With gyms closed (and now reopened with restrictions) and some wary of public transportation, many New Yorkers have embraced biking for commuting and recreation during the pandemic. While increased demand and a disruption of the supply chain has created a shortage of bikes, there is plenty of good news: cycling is good for the health of both the biker and the environment, and it makes for an overall more livable city.
But what if you’re new to urban biking? Here are a few tips if you are — or if you’re rediscovering the pleasures of human-powered (or electric-assisted) transportation.
Find a bike
Unless you exclusively rely on Citi Bikes, you need your own metal steed. What looks convenient and cheap at first may well backfire with added expenses down the line. While you can easily order a bike online, you won’t be able to check out the fit — which is crucial, since a frame that is either too small or too big can create comfort and handling problems. The bike will also need to be assembled; bikes from big-box stores may feature lesser-quality components that might break down quickly.
Ideally, you should try to establish a relationship with a local bike store where you can then return for adjustments, repairs and tuneups. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and if you don’t find a friendly, helpful attitude or face upselling, well, there are many bike shops in the city. Since new entry-level bikes can be hard to find (that increased demand has affected them more than higher-end models), you could look for a used one, though it’s best to go through an established program like Bike New York’s Recycle-a-Bicycle, which sells refurbished models.
Work on your skills
“You have to have confidence and you have to be careful,” said Allan Friedman, president of the Five Boro Bike Club, of biking in the city. The learning curve can be steep for beginners and low-intermediates. “It’s very difficult to find spaces to learn how to ride,” said Ken Podziba, president and chief executive of Bike New York. His organization, which provides loaner bikes and helmets, places a premium on education and has secured a dozen safe spots in playgrounds and parks where children and adults can sign up for free progression-based classes.
To practice bike-handling skills, Mr. Podziba recommends empty parking lots and playgrounds, along with New York’s large parks — though it’s best to avoid peak weekend hours when cyclists, joggers and families out for a stroll jostle for lanes.
Run down the checklist
Before riding off, you need a few accessories. While a helmet is only required for children under 14 in the state, adults should wear one, too — although bikes lanes have proliferated throughout New York, the city still lacks a roadway infrastructure truly friendly to bikers. Boris Shpizel, store manager of Roy’s Sheepshead Cycle, also recommends a bell (which, unlike a helmet, is actually mandatory in the city) and lights for the front and back of the bike: “You want to be seen and heard,” he said.
A good lock is essential if you must step away from your bike, so don’t scrimp — thieves can dismantle lesser locks in just a couple of minutes. And remember to attach both the frame and the front wheel to a secure anchor.
Get up and go
As a cyclist, you are part of traffic so you must follow laws and regulations — the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives lays down the basics succinctly and clearly on its website.
New York has extended its network of bike paths in recent years, and they are all indicated on the free NYC Bike Map, along with tips and store locations.
Groups such as WE Bike NYC, designed for women; Good Co. Bike Club for Black cyclists; and the self-explanatory Black Girls Do Bike offer support networks, tips and organized rides.
Group rides are a great way to explore in a safer environment. The Five Boro Bike Club, for example, offers five levels of difficulty, starting with Happy Face Rides. “They’re leisurely and you can build your confidence riding in the streets of New York,” Mr. Friedman said. “Biking is a social activity as well as a sport.” Being part of a group also helps when venturing out a little farther from your geographical comfort zone, since most have both a leader and a sweeper who make sure nobody gets left behind.
Explore
New York City makes a lot of sense on bike: Commuters can save time and recreational riders can check out wildly diverse neighborhoods and landscapes. The city has steadily extended its network of Greenways and some of the vistas are unparalleled, like the route to the Rockaways via the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Riding the Ocean Parkway bike path to Coney Island is a local rite of passage, even if some stretches of pavement are currently in terrible condition.
And since you can bring bikes on the subway and on Metro-North and Long Island Railroad trains, the options feel endless.
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