Brooklyn by Bike

Tonight! January 25: The Great Williamsburg Bike Wars: A Public Debate w/Caroline Samponaro, Heather Loop, Isaac Abraham @ Pete’s Candy Store – 709 Lorimer St Brooklyn NY, 7:30pm.

Just before Christmas, 2009, a war broke out on the bike lanes of Williamsburg. On one side: the Hasidic Jewish community of the Southside, who had advocated–successfully–for Mayor Bloomberg to remove the Bedford Ave Bike lane.  On the other side: A coalition of bikesters, whose defiance led them to re-paint the bike lanes, and threaten a topless ride in protest (it was snowed out in the blizzard of ‘09). Moderating: Hasidic bike enthusiast Baruch Herzfeld.

Saturday January 30th: Haiti Benefit Race @ Tompkins Square Park followed by an after party w/goldsprints @ Bklyn Wrek Room – 940 Flushing Ave Brooklyn NY

Saturday January 30th: Transporation Alternatives Brooklyn Commitee hosts their monthly ride. Check the TA calendar for route and time closer to the date.

Sunny 60 degree weather in October spent on a bicycle with a group of friendly people had to have been the best way to end a season of rides here on Brooklyn by Bike!

Our Gears & Grub ride with VendrTV hit famed street food spots in Brooklyn from Sunset Park Chinatown to the Red Hook ball fields and the Brooklyn Flea.

[For more photos from the ride check out Flickr. Were you on the ride? Add you photos to our Flickr pool or to our Facebook event page! Map is below.]

Thanks to everyone who came out! I had a blast. We’ll do it again next season (unless I get that winter ride together)!

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Last Saturday 7/18, the Brooklyn by Bike crew headed off our island to Governors Island (directions below). We enjoyed beautiful weather, a free ferry ride and good food from award-winning street vendors courtesy of City of Water Day. Governors Island is a great family friendly place to enjoy car free biking, art installations and unique architecture.

For more photos, check out our Flickr.
Were you on the ride? Add photos to our group pool!

via Jim Dewitt

You too can do the same any Saturday as a free ferry travels from Brooklyn’s Fulton Ferry Landing (the pier with the ice cream shop over by Grimaldi’s Pizza) to Governors Island. Map below.

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Wow. We’ve seriously been lucky with the amazing weather and turn out for our rides…either that or Brooklyn by Bike is more popular than we thought! This Saturday we rode out to Floyd Bennett field on quiet streets and even quieter greenways. For those of you that don’t know Floyd Bennett field was New York City’s original airport and was left abandoned for many years. It’s still semi-abandoned though more people are catching on to the space. The day was sunny and warm and a bunch of us even got to check out the airplane hanger museum.

biking the greenway

in front of a vintage airplane at Floyd Bennett

ending the ride with a beer at Franklin Park

Overall, it was another beautiful day filled with new friends and a great ride. Hey, come to our next ride as we tour Red Hook and eat delicious food at the ball fields.

Wow, our first ride was a complete success! 18 people showed up for our first ever Brooklyn by Bike ride down to Coney Island this past Sunday, April 5th. Amazing! Thanks to everyone for coming out. I met some new friends and had a great time. It was quite possibly one of the most beautiful days of the year. Some of us rode the Cyclone, others just looked at it. Some of us hit the beach, others hit Nathan’s. Check it out and send us your photos!

Riding down to Coney Island via Ocean Parkway

The Entire Crew In Front of the Bike Parking Facility

We Dominated the Bike Parking Facility at Coney Island!

Were you on our trip and want to contribute photos? Add them to our Flickr Pool or just email us at brooklynbybike [at] gmail.com. Missed this ride and want to join us on the next one? Sign up on our email list. Oh and a big shout out to Brooklyn Based for helping us get the word out!

Until next time…ride safe.

Grab a bike. Grab some friends. Let’s go to Coney Island! Join us for our first inaugural Brooklyn by Bike ride this Sun April 5th at 12 noon. Meet under the Grand Army Plaza arch. This is a casual ride and great opportunity to meet like-minded bike loving folks. The ride to Coney is about 14 mi round trip on a mostly flat terrain. Bring lots of water and a helmet and we’ll see you soon!

It’s free but we are asking for a 5 buck donation to keep the site running and we’ll take anything.

Click here to RSVP for Sun April 5th at noon. [If you are looking to participate in the opening of the Cyclone and other assorted Coney events, this is the trip for you.].

Times Up is at it again.

Love the Bike Lanes: Time’s Up! has organized a “Love Your Lane” group bike ride Saturday, which culminates with an after-party at the mysterious “Autumn Bowl” in Greenpoint, and a dance party in the bowl! Their website encourages you to “celebrate Valentine’s Day with your true love—your bicycle…Join the Party on Wheels as we listen to corny love ballads from the soundbike, throw roses at all the cars parked outside of the bike lanes and spread the message of love to all the drivers we pass stuck in traffic. Road rage is OUT, bike-lane-loving is IN.” The ride begins at 7 p.m. at Astor Place Cube; the $10 party benefits Times Up! and features DJs, a live set by Team Robespierre, and free valet bike parking.

Love it. [via Gothamist]

Rather than head over to the regular Halloween Parade in Chelsea this year or in case you missed the doggie parade in Tompkins Square (which I did:(, hop on your bike and head over to…

8:45pm Brooklyn’s First Halloween Bike Ride
Friday, Oct 31st
Meet at the Brooklyn Side of Williamsburg Bridge bike path

followed by…

Time’s Up! Huge Halloween Party
Friday, October 31st
Surreal Estate
15 Thames St, near the Morgan L stop in Brooklyn
Party starts at 8:30pm till late
Admission $9.99 & Up

[via TimesUp]

This might just make up for missing this…

A dog as a Chinese take out container? Brilliant!