Bike Riders Love NYC For Pleasure Or Work Cycling

Bicycles are making a big comeback as far as aturn helped with building the modern velodromes
means of transportation to and from work inin the suburbs. These indoor tracks have steeply
NYC. Due to rising gasoline cost as well as pricesbanked oval tracks for racing bicycles.
of automobiles, insurance, lack of parking space,· Pelham Parkway, Bronx
and licensing many are looking for an alternativeHold weekly races at inner city locations including
to driving the family sedan to work. Subways areMadison Square Garden. Madison Racing, an
always nearby but many find them too crowdedOlympic sport is aptly named after those racing
and confining, preferring instead to bike it tocyclists at the Garden. A greenway which runs
where they want to go.through the Pelham Bay Park then across the
The city of New York is biker friendly yet has itsBronx and along Mosholu Parkway and on to Van
challenges to overcome. Traffic, both automobileCortlandt Park and then connects with the South
and pedestrian can conflict with bicyclingCounty Parkway is also popular.
commuters, yet the flatness of the terrain around· Manhattan Waterfront Greenway
the city makes it easy to ride around. There areIn addition with the Brooklyn Queens Greenway
many bike riders in the greater New York area,are not as continuously segregated yet designed
many of which are delivery persons andfor great biking.
messengers who deliver to many of the officeRobert Moses was a master builder in NYC. Many
buildings. There is an increasing amount of dailyof his parkway projects designed in the mid 20th
commuters who like the freedom of riding theircentury included bike paths. Later miles of biker
own set of wheels that also happens to be afriendly pathway were either refurbished or
cheap mode of transportation. Additionally NYC iscreated along the Manhattan Waterfront
considered a bike friendly environment due to theGreenway as well as other bikeways.
many miles of bicycle paths and designated placesAs a majority of the residents and workers in
for bikers to ride. Areas around Central Park,New York have sit down desk type jobs five
crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, riding in Prospectdays a week, many choose to exercise on
Park, along the Hudson River Bicycle Path, are allweekends and daily after work. Bicycling offers an
fairly safe and enjoyable areas in which to rideexcellent way to "stretch ones legs" and get
simply for the fun of it. Some areasoutdoors in the fresh air and sunshine throughout
accommodating to bike riders are:most of the year. While many of the bike
· The City of Brooklynpathways run along the same lanes as the
The city provides excellent bike paths along themotorized traffic, bikers as well as vehicle
Eastern Parkway, Ocean Parkway, and theoperators must watch out for each other and
Brooklyn Bridge.cooperate with the rules of the road just as
· Washington Heights, Manhattananywhere else in the world. But NYC has proven
Created a riding competition as well as ait can be done and bike riders appreciate the
spectator sport with the six day racing which ineconomy of riding their bicycles.