Not solely is fall a great time for what was referred to as “mountain biking,” but it surely’s additionally a great time for commuting by bicycle, which I don’t assume I’ve carried out since Could when some brigand raided my Sackville:
For those who’re gonna drain my sack not less than purchase me dinner first.
In any case, the rationale I haven’t commuted by bicycle since then isn’t as a result of I used to be traumatized by this wanton violation; fairly, it’s as a result of after Could it begins getting sizzling–and I simply can’t with the new. (Not in the case of a 30-plus mile round-trip Bronx-to-Brooklyn bike commute, anyway.) I understand this makes me a “woosie“…
…however at this level in my life I’d fairly simply sit on an air-conditioned prepare and skim and save the using for once I don’t should be anyplace.
However fall brings the crispness, which in flip makes me wish to commute by bicycle once more–not less than as soon as in awhile, once I can spare the additional time. (The prepare’s simply sooner over that distance, particularly once you’re as sluggish as I’m.) So yesterday that’s what I did:
Now that the Henry Hudson Bridge bike path is full and the Hudson River Greenway is detour-free I can journey from residence all the way in which to decrease Manhattan nearly totally on bike paths. In reality I barely should put a foot down, apart from this pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks in higher Manhattan:
However from there it’s just about a straight shot alongside the mighty Hudson:
The place folks now appear to be constructing trip properties:
He didn’t like me taking photos:
It appeared fairly unreasonable to me that somebody who’s appropriated a big portion of a public park for his personal private dwelling house also needs to count on complete privateness within the cut price, however now that I look extra carefully I see it was star of the silver display Jason Momoa and he will need to have thought I used to be a paparazzo:
Clearly he’s getting ready for his position within the upcoming “Down and Out In Beverly Hills” remake, entitled “Assed Out on the Higher West Facet.”
Ignoring his rantings and attempting desperately not to consider what he could be barbecuing, I continued on, hugging the shoreline:
The commute was a lot as I remembered it, although approaching the Manhattan Cruise Terminal I used to be amazed to find a completely new part of motorbike path:
For a couple of yards there it felt like being in a very completely different metropolis, how unique.
However sure, in any other case it was all the standard stuff, together with all of the riders getting on and off the Manhattan Bridge in opposition to the sunshine and using proper throughout the trail of automotive visitors:
The Manhattan Bridge additionally had loads of bike visitors, although in some way I managed to seize it right here at a second the place none of it was seen:
And gas-powered motor scooters within the bike lane continues to be a factor, too:
Although now they’re not less than going via the difficulty of utilizing clearly faux license plate:
I used to be appalled to see an old-timey Italian slur so quickly after Italian Heritage Day.
Talking of Italian, right here’s an actual head-turner:
That’s Peak Aluminum proper there.
As for me, I used to be using one thing magnetic:
By the way in which, the ultra-wide vary crank configuration was completely good for this journey, which is nearly totally flat besides for 2 brief however extraordinarily steep climbs in the direction of the very finish.
I believe I’ll preserve it.
