# London to NYC -should I bring my bike?



## prairiefox (Feb 7, 2007)

Hello - I'm from London and I'm going for a holiday for a week to Manhattan in April. Me and the boyf are keen to bring our bikes. He used to be a bike messenger /courier so he reckons it will be a great idea.

We can get the bikes on the BA flight but I'm not sure whether we should take them or not.?.. I ride a fixed wheel and he's got an audax, is it easy to ride round Manhattan if you've never been there before. Coming from London the city look pretty simple to navigate,,,, but I'm not so sure.

So basically I suppose what I'm asking is - do people think it's worth it to take our bikes ? will we have to ride from JFK to Greenwich Village or could we get a big cab or use the trains/subway? How dangerous is it? and how safe is your bike when locked with a sturdy D lock?

Also any suggestions on inetersting bike shops or communities in NYC?

Hope someone's got some pearls of wisdom to share..


----------



## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Can you handle riding on the wrong side of the street? 

Frankly, if you are only going for one week, leave your bike at home. NYC is easy to walk in.


----------



## jmoryl (Sep 5, 2004)

For just one week I wouldn't bother. Maybe you can get someone to loan you a bike for a day or two. Some will disagree, but I find NYC to be a very poor place to be a cyclist. Give us your impression when you return....


----------



## Dumbod (Dec 31, 2004)

jmoryl said:


> For just one week I wouldn't bother. Maybe you can get someone to loan you a bike for a day or two. Some will disagree, but I find NYC to be a very poor place to be a cyclist. Give us your impression when you return....


Let me be the first to disagree.

Assuming that you ignore the snow/ice storm that we are currently having, NYC is a fine place to ride. It is a different than riding in Montana but riding in London is different than riding in the Cotswalds. If you're comfortable riding in London, you'll be OK in NYC. Just be careful of the roundabouts. US drivers haven't got a clue about how to traverse a roundabout.

It depends on what you want to do on your trip. There is no reason to bring your bike if all you want to do is go to the various tourist/cultural spots. You can walk or take the subway. And if all you want to do is stay in Manhattan, the opportunities are limited. The loop of Central Park is very pleasant as is the Hudson River Bike Path but that's about it.

The beauty of the bike is the ability to see parts of NYC that mosts tourists never see. For example, ride your bike over the Brooklyn Bridge. (Check out the photos at http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=83976&highlight=brooklyn+bridge). RIde down through Owls Head along the harbor. Ride into Brooklyn or Queens. There are parts of NYC that you won't believe are NYC.

You've only got a week; there's plenty to do if all you do is stick to the standard spots but, if you want to get off the beaten path, a bike's a good way to do it. BTW, if you're looking for a "guide", drop me a private message. If we can work out the time, I'd be happy to take you on some of my favorite rides.

If you do decide to bring your bikes, don't worry about gearing. There's nothing in NYC that would threaten a fit rider on a fixed gear - I do it all the time.


----------



## prairiefox (Feb 7, 2007)

*hmm*

This proves a tough one...

I'm going to look into how easy it is for us to safely secure our bikes where we are staying and that will probably be the deciding factor. I don't want to turn our 'holiday' into a mission but I know if I was visiting London I'd love to have my bike. I've seen a you tube video of an alley cat race which ends up over brooklyn bridge and it is something I've always wanted to do. 

Thanks for everyone's tips and advice - if I do end up bringing them I'll definitely be in touch - it would be great to get a guided tour by a fellow fixie !

If only there was a place you could hire nice bikes... I swear there would be a market for hiring light, racers, road bikes and fixies - instead of those heavy, clumps of metal they always hire out.


----------



## daneil (Jun 25, 2002)

prairiefox said:


> This proves a tough one...
> 
> I'm going to look into how easy it is for us to safely secure our bikes where we are staying and that will probably be the deciding factor. I don't want to turn our 'holiday' into a mission but I know if I was visiting London I'd love to have my bike. I've seen a you tube video of an alley cat race which ends up over brooklyn bridge and it is something I've always wanted to do.
> 
> ...


Where are you staying? I lived in the Village for 6 years and I still work there. Let me know where you're holing up for your trip and I'll let you know if there are any questions about safety. 

You could also try ringing up Chelsea Bikes and Gotham. They usually rent out nice rides. Chelsea used to keep a nice stable of renters for the big NYC based rides.

http://www.chelseabicycles.net/


----------



## prairiefox (Feb 7, 2007)

*i can have my cake and eat it...*

wow that's excellent! thanks so much - we are staying in the East Village- perhaps I will just rent out a nice bike for a few days from Chelsea bikes - that's probably the safest and most practical solution.

Horray! - we aren't actually going until the end of April - I am just so excited about it I can't stop researching all the things I want to do when I get there... a few long bike rides is definitely top of my list.


----------



## fran2537 (Aug 28, 2006)

*Rent a bike*

I would suggest the hassle of the transport is not worth the comfort of having your own ride.
Several shops rent bikes--one of the other members gave some good suggestions--i would add a simpler and less adventerous option--there is a bike path that runs along the west side of manhattan. take that up past 59th street and head over to central park. minimizes traffic and the chances of getting lost.
good luck.


----------



## lawrence (May 17, 2005)

Don't bring your bike, it will get stolen very easy. Do you mind that? If it was a month, bring your bike. A week? Forget it. NYC is very easy to take the subway or the bus. The subway's go all over the city. Trains leave outside the city. The subways are relatively safe. They are safe during the day, questionable late at night. But filthy! I've never been to London but there's nothing like NYC. I live in New Jersey, an adjacent state across the river.

April will be nice weather, anywhere from the 40's to the 70's Fahrenheit. There could even be snow in April but highly unlikely, about once every 10-15 years. It could be raining couple of days a week.

Food in NYC is anywhere from cheap to expensive. Some great pizza in NYC. You should post your itinerary and we'll give you some feedback on what you should see and skip. The countryside north of NYC and in Connecticut, adjacent state, are beautiful. Beautiful beaches in Long Island, east of NYC and accessible by public transit but the water will be too cold to swim in April.


----------



## TeddyO (Oct 8, 2005)

Biking in Manhattan is an acquired taste. Motorists give bikes no respect at all. Getting from the airport is not bad, you can take the subway. Its really a walking city, especially in april. If you need to do some biking you can rent a bike for a day or two, but mostly thay will be a hindrance.


----------

