The Great NY Bike Ride - aka the 5 Boro Ride

From: "JKeenan"
Subject: BNY -- Sunday Onna Friday
Date: Mon, 3 May 2004 14:45:28 -0700

The first part of this is about ridng BNY on a SAT R DAY and the other
folders that I saw. I also got going and posted my thoughts on what might
be my last Bike New York ride for some time. The day started out drizzly
and wet, turned to overcast and by early afternoon NY was bathed in sunlight
and 70 degree temps.

Marc Plum wrote: "If your SRD is black, I may have passed you on one of the
bridges. For folders, I counted six Fridays, one Swift, one Brompton, and
one Raleigh Twenty. Who knows how many others were in the throng?"

Nope Marc, I was on Larry Varney's green SAT R DAY, for which I have
temporary custody for as long as I can. The guy with the black one I met.
He lives in NYCity and commutes on his SRD.

This was my first BNY on the SRD and my only comment is that I quickly
became a "hole" "bump" "rut" "groove" "grate" "crater" spotter. With 16"
wheels the roads of NY don't provide you with a smooth ride. Thankfully,
recumbent seats cushion those bumps.

Similar to Marc, I counted 5 Bike Fridays and a bunch of other folders, bud
couldn't identify them like Marc did. Because I was riding with some
friends I had not seen in ages, my Bike Friday social graces fell by the
wayside...or in one of those NY potholes. I did chat briefly with a couple
from Pennsylvania at the Con Ed rest stop.

And yuppers, I got lots of questions about the bike and handed out what
referral cards I had. When told that a Bike Friday recumbent could fit in
a suitcase, the typical response was "No Way". To which I'd respond: "You're
right. I'm just a wise a** New Yorker and pulling your leg.". Naw, but I
thought about saying that. Did someone mention irreverent sense of humor?

For those of you who can travel to NY, I suggest you do Bike New York. For
those interested, here are some thoughts on what might be my last BNY....at
least for some time. This was my twelth BNY in a row.

The City: No matter how you slice the apple, there's only one like it. BNY
should be done at least once by anyone who enjoys cycling, just to see the
city up close and personal from a bike, especially with the view you get on
a
SAT R DAY recumbent. The view from the Belt Way (the one in Brooklyn) of
the city across the river is incredible. You have to stop at the Con Edison
sight, go sit on the seawall and gaze at the skyline for about a half hour
or so. Just soak it in.

The Views: Often spectacular views of the city scape. Yesterday, instead
of seeing the NY skyline from the Beltway, I was transported to a John
Huston (Houston) movie: Ghost. Very erie to see fragments of giant trawlers
on the river in the fog and then to ride through the fog encircling the VN
bridge. Never cycled through a cloud before. It was simply neat.

The Crowd: What crowd yesterday? On a sunny BNY there are often people on
the sidewalks to kibitz with. On a gray, cloudy, or rainy day not too many
folks on the side of the route. There is a solution: Just look up and wave
to the folks hanging out the windows.

The Kids: Kids get recumbents or unusal bikes. Big time. So many times on
my SAT R DAY kids would spot me on my tiny bike, you'd see this light go off
on their faces, and theyd go "Ohhhh...Ohhh....Ohhhhh...looooook". So when a
small group of four to six year olds did their "ohhh" and started pointing
at me, I slowed down, rode towards them and pointed going "ohhhhh oohhhhh
ohhhhhh". The giggles from the kids were worth it.

Bent Comments: On BNY you get them all, PLUS you get some you don't expect.
Yesterday on the SAT R DAY, I was called "My Homie" "You Go Pops" and "
There's Da Man With A Plan".

Boros And Neighborhoods: For sure BNY doesn't take you through the Park
Avenue neighborhoods. That's okay. BNY still goes through neighborhoods
with history. If you do BNY take some time to look at the architecture on
the tour. Take the time to look up. Lots of interesting work around those
windows and roof tops.

Bikes. Bikes. Bikes. All kinds. Having done at least 12 BNYs, I never get
tired of looking at all the different bikes. Just a few on yesterdays'
ride. A 1981 Schwinn Tandem that a guy said only has about 500 miles on it.
He uses it only to do BNY. A 1988 Trek 531 with lugged welds. The owner
said he bought it with part of his student loan when going to college. He
keeps thinking of a new bike, but he said "Then I say: What for? This one
runs swell." A single speed old Cruiser. Nope not a new one off the shelf.

The Characters: For some reason the festooned crowd seems to be on the
wane. Maybe the cyclists are becoming more serious or maybe it is simply a
sign of the times. In any case, I remember far far many more folks in
costumes or with decorated bikes on rides past. Yesterday I did see "The
Duck Heads", "The Flag Heads", "The Baloon Heads" and "The Cone Heads".
Actually I saw the Cone Heads everywhere. At the end of the ride I said to
one: "I'd see you on the side of the road. You'd pass me and I'd see you on
the side of the road..all day long". She said: "We had a record 7 flats!!"
There were only five of them. A damp road and glass will do that to ya.

Post Ride: I now go up the west side and explore the greenway there.
Plenty to do and see, Usually I take an extra hour and enjoy a leisurely
bike stroll along the bikeway. For most of the ride up until about 72nd
street, they have changed it so there are separate bike/skate and pedestrian
paths.

The Feeling: Sadness that it's over. I never want this ride to end. Oh
sure, it's a bit nutzy with 30,000 of your closest friends riding with you,
but hey, it is a New York moment.

Slow Joe Recumbo