i would expect there to be
in nyc that is

not as many as i thought there would be.most people would rather spend 2 hours in car traffic then 30 minutes on a bike lol

I rode in fairly early and left around 8:00pm. I didn't see nearly as many as I thought I would but it might have been the time of day.

I left for work around 8am this morning and the only part that sucked was getting over the bridge with the amount of people walking on it. Not nearly as bad as comming home. I left with one of my tattoo artists and we just decided to get off and walk over the bridge. It was nice to see the red cross at the end of the bridge with hot coffee for everyone. Tomorrow will prob be the same deal.

what coffee?! which bridge?

The brooklyn bridge had free coffee. But you're better off on the manhattan bridge, as far as pedestrians. I rode over at around 8:45 this morning, and there were a lot of bikes, more so than I'd see on a nice summer day. Just got off the williamsburg, and aside from being really bloody cold, it wasn't so bad(or crowded).

It's a pretty sketchy combination though. Bikers who aren't used to riding in the city, and the cold, and motorists who aren't used to the city, and the extreme traffic getting in and out.

The Willy B had coffee around 6pm when we went over it.

at 9am there was about 25 cyclist and at least 22 or so walkers. i had to lead a pack of riders from bergen st to the manhattan bridge.

they blocked off a whole lane of lower broadway to be a bike lane. real mixed results, it's usually parking and at places still was, and all sorts of fools decided to ride the wrong way in it. One or the other would have been cool, but the two together just cancelled each other out. You could tell the non regular riders pretty easily, they were either going way too slow or way too fast...

haha, yeah I had one of the way too fast on my tail tonight coming off the bridge. He looked like he was trying to race me, but nearly killed himself trying to play in traffic. Everytime I weaved around traffic he'd get stuck and after it clear I hear him huffin and puffin catching up to me till the next jammed intersection. It's nice that more people are riding, but it's also dangerous that there are so many people out that have no idea how to ride in the city.

ahh ****, that is why they blocked off some part on broadway. i was wondering that when i got out of work.

it was 25º this morning at 9:30. Most people wouldn't dream of riding their bike in weather that cold. Even someone on NPR said it would be a "brave endeavour" to ride your bike on a day like today.

my girlfriend is planning on riding in to work tomorrow at 8:30... carroll gardens to MoMA (53rd). i'm gonna probably ride with her cause she's a bit sketched out about it (route wise and cold). we'll take the manhattan over, and not sure from there. anyone have good recommendations for heading north?

I like riding up 2nd ave but I turn at 39th. Past that it gets much more busy.

what avenues are shut to traffic during the strike?

madison and 5th. take madison north after 23rd.

take 1st North until 23rd street. Go west on 23rd until 6th ave. Go North on 6th Ave all the way to MoMA.
My experience tells me that this route requires the least amount of climbing/descents. 1st ave after 23rd street starts ascending; and getting west of 1st ave after 23rd street sucks (relatively)

Oh, Madison is closed to traffic, well that is also another way to go, though a bit more hilly/bumpy.

agreed

Maybe he was trying to catch up to tell you that you were going to get yourself killed riding in traffic like that, and give you a lecture on vehicular cycling? Could be why he didn't make the gaps :rolleyes:

definitely not 6th ave, it's really crowded. madison is where it's at.

The mother of all critical masses is waiting to happen

thanks for the tips. we're about to head out. we're taking 1st to 23rd to madison. see ya on the bridge!

going against traffic?

****, i meant first... dunno why i said second. im gonna head back down second to NYCVelo and buy my lady some cold weather gear after dropping her at work. i'll probably just be cruising around town today. if ya see someone on a benotto with a two-tone green RELoad bag and bright yellow handle bar tape say hey!

edit: wait, that wasn't me that said second.

I was wondering the same thing... But it's probably no worse than dealing with 6th ave.