of cross bikes?


I'm not too familiar with cross bikes but most bike manufacturers have a cross model. For the city I'd go with a road bike; I have two of them and work just fine for riding in the city, to lock up outside not so much. I'm selling my Bianchi if you're interested in a 55cm road bike.

Heck, pick any bike that's not going to draw so much attention that thieves will want it and want it badly. (Uglify it or get one that's not loud & showy.)

Considering your goals, I'd lean more towards a cyclocross but a beefier road bike would do fine too -- you just need to watch the more serious potholes on the street...

Cross bikes are road bikes w/ knobby tires and maybe slacker angles. Also consider touring bikes which are perfect for NYC since they're beefier and usually more comfortable than roadies and cx bikes. And they have eyelets for racks and fenders.

Folding bike: local business: Bfold.com

You only need a single speed for what you describe, but a 3 speed would be nice.

See folding bikes forum.

Folding bikes are more mass transportation friendly.

I'm not sure there's a "Best Type of Bike for Manhattan;" just a best type of bike for YOU.

I, too, am most comfortable with the stability of a mountain bike and I ride one in almost every situation. In Manhattan, my mountain bike feels solid and easily maneuverable at any speed, giving me the level of confidence I need to safely do battle with the traffic on Broadway and other busy streets. For me, a road bike only feels "balanced" when ridden at a high speed. My mountain bike responds much better to stop-and-go traffic.

For the West Side Greenway and Central Park, I also prefer my mountain bike -- again, because there's often so much bike traffic that I can never get up to a speed that feels good on a road bike or even a cross bike. My folder feels way too vulnerable on the West Side Greenway, as it's too slow to get out of the way of the impatient roadies hammering away on that path.

My opinion...if you're comfortable on a mountain bike, buy a cheap mountain bike and ride it into the ground. You can probably buy a barely-used one for $5 at a garage sale on Long Island at the end of the summer. Better yet, if you wait until the garage sale is over, you can likely just rescue it from the trash after dark!

Appreciate the input guys. Papa, you sound like you think like me. I'm leaning back toward mtbs again. I want to ride in the rain and the snow and I fear anything but a mtb would be a pain to ride.

I commute with a couple of bikes in Manhattan.

One bike is an old Raleigh M-30 steel mountain frame. It's got a rigid fork, an easy single-speed gear & fenders. It's a great all-weather commuter that I'm ok with locking up anywhere. The bike is fugly, but highly functional.

The 2nd bike is an old Fuji Team frame from the 80's. Again, single-speed, no frills. That bike is better when it's nice out. If I had to ride it year round, I'd put 25-28 tires on it & fenders.

Both frames were rescued from the trash & cost about $200 each to build up (wheels, tires, bb, crank, stem, handlebars, brakes, saddle/seatpost, fenders, etc)

If you want a decent, inexpensive bike that's ready to go, try NYCBikes.com

Just because you're not comfortable on a road bike now doesn't mean you won't be later. It sounds like you'll be doing mostly recreational riding. Riding a heavy mountain bike with suspension and knobby tires on flat, paved roads doesn't exactly scream "good time" to me. But who am I to judge, it's your cash and your legs!

FWIW, I've noticed that friends who originally bought mountain bikes or hybrids with flat bars end up wanting to switch to road bikes with drop bars. I think once they became familiar with riding in the city and gained better handling skills, they felt that their needs changed.

No, you're right about the drawbacks of a mtb. but i know two things about me:

1) i want to ride for fitness so a semi-challenging pavement ride on a mtb is ok.
2) i break stuff all the time, and not on purpose. i think i need a bike that can take my abuse, and my big a**.

I broke my mtb's RD at Cunningham Park (not on purpose). My steel fixed gear is proving to be more bomb proof than my mtb. YMMV.

Here are my 2 cents. The roads are terrible until you get on the path, so I would focus on getting good tires. Schwalbe Marathons roll reasonably well. Schwalbe Big Apples are great tires and roll just fine. They are both reasonably puncture resistant. Marathon supremes are $$, but a high end option. Or, you can put Spinskins tire liners in anything of reasonable thickness and be fine.

Unless you are taking the hill toward the end of the bike path (170th street area), you probably don't need gears. Any old steel bike with decent wheels and tires will be just as good as anything else. Do not let any of the fixed gear bike builders talk you out of brakes. I have seen ugly accidents out there. But a cheap, not to fancy bike in good condition and a 25 pound NY Kryptonite is one way to go.

Another way is to get a folder. I have had a high end folder for many years and take it into buildings all the time. It is a bit of a drag carrying your bike with you everywhere, but anything else with either get damaged or stolen eventually. Yes, they make Big Apples in 20" (and other smaller sizes). A folder is generally going to be as fast or faster than a mountain bike, but not as fast as a road bike with the same tires. (This all has to do with aerodynamics.) You should never lock a folder up as it has parts that are more easily stolen. The bike will be 25 pounds lighter than any other bike since you will not need your lock.

Personally, I now mostly ride a racing recumbent with skinny tires. Probably the worst choice for NYC. But I have a short ride from the bike path to work, and I like going 25MPH on my 12 mile commute. (Ok, my average time is closer to 19MPH, but that includes dodging everyone else on the path, all of the Parks vehicles, etc.) If I'm running errands, I take my folder.

I like upright handlebars in city traffic.

Don't get a bike thinking that hard to pedal equals more exercise. It's true, but it's no fun. If you get an efficient bike, you can ride faster and get your exercise that way. Don't get knobby tires.

So my advice is a road bike with upright handlebars or a mountain bike with the tires exchanged for slick tires.

Hi all NYers. I was planning on getting a bike soon but have been wrestling with what type of bike to get. I plan to ride in the city, mostly on the West Side Highway bike path and prob in Central Park. Of course there will be some street riding as well.

So the question is, whats better, a road bike or a mountain bike? All signs point to a road bike but I worry about the possible wear it could experience riding on some rough NYC roads. The good thing about a mtb is that it can do it all, though it won't be as fast on the streets. I have experience riding mtb's so thats where my comfort level is.

Am I too worried about the road bike experience in NYC? Is it justified?

Mountain bike: after a few minutes on a straight path, you'll want to kill yourself. Road bike: after a few minutes on a broken-down street, you'll want to kill yourself. If the bulk of your riding will be done in the city, consider getting a city/an urban bike... (That is, a "hybrid.")

I, too, would advise against a drop-handlebar in traffic, especially if you're not quite comfortable on a bike — being able to look up naturally is important.

I bought a cyclocross Raleigh RX1.0 last year, it was the first time I'd been on something other than a mountain bike in 15 years. The drop bars give you a multitude of hand positions and is very comfortable. You shouldn't have any more difficulty in handling this bike or a road bike compared to a mountain bike.....at least I didn't. My bike has two sets of brake levers one set in the same position as the mountain bike ...up top...and the other set in normal road bike position. When I first started riding the raleigh I used the extra brake levers all the time...now after riding for while i wish they weren't there....BUT they made the transition easy for me.
You could always have your LBS put a shorter and higher stem to give you a more upright position if you feel you're in too aggressive of a position.
I recommend a road or cyclocross bike for you. I think you'll be bored with the mountain bike if you really start to enjoy bicycling. A road bike will be tough enough for your requirements......and be ALOT faster. If I could do it again I'd buy a road bike as I bought my cross mainly for commuting in NYC....but now want to do more group riding and club rides. Take a look around...there's a ton of road bikes in NYC...all you have to do is be light on the bike when going over rough roads.
Good luck with your decision

Not that I necessarily recommend it, but when I lived in NYC (ages zero through 17 and 20 through 26), the only thing I rode on the streets was bikes with drop bars and super-narrow tires. These days, some people would say that's impossible, but I'm living proof that it's possible. I didn't dent my rims, either. I developed good technique for rolling over potholes, and I was meticulous about keeping my tire pressure up.

same here noglider, I rode all over the city during the early 80's on a road bike with tubulars.
that's because all my friend's had the same type bikes.
Never had a flat, cracked up once commuting to work at a supermarket following a trash
truck and the road was slick. happened before dawn so there was little traffic.
you don't need to be on the drops on a road bike, I usually cradled the tops of the modolo hoods on my levers.

No, you're right about the drawbacks of a mtb. but i know two things about me:

1) i want to ride for fitness so a semi-challenging pavement ride on a mtb is ok.
2) i break stuff all the time, and not on purpose. i think i need a bike that can take my abuse, and my big a**.

It's been a lot of years (and reasons why), but I'm finally back on my bike. We be peas inna pod, I ride the Greenway and CP, the Hudson route on weekdays and CP on weekends. My butt ain't that big, but the rest of me is (235 or so).

Been thinking about bikes... the Greenway, especially the northern path (starting point is 103rd street), is quite bumpy, so I was thinking about MTB. BUT CP is smooth sailing and I do like to ride fast where I can (relative, on flats w/o headwinds I'm up to averaging 15-16). Bike is an old Trek 750 hybird, with 700-35c tires (halfway between skinny road tires and fat trail tires). Geometry is more lean over on flat bars... which I found annoying until I got my old cycling muscles back in shape.

Original saddle was painful, even though I had a large gel pack on top of it, so I got a more comfortable perch and am THINKING about extensions to the bars so at times I can fride a little more upright.

Anyway, I'd say hybrid is a good way to go.

Folding bike.

I STILL say mountain bike. But perhaps, based on what others have said about the knobby tires, you may want to explore some smoother, narrower tires.

In my opinion, neither of those are particularly extreme places to ride, and you're going to hit some potholes on the streets, but I tend toward "Eh, so what?"

I ride a road bike (700c 23mm tires) and a folding bike (20" tires) in the same areas you describe, and I don't think it matters much what kind of bike you get as long as you like it. If you like it, you'll ride it. If you prefer mountain bikes, get one and put some street tires on it. (Knobbies will just rattle your teeth.) I like Marathon Plus because they're so puncture-resistant.

One that you don't mind getting stripped or stolen.

thanks for all the advice guys. i went with a hybrid from my LBS. Jamis Allegro 1.0 to be exact. you guys were def right about not needing a mtb. i just bought the bike over the weekend and have been riding all over the city. bad roads, hopping onto curbs, gravel, its all good. i love the bike and riding has been fun. thanks all.

I have an 18-mile roundtrip commute from Southern Brooklyn to Downtown Brooklyn. About 45 minutes each way with an average BPM heart rate of 128-132. Of course this time includes essential stops at some of the four lane crossings. There is just no option that is even remotely safe at these intersections (Atlantic and Smith, Fifth Avenue and 9th Street, etc.)

I have saved $270 in the past three months by not buying the monthly unlimited MetroCard that I bought every month for many years! And the rides allow me to maintain a recent 80-lb weight loss. And get me to work in a great mental condition, etc.

I go through very heavy traffic in spots, Prospect Park with a dedicated lane and nice climb in other spots, four lane roads with no path, etc.

I ride a Trek 7500 and while I know everyone will defend their personal steed, I can't imagine a better one.

It doesn't have to be a Trek as I am sure all manufacturers have something with similar specs but for manueverability, stopping, acceleration, rolling resistance, etc., this gets it done in every regard.

Regular bike commuting in New York City is a life-risking venture. If you disagree, I am not sure that you value your life the same as I do mine! A quality machine is simply essential. I almost bought the model below this one to save a few hundred dollars. That would have been a gigantic mistake.

Bottom line for me? A hybrid was built for this and is the right choice.

Good luck.