Monthly Archives: November 2010

I am lucky enough this weekend to be in NYC. After the whole bus debacle last time I decided to go with the AABus, A.K.A. the Double Happiness Bus. This time I brought down my full-sized bike, fenders and all. One thing I did this time that I did not last was download the NYC Bikemap app for my iPhone. I recommend that everyone with a   do this because if you ever get lost or stuck it has a map of all the city’s bike paths as well as the locations of local bike shops if you really get in trouble. I have to say, the twenty-mile ride from Penn. Station to my parent’s home in Westchester is just beautiful, and the day could not have been more perfect.

It started with a ride up the Broadway bike path where I had to keep a constant three-hundred-sixty degree view of the cars, trucks, busses, and pedestrians around me at all time. Next was a quick stop in Clinton Park to catch the Quidditch finals along with catching scrimmage  matches of the NYC Badassiliks, my brother’s team.

Next up was the bike path that runs along the West Side Highway. This path is my favorite to ride in the city because of its convience and the stunning views it offers of both the Hudson River and the cliffs of New Jersey. Last time I rode this path it was twelve o’clock at night so it was dark and I did not get to experience it like I did yesterday. On the other hand I felt that I spent more time avoiding pedestrians and other cyclists then I did enjoying the vistas. I think that is more of a good thing because it shows that people are still using the trails and enjoying cycling which has grown by leaps and bounds in the past few years.
After cutting a path through Manhattan the next bike trail is the one along the Harlem River drive. This bike trail is a little small at parts, and if people had to pass each other this would involve both of them dismounting and passing safely. Other than that it is a very nice trail that affords you a beautiful view of the river and the colorful leaves of fall.

Near my alma mater, Fordham University, is the next bike trail you come across, the Mosholu Parkway Greenway. This trail takes you through the Bronx via a park that the Mosholu Parkway runs through. It is a very nice ride. Just watch out for broken bottles.
After that the last bike trail is the one that runs along Bronx Boulevard. It is a welcome change to riding Bronx Boulevard due to the scenery and the absence of cars.

All in all it was a great ride. The temperature was nice, the leaves were beautiful, and the bike was not folding which made for a more comfortable and faster ride. I would recommend it to anyone in Albany looking for a weekend trip to the city.

With all of the recent popularity of public mockery style photo sites such as People of Wal-Mart, Lamebook, and others, how about something a bit more positive?

I Love My Bike is a site that, you guessed it, collects photos of people guilty of having a love affair with their bikes. In addition to being a repository of bike love, the site is also putting together a book of photos, which is available for pre-order on Amazon.

I’ve picked a few of my favorites. If you found some great shots, or have some of your own, share them with us in the comments.

I was riding down Holland Ave. yesterday and what did I see? Sharrows! Yes it’s true, from New Scotland Ave. probably all the way to Delaware Ave., I did not get that far since I turned on to Hackett Blvd., there are brand new sharrows along with signs that say, “Bicycles may use full lane.” They have recently done some work on Holland Ave., and it seems whenever they do a new road now and days that is not a major one they put sharrows down. Let me tell you, Holland Ave. needed repaving. The vertical cracks were a danger to cyclists and motorists, mostly because cyclists would ride in the left side to avoid the cracks and the car doors.

But I digress, Yay for sharrows and yay for Albany for showing initiative to include bicycles as a mode of transportation!

Written by Chris Belsole

Here’s one for all of you car free people out there. A recent article by Josh King over at Commute by Bike talks about riding through rough weather. This is good advice for anyone that does not own a living room on wheels. This is especially important in the coming months where, if hearsay is to be believed, the Albany winters are going to be rough.

I know this is mentioned in the article, but fenders rock! When it snowed on Monday I was breezing through the streets with ease  and all the slush and water was not hitting my bike, my cloths, or my bag. I wish I’d done this months ago.

Written by Chris Belsole

Hey Everyone,

In a recent post by the League of American Bicyclists the announced that they will be giving away tools every two weeks. Signup is free, but if you join the League you can get two chances to win. For more information visit their site and read the post.