June 22, 2007
David Byrne: Bicycles in New York City
I have been riding a bicycle in New York City for almost 30 years! For transport, not for sport. At first there were only a few of us. Loners, losers, maniacs and nerds. Some of the members of Talking Heads used to make fun of me and say I was going to turn into Pee Wee Herman — and they weren’t talking about his extensive porno collection.
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8 Responses to “David Byrne: Bicycles in New York City”
The image is actually from another article on David Byrne’s blog, but I really liked it, so there you go.
“If an eight year old kid can’t ride on it safely then it isn’t a bike lane.” So true.
Bikes are awesome. Bikes are the future. I used to love biking. But people who have the nerves do it in NYC under the present conditions are Special. I am not Special. So I walk and take the train.
A Very Special friend of my mom’s, an artist in her seventies, has one of those folding bikes, and she rides it everywhere. She takes it on trips, too. She had her knee replaced a couple of years ago, and she still has trouble walking and climbing stairs, but she has no hesitation about biking. “I can’t walk, but I can ride,” she says, grinning.
Also, that West Side greenway Byrne mentions is not altogether safe. I used to walk up it to get to my gym, when I worked in Tribeca, and it’s lovely, but there were way too many cars and trucks turning across it. They do not yield.
Somewhere in the vasty Internets, there’s a harrowing helmet-cam video by a rider going down a so-called bike path in the East Village. I can’t find that one, but this one gives you an idea of what it’s like. Bike paths here are bullshit.
And, you know, I like President Bloomberg and all, but I just don’t understand what the hell is his problem with the Critical Mass rides. If he had treated them reasonably, they’d be a quarter the size that they are. By persecuting them month after month, year after year, however, he’s turned it into a huge issue. He should be encouraging bikers, not waging war on them.
And then, there’s this.
Okay, I’m going to shut up in a moment, but first: why don’t more newspapers have a regular bicycling column? I mean, doesn’t the New York Times have a whole goddamn cars section? In a city where most people don’t even have a car?
Great links and comments, India. Thank you.
At least Croydon has a system they can complain about. In my community, there is nothing for cyclists except for scenic rail trails, which while beautiful, are useless for most commuting.
I’d bike more often if it was practical and I didn’t have to worry about getting killed or paralyzed.
I will hand it to Richard II (of the House of Daley) for this: He does promote bicycling in Chicago. (See the Bike 2015 Plan.)
Not that your average Chicagoan gets it.
Michael, that’s exactly it: I don’t even own a bike anymore, and I see no reason in getting one, unless I become crushingly depressed and decide to end it all. I will not buy one until the streets are made more safe. Or I move out of New York.
But when I do get a bike, I hope it’s one of these.
Those are cool! Classic. Great site, too.
Here’s my old Cannondale hybrid.
It has 21-speeds and can be geared so low it will almost climb a wall. I love that bike.