Manhattan
New York Bites Back
06/01/10 18:10 In: Bike Tart Musings | Cycling
Keith got in touch in response to my blog entry following my return from New York City last week - turns out there is some lovely looking riding not too far away...
Ok so it's still not New York City, but it's close - doesn't look bad does it?
Anyone else got some New York riding they want to share?
Share
Ok so it's still not New York City, but it's close - doesn't look bad does it?
Anyone else got some New York riding they want to share?
Share
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The Bike Decides
02/01/10 11:37 In: Bike Tart Musings | Cycling
New York City had me distracted for a moment, but it didn't last long...
We arrived shortly after lunchtime on Wednesday - a last minute "balls to it, let's go to New York for new year's eve". For all of Wednesday afternoon and Thursday I was lost in the hustle and bustle of my favourite place in the world, absorbed in my role of tour guide to my mate who was visiting this veritable Mecca for the first time, lost in craning my neck up to the dizzy heights of my favourite landmarks.
I had managed the unthinkable. I had forgotten about the bike... *insert pic of shocked face and video clip of somebody falling off their chair*
I must have spouted a thousand times how much I loved the place, how I couldn't believe I was back there, probably accompanied by shouts of "ooh, Chrysler Building" and "ahh, Grand Central Station" (repeat for every conceivable NYC landmark and intersperse it with snippets of "there's a great café on this corner, amazing cheesecake..."), waffling on about what we should do next, which subway station we needed, yadda yadda... I think I even passed comment about working there and moving over to live in Manhattan... and then it occurred to me - there's nowhere to ride except for constant, endless loops of Central Park. No ta.
I actually had a serious discussion with myself - New York City really is my favourite place in the world, so am I really saying that if I were to be offered the opportunity to live and work in Manhattan I would turn it down on the basis that I couldn't do any decent riding? No, surely I just mean that I'd have to add a car into the equation so that I can easily travel upstate with bike and ride when I get to somewhere where there's plentiful riding? Or that I'll find a way to get the train somewhere, or I'll map out laps of Manhattan somehow?... Nope.
You see, when you need to ride, you NEED to ride. You don't need to load your bike into a car and drive for 10 / 20 / 30 mins+ to be able to ride. It's about kitting up, filling your bottle(s), stuffing your jersey pockets and going - there and then, at that moment when the urge takes you. Nothing can or should get in the way, even where Manhattan is concerned. Sure Central Park might quell the need for a 'quick blast' and fill a small hole, after all I use Richmond Park for that exact same purpose. But when you want to get the miles in park laps just don't cut it.
Let's not get carried away here - there is (currently) no chance of me working in New York anyway, and as such no real reason to ever move there so I'm speaking hypothetically... or more to the point, dreaming. The fact remains then, and the point I am really getting at is that without the bike I would struggle to even decide to move to my favourite place in the world. Without the bike not even New York City is a real temptation for me. Without the bike means it ain't happening. After all, I live where I live now because the riding is so accessible from here! The bike has an incredible impact on what I do, when I do it, how I do it, where and why. Sad, but true.
The bike has spoken.
Of course, should anyone be in a position to enlighten me on riding potential in New York, there's an email link at the bottom of the page...
Share
We arrived shortly after lunchtime on Wednesday - a last minute "balls to it, let's go to New York for new year's eve". For all of Wednesday afternoon and Thursday I was lost in the hustle and bustle of my favourite place in the world, absorbed in my role of tour guide to my mate who was visiting this veritable Mecca for the first time, lost in craning my neck up to the dizzy heights of my favourite landmarks.
I had managed the unthinkable. I had forgotten about the bike... *insert pic of shocked face and video clip of somebody falling off their chair*
I must have spouted a thousand times how much I loved the place, how I couldn't believe I was back there, probably accompanied by shouts of "ooh, Chrysler Building" and "ahh, Grand Central Station" (repeat for every conceivable NYC landmark and intersperse it with snippets of "there's a great café on this corner, amazing cheesecake..."), waffling on about what we should do next, which subway station we needed, yadda yadda... I think I even passed comment about working there and moving over to live in Manhattan... and then it occurred to me - there's nowhere to ride except for constant, endless loops of Central Park. No ta.
I actually had a serious discussion with myself - New York City really is my favourite place in the world, so am I really saying that if I were to be offered the opportunity to live and work in Manhattan I would turn it down on the basis that I couldn't do any decent riding? No, surely I just mean that I'd have to add a car into the equation so that I can easily travel upstate with bike and ride when I get to somewhere where there's plentiful riding? Or that I'll find a way to get the train somewhere, or I'll map out laps of Manhattan somehow?... Nope.
You see, when you need to ride, you NEED to ride. You don't need to load your bike into a car and drive for 10 / 20 / 30 mins+ to be able to ride. It's about kitting up, filling your bottle(s), stuffing your jersey pockets and going - there and then, at that moment when the urge takes you. Nothing can or should get in the way, even where Manhattan is concerned. Sure Central Park might quell the need for a 'quick blast' and fill a small hole, after all I use Richmond Park for that exact same purpose. But when you want to get the miles in park laps just don't cut it.
Let's not get carried away here - there is (currently) no chance of me working in New York anyway, and as such no real reason to ever move there so I'm speaking hypothetically... or more to the point, dreaming. The fact remains then, and the point I am really getting at is that without the bike I would struggle to even decide to move to my favourite place in the world. Without the bike not even New York City is a real temptation for me. Without the bike means it ain't happening. After all, I live where I live now because the riding is so accessible from here! The bike has an incredible impact on what I do, when I do it, how I do it, where and why. Sad, but true.
The bike has spoken.
Of course, should anyone be in a position to enlighten me on riding potential in New York, there's an email link at the bottom of the page...
Share