Bike Month NYC Updates

I just received the following e-mail from Transportation Alternatives and thought it would be good info to share.


Greetings Bike Month NYC Team!

Transportation Alternatives has been working hard to organize the 2010 Bike Month NYC Campaign, and we thank you for all of your help. This year, we had the pleasure of working with NYC & Co. and the New York City Department of Transportation in developing many of the details. They're great partners. We hope you love what we've done!

The Bike Month NYC calendar is online now, but you can make last minute changes, so if your event's details are sketchy, be sure make your changes soon. Or if you forgot to add your event, please take this moment to register at BikeMonthNYC.org.

To show our gratitude for all of your help and hard work, we'd like to invite you to the official 2010 Bike Month NYC Launch Party on May 1st from 1-5 pm at Brooklyn Bridge Park (Pier 1). We're throwing it in collaboration with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation, the Department of Transportation, Recycle-a-Bicycle, Bike New York, the New York Police Department and T.A.'s volunteer committees, so it's sure to be an awesome event, as well as an opportunity to hang out with great people.

Some of the activities we have lined up for the day include:
1. Guided rides from each borough by T.A. volunteer committees. Check out locations and start times here
2. Learn to Ride for Kids, by Bike New York (register your child here)
3. NYC Cycle Maps by the Department of Transportation
4. Light bike repair by Recycle-a-Bicycle
5. Bike registration by the NYPD
6. Biking Rules PSA 2009 Film Festival Screening by Transportation Alternatives

This is also your chance to pick up Bike Month NYC Calendars, Biking Rules handbooks and the new NYC Cycling Map for your organization or for yourself.

If you can't join us for the party, you can request a calendar at BikeMonthNYC.org or if you need more than 10, swing by our office located at 127 West 26th Street, Suite 1002.

Best of luck with your event and bike often!

Nora Peña
Events Director
Transportation Alternatives

May is Bike Month in NYC

Take note: May is Bike Month in New York, a month long celebration of cycling.

Bike Month NYC has not posted any events yet but I contacted Transportation Alternatives and their response to my e-mail was: 

We will be launching the website in the third week of April. All of the events will be posted and available online. The print calendars will be distributed throughout the boroughs beginning next week. We hope that you enjoy Bike Month 2010!

I will be excited to see what events are happening this year.

Additionally, the organization's "bike tips" are pretty good. I was pleased to see that they posted bicycling laws, which included a reminder to all to not only wear a helmet but also not to ride on the sidewalks if you are over the age of 12 and not to wear headphones.One of my pet-peeves in this city is that so many people ride on the side-walks and I have seen dogs and people hit because the bike rider was unable to stop or they were wearing headphones and not paying attention. So while I try to keep this blog cheery and enthusiastic, I am also enthusiastic about personal safety and the safety of those around you... so please remember to wear a helmet, stay off the sidewalks and park foot paths and don't ride with headphones. 

And back to our regularly scheduled programing:

Bike Month NYC posted links on their web-site to NYC Century Bike Tour's bike rental page (very helpful if, like me, you do not keep your bike in town but occasionally find yourself wanting to feel the wind on your face and go for a ride).

And on a related note, please note that the NYC Century Tour event will take place on September 12, 2010 and registration is now open.

How do you plan on celebrating Bike Month??

Port Authority Statement Supports Cycling

Wow, this is HUGE, especially if you are a cyclist. The Century Road Club Association covered the Port Authority of NY/NJ's statement which "called for systematic planning for the incorporation of bicycling in the regional transportation network."

The following is a copy of the Port Authority's statement taken from The Century Road Club Association. 

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
PORT AUTHORITY NEWS BULLETIN
Office of the Executive Director

Bulletin #10-05

March 29, 2010

Bicycling is a rapidly growing mode of transportation and the New York-New Jersey region is facing increased demand for expanded bicycle infrastructure, safer bicycle routes, access to transit connections and secure parking facilities. While we recognize that many Port Authority facilities currently provide some accommodations for bicycle users, we need to prepare more systematically for the growing use of bicycles as a mode of travel within the regional transportation system.

On February 25, 2010, the Board of Commissioners adopted the following policy:
In keeping with its mission to meet the critical transportation needs of the bi-state region, the Port Authority supports bicycling as an important and sustainable mode of travel. It seeks to provide its customers, tenants, visitors and employees with safe and convenient bicycle access and secure bicycle parking at its facilities, wherever operationally and financially feasible.

The Board also authorized the Executive Director to take the following steps to advance the goals of this policy:

Integrate improved bicycle access, safe bicycle lanes, and secure bicycle parking and storage into existing Port Authority buildings and facilities, owned or operated by the Port Authority.

Ensure that design guidelines for new construction and major renovations include sufficient bicycle access, storage, and related amenities to meet emerging demand.

Develop multimodal transit hubs that encourage biking and walking.

Remove any unnecessary restrictions on bicycle access, and promote the safe coexistence of motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians at Port Authority facilities.

Encourage tenants to expand bicycle access and accommodations.

Coordinate bicycle facility improvements and intermodal connections with regional planning organizations, other regional transportation providers, and local governments to promote safe and seamless travel throughout the region.

The Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Capital Planning, and Chief of Real Estate and Development will be responsible for ensuring that the agency takes the preliminary steps necessary to implement this policy and will periodically report to me on the agency’s progress. They will also review interim bicycle master plans and provide final versions for my approval by September 30, 2010. Affected staff will soon receive additional information and guidance from them directly.

I encourage all Port Authority staff to make the most of this opportunity to creatively meet the region’s emerging transportation needs, advance the agency’s environmental commitments and contribute to a more sustainable regional transportation system. We will be able to better serve our customers, foster positive relationships with our communities, and contribute to improved employee health. I look forward to seeing a wide range of plans for meeting these objectives, and to sharing them with the region.

//Original Signed By//

Christopher O. Ward
Executive Director 

Overall I like the initiatives they plan to take and I think that anything to help reduce the use of cars and congestion on the roads is worthy. I wonder when we will see official plans to put these words into action and how long it will take. I hope the Port Authority will work to quickly more forward with these initiatives because, while words are nice, it is action that counts (Please excuse my cynical tone, I am a New Yorker after all and my faith is the Port Authority is not as strong as it could be). 

To read the rest of the article go to The Century Road Club Association. 

Calling all Mountain Bikers

Hey Mountain Bikers,

I'd like to direct you to a great blog that has in turn directed me to a lot of good resources... NYC Mountain Bike Blog. I love reading about their weekend rides and they always provide great ideas for future outings... plus kudos to them, they ride in the snow!

Some of the resources I have discovered through this blog are as follows:

The New York City Mountain Bikers Meetup Group - This is a group "for anyone that shares a passion for mountain biking and trail riding." They welcome all levels and offer a great deal of diversity in their rides and locations.

New York City Mountain Bike Association - Founded in 2005 their mission is to build and maintain trails in the five boroughs of New York City, advocate for the sport, and foster a community of mountain bikers in the City. The website has information on trails and other resources.

I encourage you to follow the NYC Mountain Bike Blog and check out the two websites.

Happy Riding! 

Calling All Triathletes!

The Multisport World Conference and Expo will be coming to New York City on April 18th, 2010.

The Expo is FREE and open to anyone who likes to complete in triathlons or likes to swim, bike or run. I went last year and really enjoyed it... and I am certainly no cyclist and not a competitive swimmer.

They will be offering seminars on such topics as injury prevention, developing faster running times, and nutrition. There will also be running, swimming and cycling clinics-- I did the running clinic last year and LOVED it. For more information on the clinics click (here) and for more information on the seminars click (here).

The event will also feature two speakers: Troy Jacobson founder of Spinervals and National Director of Endurance Sports Training for Lifetime Fitness, and Jordan Metzl, MD, a nationally recognized doctor of Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery. For more information on the speakers click (here).

Please also note the USAT Northeast Region Annual Membership meeting will be taking place at the expo.

The expo will take place at the Manhattan Jewish Community Center (JCC) which coincidentally hosts an awesome indoor triathlon each December (a great opportunity for first timers who are a little worried about the open water aspect of triathlons).

The JCC is located at 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at 76th Street) New York, NY 10024

For more information and to register click (here). My best advice is to register early... this event was PACKED last year!

Update (4/17/10): Jordan Metzel will no longer be speaking at Multisport. But they have added many other experts to the web-page including Dr. Paul Weiss, Jordano Quaglia, Dr. Mark Klion, Andrew Kalley, Scott Duke, Peter Duggan, Nicholas Amico, Niel Cook, and Sarah Currie. For more details on the speakers click here.

Picking a Bike Saddle

I have not had a comfortable ride on a bike since I was 10 years old and my bike was pink with a banana seat and streamers. Yes I adored that bike, she was my baby. Since then I have suffered from the very common numb butt, black and blue marks in places that are truly unmentionable and lots of post ride soreness. To try and remedy the situation I bought a gel bike seat cover which didn't help one little bit ($40 down the drain there). I wore the padded spandex shorts, those just gave me a wedgie (more money thrown away). I figured I was doomed!

So I am sure you can imagine my sheer delight when I came across this article from one of my favorite blogs on how to pick a bike saddle.

If you too have been suffering from... well... how can I put this delicately?... Discomfort... then you will want to check it out!

P.S. When I was checking out the New York State Outdoors Blog I noticed that the NYNJ Trail Conference is looking for people to help clear storm damaged trails. Additionally, if you are out on the trails and  see any problems please remember to report the issue to the NYNJ Trail Conference here or to the State Parks Department. By the way, in general this is always a good practice. We want to keep our trails safe for others and free of debris. Please also always remember to pack out what you packed in and pick up anything someone else may have forgotten!

Looking for a Place to Park Your Bike?

So in honor of everyone wears green day, I thought I would share an awesome tip from Transportation Alternatives (a really worthy and important organization) to help make living a greener life a little easier. Because not everyone is allowed to take your bike inside buildings or restaurants and you might not want to chain your bike to the nearest parking sign, Transportation Alternatives has been kind enough to compile a list of bike parking garages all over the city.

For your convenience I have copied the list below, but please go and check out the original list here.

Manhattan 
85 4th Ave (at 10th St.) - Secure bike room $25 per month 
888 Eighth Avenue (at 53rd Street) - $10 per 10 hours 
J & S Rent-A-Locker, 147 W. 35th Street (b/w Broadway amd 7th ave) - $5 per day 
105 Essex Street (b/w Delancey and Rivington) 
80 Pine Street (West side of Water Street b/w Pine and Maiden) 
Best Parking, 310 W. 40th Street (b/w 8th and 9th) - $15 per hour 
Central Parking, 224 Mulberry Street (b/w Prince and Spring) - $40 per month 
Chelnik Parking, 200 E. 27th Street (at 3rd Avenue) - $6.50 per hour, $206 per month 
Chelnik Parking, 425 Park Avenue (at 55th Street) - $23 per hour 
FastPark, 49 W. 38th Street (at 9th Avenue) - $20 per day 
Gallant Parking, 182 E. 95th Street (at 3rd Avenue) - $21 per day 
Impark, 55 Water Street (south of William Street) - $30 per month for non-tenants 
Kinney System, 345 W. 58th Street (at 8th Avenue) - $37 per day, $16 per hour 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue (at 82nd Street) - open during museum hours

Brooklyn -Currently there are no garages listed in Brooklyn.

The Bronx
Jerome Avenue at Gun Hill Road
Jerome Avenue at 190th Street

Queens
Court Square (near Jackson Ave.)
90th Avenue (bet. Parsons Blvd. & 160th Street)
Archer Ave. at 165th Street
Queens Borough Hall
Queens Plaza South at Jackson Avenue

They don't list any for Brooklyn... but I have a feeling there must be at least one or two there and they also don't list any for Staten Island. Does anyone know of any garages either in Brooklyn or on Staten Island? Or do you know of any that aren't listed on Transportation Alternatives website?

That's all for now folks! I hope everyone has a chance to go outside and enjoy the day! Don't forget to wear your green, go watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade (on Fifth from 42nd to 86th Streets, from 11am-4pm), and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we have been given.

Happy St. Partick's Day Everyone!

Cool Tool- Map My Run

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days... a nasty stomach bug took me out.

Before I got my Garmin one of the hardest things for me to do was track the distance of my runs accurately. That is until I stumbled upon this fun tool, Map My Run. It was one of the easiest tools to learn to use. Although it can be slow to load and a little finicky at times, I found those drawbacks to be well worth it as it is FREE and works everywhere that Google Maps works (read: even on trails in Upstate NY or CT).

 Image of a saved run in through Van Courtland Park on Map My Run

It also lists favorite routes of people in your neighborhood and in the city (for an example, see the above image). This is also great if you are a cyclist and looking to measure your distance.

So if you don't have a Garmin, Polar, or iPhone try this tool out and I hope it helps you in your workouts.

Harlem Valley Rail Trail

 

View from the Copake Section of the Rail Trail

This is such a  great resource for cyclists and cross-country skiers alike that I am continually surprised by how few people know about this resource. Right now the trail in blanketed in snow, so its better for snow shoeing, x-county skiing and skijoring (and yes I have seen quite a few skijorers out on the trail).

Where it is: Wassaic, NY through Millerton New York through Copake, NY

What it is: 15 paved miles of abandoned rail bed just north of New York City in Columbia and Dutchess Counties. They will be adding more miles soon, for now if you want to go between the Millerton trailhead and the Under Mountain Road trailhead (near Copake) you can take Rudd Pond Road to Boston Corners Road to Under Mountain Road. Here is a link to the Google Maps page of the route to bike from one trailhead to the next. The route has very low traffic and is incredibly scenic.

How to get there: Take Metro North to the Wassaic Station on the Harlem Line (last stop). The southern most trailhead is the Wassaic Metro-North station on NY 22. There is also a parking lot there for those of you who want to drive and parking on weekends is free. Additionally, there is a trailhead further north in Millerton, New York near the intersection of US 44 with NY 22. There is also a trail head on Under Mountain Road (about 10 miles North of Millerton, see Google Maps link above) and one near Copake Falls, New York (look for the signs about 13 miles north of Millerton on route 22).There are also free parking lots at all the other trailheads.

Other information: The trailhead near Copake Falls is next to a great bike shop, cute deli  and wonderful swimming hole in an old rock quarry. Its a great place to cool off and relax. For more information on the bike shop check out Bash Bish Bicycle. They also rent bicycles for those of you who don't own them or can't transport them.

Great Places to Eat: Irving Farm is a great place to eat in Millerton and they also have cafes in New York City. Millerton also has a great diner in town right by the trailhead for the Rail Trail. McEnroe's Organic Farm is located between Amenia and Millerton on NY 22. Not only are they an organic farm but they have delicious sandwiches and barbeque options for lunch.

For More Information check out: The New York and New Jersey Trail Conference and the Harlem Valley Rail Trail.

P.S. I've recently heard that one can bike all the way from Manhattan to The Harlem Valley Rail Trail on designated bike trails that run through Westchester up through Dutchess County. I will do some research on this and report back. For you true distance cyclists, biking the entire way sounds like a lot of fun!