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Tour New York City on a Folding Bike
>> I lived in New York City 30 years ago and today, I'm not all that far from it as I now live in New Jersey. All there is between me and New York is New Jersey Transit. Once I arrive, I am literally "ready to roll" as I pack my own bike which, when folded, is almost as small as a kick scooter.
Amazingly, big old New York City has some of the best urban places to bike in the USA! It's studded with parks and bike lanes are becoming increasingly available. While you wouldn't think that visiting New York City is a great way to exercise, you'll find that it is when you bring your own equipment, or know where to rent it.
Some of the best are bike trails along the Hudson and East River called the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. It is a 32-mile long walking and bicycling path around the island of Manhattan. It's well marked with beautiful views across the river.
Now, whenever I visit during nice weather, I pack my compact folding bike called a CarryMe and spend as much touring on it as I can between business meetings . If you prefer to plan your routes prior to coming, I recommend checking out www.NYCBikemaps.com. This site that is loaded with bike routes, plus it publishes a free NYC Cycling map, which you can usually pick up from any area bike store.
As you can see from the pictures, my CarryMe folding bike is so compact that when I commute by train, it fits in the overhead.
When I arrive at Penn Station, I carry it folded until I get outside. At only 18 pounds, it doesn't stress my back, even when trudging upstairs. Once outside, of course, I ride it.
I find a certain esprit de corps amongst New York cyclists as they have always been very helpful with directions and advice. That said, no matter what bike you ride in the city, be on the watch for potholes. Bike lanes are relatively free of bad pavement and are easy to traverse, but stay alert for cars at all times. Park bike paths, especially in The Greenway are especially smooth and well kept.
New York City Bike Tour
Here I am on the Brooklyn Bridge this past May, with the Manhattan Bridge in the background.
I joined up with a group of folding bike riders for the "Folds Up Folding Bike Ride," an annual event sponsored by TIME'S UP!. It was a ten mile ride which started at West 23rd Street on the Hudson River Greenway and ended around two hours later on East 23rd Street at the East River. What an awesome way to see and experience the city on a beautiful afternoon!
We followed the Greenway south through Battery Park and then up to the Brooklyn Bridge. The organizers did a great job keeping the group together! We rode single file most of the time and heads really turned when people saw me on the CarryMe because of its small, kick scooter-like wheels.
Going over the Brooklyn Bridge was the number one highlight of this trip, for sure. But returning via the Manhattan Bridge was a close second because Its height is surprising and its views are awesome.
Note that the Brooklyn Bridge has a narrow two-way bike lane. The trickiest part about staying in the bike lane is watching for tourists thoughtlessly crossing over the line while taking pictures. This is definitely not an area to test your speed, although to be frank, some bikers are unaware of this limitation.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Check out articles about New York and New Jersey parkways that are great for kick scooting and biking on www.Littleviews.com and www.LetsKickScoot.com. The only distance between the two states and their beautiful, easy to ride bike paths (upon which I ride on a kick scooter) is easily traversed by ferry or bus.
Links
Questions? Comments? Just ask the author of this article, Tom Bannos, at:
Tom Bannos - tsbannos@carrymeusa.com
About Tom Bannos: The author of this article grew up in Chicago and currently lives in New Jersey. He first moved to New York to attend Columbia University where he graduated with two engineering degrees. He is President of and co-founder of CarryMe USA, which is based in Portsmouth, RI. CarryMe USA was founded in November of 2011 as the exclusive distributor of the CarryMe folding bicycle product line which was developed and manufactured in Taiwan by Pacific Cycles. Pacific Cycles specializes in folding bicycles and provides a powerful R&D platform for over 40 renowned brands worldwide and a factory that specializes in quality, high-end products for niche markets.
Article by Tom Bannos, who also supplied the photos. First published on 6/2/2012. Request permission to reprint this article from www.Littleviews.com and Tom Bannos. Reprinting is free, but requires mentioning that the article was first published by www.Littleviews.com.
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