The New York Century

Distance Traveled: 122.39 Miles!

Sounds epic right? I can assure you it was. I woke up before my alarm at the ungodly hour of 4:23 A.M. Needless to say, I was not in the most pleasant of moods. I left Union Square at around 5 and headed up 6th ave. It's true what they say, about the "city that doesn't sleep," at least in lower Manhattan that is. There were still people wandering around, and many lights aglow. The volume, however, was significantly less than usual. There was an strange silence in the air. I say strange only because, New York without hordes of people is like... I don' know... a hot dog without a bun. It's just weird.

I started riding, but decided to cut myself a break, since I had 100 miles ahead of me, and hopped on the D train (It was 7o blocks to the starting line from where I was). The thing that creeped me out was subway tunnel (depicted left). I have NEVER seen a tunnel empty (this is the level before the turnstile). There was no noise echoing from above; no trains thundering from below; No conversation echoing across the ceramic walls. I quickly refilled my Metro card, hoping to get onto the platform as soon as possible. I went through the prescribed procedure: Swipe your card, flip the turnstile as though you had walked through, and then open the emergency gate to let your bike in. As I carried my bike down the stairs onto the platform, I was relieved to find people waiting for the train. Once the D got there, I was even more surprised at the number of people that were already on board.

Once in the Park, I lined up with the other participants. According to the Transportation Alternatives Staff, over 6,000 people were participating that day. This is the 20th annual New York Century Tour, which serves as T.A.'s primary fundraiser for their advocacy efforts. This was the only T.A. ride (including tour de Bronx and tour de Queens) which I had to pay for. This ride is a little bit different from the ones I have done to date. First, the route was not closed of to vehicular traffic. Secondly, we did not travel as a group. You went at your own pace, and no one waited up for you if you fell behind. Third, there were marshalls, but they were not so much leading the ride as they were patrolling and making sure things went smoothly.

We left Central Park, while it was still dark, in groups according to how many people could role out while the light was green. The idea was to obey traffic signals. We zoomed down Riverside Drive, the site of a proposed bike lane (according to the 2009 map). Because there were hardly any cars out that early, we had the road to ourselves, and the hills on the upper west side were a lot of fun to speed down. As we headed further downtown, the sun began to rise, and just as we reached midtown, it peaked up over the tallest buildings casting a beautiful orange reflection onto the street below (sort of depicted right). The highlight of my morning was when we hit the Brooklyn Bridge. Anyone who has been keeping up with this blog, or knows anything about me, knows how I feel about this gorgeous, iconic structure. The sun had just climbed above the horizon as I began the ascent up it's arching pedestrian promenade. The brilliant orange light bathed the bridge's neo-gothic arches and accentuated the twisting steel of the criss-crossing support cables. As I looked to my left, the Manhattan bridge glowing in the brilliant orange light against a fresh, pink, cloudless sky. As I glanced behind me the sun glimmered off the financial buildings downtown. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, as I find is always the case with the Brooklyn Bridge, no pictures can do the scene its splendid justice.

From there we headed to Prospect Park, and the first rest stop. I was impressed when I got there. Not only did they have thousands of Crispy Cream Doughnuts, but they had bananas, apples, oranges, water, and Peanut butter and Jelly bagels. They even had a been for compost! From there We headed out to the Western edge of the Shore Parkway (the week before I was biking from its eastern-most point). This was a brilliant ride, because it actually follows the shore line (the Eastern portion is not so, most of the time you have tall grass on one side and the express way on the other), with brilliant views of Staten Island. More importantly, however, You get to pass directly beneath the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. This bridge was the last in the United States to hold the record as the longest in the world,a title it relinquished in 1981 to the Humber Bridge in England. It is gargantuan, and extremely impressive.

The next stop was in Marine Park. I did not stay here to long, because I was not yet tired, but a noticed a few things while I was there. On all of the bike tours I have participated in, there is always a mutual sense of trust and respect between the riders. No one is ever uncomfortable leaving their bikes unattended (for short periods of course), and conversation is easy to come by. I always overhear stories of other rides, or heroing experiences. In this way, we are generating energy about cycling, an energy which rubs off on people as we ride around. Seeing people happily biking through the streets sends a message to people. Wow, look how much fun they're having, and if that many people are biking there must be something to it! Anothter cool feature at he rest stops were the map stations. There was always a table, with free bike maps and information on it. There were also marked bike pas which identified the route, and your relative location (depicted right).

We headed over to Rockaway, which I found out is actually all part of Queens, and made the same journey I had the week before [through the Jamaica bay wildlife Refuge, and back to central Queens]. On the way over the boardwalk, I saw some massive kites taking flight on the beach (depicted left). Our next stop was Kissena Park, but there was a slight detour before the rest area. Apparently Kessina has a Velodrome (one of those tracks with inverted edges) [depicted right]. They had opened it up so all the century riders could take a spin. Even with the extra weight I was carrying, it was still fun!

As I sat up against a rock at the Kissena Park, I concluded that we were directly beneath the JFK airport approach airspace, since at least five passenger jets made low, descending passes over head while I was there. I stayed in the park for a while, as this was the 60 mile marker. My bike computer read 68 miles, but that's because I had biked a little bit that morning to get to CP. I enjoyed the ride through north eastern Queens, especially because I got to ride by the Throngsneck Bridge (depicted left). After that it was straight past La Guardia, and around to Astoria. When i stopped I was tired. This was the 75 mile marker. This is the upper limit of what I normally do in a day. my bike computer already indicated that I had done 80 some miles. Being stubborn, however, I was determined to complete the century! I stayed in Astoria long enough to refuel (with water and at least four PB & J sandwiches) and stretch. Then I hit the RFK bridge. Unfortunately it was backed up all the way across, because of the stairs along its walkway (depicted right). It took a while, but I finally got to Randall's Island.

All those going to the Bronx turned left; everyone else went right, and back into Manhattan. I turned left, and for a while there was no one following me. As soon as I hit Bronx soil, something ignited inside of me. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but this rush of energy just took over. My speed increased, and all of the sudden I had not only caught up to some of the other riders, but I passed them! For a while I was traveling in familiar territory (from my previous trip up North), but then the tour took me to the east. Let me just say, that I think the Bronx is fascinating. No matter where you go, you find children playing games in the street, people sitting out on their stoops, and families BBQing in the park. It's like the last vestige of Jane Jacob's ideas about urban community. There are also some very cool greenways including the one in Soundview Park, and the Mosulu Parkway. It was like riding through a cove of arching trees at the water's edge {depicted right). That fence, in the picture is, interestingly, blocking off a freshly paved trail for pedestrians and bicycles which goes even closer to the water. I made it all the way up to the Van Courtland Rest Area (depicted left). I was so amped up at this point though, that I only stayed for about five minutes. After that I jetted out of there and headed south. I don't remember a whole lot of this portion of the ride. I was in one of those trances, where you are hyper focused on your actions. I do vaguely remember catching up to, and passing not one, but two delivery persons on bicycles. As we have discovered, that isn't the easiest task. It was interesting being so in tune with my bike. There was no disconnect between what I was thinking and the bike's actions. I was able to skirt my way around parked cars, speeding traffic, and a number of other obstructions. I was so focused, that all of the sudden I looked up at one point, and noticed that I had made it don to 107th street. This was several blocks passed the finish line! I didn't even realize I had made it back into Manhattan! I turned around and headed to the real finish line. I was very excited to pick up my free t-shirt! I definitely earned that damn thing! After a day jostling with cars I decided to take the scenic route back home to Union Square. I rode along the Central Park loop until it spit me out at 7th ave. As I was riding through I heard a man say to his girlfriend "It's okay honey, we can do the five mile loop instead." I laughed as I glanced down at the 118 some miles displayed on my bike computer's odometer readout. From there it was smooth sailing all the way down Manhattan, into the Sunset.

Savvy Saturday

Distance Traveled: 20 miles

I left around 8 and headed in to Queens. It had rained the day before and as I passed over the Queensboro Bridge I couldn't help but notice the reflections in from the ponds on the pedestrian walkway. The bridge's superstructure is beautiful to begin with, but there's something about seeing it on a two dimensional plain against a contrasting surface. Not only that, but because of the speed at which I was moving, the separate puddles seemed to meld together into one continuous strand.

My destination was The Arrow Recreation Center. A week beforehand, I was lucky enough to discover that one of Bike New York's Savvy Cyclists class was running the same weekend as the Century Tour. I decided to take the opportunity to see what it was like. The class is free, but requires you to put down a deposit and sign a waver. The deposit is only to ensure your space in the class. When I got there I met Chuck, (the same guide I had met a week before at Bike and Roll. We chatted as more people arrived. There was only one other male in the class (who just happened to be taking it with a female companion). I'm not sure if there's something to that or not. We began with a video from the League of American Bicyclists. It introduced the course and basic information about helmets, and merging lanes. The instructors paused it every so often to clarify and contextualize the information within New York. Basically, the course is built around four tenants which were introduced on the video. They are, Be Visible, Be Predictable, Be Alert, and Be Assertive. Something interesting interesting that the instructors pointed out were the findings of a European study on the bio dynamics of impact. In the end they concluded that a human body can withstand impacts of up to 20 MPH with a solid, stationary object. This means that a cyclist moving at speed, in the proper direction, would, more than likely not be killed by a car. This is another reason why it is a bad idea for people to ride the wrong way down a one way bike lane. Nothing makes me angrier than when I see other bikers coming at me in the wrong direction. Along those same lines I thought it was interesting how the instructors condemned bike lanes. In their words, "bike lanes make you visible, but they put you in a bad position." This is true when you think about it. Except in New York City most all bike lanes are on the right side of the road directly next to parked cars. This leaves you exposed to the possibility of being hit by a door opening, a bus drop off, or any car wishing to park.

After the video, we discussed helmets, and their proper usage. The instructors came around and helped each of us get out helmets on properly (Depicted left). After this we headed outside. The first thing we did was perform an "ABC Quick Check" (Depicted right) "A" is for air:Check to make sure your tires are inflated to maximum pressure. "B" is for breaks: Make sure that they work properly. "C" is for crank, chain, and cassette: make sure nothing is lose. Quick means to check the quick releases on the wheels and seat of your bike has them: If the quick releases are not on tight, the wheels could fly off mid-ride, or your seat could shit position. The final part of the quick check is to ride around a little bit to make sure that everything is working properly.

Using halves of tennis balls, we practiced maneuvers for the rest of the morning. The first exercise we did helped us identify which breaks had the most stopping power and how to use those properties to stop ourselves effectively. We did two high speed runs across the playground once using only our rear breaks, and once using the front. The front break has the most stopping power, and is therefore more prone to flipping the rider over if applied to abruptly when traveling at high speeds. Our next maneuver was an emergency stop. This is where you move as much of your weight as possible as far back as you can go while applying the brakes hard. It's a weird feeling, but very effective. You can feel the weight of the biking trying to pick up from under you, but your own weight manages to counter balance you. We then did a rock dodge (depicted right) and a sharp turn maneuver.

After this we broke for lunch. I went to a Chinese place around the corner, and was amazed to see the Asian cook speaking in English at one point, Chinese to his colleagues, and even Spanish to a few of the customers that came in. I thought that was interesting, and very relevant when discussing the diversity of Queens.

After lunch we journeyed out around Queens to practice the skills we had just learned. One of the interesting things we saw was Kaufman Astoria Studios. This is where The Sopranos was filmed. We continued moving and eventually wound up in Astoria. I always enjoy discovering different parts of Queens, so the ride was very interesting. I felt that the skills we practiced, however, were not very well utilized on the ride. I suppose this depends greatly on the location and traffic conditions.
When we arrived back at the recreation center (which was abuzz with activity between kids playing and another class taking place, all on a Saturday!) the instructors put on a flat tire demonstration. After that, I voluntarily took the test to see if I was eligible to become an LCI (League Certified Instructor). I passed and the two teachers encouraged me to follow through with the process.

Real quick I should note my experience the day before (I was reminded while writing about the flat tire demonstration. On my way to the bus in Philly, my tire sort of exploded. I don't use that word lightly. I needed a new tire. By the time I arrived in NYC with my unusable bike, I had already utilized the bike map to locate the nearest bike shop to the bus stop. It happened to be Chelsea Bikes, about 8 blocks away (Depicted left). I bought a new tire, and used their free air house outside to inflate it. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I think this experience is very important in analyzing the facilitation of cycling in New York. It was that easy for me to get a problem fixed, and I was able to do so because of the resources which were illustrated on the free bike map.

Anyway, I headed to the riverside, and decided to take the long way back to Manhattan. I passed under the foggy Queensboro Bridge and continued heading South down Vernon Blvd. I took the Pulaski bridge (depicted left) into Brooklyn and continued South on Kent St. Now let me say a word about Kent St. Last spring I was up doing my preliminary research for this case study. Whilst in Brooklyn one afternoon I got lost and had to pull up on the sidewalk for a block because I was confused and the street was to narrow for me to slow down and think. As soon as I turned back into the road a black unmarked car drove up behind me with lights flashing. It was the cops! At the time I did not realize that it was illegal. They issued me a court summons for biking on the sidewalk. Not a ticket, a court summons. It may have been because I'm not an NY resident, but regardless I had to go through the whole process of sending in the summons and asking for a dismissal, ect. Luckily for me, the officers made a mistake and wrote that the incident occurred at the intersection of Kent St and Classon Ave. Fortunately for me that was incorrect as Kent st and Classon do not intersect. It was actually Kent Ave. Anyway, I suppose I got really lucky, because the usual fine for that violation is $300. Most people I have spoken with about it including my instructors assured me that they rarely go after cyclists for that. It was most likely because it was the end of the month. I returned to Manhattan via the Williamsburg bridge and called it a day. I had to wake up early the next morning for the Century tour. Unfortunately because this was a learning day I did not get the chance to take a lot of pictures. Here are some great quotes from the class which I found very meaningful:

"Make a good name for bikes out there." - This was in reference to how you should treat pedestrians and motorists in order to promote cycling rather than create animosity.

"Looking is more important than signaling." - This was in reference to how you should act while shifting lanes. So long as a driver sees your intentions, and you [the cyclists] know what is going on around you, the ride will be safe.

"Cyclists fair best when they act and are treated as vehicles." - This was pretty much the theme for the class.

Parkway Training Day

Distance Traveled: 70.28 miles

This morning I managed to make my way all the way from the Manhattan Bridge to Coney Island on certified bike paths. That's pretty impressive when you consider that it's 10 miles straight through the heart of Brooklyn. Most of that distance, from Prospect Park all the way south to Coney Island, is in a class 1, separated greenway running along the Ocean Parkway. That's 10 miles. It was a very interesting ride. I'll start from the beginning. As I made the ascent to on the Manhattan Bridge, I noticed a fresh looking line of green paint below on Pike St (depicted right). It turns out that a bike lane had literally just been installed a week before (according to my tour guide Ejai from the day before). I can also attest to the freshness of this lane because I was recently down on Pike St. waiting for bus (which never came), and I don't recall there being any bike lane. Often times, bridge approaches will be painted green to indicate that you are riding the correct path. Downtown Brooklyn always confuses me. To make matters worse, the bike map doesn't like to tell you where streets like... I don't know, "Jay St" suddenly become one way in the wrong direction. I won't confirm or deny this happening, but the important thing is that I eventually wound up in Grand Army Plaza. This is the location of the memorial arch (depicted left), and the Brooklyn Public Library (depicted right), which is a great research institution by the way. From there, I headed into Prospect Park along its car-free roadway. On my way in I could not help but pass through a small farmers market. Not unlike Central Park, Prospect Park was designed by Fredrick Law Olmstead and has a road looping through it with variable hours for automobiles.

The Park is very beautiful. I would like to spend more time exploring it. All in good time... I left from the southeast end of the park at the beginning of the Ocean Parkway. Usually roads like the parkway are off limits to bicycles because of their high traffic volume and safety. Unfortunately it seems that I neglected to take any pictures of the parkway.

It was a Saturday in Brooklyn, so it goes without saying that I saw a lot of Jews out and about in full dress. What struck me were the differences in head-wear in different locations. I did a little bit of research about it and found out that the different hats indicate different types of Judaism.

I reached Coney Island and rode along the Boardwalk. Coney Island has a truly fascinating history. I already had a world class tour of the island during an independent study of Brooklyn two springs ago, so I won't lie about the real reason for going to Coney island, and that would be... Lunch! I have had a craving for Nathan's lately, and you can't do any better than the original. This was the first Nathan's, and is, today, host to the annual international hot dog eating competition. It was completely worth it. I went for the classic Nathan's specialty which was an original hot dog, fires and a drink (depicted left). From there, I headed to the Rockaway Peninsula on the other side of Jamaica Bay.

I should interject here and note that I saw so many beaches to day that it felt like I was at the Jersey shore. The lower half of the island reminded me of Roosevelt Island, only not quite as strange. In similar fashion there is one main road that runs down the length of the southern half of the island. I noted a lot of private property sins all over the place. One thing I found particularly interesting was a 9/11 memorial (depicted right). Two I beams stand in the shape of a cross at the end of a long wooden promenade leading out onto the beach. It's a beautiful view of Coney Island. The primary deck is lined with glass panels devoted to each of the residents lost on that day.

After that I headed northeast again until I came to Riss Park, part of Gateway National Recreation Area. There was a beautiful beach, packed with people along with a playground, some Fields, and a bunch of walking paths. I continued up the island, and noticed a distinct difference from the lower half. This area more resembled a Jersey shore town like Asbury, or Ocean Grove, than the lower half. There weren't a lot of "No trespassing" signs, and the houses seemed slightly more spread out.

I traveled over the Marine Parkway Bridge (depicted right) to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. The bottom half of this island is commercialized. The greater majority and Northern half of the island is all reserved for the wildlife. I didn't stop, but there there is a lot of vegetation, and one central road. What I though most interesting was that there were two parallel paths to take through the refuge. One was a class 2 bike lane, meaning that it is a painted bike lane in a main road with signage. The other was a class 1 bicycle path, which means that it is completely separate from automobile traffic. One can either ride with Traffic or go over to thew other end of the street and ride directly next to the wildlife refuge. This may suggest that the separated bike paths, which i should also note are utilized by pedestrians, are there to facilitate more of an experience rather than simple transportation. What I mean is that without the pressure of automobiles and other cyclists which may occupy the street, the greenways are often scenic and out of the way. In my last post I discussed the duality of cycling as both transportation and tourism. Perhaps the utilization of such ends is determined by the location, type and expansiveness of the infrastructure.

I then took the Joseph Addobbo Bridge into Queens. This put me directly on the Shore Parkway (depicted right), another class 1 separated bike path. What struck me about this experience was the amount of space devoted to automobiles. Here I am in the heart of one of the world's largest, busiest, most affluent cities, and all I can see is the ocean and a huge expressway full of vehicles. Even in the somewhat limited confines of a city, it seems essential that we set aside ample room for nothing other than vehicular operation. I can only imagine how many homes, businesses and parks could fit into the same space as that gigantic roadway.
I took the far from scenic parkway all the way down to Bedford Ave. (depicted left). Then I headed back to Manhattan. Why Bedford? Bedford runs all the way from Coney Island to The Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan, and just so happens to have a bike lane in the street. This was a sociologist's dream, because it is basically a cross section of Brooklyn. Between Avenue X and Brooklyn College, the predominant ethnic group in the street was Jewish. After the college, the visible African American presence increased. In addition to the ethnic change, there was a difference in how space was being utilized. As I rode by, I saw at least 3 consecutive blocks shut down for block parties. The surroundings became more commercial as apposed to the predominance of residencies to the south. As Manhattan came into view, the ethnic diversity increased; I saw more of a mixture of people. Towards the Northern end of Bedford Ave, I followed the bicycle specific signs indicating the entrance to the Williamsburg Bridge.

I don't think I've taken the time to talk about this particular suspension bridge. Oh boy! The Williamsburg Bridge was the second bridge to be constructed across the East River, and the first to break the Brooklyn Bridge's record as the longest in the world. After a 20 year standing, the Williamsburg bridge beat the glorious Brooklyn Bridge in 1903. This bridge is a true joy to ride on. The pedestrian walk/bikeway is huge. On either end it ascends straight up the middle of the bridge, and then splits into two different paths at the towers. Then you ride within the bridge's superstructure across the central span, as the subway roars by. This is probably my second favorite bridge in the city, because of the ride. It also has a pretty cool view of midtown (depicted below).