Advocacy & Safety - Who here hates the Brooklyn Bridge?

Last night I was heading over the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm going around 10-15 mph on the descent, when I see two people - one male one female - on opposite ends of the path (I might add that the female was standing in the bike lane, but whatever). As I'm approaching they both look at me, I look at them. The male starts to walk over to the female so I reach for the brake. He looks at me again and stops. I figure I'm in the clear so I continue without braking. At this point, the female looks at me, and RUNS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I brake as hard as I can and I think I may have tapped the back of her foot with my front wheel. I ask her if she's alright and she starts yelling in spanish. This guy who saw the whole thing looks at her and shouts, "You could get killed doing that!"

Nice... the worst are the tourist families who walk side by side, blocking the whole path.

I don't hate the bridge... I LOVE the bridge. There ought to be a fenced area to keep tourists in, though...

I don't hate the bridge... I LOVE the bridge. There ought to be a fenced area to keep tourists in, though...

That would be awesome...then I'd be able to go faster than 2mph!

A separation for bikes or for peds would be very utilitarian. Subways used to run above the roadways, so it can be done. Friday night I came across on it and the same thing happened. But this woman tourist was standing ON the painted bike stencil. All I could get out was "Bikelane?"

You have to have a bell and ring it like crazy all the way down. An air horn would be much better or a police man whistle. Otherwise, you'll have to travel at about 5 mph because the bridge is so tight and full of tourists.

I just scream, "COMING THROUGH, EMERGENCY, COMING THROUGH!" non-stop. It seems to work, the louder you yell the better.

I'm a big fan of BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! You have to sort of bark it at them, but it definitely gets them moving.

I don't hate the bridge... I LOVE the bridge. There ought to be a fenced area to keep tourists in, though...


Yah, I love the bridge too! I ride the Triboro a lot--oh, I pray that I'd have room for a near collision with two abreast instead of with dudes riding their illegal mini-bikes on a three-foot wide path, or clip someone with my front tire instead of riding through minefields of glass shards praying the whole time. Once at dusk there I ran into a futon mattress blocking the entire path.

I'm a big fan of BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! You have to sort of bark it at them, but it definitely gets them moving.

I'd think you were a dog. :p
Heh, seriously. What about a profanity? :)

Yah, I love the bridge too! I ride the Triboro a lot--oh, I pray that I'd have room for a near collision with two abreast instead of with dudes riding their illegal mini-bikes on a three-foot wide path, or clip someone with my front tire instead of riding through minefields of glass shards praying the whole time. Once at dusk there I ran into a futon mattress blocking the entire path.

What do you do when someone's coming the opposite way??

What do you do when someone's coming the opposite way??

Those two guys on minibikes were the only two people on bikes I've seen up there. I got off and sucked in my gut. I've squeaked past a couple Randall's island escapees on foot and ridden behind a couple of old coots going the same way. You hafta haul the bike up some steps a couple times so you can pass there. Anyhow it's more like five feet in most parts. It's a horrible bridge-the Queensboro is much better.

I'm a big fan of BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! BIKE! You have to sort of bark it at them, but it definitely gets them moving.I do the same with good results. :)

I'd think you were a dog. :p
Heh, seriously. What about a profanity? :)

I tried profanity... it made them look, but it didn't make them move.
:p

I too love the Triboro - I've only ridden it once, but at that time it seemed like an awful lot of sections of "pavement" consisted of plywood nailed down over apparent gaping holes... Is it still that way?

What the hell.. are you serious about the randalls island escapees??

I think I'm going to start slowing creeping up behind those groups of tourists who walk side-by-side blocking the whole path. When I'm right behind them, I'm going to start ringing my bell frantically while shouting and cursing. Evil? Perhaps.

air horn?
:D
bk

air horn?
:D
bk


I think you guys all need to get one of these and attach them to your stems....

I think you guys all need to get one of these and attach them to your stems....

I can't tell what that is...

cattle prod?

flamethrower?

both are good options.

I wonder if there's a good way to mount one of
these (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005BXJ0.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) to my bars...

bk

I've done a lot of shouting on that bridge which is why, despite the incredibly convoluted access routes to the bike path, I've been taking the Manhattan Bridge. It's (in theory) an exclusive bike path, although there are occasional pedestrians.

I have heard and read the manhattan bridge has terrible seams. is it as bad as all that?
bk

I have heard and read the manhattan bridge has terrible seams. is it as bad as all that?
bk


Nah. . . I take the Manhattan all the time, unless it's 6 in the morning and NO ONE is on the BB. Anyway, the seams are fine. If I recall corecctly there are like 6-8 grouped in pairs and you really only hit at most 4 at speed (not really going incredibly fast on the way up). All in all, they're not a big problem, and def. easy to bunny-hop. But if yo udon't want to hit any seams, don't EVER bother with the Williamsburg Bridge. I did it once, and it sucked. . . big time.

I can't tell what that is...

cattle prod?

flamethrower?

both are good options.

I wonder if there's a good way to mount one of
these (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005BXJ0.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) to my bars...

bk

It's a probe...

"out of my way before I give you a colonoscopy!"

The dedicated bike path on the manhattan (on the north side) has seems every 10 or 20 feet that could have been more carefully filled. But it is the nicest surface / ped count route to ride. IMHO.
BIKE BIKE BIKE or ON A BIKE really quick works for me, also LOOK UP LOOK UP roles off the tongue very nicely.

BTW NYC friends, the February 14 (CM Feb. 25th) are being arraigned tomorrow.

Thank you for your input. Since I recently purchaced the Brooklin Bridge, I'll try to get these problems cleared up.

I have heard and read the manhattan bridge has terrible seams. is it as bad as all that?
bk

The only ones I worry about at all are the plates at the towers...they're about 12" or so and can give you a pretty good jolt. Before the bike only side was open, the first time I rode the Manhattan Bridge, I didn't know they were there & went over my handlebars at 15mph. You can be sure I look out for them now!

Laika --- are you the guy that I spoke to once at a Brooklyn CM that broke ribs, etc on the Manhattan BR?

Except for 2 sets of 2 joints, the other joints on the Manhattan are tiny, but jarring if you're riding an aluminum fork. No big deal, but it was annoying that they didn't smooth them out better.

I ride the Manhattan both ways everyday. I like how it gets you on Allen (and then 1st ave) easy on the Manhattan side. 1st ave has to be about the fastest street in the city. To go to Brooklyn I ride across Canal, get in the far left lane before I cross Bowery with the Canal St. traffic like I was going to go across the bridge and then veer off to the left through the cones right before you get on the bridge. Then I go against the traffic on the gimpy one way part of Canal, finesse through the traffic getting off the bridge, go down the hill and end up at the bike path entrance. It kind of sucks, but it saves time for me.

I came pretty damn close to actually killing a very petite jogger on the BB once and I can't ride it anymore. She popped out less than 5 feet in front of me and just barely jumped out of the way. Had she been 1/10th of a second slower I would have hit her full on going 18mph. Since I weigh around 250 and she must have weighed less than 100 I think that would have killed her. It is a damn shame that the city doesn't set up something safer. Most of the people on BB at any time have never been on it and don't even know that there is a bike lane.

Laika --- are you the guy that I spoke to once at a Brooklyn CM that broke ribs, etc on the Manhattan BR?

Well, I was bruised and banged my ribs up pretty nicely but didn't actually break 'em. But it probably was me.


Except for 2 sets of 2 joints, the other joints on the Manhattan are tiny, but jarring if you're riding an aluminum fork. No big deal, but it was annoying that they didn't smooth them out better.


It's a typically half-assed effort by the city. That bridge has been in the process of being renovated since I was a kid and it's still not all the way done!

Why can't they just put up these big orange signs that say, "STAY THE F**K OUT THE BIKE LANE OR YOU WILL BE SERIOUSLY INJURED"

i love the brooklyn bridge. i ride it in the mornings, when there isn't a mass of tourists out and about -- unlike the madhouse it is at noon and weekends. i'm not fond of the tourists, especially the high school kids that are trying to impress their friends by acting tough. there are usually over 20 of them, hanging together like a blood-clot.

i'd clipped a kid with my messenger bag on the way to bklyn. one of his friends pulled him back and he jumped back into the bicycle lane. he was facing me. it must've hurt because i was going around 17mph and i could hear my bag smacking into him, and i felt the force of the blow. i stopped and asked if he was okay, and he just looked at me blankly. his friends, of course chided him for being a dim bulb. i took that as things being well, and continued on my way.

i still take the bb in the mornings, and i've mellowed out a bit. i used to yell at the top of my lungs for them to "get the f* out of the bike lane" but now i just do the standard "on your left" or "behind you" for the tourists i know will step backwards into the bike path.

you get used to it, i suppose.

the bridge is a beautiful thing in the mornings, when tourists are few and the peds on the bridge are walking to work. look up and the cables form a grid, look down and you can kind of see the water below, and look to the right to see cars stuck waiting to get off the bridge.

they should frikkin repaint the lines and the icons. paint them day-glo orange or something.

they should frikkin repaint the lines and the icons. paint them day-glo orange or something.

It is beautiful when it's empty.
Although my favorite ride on it was on the roadbed, on my way back from Manhattan during the blackout.

re: the icons. I have at times been very tempted to do a little diy stencilling. I find graffitti repulsive & that was the only think holding me back, but it was tempting.

I can't tell what that is...

cattle prod?

flamethrower?

both are good options.

I wonder if there's a good way to mount one of
these (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005BXJ0.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) to my bars...

bk


**** MAN THATS FUNNY! GET A COW CATCHER NEXT! HAHAHAHa

You have to have a bell and ring it like crazy all the way down. An air horn would be much better or a police man whistle. Otherwise, you'll have to travel at about 5 mph because the bridge is so tight and full of tourists.


Sorry, I'm a few days behind with this suggestion--

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43117&item=7961686391&rd=1

Plays Dixie. Then you could even bunny hop over them, shout 'Yee-ha' and knock off their cowboy hats with your back wheel.

I don't hate the bridge... I LOVE the bridge. There ought to be a fenced area to keep tourists in, though...
Great idea...but do we have to confine it to the bridge?

What the hell.. are you serious about the randalls island escapees??
You're probably thinking of Rikers Island, the prison island. Randall's just FEELS that way :-p

I have heard and read the manhattan bridge has terrible seams. is it as bad as all that?
bk

It's the Willy B that has deadly expansion joints.
http://transportationalternatives.org/press/releases/050117williamsburg.html

It's the Willy B that has deadly expansion joints.
http://transportationalternatives.org/press/releases/050117williamsburg.html

yeah, i realized that at some point but was too humiliated to correct my post.
bk