socopithy

I know absolutely nothing about cycling or proper/safe routes. So I was hoping some of you New Yorkers might be able to glance at this route provided by Google Maps and see if it seems reasonably safe and/or efficient to you.

https://goo.gl/maps/LQEdi

It's a roughly 35-40 minute route, so if I can somehow cut that down even further, that would be awesome. Any advice on cycling from Queens to Brooklyn would be very much appreciated. And yes, I will be wearing protection!

40 Cent

I've biked some of those streets, but not sure about all of them. It's a more car-centric area than closer to Manhattan, as I'm sure you're aware.

Just to contrast, here's the Ride the City suggested route: https://www.ridethecity.com/nyc?rid=2904336 , which sends you down Woodhaven/Crossbay Blvds and then the Greenway by the Belt. That makes your trip a bit longer.

For streets I have never biked down before, I sometimes use Google Street View just to see what the shoulder looks like. Your best bet is to leave early and try out some variations of your route and within a couple weeks you'll find your safest and speediest one.

Steve B.

Atlantic Ave. is a very poor choice. Possibly 101st, but don't know street well. As well, it might be easier to cross Linden on Fountain, so maybe Sutter to Fountain.

The NYC bike map seems to show a route using 102 St (North) and 104th St (south) crossing Atlantic, then down to the west side of Aqueduct Race Track on Centerville, then over to Howard Beach on Cohancy St bridge, would be a good choice. I've done this to get to Brooklyn,

Cohancy, over the Belt - immediate right on 155th, then 1st left on Bridgton, Right on 96th (all due to one-way streets), then right on 157th.

Then 157th straight down, past Cross Bay, right 156th Ave., under Belt, right on 81st, left on 149. This street sort of dead-ends but doesn't really. It's the Queens/Brooklyn border. There's a path straight thru and over to Loring. Then any local streets - down to Stanley, etc... and over to Fountain.

It's a bit of a detour thru Howard Beach but avoids a lot of the mess of Atlantic, Cross Bay, Linden. etc..

Ride with GPS shows it as 7.5 miles one way.

And as final thought, is the starting location where you live ? and if so, it's a bad idea to indicate that in a public forum. Now those bad folks know you are not home when working as well as have a bike, or bikes (and a computer)

Ferdinand NYC

That's where I live!

Your route is mostly OK, though there are a few unnecessary jogs in there. It would seem much simpler to take Lefferts Blvd. down to either 101st or 103rd Ave., then to take one of those avenues west. That's more pleasant than riding under the tracks on Jamaica Ave.

If you take 101st Ave., you'll note that it merges with Liberty Ave. once you cross into Brooklyn. Then you can continue as you had planned, to Euclid Ave.

If you take 103rd Ave., then you can take that to where it ends in a merge with Liberty Ave. just past 84th St., where you'd have to make a quick U-turn on Liberty in order to get back to 84th St. Then you'd make a right on 84th St. to go south to Pitkin Ave. Then a right on Pitkin, which you'd take for just one block up to where Sutter Ave. branches off of it to the left. Then bear left onto Sutter, which you can take to Euclid Ave., on which you'd turn left, thereby resuming the route as shown on your map.

socopithy

That RideTheCity site is awesome. Thanks for that. I love the tip about Street View. Very smart.

The starting location is indeed where I live, but it's an apartment building. Should be ok.

Such detail in all of these posts lol it's great! You live at the same building, or in Kew? Either way, thanks for all of these tips, everyone. I'm going to do some dry runs this week and feel it all out. So much good info to use.

Steve B.

Good luck (not sarcasm) with your choices. Part of the fun is riding an area that you don't know and discovering new area's to ride.

I've been using the same route on my Brooklyn/Long Island commute for 18 years now. I recently started noticing that one street - Broadway in Woodmere, which I use for 2 miles, has gotten very busy with parked cars and heavier rush hour traffic, thus the commute is more stressful then had been. It encouraged me to find a local route thru the neighborhoods, an area with a convoluted maze of one way roads. After exploring a new route and getting pretty lost a few times, I finally figured out a route that is much improved on what I've used for almost 2 decades. Worth the time spent.

Ferdinand NYC

I meant that I live "there", in the area in which you are riding. I actually live in Woodhaven, near the corner of Jamaica Ave. and Woodhaven Blvd.

I ride to work in lower Manhattan every day, 10 miles each way, all year round. And I try to do about 40 or 50 miles or even more on weekend days and on vacation days, which I take mainly during the summer on hot days, just for riding.

Incidentally, I see that you have stated your intention to bike for weight loss. That is a good plan! I did just that a couple of years ago. Actually, I experienced a great tragedy, when my best and most beloved friend died. I couldn't eat or sleep for weeks; and that's what started the weight loss.

But then I found that riding was the only thing that made me feel close to normal; so I started doing it even more avidly than before. Up until mid-2011, I rode only in the summer, and even then only on weekends and on off days. From that point on, I began riding to work every day, skipping only rainy/snowy days, and the occasional rest day when it's too damn cold. (I also sat out for a week at a time when I got the flu, and when I had dental surgery.)

The distance to work, 10 miles, is really the perfect distance. If it were any shorter, I could use the rationalisation that riding isn't worth the effort; if it were any longer, I could use the rationalisation that riding would take too much time out of my day. With neither of those rationalisations available, I made the transition from recreational cyclist to bicycle commuter. The trip takes me about an hour, which is just about the same time it used to take me on the J train, counting the wait and the walk.

Equally important, I changed my diet. I used to have French fries every day, and pizza several times a week. (Yes, I'd have French fries with pizza!) And my dessert consisted of Suzy Qs or Devil Dogs every day. But I put all that aside; I haven't had fried food or cakes/cookies in over two years.

I'm not strictly vegetarian; but in practice I eat mostly raw vegetables with rice cakes, corn tortillas, or matzohs. And I sometimes have rice and beans. I eat the occasional tuna sandwich on whole wheat (that's the only time I eat bread). And in winter once in a while I throw in some roast pork fried rice from a Chinese restaurant, which helps me warm up from the cold. (Ah, so I suppose that it's not strictly true that I've had no fried foods.) For dessert I now eat cucumbers, or else dried papayas or pineapples -- I get the kind with no additional sugar.

In a few months, I lost about 65 pounds (from 207 to about 140; I am only 5'5"); and I have kept it off for two years. Most people who lose weight gain it back; so I am very wary of declaring victory. I am aware that the battle is, in a sense, never-ending. But, because I have found a new love for certain foods (peppers, carrots, spinach, broccoli), I never feel deprived. So I like my chances of staying on the good path.

But an important component is the daily riding. That keeps me strong physically as well as mentally. I hope that you will have similar success!

Lightingguy

And as amendment to my directions, you could also ride the Belt Parkway Bike Path out of Howard Beach to Erskine, then a right onto Seaview and you're at work. Nothing like a bike path for commuting !.

socopithy

Ah, I see. That'd be near the Dunkin Donuts over there huh? I grew up on 88th St. Remember Jason's?

Wow that's a great ride. Must be so theraputic. May I ask what your strategy is for super hot or super cold days? What do you wear? How do you prepare for that?

So sorry to hear about your loss. It's never ever easy, no matter what kind of person you are. But damn good for you for turning it into a positive force in your life.

Perfect explanation of your rationalisation for the ride. I feel exactly the same way. At roughly 8 miles, I feel like that's manageable, but if it were something like 5, I'd be lazy about it, feeling that it wasn't worth dragging the bike down 3 flights of stairs for. And we all know the J train is no walk in the park. My fiancee takes it all the time to work and it's the bane of her existance.

This has really been making me nervous about my diet, or any diet really. I just can't see myself being one of those people that COMPLETELY stops eating junk. Like, never again. I try to imagine how nice it would be if I became one of those people, like you, who simply enjoys broccoli, peppers, and whatnot over personal pizzas from Langolo's and Junior's cheesecakes.

But every time I think about it, I think, "I can pull back quite a bit, but never again? How? It's so tasty..."

How did you do it? How do you manage to STILL walk through a 7-11 and not get a Big Gulp sometimes? Or go to dinner with friends at Cheesecake Factory and not get a Mac & Cheeseburger? lol I'm doing it now, and I'm ok, but does it just get easier?

God dammit I want soda now...

It was really inspiring reading this. Seriously, thank you.

If I may ask, do you have any tips for a heavier gentleman riding a road bike for the first time? I've already noticed quite the pain developing (while riding) in my butt-bones even though I bought a nice cushiony $30 saddle, and I've read that my handlebars should be a little higher than my saddle for a beginner.

Ferdinand NYC

Yes, the Dunkin Donuts that's in what used to be a good sandwich shop. I actually live in the building that's next to the former secondary location of Lewis's, the building that's receded from the avenue.


Sure, the toy store. There is now a new fruit store in there. It looks pretty good; but I haven't gone in there yet, because I already have a couple of regular stops for fruits and vegetables.


Yes, that's a good word for it. Whenever I can't do it for some reason (usually precipitation or extreme cold), I feel a bit out of sorts.


For super cold days, I prepare first by crying while I'm in the shower. (Only half kidding.) I really hate cold weather; before the winter of 2011-12, I had never ridden during that season before. Indeed, I had never even been outside so much during a winter before! Even as a kid, I didn't care about playing in the snow; I just ran inside and stayed there during the winter.

But, I just layered up. The first layer (in all weather) is a sweat-resistant shirt; you can get these at any sporting-goods store. After that, I wear a sweatshirt and even a small-ish zip-up jacket. Then, on top of that, I put one or two large long-sleeve shirts. (These are the shirts that used to fit me when I was 65 pounds heavier!) Then, on top of that, I wear another sweatshirt, a hoodie. Finally, on top of all that, I pull on a non-porous garment that's meant for rain. (It's not a poncho; I think it's like some kind of golf gear.) That non-porous layer gives lots of warmth.

On my legs I wear two layers of compression shorts, and then regular gym shorts. If it's below freezing, I pull on sweatpants over them. But, if it's in the 30s, then I find that the shorts are fine, since my legs are the last thing that will get cold.

I found that the most vulnerable part of me is my hands; before I had adequate coverage on my hands, they would really hurt. I thought for a while that I'd have to give up winter riding, because it was so painful.

I finally found a solution which consisted, believe it or not, of four pairs of gloves. First, I wear two layers of those thin black gloves that all the shops sell in the winter. Then I wear some regular non-porous ski gloves. And then, over that, I stretch a pair of woolen gloves.

(I was lucky to find woolen gloves in white. I always want the outer layer to be white; this helps a great deal when flashing hand signals. It is very unfortunate that they don't really make bike gloves in white; so, in summer I use baseball batting gloves. In the in-between seasons, I cover those with white-ish work gloves.)

You probably have seen those charcoal-based hand-warmers that they sell in sporting goods stores. Useless. They do nothing.

I also did some research into battery-powered hand-warmers. But most of the reviews rate them very low; so I never actually tried to acquire them.

The second most vulnerable part in the cold is the face. To deal with that, I just used multiple scarves. The most I have used is four. I always put one around my neck while I am getting dressed, somewhere amidst all those layers I mentioned. Then, after I put my helmet on (with the hood from the hoodie on underneath), I tie another scarf around my neck, and then two more around my face.

This is enough to withstand temperatures down to the mid-20s. For lower than that, I have a large lined sweatsuit that I put on over all the other clothes. Dressed with all of that crapola, I have ridden in temperatures as low as 11 degrees. I don't think I'll be breaking that record any time soon.

I can't say that it's easy or fun to ride in the winter. It's work -- sometimes hard work. Riding the 10 miles to my job in winter is harder than riding 50 miles in summer. I tolerate the winter riding because I know that it's beneficial to my health. Before I started riding every day, I had high blood pressure and high cholesterol; now I don't have those conditions, and the doctor even said that my standing heart rate is similar to that of an athlete's.

This is much different from the summer, when I cannot wait to get out there and ride all day. So I'm afraid that I can't give any tips about dealing with the heat, because for me the heat gives me no problems.

I have been keeping close track of my mileage since May of 2012. And, by looking at my records, I can see that I did my first 100-mile ride on July 5 of last year, when it was 92 degrees; and I did 87 miles on July 24, when it was 91 degrees. Finally, on July 16, 17, and 18 of last year, when it was 91, 96, and 100 degrees, respectively, I rode 43, 65, and 40 miles.

All this to say that I am at my strongest on hot days; I can honestly say that I have never experienced a day that was too hot. In fact, I take almost all of my vacation days to match the hot weather; I'll probably be taking at least two next week, as we are expecting several days in the 90s. (I'm excited just thinking about it!)

I suppose that the only important tip about hot-weather riding is the obvious: drink a lot. But this is easily accomplished in New York, as there are bodegas everywhere. I prefer drinks without caffeine; I imagine that it's not a good idea to over-stimulate your heart while your blood pressure is already elevated from excertion, even though I admit that I have no evidence for this assumption.


Thank you! The loss was (still is) devastating; this was the person whom I loved most and who loved me most. But I did channel that terrible event into something positive, by getting healthy.

It is, in a sense, my beloved friend's last gift to me. She would sometimes tell me, when I would talk rapturously about the great meal of French fries or of 7-Eleven burritos that I just had, that maybe I should cut down on the salt. Meanwhile, she wasn't taking care of herself, which is what led to her death. So I took her advice, and I learned from her negative example. I only wish I could hear her tell me that she's proud of me, as I know she would be.


Well, I have to say that I liked taking the J train. I like the subway in general; and the J train is pretty good for me. I always got a seat, getting on at Woodhaven Blvd. going to work, and getting on at Fulton St. coming home; so I looked forward to my daily reading time. Riding my bike every day has definitely improved my life; but I'd say that the one thing I miss is reading while riding the subway every day.


I didn't stop loving or craving the foods I used to eat; I still wish I could have them. But the shock of my beloved friend's death made me understand that abusing the body is no joke. I look at it as trading the immediate pleasure (of, let's say, a pair of Suzy Qs) for the long-term pleasure (of being in better health and of feeling and looking better).

So, for me, it's a matter of engaging my rational mind to control my powerful emotions. (Indeed, this is what helped me stay sane after the horror of my beloved friend's death.) And, this is why I don't go in for the concept of "treating myself". I realise that some people can do that; but I cannot.

Every overweight person has to confront his/her emotional relationship with food, especially with the most unhealthful food. The pleasure of this dangerous food is not in any one meal; the pleasure is in having it on a daily basis. Looking forward to it regularly is the main part of the emotional relationship. So having the occasional French fries, or pizza, or Nathan's franks, or cake, or whatever would cause me a lot more stress than it would relieve, and would leave me obsessing about when I could justify it for the next time.

I know my weaknesses: having a cake (or whatever) once a week would surely become an excuse to have it twice next week; and then, what the hell, maybe three times the week after. It's just a lot safer not to open that door; I cannot put myself in a position to fail. As I mentioned, I have succeeded so far by subordinating my emotions to my rational mind. And I understand rationally that I need to turn the page on all that stuff. In a way, I need to treat it somewhat like being "on the wagon".

I want to mention again that, while I feel wistful about the stuff I used to eat, I don't feel stressed and I don't feel deprived. A few little "sandwiches" of raw red peppers and onions on a corn tortilla fill me up just as much as the multiple sandwiches from McDonald's once did. And I am not kidding when I say that I have a new love of broccoli and spinach! Broccoli and spinach! Really! They taste much better now than they ever did before. I think a person's taste buds adapt after a while of not being overly stimulated by lots of excess salt and sugar.


The size of the seat is important. But it's also important that the bike should be the right size. From what I understand, when you straddle the seat, you should touch the ground with the balls of your feet. If you can stand flat-footed while straddling, perhaps the seat is too low or the bike is too small.

Also, a common problem for beginners is wasting energy by opening the legs too wide. If you notice that your knees begin pointing outward as you pedal, it's a good idea to make an effort to keep them pointing forward.

I hadn't heard about the idea of keeping the handlebars higher than the seat. I ride a mountain bike because I like to sit up straight; my handlebars are level with my seat, which is the lowest it can go. But perhaps there's something to keeping the handlebars even higher; I really don't know.

The people who do know all about this are the guys at a great bike shop on Jamaica Ave. and 114th St. in Richmond Hill called Arc de Triomphe. I have gone there myself for more than 20 years, and I have sent many satisfied people there. If you go there, the owner Russ will surely give you an expert opinion about the set-up of your horse. (And tell them that Fred (that's me) sent you!)


Oh, you're welcome! Having struggled with my weight for a long time before my recent (provisional) success, I am happy to be able to help someone else even a little bit -- all the more if it's a fellow bicyclist from Woodhaven!

I don't know whether the "on the wagon" approach will be necessary for you as it is for me, or whether you can use the "treat oneself" method without blowing the whole thing. But I do know that, if you really want to lose weight, you will need to have that conversation with yourself, and to honestly assess your weaknesses.

FattyArbuckle

I'm also in KG, over by Park Ln S & Metropolitan. I tend to avoid major commercial strips and traveling beneath subway tracks... unless I'm trying to get somewhere really quick, or it's off peak hours. If I had to do your route during typical rush hours, I would take as many residential streets as possible and lots of joggles: It doesn't add too much to your mileage, still 5.4mi.

Route here

Good luck! I'm trying to lose a few pounds but can never seem to make it into Forest Park to do a few laps after the baby goes down for the night... Usually too exhausted.