Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 44,340
Likes: 6,640
From: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
[MENTION=465722]robertorolfo[/MENTION], there ought to be less traffic going east from 1st Avenue than going west, so would it help to ride on the right side? Someone here pointed out that it's the smart thing to do on 5th Ave by the Park, but it's clearer there because there are often no streets going east at the intersections.
The timing of lights and traffic on your segment is probably the biggest factor in your speed. For me, it's the wind. The wind makes an enormous difference for me.