101 Things We Miss About #BikeNYC
Headwinds
Tailwinds
Venting your anger on drivers in the bike lane
Speeding past cars stuck in traffic
An undeniable sense of moral superiority
Rolled-up pant leg chic
Helmet hair style
Cool U-lock fashion
The pannier as handbag
A bit mussed up but not minding
Being late to work and not being able to blame the subway, just your legs
Arriving at work sooooooo thirsty
Never missing the train
The bemused looks on the faces of bus riders
Commuting is the best part of your day
Privacy in public space on the Hudson River Greenway
The clack of the planks on the Brooklyn Bridge
Bombing down Broadway late at night
Sneaking in a few laps in Central Park
Racing strangers over the Manhattan Bridge
Free parking
A sense of camaraderie with strangers, just because they are on a bike
Righteous anger at terrible planning decisions
Complaining about Robert Moses
The dinky adorable bike bell
Counting how many blocks you can go without putting your foot down
That moment of weightlessness at the top of the hill, just when you start downhill
The sense of strength you feel pushing your body forward
Fresh pavement
Singing as loud as you want
Seeing all of the in-between places
Cursing like a New Yorker
Knowing where all of the potholes are
Checking out the other peoples’ rides at the stoplight
Being able to pop into shops along the way
Cranking up your portable speaker
Ignoring your phone
A bottle cage full of bodega coffee
Pasta for lunch, pasta for dinner. No regrets.
“You rode your BIKE? Badass!”
Work Out + Commute = Multitasking
That first day of good weather
The view from any bridge
Watching all of the cars stuck in traffic as you speed past
TAKING. THE. LANE.
People on bikes listening to music who let you draft
People on bikes taking their kids to school
People on bikes who get mad on your behalf when a driver comes too close
Other people
Bike dogs
Sunshine
Coasting downhill
How you feel faster in spandex
How you judge people in spandex
How when you unzip your coat it flies back like a superhero
Getting the last Citi Bike
Getting to pick from a full dock of Citi Bikes
Docking your Citi Bike in the last empty spot
Electric Citi Bikes
Alec Baldwin on a Citi Bike
Stopping to warn people before a ticket trap
Sharing legal advice with people after a ticket trap
Letting pedestrians go first
The surprised reaction when you let pedestrians go first
Sometimes even letting cars go first
Recognizing a friend’s bike in the wild
Seeing friends in the bike lane
Seeing the same strangers every day in the bike lane
Being able to hit multiple parties / meetings / shows in one night
Carrying everything
Not paying for the subway
Not waiting for the bus
Not caring what trains are delayed
Always having a seat
Smugness
River sunsets
Spotting a hawk
Moving too fast for mosquitoes
Unintentionally terrorizing slow pigeons
Smelling the flowers without needing to stop
Light rain
Heavy rain
Being unprepared for a summer deluge
Catching a green wave
Realizing that New York City suddenly feels small
Rolling stops
Breaking the rules
Critical Mass circa 2004
Ride Outs circa 2019
Suddenly following all the traffic rules because you see a little kid watching
Coasting
Climbing
The feeling that you could just keep going and going and going
Realizing that biking is like meditation
Remembering that endorphins are a helluva drug
Open streets
Summer Streets
Post-Marathon streets
Bike lanes
Protected bike lanes
Riding in a protected bike lane that you fought for, and knowing “I did this.”
The fight for protected bike lanes is not on pause just because we are stuck at home. Learn how you can be an advocate for bike-friendly streets and more during COVID-19.