NYC Shops

[weaponsgrade]

Headed to NYC this weekend. How's the riding in Central Park?. Are there some nice routes? Any interesting shops (especially interested in some of the older road or mtn bike shops). Thanks!

[christian]

I think the best answer is - there's good food and interesting culture. So focus on that!

[dumbod]

Christian is mostly right; nobody comes to NYC for the biking. However....

I would certainly stack Signature Cycles against any store in the country. Not huge but certainly Grade A. Be aware that they're only open until 3:00 on Saturday and not at all on Sunday. R&A has an amazing inventory but (i) it's in Brooklyn (not in one of the parts you're likely to visit), (ii) display leaves a lot to be desired and (iii) the staff leaves a lot to be desired. Most of the other stores are worth patronizing but not visiting.

Central Park is fine but all you're going to do is the 6.3 mile loop. Try the Hudson River bike path - it's not going to be a great workout (lots of peds) but it's extremely scenic (in a city sort of way.) For a longer ride, you can circumnavigate Manhattan. There's a "marked" path but it's tricky to follow, particularly in Harlem. Drop my a PM and I'll walk you through it.

Mostly though, enjoy the culture of the city.

[Tony T]

Any interesting shops (especially interested in some of the older road or mtn bike shops). Thanks!

Recent NYT Story:

Where the Famous Shop, Cycling Is the Cause Célèbre (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/nyregion/at-bicycle-habitat-welcoming-the-famous-and-just-folk.html?_r=1)

On any given day, you might see Jake Gyllenhaal. Or Matthew Broderick or David Byrne. David Beckham has been said to swing by, just for some much-needed air.

This particular celebrity haunt is not some chic restaurant or new-age health spa in New York; it is, of all places, a bicycle shop in SoHo, where John Mayer bought a Langster, and David Lee Roth got his red Bianchi repaired.

But unlike some other celebrity haunts, fame has few privileges at the shop, Bicycle Habitat. Its owner, Charlie McCorkell, would not know Lady Gaga if she wrapped a tire rim around his neck. (Actually, Lady Gaga has been to the store, and true to form, Mr. McCorkell did not know who she was — even though she was dressed in little more than spike heels and a tissue-thin leotard.)

“I’m sort of face blind,” Mr. McCorkell chuckled.

He is so unlikely to recognize boldface names that whenever one enters the store, his staff plays a game with him called “Do you know who that is?”

Mr. McCorkell generally loses.

In its 35 years in operation, Bicycle Habitat, on Lafayette Street, has not merely ridden the ebb and flow of New York City’s complicated relationship with bicyclists, it has tried to change the culture — its advocacy evolving from street protests in the 1980s to recent trips to Washington to lobby Congress.

Along the way, the store has picked up a core of loyal customers, from the hard-core cyclists to the Hollywood types who spend time in SoHo. Mr. McCorkell has found that his better-known customers have brought more attention to a sport and lifestyle he has been promoting since 1969, when he started riding his bike from Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, to Cooper Union.

City officials have sought to capitalize on celebrity tie-ins to bicycling as the city continues its bike-friendly agenda. The Transportation Department enlisted celebrities like the chef Mario Batali and the former model Paulina Porizkova in its “Don’t Be a Jerk” campaign to encourage more polite cycling. It invited David Byrne to a fund-raiser last year for its bike-share program, which is beginning in the summer.

The actor Matthew Modine, who started Bicycle for a Day, a nonprofit group to promote cycling, said that he was ready to help the city’s efforts, recalling how he used an abandoned Raleigh orange beach cruiser to get to auditions when he was starting out as an actor.

“It was my gem; it kept me in shape,” he said. “That orange beach cruiser was like a gift from the gods.”

The relationship between film stars and bicycling has been well established. Steven Rea, author of “Hollywood Rides a Bike: Cycling with the Stars” said that in the 1940s and 1950s, movie studios “essentially had bike-share programs up and running that would make Toronto or Paris envious.” He said workers used bicycles to “wheel from one side of the lot to another, from dressing room to cafeteria to soundstage.” He said many actors also cycled between takes, like Jimmy Stewart, who took breaks from filming “Rear Window” on a bike.

“The idea of cutting loose and cruising around the studio was liberating, fun,” Mr. Rea said.

Many studios continue to keep bikes around their lots even though they have added scooters and skateboards to the mix. Doug Steiner, chairman of Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, said that he had installed bike racks. He said when Brad Pitt and George Clooney filmed “Burn After Reading,” they rode around on their bicycles during breaks. He said that so many workers at Steiner Studios rode bicycles that he was hoping the city would put a bike-sharing stand nearby.

Attracting celebrities to bike riding was far from Mr. McCorkell’s mind when he opened his SoHo bike shop in 1978. Back then, he just wanted to make a living from his passion for bicycles, and he thought SoHo was the best spot to attract cyclists coming over the Brooklyn Bridge, and at the time, it was affordable. The only celebrity who stumbled in was Sid Vicious, who passed by en route to his nearby methadone clinic.

In more recent years, you might have seen Sheryl Crow, who once asked to borrow bicycle equipment to record sounds for an album. Katy Perry appeared in celebrity magazines riding a bike she purchased from the shop. Mr. Byrne mentioned Hal Ruzal, a co-founder of Bicycle Habitat who is now the shop’s head mechanic, in his book “Bicycle Diaries.”

“It’s something celebrities like to be seen doing. It’s a healthy choice and a human choice,” Mr. McCorkell said. “It’s not them going to clubs or looking like bag ladies.”

Mr. Ruzal’s background as a guitarist and a one-time regular at CBGB helped draw a musically oriented crowd, who he said tended to ride bikes because they had unconventional work schedules and had the time to cycle to work.

There has been the rare occasion when even Mr. McCorkell can get star-struck. A dozen years ago, a woman came into his shop to purchase a child’s bike helmet. When Mr. McCorkell heard her speak, he blurted out, “I know your work,” and pressed her to say who she was.

The celebrity customer was Betty Aberlin, better known to some as Lady Aberlin from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which Mr. McCorkell watched faithfully with his two sons when they were young. Ms. Aberlin bought a bike helmet to ship to Minneapolis to a boy who had undergone brain surgery and whose family could not afford to buy him one.

“That kind of haunted me,” he said. “I think she was amazed to be recognized by an adult.”

[AngryScientist]

I think the best answer is - there's good food and interesting culture. So focus on that!

i agree with this answer.

real estate in NYC is tight, so none of the shops are really huge sprawling megastores with lots of inventory. they each have a certain charm, i'd stop in wherever as the opportunity arises, but not as a destination or goal.

this is the best part of the year in NYC imo. the weather is warming up, and to quote Bruce Springsteen, you have excellent views of the girls in their summer clothes :)

[verticaldoug]

Headed to NYC this weekend. How's the riding in Central Park?. Are there some nice routes? Any interesting shops (especially interested in some of the older road or mtn bike shops). Thanks!

Central Park is more for people watching. I'd just do a cruise to have a little fun and sunshine. I think you can still rent cheap bikes near SBR Shop on W 58.

If you maybe want to buy some shop kit, try Toga Bikes or NYC Velo. Otherwise, bike shops are basically bike shops.

Union Square is interesting on Saturday with the Farmer's Market and people watching.

Finally to me, no trip to NYC is complete without some food. If you are up for a dive in Chinatown, I'd do Joe's Shanghai on Pell St. Cash Only but some of the best crab dumplings this side of Hong Kong.

And for Pizza, Keste on Bleeker.

[Likes2ridefar]

Like others noted already, skip the bike shops and central park, for riding anyways.

Eating is my favorite thing to do in the city. I work across the street from Chelsea Market. It offers a bit of tourist sight seeing in the meatpacking district with some fantastic choices of food for lunch from all over the place. thai, meat pies, healthy raw meals, gelato, lobster rolls, italian, soup, mexican, etc etc.

[UKBROOKLYN]

I live in the City and ride in it and out of it almost daily. Theres plenty of riding out of the City and if you choose your routes and times you can have a good time.
Central park is a great cycling spot. You will not want to be in the park much after 10 AM as the tourists will start to arrive and they re all over the road. So if you are thinking about early riding. Go ride a few laps. It's true it is a circuit 6.2 miles.. But you won't get bored its a really good circuit.

Leaving the park at 110 St ( Central Park North) and riding west.. Go a few blocks and then turn right and climb up Morningside Dr. A little further turn left on 120th and follow it west to Riverside Drive you will be right next to the Riverside Chapel and across the road,, Grants Tomb.
Now you ride up Riverside drive and turn right on 168th up a steep hill and left onto Fort Washington Ave. Turn left on 177 2 blocks and then right and you will see the path to the Bridge..Once over the GWB theres tons of routes to take.
Once you get off the Bridge on the Jersey side turn right and go about 3/4 of a mile and you will come across Strictly Bicycles. (on the left hand side) There you can get air and coffee and just chill a bit. Theres tons o roadies that hang out at Strictly, and Nelson and Johanna the owners are super nice.

If you are interested in Brooklyn shops let me know.. I can point you toward good ones and the bad.

[Fixed]

any shops near broadway and 7th
cheers

[wai2fast]

There's a ton of good riding in and around New York City.

You can hit Central Park, but do it early before the tourists arrive. Also check nyrr.org to make sure there isn't a race in the park on the morning you plan to ride as there will be hundreds to thousands of runners.

Venture across the George Washington Bridge and there are numerous options out there as well.

Venture across the Manhattan Bridge and head over to Prospect Park for a shorter loop (~3.2 miles), then ride up along the river through Williamsburg, into Greenpoint, into Long Island City, and finally back across the 59th Street Bridge into Manhattan.

Lastly, watch out for those yellow vehicles. They tend to not stop at lights. =)

[harryblack]

weekend riding in Central is hell on wheels, literally, unless you do it v. early or in awful weather. I'd advise against it unless CP is something you specifically want to see.

Better to work yourself over to the west side and head over the George Washington Bridge (slightly annoying but no big deal if you're patient with the three tricky spots) or ask a local how to get to the Bronx and pick up the trails there to Westchester.

if you're intrepid, come to Brooklyn and ride out to Rockaway Beach!

Headed to NYC this weekend. How's the riding in Central Park?. Are there some nice routes? Any interesting shops (especially interested in some of the older road or mtn bike shops). Thanks!

[UKBROOKLYN]

No not hell on wheels... just try to be out of the park soon after 10 AM

I ride 3 or four laps about 3 or four times a week. get in early and it is a really great ride.. I never get bored with it.

[the bottle ride]

For shops in NYC there really is only one that matters- NYCVELO. (http://nycvelo.com)com

Culturally it is the apex of bikes ATMO- the collection of bikes that are NOT for sale are worth the trip alone.
Sachs.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5182/5608110094_7eb47b80fa_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/5608110094/)
The greats of the golden era of MTB reside there.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5101/5608068808_4bfb15b8e9_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/5608068808/)
The walls have more cool than any of those other cookie cutter shops could ever hope to buy.

Riding-central park on the weekends is a lesson in hand to hand combat and should be left to the truely amateur. Take a ride up and over the GW bridge.

If you are fat tire cat- ride some of the best trails in the country that are roughly 45 minutes away if you are into technical rocky single track.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6824120042_7d20117000.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/6824120042/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3266/5773566998_c4c5efe0ec.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/5773566998/)

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3019/5825997849_43bc3d6ce7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/5825997849/)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7041/6824085678_2ecea937fa_c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/67486719@N00/6824085678/)

So much good stuff to do on your trip to NYC- just dont miss the really good stuff and NYCVelo is clearily in that category.

[soupless]

I think NYC Velo is pretty good for eye candy, as is Signature. But yeah, neither are huge.

Habitat is huge, and they're cool people, but not a ton of exotic stuff in there.

Adeline Adeline has awesome city bikes if you're into that.

Eat at Porchetta on 7th st bet Ave A and 1st ave.

[fiamme red]

For shops in NYC there really is only one that matters- NYCVELO. (http://nycvelo.com)com

Culturally it is the apex of bikes ATMO- the collection of bikes that are NOT for sale are worth the trip alone.I've been in there several times, and was never impressed with their customer service or their bikes.

[Likes2ridefar]

I've been in there several times, and was never impressed with their customer service or their bikes.

very much agree

[the bottle ride]

I've been in there several times, and was never impressed with their customer service or their bikes.

Sorry to hear that- I have lived in the city my whole life and worked in several of the shops over the years (10 years as a bike shop rat from age 14) and I can count the number of really great mechanics in the city (ya know, the DaVinci types)- NYCVelo has one of them with Space Man Bill. That cat makes fine wheels (he has built two sets of MTB wheels for me in 9 months- raced them both hard and they still look round) and has built two of my bikes up.

It is not a conveinant shop for me, it really is out of the way, but it is done the correct way.

I also like the shop because the people there ride- how many bike shops in the city do the owners/workers actually ride? Does Charlie ride at bike habitat? Do the Denison brothers ride at the Metro shops?

I like shops were the employees ride- it is the litmus test of a good shop.

Signature- very cool shop too. Just different vibe.