Remember the last time you walked across the Pulaski Bridge? You likely were almost run over by a cyclist, right? Or were you the cyclist coasting at a rapid pace with no time to break as you approached a halted pedestrian stopped to snap a shot of that breathtaking Manhattan skyline?
Lucky for us, this danger might soon come to an end.
The city is currently in talks to create a separate bike lane for the bridge, providing a more spacious walking route and a safer way for cyclists to cross from Greenpoint to Long Island City. A bike lane would reportedly replace one of the Pulaski’s three southbound car lanes. The current sidewalk is only eight-feet wide for cyclists and pedestrians traveling in both directions.
The only roadblock (pun intended) is the Pulaski’s drawbridge. According to DNAinfo.com, the Department of Transportation will announce a final decision this March. Maybe Greenpointers will have a safe way to head to LIC just in time for ideal spring bike-riding weather.
With the ongoing gas shortage and damage and delays to our public transportation system caused by Hurricane Sandy, do your fellow New Yorkers and yourself a favor and bike!
In an effort to encourage biking in Greenpoint, Silk Road Cycles (76 Franklin St) is offering a special to Greenpointers readers with 15% off the purchase of bikes and accessories and 10% off labor for the month of November.
So get a bike or dust off the beater, get tuned up and hit the road!
Silk Road Cycles will join Affinity Cycles (616 Grand St) for a Rockaways Food Delivery Ride. To join the ride: meet at Affinity Cycles on Saturday (11/10) at 9:30am with “batteries, cleaning supplies and food,” to be delivered to the Rockaways on your bicycle.
You wish! If you want to get intimate with your Brooks saddle you will have to go all the way to Philly for the Philly Naked Bike Ride on Saturday, August 25th, 2012 at 4pm. Otherwise we can offer you the next best thing, a ride from McGolrick Park to Fort Tilden on Sunday August 26, 2012 at 11am, guided by Greenpointer Julian, who I bet would get naked if you asked him to. He rules! RSVP on FB.
Now someone start organizing a Greenpoint Naked Bike Ride! PLEASE!
While walking up Franklin I stopped in to say hi to our friends at Silk Road Cyles. The boys were wearing these awesome logo t-shirts, which my cat seems to enjoy, too. As I was begging for a t-shirt I realized one of my TO-DOs is to get bike lights.
Bike lights are essential to safe night riding and THE LAW, but they are easy to lose and when you throw them in your bag the switch is easily pressed and the light goes on and drains the battery. Those darn watch batteries that most bike lights have are really expensive, not to mention environmentally UN-friendly. Because of these shortcomings, I sometimes find myself riding lightless, which is just stupid.
My two requests for the perfect bike light: they don’t turn on if I breathe on them AND they are rechargeable. Of course Silk Road Cycles had what I needed.
As opposed to those wrap around silicone lights, these Knog “Blinder” Lights are a pretty penny, at over $45/light, but can we really put a price on safety? These are our lives we are talking about, people!
You have to hold them to turn them on and they charge with USB. Check and check. And in the long run they are eco-friendly and wallet-friendly since we no longer need to buy those expensive and toxic watch batteries.
We are currently recruiting 60 marshals and other ride support volunteers (non-riders) for this 600 person ride. If you are an experienced cyclist, you can ride free by serving as a ride marshal.
Mandatory marshal training and orientation will occur the evening of Tuesday, July 10th. Non-riding volunteers will help with coordination, directing riders, registration at ride starts and help with the end of
the ride.
While there was no choice to opt out of “CITI” brandedbike-share locations in Greenpoint altogether, we voted and here is a draft map of where they will be placed in the neighborhood.
Locations:
• India St Ferry Terminal
• Franklin & Java St
• Freeman and Manhattan
• India & Manhattan
• Milton & Franklin
• Meserole & Manhattan
• Bedford @ Lorimer
• Eckford & Driggs
• Russell & Driggs
• Nassau & Sutton
• Norman & Humboldt
• Richardson & North Henry
Spring is here and everyone is dusting off their bicycles and hitting the pavement. Here are some tips on staying safe and making your bike street legal from the dudes at Silk Road Cycles. This is your life we are talking about, so take it seriously!
GP: How do we make a bicycle street legal in NY? Silk Road Cycles: The three things we focus on are:
1. Working brakes (according to the law, a brake that is able to make your rear tire skid on level ground.)
2. Bell or other audible signal
3. Lights and reflective material – from dusk till dawn)
GP: Are there fines associated with not complying? Silk Road Cycles: Yes. You can be ticketed for any of the above issues.
GP: What lights do you recommend? Silk Road Cycles: Both front and rear are a must! Any light that is clearly visible to drivers, but the brighter the better (NYC has a lot of lights everywhere, so stand out). In the shop we have a penchant for USB rechargeable lights. Easier, brighter and they run about $80 for a pair. (They’ll also double as strobe lights for your next party.) Well worth it, if you ask us.
GP: Do you have to wear a helmet legally as an adult? As a child? Silk Road Cycles: After the age of 14 you do not have to wear a helmet legally. But everyone should!
Purchase a helmet that is bicycle specific and approved by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
You should replace your helmet immediately after a crash and/or after 3 years of use. Over time the foam in the helmet deteriorates. Now and again, look over your helmet – make sure the plastic is still entirely connected to the styrofoam and check for cracks in the foam.
GP: Can you wear a skateboard helmet instead of a bike helmet? Silk Road Cycles: Legally: yes. With confidence in your safety: no. Bicycle helmets are made for single use high impact. Skateboard helmets are made for multiple impacts at much lower speeds.
