Upcoming Events
With a little more than month to go until the March equinox, we’ve got spring fitness, advocacy and Bike Month planning on our minds:
Suggest an Event for The Bird Wheel Ladies Program – Nona Varnado, the New York City-based cycling apparel and accessories designer who also runs The Bird Wheel collaborative women’s cycling website, has put out a call for proposals for the Ladies Program of Bike Month in May. She’s promising “a massive line-up of the most fun you can have riding bikes.” Last year’s line-up included a “meet your bike match” garden party, bicycle movie nights, maintenance classes, a ride to Piermont, NY and more. (Plans for a velojoy event for Bike Month are in the works, so stay tuned!) If you’ve got an idea for the 2012 calendar, please contact info@nonavarnado.com.
There’s also a community fundraising campaign to support the Ladies Program going on at ioby.com.
Improve Your Road Skills and Fitness – Many people aspire to riding longer distances and improving road cycling fitness in preparation for summer. The New York Cycle Club’s SIG (special interest group) progressive series of training rides, for introductory through advanced levels, will help get you ready to ride. It’s also a great way to connect with others who share a love of cycling.
Learn more and register here. (Fair warning: the orientation meeting, held earlier this week, was SRO, so early registration is encouraged.)
Learn more about the New York Cycle Club by reading our profile of NYCC president Ellen Jaffe. It’s part of a new velojoy series on women leaders in cycling.
Engage More Women in Cycling – Central to encouraging interest in cycling for transportation and recreation among women is gaining insight into the factors that contribute to the bicycling gender gap the U.S. That’s why we’re so excited about attending the first-ever National Women’s Cycling Forum coming up in Washington DC on March 20. The forum will draw representatives from a variety of disciplines to raise awareness and discuss how to engage more women in cycling. It’s presented by the Alliance for Biking and Walking with the Association of Pedestrian and Cycling Professionals in conjunction with the National Bike Summit. Learn more and register here.
Cycling Link Love
See Jane Ride - Jane Brody of the New York Times inspired us this week with her column filled with personal advice about riding a bicycle safely and comfortably in NYC. The 70-year-old Brody, who started riding a bike at age 10, writes, “I use my bike for daily exercise and transport to class, work, shopping, tennis, swimming – most everywhere I need to go, as long as the weather, distance and dress code do not make riding impractical.”
Sex or the Saddle? – Sure, we love riding a bike and all, but…Bicycling Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” survey in the March issue finds that 58 percent of women (versus 50 percent of men) say that if they had to choose between giving up sex or cycling for a month, they’d forgo sex.
Fit for Fashion Week
For those who love spin classes, or who like to mix and match performance wear with their everyday clothing for biking around town, the blog Well+Good gave their Fashion Week nod to four new fitness brands. Check out the looks in their slide show.
Fabled — and resilient — New York Times street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, who rides a bike every where, was hit by an S.U.V. outside a fashion show on Thursday. He was uninjured and reportedly brushed off the incident and kept clicking his shutter.
We like! Levi’s, makers of a line of unisex jeans that include special features for bicycle commuters, sent a model down the runway on two wheels in their Fall 2012 ready-to-wear show. (Photo: WWD)
And Finally…
Park Tool is know for wrenches, cable stretchers, mechanic stands and other implements for bicycle maintenance and repair. You may have seen the distinctive blue-handled tools on the work bench at your local bike shop. But here’s one for the kitchen counter: the bicycle-shaped Park Tool pizza cutter. It makes short work of slicing up extra-large pies for post-ride carbo replenishment.
Park Tool Pizza Tool PZT-2, $14
photo: velojoy
velojoy street scene
Call it an urban Valentine. We spotted a blast of spray-painted “Love” this week in Manhattan on a bike ride uptown along the Hudson River Greenway where it parallels the elevated Route 9W.
Upcoming Events
Monday, February 6 – Tell Us Your Bike Crush!
We tip our helmets to Valentine’s Day by kicking off our “Bike Crush” facebook giveaway of the sweetest new spring helmet from Nutcase. Get ready to share your crush on Monday!
And, in the spirit of amour, we’ll be posting pink and red cycling accessories and Valentine’s bike love links and videos all week.
Monday, February 6 – Climate Ride Open House
The NYC cycling, walking and public transit advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives is a beneficiary for the second year of the May 19 – 23 New York City to Washington DC Climate Ride in support of bicycling advocacy and a sustainable future. Learn how you can get involved by supporting Team T.A.
6 – 8 pm
127 W. 26th St. (Sixth and Seventh Avenues)
RSVP required.
Saturday, February 11 – Hot Chocolate Ride
Stay tuned for final details of this awesome social ride!
Saturday, February 11 – How to Buy Your First Road Bike
If you’re planning to buy a new road bike for spring, but don’t know where to begin then check out this free comprehensive how-to workshop presented by the New York Cycle Club. Read more…
photo: genevieve walker
velojoy street scene
Genevieve spotted this canine bicycle passenger in front of Espresso on Ninth Street and Avenue C in Manhattan this week. The petite pooch apparently rides on the e-bike’s back rack without aid of a basket. Tiny seat belt?
Upcoming Events:
Saturday, January 28 – Bike Share Open House
If you’re shopping at Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side this weekend, add checking out the New York City Bike Share bikes to your list. The open house is part of Alta Bike Share’s and the NYC Department of Transportation’s ongoing introduction to the system, due to launch this summer.
12 – 3 pm
120 Essex St. at Delancey St., Manhattan
Information.
Sunday, January 29 – Learn to Ride a Bicycle for Adults
It is never too late to embrace the joy of riding a bicycle. Bike New York presents free, 2-hour bicycle-riding classes for adults and mature teens — and the good news is that they’re indoors. An easy system teaches all the basics needed to ride with confidence.
PS/IS 180, 120th St. at Manhattan Ave., Harlem
10 am and 1 pm
Register here.
February 11 – Hot Chocolate Ride
Mark your calendar, and stay tuned! We’ll soon be posting details of the next in a series of awesome social rides organized by getbikingny.com Read more…
photos: velojoy
velojoy street scene
On the eve of its closing, I stopped in to the Guggenheim to see Maurizio Cattelan: All, in which the lifetime sum of this Italian contemporary artist’s work in a variety of mediums (taxidermy!) is suspended dramatically inside the museum’s atrium from rigging attached to the ceiling (top photo). My dizzying journey up the museum’s signature spiral ramp, past works such as the notorious La Nona Ora (1999), led me to…a bicycle dangling just beneath the oculus. Turns out the artist, a provocateur who has announced his retirement from the art world after this exhibition, uses a bicycle as his main form of transportation. This one, a Bianchi, refers to Cattelan’s contribution to the Italian Pavilion of the 1997 Venice Biennale, in which he parked ordinary bicycles near the works of other artists. “Highlighting the incongruity of the outside world and the exhibition display, the bicycles were so subtle that exhibition attendants repeatedly removed them, only for Cattelan to replace them,” says the show catalog. If you missed this eye-popping exhibit, the app is one of the coolest ever.
Upcoming Events:
January 23 – Icebreaker TouchLab Opening
Icebreaker, the New Zealand maker of Merino wool clothing for active outdoor wear opens its second TouchLab NYC store across from the High Line in the Meatpacking district. (At this time of year, we like their base layers for cycling.)
11 am – 7 pm
823 Washington Street
January 28 – Outlier Open Studio
Devotees of Outlier, the Brooklyn-based performance wear company known for tailored pants for bicycle commuting will appreciate an opportunity to get a close-hand view of its offerings and to check out new products.
2 – 7 pm
87 Richardson St., 3rd floor
Information.
Read more…
photos: velojoy
velojoy street scenes
We spotted these related bicycling themes on the same day at the West 72nd Street transverse (top) and in the West Village in Manhattan.
Coming Events:
Friday, January 13 – Sunday, January 15 – Second Annual Youth Bike Summit
Read our post about an event that’s engaging a new generation in cycling and advocacy, and sign up!
Saturday, January 14 – Market to Market Social Ride
Winter blues? Shake ‘em off with a social ride to the flea markets of Brooklyn. Hosted by experienced city riders Kim Burgas, Liz Patek and Kimberly Kinchen, this relaxed event is a great way to connect with fellow cyclists. The ride begins at Union Square in Manhattan and makes a stop at McCarren Park before continuing on to the Brooklyn Flea and Artists & Fleas to prospect for vintage treasures.
noon – 5 pm
RSVP and updates here.
Tuesday, January 17 – Lottery Registration for TD Five Boro Bike Tour
This annual 40-mile ride on traffic-free streets through the five boroughs, produced by Bike New York, has become so popular in recent years — 32,000 spots sold out in less than 24 hours last year – that it’s switching to a lottery system for 2012 registration. The period to enter online for the May 6 event opens January 17 at 10 a.m. and runs to February 7 at 5 p.m. (VIP and charity ride entries are not subject to the lottery.) Click here to read all the details of how to enter. Read more…
velojoy street scene:
Photo above: An increasingly popular hotel amenity that we love to see: A sweet fleet of city bikes is parked outside The Standard, East Village (formerly the Cooper Square Hotel) in Manhattan for guests to explore the neighborhood. Just to the south, the Bowery Hotel’s rack is filled with red bikes.
Coming events:
Tuesday, January 10 – Unsung Benefits of Bicycling Beyond 2012
The New York Cycle Club hosts Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, the advocacy organization for cycling, walking and public transit. Learn about the coming year’s agenda to promote bicycling, improve public spaces and make the streets safer for all New Yorkers. You don’t have to be an NYCC member to attend, but there is a charge for dinner.
Dinner: 6 pm
Program: 7:30 pm
Annie Moore’s Bar and Restaurant (downstairs), 50 East 43rd Street
Information.
Tuesday, January 10 – Winter Biking 101
Winter temperatures dropping? There’s no need to quit riding. This popular, free presentation by Bike New York will give you all the tips, tools and techniques you need to ride safely and comfortably throughout the cold-weather months. We’ve attended and recommend it!
6:30 – 8 pm
Bicycle Habitat – Manhattan, 244 Lafayette St.
Information.
Wednesday, January 11 – NYC Bike Share Exhibition Opening
Join the NYC Department of Transportation and Alta Bike Share at the opening of an exhibition at the Center for Architecture. Hear details of the plan for NYC’s own bike share system in a conversation with NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Alta Bike Share president Alison Cohen.
6 – 8 p.m.
536 LaGuardia, between West 3rd and Bleeker
Information.
Friday, January 13 – Sunday, January 15 – Second Annual Youth Bike Summit
Youth, bicycles, education and advocacy come together at the Second Annual Youth Bike Summit, a three-day intergenerational conference that explores how to involve the next generation in cycling and advocacy. The full agenda of discussions and workshops, which draws participants from around the nation, is geared to develop ideas as well as practical tools. The keynote speaker will be Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.
Click here for the agenda and to register.
Saturday, January 14 – Market to Market Ride – Winter Edition
It’s January. Cabin fever may be setting in. It’s time to get out on your bike for a weekend social ride. Kim Burgas (creator of the Get Fancy bike rides) has joined with Liz Patek and Kimberly Kinchen to organize an easy-going and social winter ride to shop locally and sustainably. Meet at Union Square and pedal to Brooklyn for multiple stops, including McCarren Park, Artists & Fleas and the Brooklyn Flea.
Noon – 5 pm
Information and registration.
Read more…
photo: velojoy
In this seatpost:
- September Rides
- Gran Fondo New York Registration
- New Cycling Feature at HopStop.com
- Bicycle Beauty on the Go
- An Otherworldly Bicycle Helmet
Bike Rides to Savor on September Weekends
It’s looking as though Hurricane Irene may keep us all indoors this weekend, so why not look ahead and register for some of the amazing annual cycling events to enjoy in the month ahead. Signing up early usually yields savings on entry fees. And, beyond the fun and the great scenery, each event offers the opportunity to ride for a good cause. Read more…
The Bird Wheel Launches Sunday Bike Ride Series
Ever wanted to take a day ride on your road bike, but weren’t sure who to join in with? The Bird Wheel, the women’s collaborative blog and website, has launched a series of summer Sunday rides. Up this weekend, a social ride to City Island rolling from Zen Bikes, 134 Est 24th Street in Chelsea at 11 a.m. Ride through parks, over bridges, enjoy a lobster roll and work on your tan at Orchard Beach, “The Riviera of the Bronx.” Don’t forget a lock, pocket money and your fancy beach togs. Information.
Smile! Pose for a Free Bicycle Portrait During Summer Streets
Summer Streets, which closes Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, continues Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. So if you missed it last weekend, you’ve still got August 13 and 20 to enjoy the truly unique experience of riding your bicycle (strolling and running, too) on car-free Manhattan streets.
A weekend highlight: Bicycle Habitat, which is situated along the Summer Streets route at 244 and 250 Lafayette, will team up with the acclaimed bicycle portrait photographer Dmitry Gudkov, to offer free portraits between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Read more…
Summer Streets and the Living is Easy
Summer Streets returns for its fourth season this weekend, closing Park Avenue and connecting streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for three consecutive Saturdays (Aug. 6, 13, 20). There’ll be no dumpster pools this year, but those with a yen for the beach can check out sandboxes and sand-castle building by Matt Long of Sand Masters at Foley Square. Presented by the New York City Department of Transportation in partnership with other city agencies and private sponsors, Summer Streets offers activities for participants of all ages. But the biggest attraction is cycling, walking and running on New York City streets free of automobile congestion, noise and fumes. Read my post about last year’s ride. Information and map.
Cyclists’ Happy Hour with Let’s Go Ride a Bike – Thursday Night!
Let’s Go Ride a Bike is one of my favorite blogs about city cycling for transportation, recreation and flat-out fun. Meet the talented duo behind LGRAB, Dottie (based in Chicago) and Trisha (Nashville), at a Cyclists’ Happy Hour tonight from 6 – 7:30 p.m. hosted by Adeline Adeline, 147 Reade Street in Manhattan. Toast city cycling, enjoy a bite to eat and take a test ride around the block on a beautiful city bike. Read more…
Third Annual Brooklyn Waterfront Epic Ride on Saturday
You’ll have earned your visit to Rockaway Taco after enjoying a 40-mile ride along Brooklyn’s entire waterfront and Jamaica Bay. The Third Annual Brooklyn Waterfront Epic Ride on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. begins at Manhattan Avenue at Newtown Creek in Greenpoint (second pick-up point in Bay Ridge), proceeds along the waterfront, and concludes at the food vendors at the Rockaway Beach Club. Chill at the shore or travel back independently by bike along Flatbush Avenue, or via public transportation. Register before 3 p.m. on Friday.
The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway will eventually include a 14-mile route for recreation and transportation, running from Greenpoint to Sunset Park. Unable to ride this time? Learn more about the Greenway and download a free map here.
Thanks to the London Cyclist!
A hearty hat-tip to Andreas, who writes the terrific blog London Cyclist, for his welcome and overview of the London cycling scene on my recent visit. Check out his post this week, “5 Things to Know When a Cycling Friend Visits London” which includes mention of a certain NYC blogger. Read more…
