1. Google Maps – I use their mostly-reliable bike path trip planner. Route your to and from and then click on the bicycle icon (it’s next to the icons for car, bus, and walking). You can click and drag the route to change it as you want. A key helper is Google Street View- to use this, drag the little yellow man on the left side of your Google Maps screen and drop him onto the desired street. If the street turns blue on hover, it means it’s Street View enabled. Use keyboard keys to look around and move: A or left arrow = look left, D or right arrow = look right, W = look up, S = look down, Up arrow = move forward, Down arrow = move backward.

Check out the streets beforehand to see if they look bike friendly (road quality), or have decent views. Mentally note buildings, etc beforehand that you will pass so you know you’re on the right path.

2. Pick Up a NYC 2011 Bike Map – from any bike shop, order one free by calling 311, or download. The map also includes tutorials on your bike laws/rights in traffic, and detailed insets of getting on and off every bridge. Carry one in your bag incase you get lost. It also shows you where the nearest bike shop is in case you get a flat. The above link also includes a “Ride The City” google map inset of all NYC bike shops highlighted for quick viewing.

3. Download OffMaps for iPhone/iPod Touch – because the native Maps app only caches what you’ve recently viewed, and dumps the cache everytime you restart your phone/ipod or close the app. If you have a data plan on your iPhone, you don’t need this. Though this has saved my butt countless times while traveling abroad without data in Italy and living in Berlin (where the city map is free). I hit the GPS locator button, and if a wifi signal is nearby it usually is able to tell me where I am on a map. Any GPS app on any mobile device should work nonetheless.

• Make sure you have adequate water, snacks, and emergency tools in your backpack! http://bikeandthecity.stevenchu.com/backpack/
• Try biking in a fair weather day. If it’s raining or slippery anywhere, avoid metal sewer grates that your bike can slip on or have the wheels get stuck in.
• Make it a day trip- it’s NYC and there are potholes everywhere. Safety-wise, night trips are fine in Manhattan, but Brooklyn, Queens and beyond without the grid structure can get confusing.
• Avoid evening rush hour (4-8pm) if you need to pass through Midtown (why would you ever go there) or Downtown Brooklyn (Atlantic Ave / Flatbush Ave) – most of the trips listed on this site don’t run through congested areas. However, it’s more stress, more angry cars, more incidents that can turn that smile upside down.

This is a full (and sorry, lengthy) guide about what you can do to protect yourself in this number one danger of riding bikes in the city, and how to recover once you take the spill.

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Protecting yourself:

1. The only thing that stands between your head and the sharp edge of the car door is chance; or your helmet.

2. Always keep your hands on your brakes, you never know when you’ll need to come to a screeching halt. (A heavier clunkier bike is going to have a harder time stopping than an efficient road bike with good brakes).

My friend just told me: “I had a friend that happened to in L.A. and the door cut open his arm and it looked like the inside of a cherry pie..”

You can’t predict when a door will fly open or a car will lurch out from parallel parking, so be especially wary if you’re locked in with cars on either side of you. If you have space on one side, you can try to dodge the door while increasing the pressure on your brakes; however if you swerve wildly and slam into the door, you risk propelling yourself into the middle lanes of the street. Give yourself some extra space even with bike lanes because while they’re great ‘n all, an open door can fully occlude the width of the lane and you’ll get clotheslined. You never know who’s in that car, and most aren’t looking.

Note: Never bike fast between cars in lanes of traffic.

3. If you get thrown off your bike, keep your limbs bent and don’t fully lock out your joints.. that’s how you’d get them snapped. Try to absorb and then divert the pressure of the fall with hands/palms extended and your feet, then rolling onto your side if you can. Protect your head to the best of your ability from any impact, even with a helmet. I know this sounds ridiculous, but if you’re wearing your backpack of emergency tools, it does break some of your fall.

Recovering from a spill:

1. Don’t immediately spring up unless you’re in the path of oncoming traffic. Take your time and go down your mental checklist of where you’re fine and where you may have been injured, and if you’ve hit your head. This sounds like a no brainer but I can’t remember falling (there’s a blank in my memory), just realizing I’d hit the ground.

2. Initiate contact and engage with the person who opened the car door as quickly as possible. There is such a thing as “swing open and run”.

3. Collect information. Immediately ask for contact information: phone number, name, state ID license (if you think you or your bike have damages), and witnesses. If it’s people getting out of a taxi, get the taxi’s information as a witness (driver ID, license plate). *CALL the person’s number immediately to verify it’s a working phone*.

If you know what parts on your bike are damaged and can make a cost assessment, let the person know how much you’re requesting them to cover. Request cash up front if it’s minimal (you now have a flat tube or punctured tire). Or you can file an accident report with their insurance company.

Quickly assessing bike damages:

a. Frame. If your frame is bent, your bike may be totaled.

b. Fork. If the fork of your bike (the two pronged metal bars that turn the front tire) is bent, you may be able to replace that.

c. Wheel. If your wheel is visibly bent, you’ll probably need a new one. Avg cost: $100+

d. Spokes. If it isn’t rotating smoothly, check the spokes on the wheel to see if any have come loose. The spokes distribute tension on a wheel as with tennis racket strings, and need to be even. The avg cost to repair each spoke is $5. However your bike wheel has memory for any place it’s taken a hit, and it’ll always be wobbly from hereon… but it’s still fully functional, just less efficient.

e. Stem & Handlebars. [see wiki] If your handlebar is misaligned, you can have one person hold the fork and the other readjust the handlebar. If the person has ran off, you can hold the front wheel in between your thighs to readjust. Make sure it hasn’t loose and wobbling because if it has, you cannot continue to bike and need to tighten the stem with an allen wrench. On newer bikes, it’ll be threadless and clamped. On an older bike, the handlebar will be ‘threaded’ and may require more than just the single allen wrench.

f. Brakes. [see types on wiki] On a geared road bike where you can coast (vs a single-speed fixed gear bike where you must pedal to speed up and to slow down, and wheel rotation directly corresponds to pedal rotation), if your hand brakes aren’t functioning as usual you shouldn’t continue to bike. You most likely have rim brakes, and they may need to be realigned via jiggering-by-hand or a small allen wrench. Your brakes should clamp down onto the metal rim of the tire, not the tire itself.. which will wear the rubber on the tire and cause tire to explode over time.

Also, check the tension of the brake wire. If it’s come loose then your brakes may be clamping down much weaker. Loosen via allen wrench, pull wire tighter to desired tension, and re-tighten bolt.

For fixing more types of brakes, check out this article.

g. Drivetrain. Your chain will probably have fallen off with any large impact. If your geared bike has a derailer, you can just pull the chain and plop it back on the chainring (the spikey blade looking wheel) realigned. For other bike types, flip your bike upside down onto the handlebars and seat, wheels in air. Align the chain as you can, (if you have a kickstand, the kickstand must be up, not down or it won’t work) and then rotate the pedals till the bearings are all back on track.

You can mentally break this trip into 3 parts:
1. Passing through Greenpoint and the beautiful Pulaski Bridge into LIC [Long Island City] (15 minutes)
2. Getting from LIC to the Queensboro Bridge (10 minutes max)
3. Crossing the Queensboro Bridge (10 -15 minutes) into Manhattan

Greenpoint:
1. Take the Manhattan Ave bike route up to Eagle St. You’ll pass McCarren Park, Nassau Ave, and Greenpoint Ave where the road will widen a lot and you’ll roll downhill until you see Eagle Ave.
Grab a quick snack: Peter Pan Bakery (727 Manhattan Ave) is delicious, right after you pass Norman Ave on your left hand side.
2. R on Eagle St, bike a couple blocks and you’ll see the onramp (aka sidewalk) to the Pulaski Bridge
3. L onto Pulaski Bridge (McGuinness Blvd) pedestrian/bike path. It’s a small bridge and kinda narrow so pass others only if you must, and can manage tight squeezes.

Tip 1: There’s a 6 inch gap at the top of the Pulaski Bridge where it parts to let boats through. Shift your weight away from the front and onto the back wheel, and your tires should go over without a hitch.

Tip 2: If you don’t want to take Manhattan Ave, you can take McGuinness (there’s no bike lane though). This is faster than Manhattan Ave when coming back into Williamsburg. But, I wouldn’t recommend taking it up into LIC because you’ll need to cross the 4+ lane street to get to the pedestrian/bike path that’s only on the left-hand (west) side of the bridge. I’ve biked directly over in the car lane before.. not fun, don’t try it.

LIC:
1. When you come off the Pulaski Bridge you’ll turn right onto Jackson Ave (the big street in front of you), and a 100 feet ahead will be the intersection of three streets.
2. Diagonal L turn @ 11th St (or take Jackson a few streets up to 21st Ave. I take 21st St coming back to BK, but have gotten used to taking 11th St up). Take either to the base of the Queensboro Bridge (Queens Plaza South).
3. R on Queens Plaza South. Bike alongside bridge until 23rd St (there are also street signs that will guide you to the bike path entrance)
4. L on 23rd to go under bridge and make a right turn onto the sidewalk (the street traffic runs against you). Bike up sidewalk path (designated for bikes) to the bike path onramp.

Queensboro Bridge:
Tip: When coming off onto the Manhattan side, be wary of the switchback (a sharp sudden U-turn) which lets you onto the street finally at 1st Ave & 60th St.

To head north, take 1st Ave. To head south, bike down 60th St to 2nd Ave.

My path of choice to the UWS is to cut through the park at the 72nd St Transverse (aka Terrace Drive). It’s beautiful and very quick. (The 65th St Transverse is a bit more dangerous.. highway-like)

To upper midtown west, you’ll need to take 60th st to the southeast corner of the park where you’ll merge onto 59th St (previously a one-way street). You can take 5th or 7th Ave or Broadway (@ Columbus Circle) to head south. These are all heavily trafficked streets, though the streets on the west side (9th Ave until west side highway) are spacious and much less stressful to take.

View Larger Map

A recommendation to current bikers: If you live in North Williamsburg, take Roebling Street over Grand Street.

Now, How to Generally Cross the Williamsburg Bridge into Manhattan.

1. You’re technically supposed to take the sidewalk on the street that leads to the bridge bike entrance, and leave the street for the bikers coming off the bridge.

2. At the fork, stick to your right and take the NORTH pathway. There are signs for this now, and road markings. Pedestrians are to take the SOUTH corridor pathway only but they follow this only half the time. Bike in the right lane; pass people on the left and give a verbal notification (“Passing [behind you] on your left!”). Pedestrians would be better off sticking to the south pathway… hopefully they’ll catch on someday.

3. When you begin biking on the Manhattan slope side, you’ll notice 3 lanes now. One for pedestrians, and two bike lanes for bicycles.

Note: The Williamsburg bridge has the steepest incline of all the main bridges, meaning  you’ll work harder to get up top, and you’ll roll down much quicker. If you’re going slower than the traffic, bike on the right so fast bikes can pass you on your left. Also, when making turns or cutting across lanes, look over your shoulder behind you to make sure you’re clear to turn.

4. Your Manhattan Destination:

Here’s a PDF map from the DOT of routes once off the Williamsburg Bridge

Anything below Houston street:

-Biking along Delancey (ie. Kenmare) will bring you to as far as Lafayette St. Go south if you want to resume on Broome St, or North if you want to take the Prince St bike lane.

-If you take Grand St, when you come off the bridge to the Manhattan entrance (the island in the street), turn left (looking for traffic first), and wait for the proper signal to bike South two blocks to Grand St. Turn right and the bike path goes as far west as Chrystie/Forsyth St.

West Village/Westside (Chelsea and north)/Nolita:

-At the Manhattan-side entrance (the island in the street), turn right and on the proper signal, take the Clinton St bike lane north 4 blocks to Houston St. (If you want the Lower East Side, you can turn left before you hit Houston.) Turn left on Houston and bike along to destination. Houston is a clear, *wide*, and smooth street to bike on, except when it encounters congestion between Bowery and NYU.

For Chelsea and any neighborhood on the west side north, you can take Houston ALL the way to the west side highway, or turn right on 6th avenue. IFC Film Center is the mark for w4th st and 6th ave. A few blocks after this You’ll see a diagonal street on your left called Greenwich, which is a safe smooth shortcut to 8th avenue. 8th Avenue has a dedicated bike lane & bike traffic light for safety. Cars can not turn when bicycles have a green light. Great!

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How to Cross the Williamsburg Bridge into Brooklyn.

1. Reaching the Bridge:

A.// DELANCEY is a safety nightmare.

If you’re coming from the north (most likely down Allen St), until you’re comfortable biking in traffic you may want to walk your bike for this one. However if you want to bike directly on Delancey alongside traffic, biking on the inside lane works best to get onto the bridge. I almost never do this anymore, option C is safer.

B.// GRAND ST BIKE PATH (coming from the south). If you’re coming from the south and taking the Grand St bike route to Clinton St (two-way), be careful when you bike up Clinton towards Delancey. That intersection has a very confusing traffic signal because the signals for both traffic directions (east-west) + (north-south) face you. There are 3 stoplights on Delancey right before the bridge to slow down cars, a good percentage of the time cars will ignore the red lights and still speed through so beware.

C.// SUFFOLK ST BIKE PATH (coming from the north).

If you’re coming from the East Village, you can take either the 2nd ave bike lane or Ave A south. 1 block past Houston, turn left onto the Stanton St bike lane. Take this all the way to Suffolk St bike lane which will bring you to the Williamsburg bridge.

2. Once you reach the fork, take the left (NORTH) pathway once more to return to Brooklyn. The SOUTH pathway is now a dedicated pedestrian zone. You’ll know you’re on the right side because of the traffic lane markings, and that you’re looking towards midtown. The SOUTH decline is an uncomfortable, bumpy roller-coaster which is tougher to brake on (you have less control) and it abruptly ends in a cross-street.

While thinking off-hand which bridge would be easier to cross: the Brooklyn Bridge with its row of wooden plank boards, confused tourists, and angry shouting bikers.. or the Manhattan Bridge whose only entrance seems to be a giant arch with a highway spilling out of it, I’ve always wondered… you want me to go in there??

The Manhattan Side

Luckily the entrance to this bridge is separate. Found at the corner of Bowery & Forsyth, it doesn’t involve racing alongside highway traffic as on the Williamsburg bridge.

For more, try the Aerial Map View of the Manhattan entrance courtesy NY Dept of Transportation.

Biking into Brooklyn will be smooth and relatively effortless sailing (notice how as you’re about to hit the east river, you seem to be 6 stories above ground.. yet you haven’t biked 6 stories up?). The elevation level on the Manhattan side is a lot higher than the Brooklyn side.

Getting off on the Brooklyn side feels like a car getting off an interstate highway (..or a video game) because of the loopty-loop.

The Brooklyn Side

For more explanation, try the Aerial Map View of the Brooklyn entrance courtesy NY Dept of Transportation.

Tip 1: It would’ve been great if somebody had told me the loopty-loop dumps you under the Flatbush Ave extension overpass heading West-bound.

Tip 2: Whether you’re coming or going, the street that gets you on the bridge is Sands St.. It’s a two-way street running east-west, and either way you go brings you to a bike path that heads south (Jay St. for the west side, Navy St for the east side.)

My mistake was thinking I could take Flatbush right off the bridge due to Google Maps walking directions. It appealingly cuts through the city to southbound destinations and is no frills if you catch it outside of traffic hour. The correct thing to do was to look up directions via RideTheCity or NYCBikemaps . You *can* take Flatbush, but not off the bat.

Depending where you want to go, if say from the Manhattan Bridge to Prospect Park:

1. Right after you bike under the bridge to the first intersection, make a left turn and take the Jay St bike path heading south until you hit Fulton St (one way running south-east).
2. L onto Fulton St. Fulton comes to a large intersection with Flatbush.
3. R on Flatbush. You’ll hit a circular drive at Grand Army Plaza. The park entrance (West Dr) is directly in front of you.
4. To continue on Flatbush to mid-park area, avoid the expansive West Dr. Flatbush is a bit further on the left in your field-of-view. This stretch of the street has absolutely no traffic!

For some recommended destinations from this point in your bike journey, try:
[[COMING SOON]]

Images courtesy Google Maps Street View