Your first time can be hard and scary
09-29-15, 07:52 AM
#1
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Your first time can be hard and scary
This guy tries it once, gives up and says New York isn't a bike city. Sure, that's great journalism.
Many things in NYC are hard. Even riding the subway is hard. Jeez.
Uneasy Rider
Bike-Wise, New York Is No Amsterdam
Many things in NYC are hard. Even riding the subway is hard. Jeez.
Uneasy Rider
Bike-Wise, New York Is No Amsterdam
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09-29-15, 08:10 AM
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Disappointing he didn't even post what streets he tried to ride on.
09-29-15, 08:37 AM
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Apparently paying attention to his surroundings was too much of a burden for him. Better for him to stay in his car where being oblivious feels safer.
09-29-15, 08:42 AM
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I hope he tries riding here in DC. The denizens of the WABA forums would have a field day with him. I could see him taking a ride on relatively idyllic Madison or Jefferson in National Mall, getting passed by a car once (out of 3 ft. zone to boot), and getting freaked out just by that.
09-29-15, 08:50 AM
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His article is full of contradictions. On one hand, he sees Citibike as a good thing (as it is), and he is objectively level headed about helmet usage while riding one. On the other, he is scared to the point of feeling the need to write about it
09-29-15, 09:07 AM
#7
incazzare.
At least he tried it, I guess. But yeah, you need to ride for a while in the city before you get a feel for it.
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09-29-15, 09:16 AM
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I actually feel more comfortable riding in a big city, say Chicago, vs where I live. People in the bigger cities are used to seeing cyclists on the road, sharing lanes with them etc. Where I live, it is not common, and often drivers don't know how to handle it.
09-29-15, 09:27 AM
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I agree completely. Roads here my be wider and less traveled than the ones I commuted on when living in Boston (and people here honk much less frequently and in general seem less aggressive), but no one seems to know what to do with me when they come up on me when they do notice me.
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09-29-15, 09:31 AM
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I agree completely. Roads here my be wider and less traveled than the ones I commuted on when living in Boston (and people here honk much less frequently and in general seem less aggressive), but no one seems to know what to do with me when they come up on me when they do notice me.
09-29-15, 09:35 AM
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This is New York City. Most people don't commute by car. That is true insanity, and we know it. The subway alone carries six million trips a day.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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09-29-15, 09:59 AM
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Cycling and commuting especially is pretty foreign here. We had a three lane road that was turned into a two lane road with the far right lane becoming a dedicated unprotected bike lane. I take this route every day that I commute to work. I pass several people riding on the bumpy sidewalk that parallels the extremely smooth and nice bike lane. How are drivers supposed to get used to cyclists when we are all over the place?
09-29-15, 10:23 AM
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Your first time is always a bit nerve-wracking. I hope he tries it again.
09-29-15, 10:41 AM
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What a putz. I know people in Rockland county who are scared to go to the city.
Many people are terrified of driving in cities. This guy sounds like someone who would not feel safe doing that either.
In the mid 60's if it was nice weather my dad rode me down Columbus avenue to 88th Street for school on the crossbar of his Peugeot UO8. Then he rode back up Amsterdam to 168th street for work. I loved it at the time. Now it's called child endangerment. With reason, but we had just come to the US from France, and it didn't seem strange to us. Never had any accidents, though PLENTY of abrupt stops.
Good memories.
The two times I WAS hit by cars, were in rural areas.
Cheers, Eric
Many people are terrified of driving in cities. This guy sounds like someone who would not feel safe doing that either.
In the mid 60's if it was nice weather my dad rode me down Columbus avenue to 88th Street for school on the crossbar of his Peugeot UO8. Then he rode back up Amsterdam to 168th street for work. I loved it at the time. Now it's called child endangerment. With reason, but we had just come to the US from France, and it didn't seem strange to us. Never had any accidents, though PLENTY of abrupt stops.
Good memories.
The two times I WAS hit by cars, were in rural areas.
Cheers, Eric
Last edited by Last ride 76; 09-29-15 at 11:01 AM. Reason: Adding info.
09-29-15, 10:46 AM
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He used the phrase "ostensibly felicitous" in the third paragraph. Of course he was afraid of riding.
Somebody tell him to HTFU, or his man card gets revoked.
Somebody tell him to HTFU, or his man card gets revoked.
10-01-15, 05:49 AM
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10-01-15, 06:20 AM
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This guy tries it once, gives up and says New York isn't a bike city. Sure, that's great journalism.
Many things in NYC are hard. Even riding the subway is hard. Jeez.
Uneasy Rider
Bike-Wise, New York Is No Amsterdam
Many things in NYC are hard. Even riding the subway is hard. Jeez.
Uneasy Rider
Bike-Wise, New York Is No Amsterdam
I commute from near the southern end of Manhattan (south of 14th St), to the northern end and beyond into the Bronx. I work at 238th St. In NYC, 20 blocks is one mile. Total distance is 13 or 14 miles, depending on the route I choose. It's a very urban commute, but I'm very lucky, because most of it is along the Hudson River Greenway, the US's most heavily used bike commuting route. I don't know how many cyclists I pass, but it's several hundred.
After 125th St, there aren't as many bike commuters, and very few are going in my direction. The route is mostly flat, as it's along the river, on a part of the island that is landfill. It is also a pretty noisy route, as it is almost completely next to a highway.
Headwinds in the morning can be very strong. Towards the end of the route, I hit a killer hill and then some lesser hills. The killer hill isn't long, but it's steep. The last couple of miles is in motor vehicle traffic. Most of you all would call it heavy traffic, and it is, but it's a lot lighter than it is in Midtown Manhattan, where it is insane beyond belief. Thank goodness I don't have to ride in Midtown often.
The route is terribly scenic. The Hudson River is over a mile wide. New Jersey is on the other side, with cliffs facing the river. Also along the path are some very good looking people riding their bikes and jogging, so that's another kind of pleasant scenery.
…In the winter, the riverside is colder than the rest of the city, and boy, is it cold and windy.…New York is a great city for people watching. I think I might see a thousand faces in a day. Stop and think about that. How many faces do you see in a day?
After 125th St, there aren't as many bike commuters, and very few are going in my direction. The route is mostly flat, as it's along the river, on a part of the island that is landfill. It is also a pretty noisy route, as it is almost completely next to a highway.
Headwinds in the morning can be very strong. Towards the end of the route, I hit a killer hill and then some lesser hills. The killer hill isn't long, but it's steep. The last couple of miles is in motor vehicle traffic. Most of you all would call it heavy traffic, and it is, but it's a lot lighter than it is in Midtown Manhattan, where it is insane beyond belief. Thank goodness I don't have to ride in Midtown often.
The route is terribly scenic. The Hudson River is over a mile wide. New Jersey is on the other side, with cliffs facing the river. Also along the path are some very good looking people riding their bikes and jogging, so that's another kind of pleasant scenery.
…In the winter, the riverside is colder than the rest of the city, and boy, is it cold and windy.…New York is a great city for people watching. I think I might see a thousand faces in a day. Stop and think about that. How many faces do you see in a day?
I previously enjoyed reading your description of your NYC commute. I have ridden the Hudson River Greenway, and while safe, is certainly abuzz with activity, and not describable as serene. My commute in the City of Boston from downtown to a suburb 14 mile distant as described in that same thread, is analogous to yours as is the milieu of Boston proper to Manhattan
:Kenmore Square, Boston to Norwood over 30 years
Route: Reverse commute from downtown on four different routes of a minimal distance of 14 miles, each defined by a different hill; can expand to about 30 miles to train
Environment: In order of hill difficulty: Gritty urban, pleasant suburban, pleasant urban, ritzy suburban
Hills: One moderate hill on each route, then smaller hills; estimate only about 1-2 miles flat
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 10-01-15 at 09:10 AM.
10-01-15, 08:52 AM
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@Jim from Boston, I visited Boston several times a year growing up, as my best friend lived in Brookline. Then I attended BU for two years (1978-1980), and I stayed another year after that, so I've cycled the area quite a bit. I've been through the good and the bad there. While I think driving there is in some ways worse than in NYC, I'd say it was nicer to be on a bike there than it was here. However, cycling here has gotten a lot better, and maybe it has there, too. I'm not treated rudely any more, and I attribute most of that to the fact that bikes are more common than before. It might also be because of my improved handling skills, where I make myself very predictable with head and body cues.
I haven't been to the Norwood area, but I would often ride out to Weston or Concord. That's pretty good cycling as I remember it.
I haven't been to the Norwood area, but I would often ride out to Weston or Concord. That's pretty good cycling as I remember it.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
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10-01-15, 09:25 AM
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@Jim from Boston, I visited Boston several times a year growing up, as my best friend lived in Brookline. Then I attended BU for two years (1978-1980), and I stayed another year after that, so I've cycled the area quite a bit. I've been through the good and the bad there. While I think driving there is in some ways worse than in NYC, I'd say it was nicer to be on a bike there than it was here. However, cycling here has gotten a lot better, and maybe it has there, too. I'm not treated rudely any more, and I attribute most of that to the fact that bikes are more common than before. It might also be because of my improved handling skills, where I make myself very predictable with head and body cues.
I haven't been to the Norwood area, but I would often ride out to Weston or Concord. That's pretty good cycling as I remember it.
I haven't been to the Norwood area, but I would often ride out to Weston or Concord. That's pretty good cycling as I remember it.
Thanks for that nice reply. I live in the shadow of BU (and Fenway Park) in Kenmore Square, once described as the "Times Square" of Boston.
FYA, see my compendium of road cycling in Metro Boston, Cyclist's Guide to the Metroverse (Metro Boston = Hub of the Universe = ”Metroverse”)
10-01-15, 09:55 AM
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I thought New Yorkers were tougher than that. If this gets out, Kryptonite is going to have to rethink it's marketing strategy.
10-01-15, 12:05 PM
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There are definitely parts of "The City" which are more friendly for the novices to cycling. If you live here and ride long enough you get a true feel for it. I try to follow most traffic rules because I neither want to strike a pedestrian nor do I want to get crushed by a flying cabbie. Riding in some parts of the Bronx (the Grand Concourse in particular) for example is equivalent to having three cups of espresso. Afterward your senses are heightened to beforehand unknown levels because of the terribly clueless drivers. That being said this guy seems to lack any nerve and reading his article made me picture a wishy-washy, indecisive individual who is probably better off not riding until he gets a little more courage.
10-01-15, 12:30 PM
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FWIW, I remember my first ride in a city as being pretty nerve wracking. I started out in a bike lane but that ended without warning. I found myself on the far right side of a 3 lane one way street and I needed to take a left onto a very busy 4 lane street. I honestly wasn't sure how to handle that. You can argue the pros and cons of bike lanes but I had felt relatively secure there (whether I really was or not). Once it dumped me out into the middle of all those cars, I felt like a fish out of water.
His experience isn't unique and I'm sure that the fear of riding on city streets deters many people from taking their bikes to work. Once you get used to it, it's not a big deal, but when starting out it's not for the feint of heart. It would of helped me a lot to try the ride on a weekend rather than rush hour. It would have been even better to ride with somebody who knew what they were doing.
His experience isn't unique and I'm sure that the fear of riding on city streets deters many people from taking their bikes to work. Once you get used to it, it's not a big deal, but when starting out it's not for the feint of heart. It would of helped me a lot to try the ride on a weekend rather than rush hour. It would have been even better to ride with somebody who knew what they were doing.
10-01-15, 01:50 PM
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"But I undertook an assignment on Wednesday afternoon that put me in imminent physical peril" Jeez, what a wanker.
On a side note: They are putting signs up near my work that read "bicyclists may take full lane" and there's green boxes on the street with a reflective pic of a bicycle within the box.
There's also a new law here that cars need to give bikes at least 3 feet of space while passing.
Take Two | New Calif. law: Drivers must give bikes 3 feet of space before passing | 89.3 KPCC
On a side note: They are putting signs up near my work that read "bicyclists may take full lane" and there's green boxes on the street with a reflective pic of a bicycle within the box.
There's also a new law here that cars need to give bikes at least 3 feet of space while passing.
Take Two | New Calif. law: Drivers must give bikes 3 feet of space before passing | 89.3 KPCC
10-01-15, 01:59 PM
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I think the prevailing thought pattern is somehow that by riding a bicycle you are inviting danger. In stark contract to the reality of the middle aged overweight person sitting on a couch; complaining about various diseases having everything to do with poor diet and little to no physical activity.
I submit to you all that given the choice between the two, an individual is putting themselves in much more danger by leading a sedentary lifestyle that so many of our population do. Or put another way, if you ride a bicycle, you might have an accident; if one does not have physical activity, the certain outcome is much more dangerous than the potential bicycling accident.
This guy is just making an excuse for his own laziness and using danger for justification. We have all heard it a 1000 times.
T
I submit to you all that given the choice between the two, an individual is putting themselves in much more danger by leading a sedentary lifestyle that so many of our population do. Or put another way, if you ride a bicycle, you might have an accident; if one does not have physical activity, the certain outcome is much more dangerous than the potential bicycling accident.
This guy is just making an excuse for his own laziness and using danger for justification. We have all heard it a 1000 times.
T
10-02-15, 07:11 AM
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