velojoy is a growing online resource for city cyclists and those who may be considering riding in the bike lanes for the first time.
Everything in New York City is big and vibrant, including a cycling scene that’s changing the beat of our city streets. Riding a bicycle here is an everyday adventure, a revelation of style and street-smart strategies, and a much-discussed enterprise as cycling rolls toward full integration into the urban transportation system.
We love it all — and that inspires our focus on engaging people in the pleasures of using a bicycle for transportation and fun. We’re in the New York City bike lanes every day, learning something new to share with you. We’ve also got our frequencies tuned to the events, art, film and media that celebrate cycling’s growing imprint on the cultural and social landscape.
velojoy is updated 3 to 4 times per week. You’ll find posts about the practical topics that you care about, like hauling stuff around with ease, worry-free all-weather riding, safe-riding techniques, keeping it social and looking great on the road, plus profiles of your fellow New York City cyclists and lots of useful links.
Above all, we’d like velojoy to be a place for conversation. So please join in by subscribing by e-mail or RSS, and add your personal spin via twitter or facebook.
Enjoy your ride!
Meet the velojoy editorial team:
Susi (founder) is a marketing consultant, writer and passionate city and road cyclist. Susi’s everyday bicycle is a black Kona Dew Drop that she won in a raffle to benefit the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. When the occasion calls for a skirt and fancy footwear (above), she rides a midnight-blue Pashley Britannia; her weekend ride is Serotta Ottrott SE. Susi is a contributor to Momentum Magazine.
Kim (contributor) is a freelance designer, artist and regular bicycle commuter. She uses her bicycle for convenient travel between business meetings, often in heels, and enjoys the freedom bicycling in the city affords her. Kim rides a 1985 Schwinn Peloton, converted to a fixed-gear, and has outfitted her bike for the needs of an artsy city gal: toe cages on soft-sole pedals, a bell and mud guard, and a homemade platform on the head tube for a 35mm camera.
Genevieve (contributor) is a freelance writer and illustrator who recently received a graduate degree in magazine writing from the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University. She loves her bicycle the way cowboys are said to love their horses: like a friend. Genevieve rides a nothing-too-fancy Motobecane “Messenger” single-speed over the East River from Brooklyn every day, carrying at least one good book and a Steno pad. Her bike, which is all black and has a compact “wing pro” handlebar, recently got a custom pink hairdo (aka pink, faux-leather bar tape).
Susan (contributor) loves her job as manager of Recycle-A-Bicycle in Brooklyn, where she has been getting her hands dirty for seven years. She also volunteers as the instructor of Time’s Up! Women’s and Trans bicycle repair classes. Susan has been an avid city cyclist since someone gave her a too-big bicycle eight years ago — its frequent break-downs set Susan on the road to becoming a mechanic. Her current ride is a Surly Cross-Check; she also owns a classic Trek road bike and a newly built single-speed mountain bike for bouncing around on the potholed city streets.
Photos: Dmitry Gudkov
