Cyclist Dance Party at Belvedere Castle 2007

Time's Up New Year's Ride

December Critical Mass

With the city currently drafting "Get the Cyclists" legislation, this month's Critical Mass was the source of much speculation. Will mass arrests be made? Will bikes be confiscated? Will nightsticks be used? Even the Paper of Record had something to chime in about this month's ride. While they were mostly sympathetic to the cyclists, the Times really needs a fact checker. The editorial urged CM "leadership" to inform the NYPD about what route they plan to take to avoid problems. This suggestion is reasonable except for two things. Since it is not an organization, Critical Mass has no leaders, and does not plan where the rides go in advance.

Whether it was the cold weather or police intimidation that kept people away, the turnout was pretty thin, and it would be safe to say that cops on scooters outnumbered cyclists at a ratio of 3:1. One might even say that New York's Finest were having their own ride behind the people they were pursuing. I had two close calls. The police blockaded the intersection near 50th and Madison, but I was able to walk mine onto the sidewalk, where one cannot be given a ticket or arrested. Although I wasn't breaking any laws, it was a necessary precaution because false tickets are common on these rides.

The other close call was at Times Square, which we managed to squeeze through without incident. One rider complained that we never should have gone there. It's an easy target. He said, "Critical Mass riders act like it's their goddamn masterpiece -- their Mona Lisa!" I prefer to think of it as the mustache above her lip, our Marcel Duchamp, if you will.

Time's Up Christmas Light Tour

This past Sunday, Time's Up organized a group ride to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, where apparently all of the residents keep up with the Jones-s come December with the most beautiful, ostentious Christmas light displays you have ever seen. The one pictured to the right is controlled by a computer. Yes, you read that right. It was written up in the New York Times, and boasts a radio sponsorship. Other notable houses had inflatable snow globes, animatronic reindeer, an enormous Santa statue seated in the lotus position, a scene from the Nutcracker, and the full cast of characters from A Christmas Carol with a recorded reading of the play on loop! If awards were given for best display, I'm sure the sheer competition of it all would lead to bloodshed. It was a beautiful ride, and a long one. The neighborhood is located near the Verrazano Bridge, and the ride started at City Hall.

You can access a slideshow by clicking here.

Long Distance on a Girl's Bike

Last Sunday, I went on another 5BBC trip from City Hall in downtown Manhattan to the Flat Rock Nature Preserve in Northern NJ, and my good friend decided to join me. Of course, I was riding my Bianchi Avenue, a rugged, all-purpose, hybrid, 21-speed city bike that I have come to love and treasure. She was riding a used, "vintage" Schwinn that had a rusted derailleur, a rear wheel past its glory days, breaks on the verge of failure, and a list of other glitches that I don't have nearly enough expertise to diagnose or explain. It was an impulse buy to replace a bike of hers that was stolen.

Needless to say, it made for a rough trip for her on the way there, so I decided to be a good friend and trade for part of the way back. It was easily 15 miles of me riding on a broken-down girl's bicycle that was too small for me, and the other participants of the ride gave me an honorary "What a Guy" Award. I wear that badge with pride. The picture on the side is not her bike, but it is an almost identical one.

Moving Up?

As some people reading this blog are aware, City Biking for Cowards is now syndicated by Shift Magazine, an online publication committed to environmentally conscious accessible and entertaining. They're a wonderful media group that plans eventually to expand into print and television. Stay tuned.

In other news, I just discovered that I did not pass my first written examination toward becoming a certified bike instructor. I was two points shy of a passing grade, which is 85%. Considering that I just started riding a bicycle more or less a month and a half ago, I'm not thinking of it as a major blow to my pride.

Pancake Ride to Bayonne

I went on another trip with 5BBC this weekend that last 30 miles. It started from City Hall, went across the Staten Island Ferry, down miles of beautiful coastline, past the borough's premiere theatre Snug Harbor Cultural Arts Center, across the Bayonne Bridge, to a diner in Jersey boasting "the world's greatest pancakes," through Jersey City, and Hoboken.

How was your Sunday?

It amazes me how few people my age are on the ride. Out of the 50 or so people riding, there are only a handful in their mid-20s. Has nobody let the secret out to them that it's free, fun, informative way to spend an afternoon? This week, I discovered that the Bayonne Bridge was designed by the same architect who did the Sydney's bridge. I've never been to Australia, but it was an impressive factoid nevertheless.

For what it's worth, the pancakes -- courtesy of Bayonne's Broadway Diner -- were inexpensive and as delicious as advertised. I had the French apple with the cinnamon raisin glaze, topped off with whipped cream and washed down with a bottomless cup of very decent coffee. The bicycle practically rode itself back home between the sugar and the caffiene.

New Parade Rule

The city scheduled a hearing yesterday at 10am to discuss the N.Y.P.D.'s proposal to make gatherings of more than 30 bicyclists illegal without a permit. That is to say, they held it on the Monday morning following Thanksgiving weekend. Clearly, they wanted to promote civic dialogue on the issue, and chose a time that they believed could best accomodate it. Despite their best efforts to arrange a convenient time, I was unable to attend. Perhaps my job just holds strange hours.

If those new rules go into effect, I might not be able to experience rides like the one I spoke about in my prior post. As reported by Indymedia, the Green Party's Mitchel Cohen asks, "What about 30 Christmas Carollers? OK, no permit needed, right? What if they go from house to house carolling, but suddenly switch to antiwar songs? Will they need a permit then?" The New York Times provides a good round-up.

Five Borough Bicycle Club

Yesterday, I rode 25 miles with the Five Borough Bicycle Club, who offered a free guided tour through Roosevelt Island, Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg (north and south), Vinegar Hill, and DUMBO. It's one more reason that bicyclists actually see a different city than other New Yorkers. I found out (1) the location of the world's deepest estuary, (2) the asylum where Mae West was committed for her performance in the Broadway play Sex, (3) the perimeter of Brooklyn's largest Satmar Hasidic community, (4) the site of the only soft drink advertisement in New York to also be an historical landmark, and (5) the location of the mansion that once belonged to a World War II commandant.

Before I started riding, I would not have explored so much in one day.