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).

Tourism on Two Wheels

Distance Traveled: 38.5 Miles

It's time to start exploring other facets of cycling in New York! I have spent the last few months riding in prearranged tours, or coming up with my own adventures. Today was a little it different. Up to this point I have tried to emulate an objective observer of New York City on a bike. I like to think that it goes beyond mere tourism in that I have looked outside of Manhattan at that which is not usually "main stream." Today, however, I did something a bit different. In five locations around the country, including New York, a company called Bike and Roll offers bike rentals and tours. If we think back, I actually rented from them once before in San Fran. I wanted to see what tourists come to see. Usually the notion sickens me, which is why I tend to avoid Times Square, but in this case, I think it was important to understand how cycling is being used as a new form of urban tourism.

As soon as I got off the bus I headed up 8th and, very quickly, found myself in the middle of a taxi jam (depicted left). It's always a little nerve racking, being around cabs. They tend to be unpredictable. The street was only like this for a few blocks. I decided to go hang out in Central Park for a while and make plans from there. I stopped at Columbus Circle before entering the park. I've been there many times before, but never took the time to examine the monument (depicted right). It's really kind of crappy. Now I'm no grammatical genius, but the words on the monument don't seem to make sense. Right across the street, however, is a pretty cool monument to the U.S.S. Maine, a battleship which was lost in the Spanish American War. From there I headed around Central Park's Car free roadway. The paved roadway that runs around and through the park is shut down most of the time and only open to automobiles on a limited, time. A series of gates, like the one depicted left, regulate automobile flow. As I journeyed uptown through the park I saw a guide leading a tour via bicycle along with a number of other cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, and walkers. I passed the carousel, one of Central Park's many landmarks, and then took a stroll up in the rambles. As the sign alludes to (depicted right), the idea behind the rambles is to keep an area of the park completely natural and untouched (ironic considering that everything in the park is man made). After a brief stroll I made my way to the mall to see one of Central Park's most well known landmarks, Bethesda Fountain (depicted left). Next to where I had my picture taken was a wizard or, excuse me (according to his sign), Dragon Master. The sad thing is not this poor soul, but the fact that I recognized him. I am pretty sure that it was this same Dragon Master who appeared on Late Night with Connan Obrien during a sketch making fun of Star Wars fans lining up early in eager anticipation of the second movie premier. I then had a pleasant hour or so sitting on the mall listening to the gentle strumming of a street performer's renditions of such iconic hits like Imagine, Something, Norwegian Wood, Hallelujah, and Rocket Man. I scribbled the relaxing experience in my thesis journal and then headed uptown in search of more adventure. I intended to bike up along the Harlem river on the East side of Manhattan. I have biked all the way around Manhattan before, but last time I had to cut through Harlem, because the Hudson River Greenway just sort of ends near Inwood. I wanted to see where the eastern path ended. Turns out that it stops underneath the Wills Ave. Bridge (depicted left), so once again, I headed up through Manhattan and eventually back over to the Hudson River Greenway. I do have to note that on my way I found an interesting location known as Crack is Wack Playground (depicted left). I then went to Pier 84, home of the U.S.S. Intrepid (depicted right). Now a museum the U.S.S. Intrepid is an aircraft carrier which was launched during World War II. To my delight, docked on the other side of a ship is a submarine, and an odd looking one at that (they're another childhood obsession of mine). I will have to make time to explore it at some point.

I went to the Bike and Roll location on the pier and found out that I was the only one going on the tour. I also had a lovely chat with the staff. One of them, a junior at NYU, wrote a paper concerning cycling and its influence on architecture. This peaked my interest and I asked her to send it to me. I then met my tour guide Ejai (depicted right). The tour I signed up for was called the "Brooklyn Bridge and Hudson River Bike Tour." Now usually there's at least five people on these tours, but apparently I was the only one who showed up today. So it was a really good time. Ejai and I pretty much rode around and talked about biking and New York (my two favorite subjects) for two hours. There were a couple really neat things he showed me that I didn't know about. The first thing was a trapeze school along the Hudson River. Next, he pointed out the High Line. This is an old trolley line which has been transformed into the city's first elevated park. I'll have to check that out on Sunday. Closer to the financial district, was the Irish Phamon Memorial (depicted left). It's supposed to be an illustration of the entire Irish country side, hills, old walls, long grass and all. We went down through Battery Park and south street seaport on our way to the Manhattan Bridge. After a brief jaunt through downtown Brooklyn, we headed over the Brooklyn Bridge. At this point I kind of gave him a tour since I happen to know a thing or two about the Brooklyn Bridge. We stopped at my favorite spot in pretty much the entire world, that is the center of the Brooklyn Bridge. It's easier to explain in person on the bridge why I love it so much, but part of it is the idea of being elevated amongst so much historical iconography. The view of course is just tremendous. [sigh] unfortunately I can't take a panoramic picture. We cut through the financial district back to the Hudson River Greenway and then pier 84. When we got back I serendipitously ran into a League [of American cyclists] Certified Instructor who just happens to be teaching the Savvy Cyclist class I am taking next Saturday. He told me that by the end of the class I should be able to get my certification as well. We shall see.

Queens, for real this time

Distance Traveled: 40.00 miles

What an interesting day! Today was the much anticipated Tour de Queens. Because it started early in the morning all the way out in Corona Park, Queens, I decided it would be prudent to take the subway. I headed uptown to Grand Central (depicted right) to take the 7 out towards Flushing. I wasn't the only one with this idea. There were two other people in my car with bikes (depicted left). I could also see other people getting on the train with bicycles in other cars. I got off at 111st and headed straight into Corona Park. The first thing I saw was the hall of Science. What caught my eye were the giant Atlas and Titan model rockets jutting upwards out of their grounds. I'm a bit of a space enthusiast, so I couldn't help but notice a mock-up of John Glenn's Friendship 7 Mercury capsule, and the Gemini capsule atop the Titan rocket. I'll definitely have to head back there at some point. I continued towards the Queens Museum where the ride began. This museum was where the United Nations met for the first time to discuss issues on a global scale. Directly across from the front is what must be the most recognizable icon in Queens, the Unisphere (depicted left. Constructed by the United States Steel Corporation for the World's Fair in 1964, the Unisphere stands 12 stories tall. Its three cocentric rings represent the orbits of Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, American Astronaut John Glenn, and the Telstar Communications Satellite (the first active comm satellite). As the its commemorative plaque reads, the unisphere is dedicated to "man's aspirations toward Peace through mutual understanding and symbolizing his achievements in an expanding universe." this ride is organized through Transportation Alternatives, a cycling advocacy group. This ride is much more low key than the five borough. I think only about 2000 people came on this one. Before we left, there were a couple of speakers promoting advocacy. One of them said something which really stuck out in my mind. "New York City is not transformed by a couple of bike lanes. It's you." The point I am trying to make is that sustainability is about changing behavior in our daily lives. Saving the environment and becoming healthier are just byproducts of these behavioral shifts. As I found out from bike New York, the biggest problems with the cycling infrastructure is ignorance. People don't necessarily know hot to use it safely and properly. Furthermore, unless people are confident and empowered by cycling all of the infrastructure that the city has installed is useless. That being said, advocacy and education are essential to a sustainable future.

The race got off to a slow start with a constant stop and go flow to it. Once we started moving though I quickly made my way to the front of the line, which ultimately proved a little frustrating, because the woman at the front was moving kind of slow and we all had to stay behind her. There was a police escort with us blocking off streets as often as they could. Often times, this meant that the entire group had to stop while the NYPD caught up and moved ahead (depicted left). The ride took us through the eastern portion of Queens (depicted right in orange). There was one mandatory stop at York College. TA provided oranges, and Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches with apples. They also gave out free energy bars.

From there we headed to Queens Blvd. otherwise known as the avenue of death. One of the things that the TA people mentioned before the ride was how dangerous this particular road is, and how they are working on getting a bike lane for it. Personally, it didn't seem any more or less dangerous than some of the roads I've been on.

One of the cool things about this ride was the intimacy of it. We actually get to ride through neighborhoods and see people. The 5 borough is kind of impersonal in that we were often riding on major roadways which are separated from regular streets, thus avoiding pedestrians all together. Here, people all along the sidewalks cheered and asked questions. the angriest thing I heard all day was "At least their wearing helmets." Another woman said, "I wanna bike!." We even got a "Jesus loves you" (depicted right).


The coolest and most important thing about these rides is the energy they generate for cycling. They create interest and awareness of cycling for existing and potential riders. It's really empowering on both ends. Even the police escort sends a message that the city fully supports the practice. 20 miles later, we arrived back at Corona. I decided to ride back into Manhattan now that I had a better sense of where I was, and since there was a whole other side of Queens to explore. On my way back I saw an example of Green streets NYC (depicted left). This is a joint project between NYDOT and the Department of Parks and Recreation. They take plane traffic mediums and fill them with trees and shrubs to create more green space in the city. Queens is a very nice place which I would like to explore in more detail. It seems like the kind of place that you can really live in. It's also the largest and most diverse borough which is obviously visible as you ride through. My day ended with the ascent up the Queensboro Bridge and back into Manhattan (depicted right).