Those of you in NYC may know that the Rapha Cycle Club pop-up shop recently opened on 325 Bowery. The space offers Third Rail coffee, cycling themed books and pricey, stylish cycling clothes. It is also a great space to sit and watch the Tour de France with its ample seating and multiple TVs. Add the indoor bike parking and it’s the perfect urban cycling oasis. It’s definitely worth checking out for the space. Don’t except a full line of products though. Selection is slim especially for the women’s line.
Rapha Cycle Club also organizes groups rides out over the G-W and along River Road every Wednesday at 8am.
Part retail store, part café, part gallery; Rapha Cycle Club will be a meeting place where cyclists can celebrate the glory and suffering of road racing.
May is bike month and filled with a whole bunch of events which you can access here. Here are some of our favorite events to help you navigate the schedule.
1. We’ve got a ride this month to Sunset Park on Saturday May 15th @ 3;30pm to check out Artist Open Studio Day! More info on the rides page.
This week marked the first time many bike NYC folks hit the streets since winter. Our bit of good weather combined with Google Maps launch of bicycling directions has made for an exciting bicycle filled week. Add to it this little find of activists taking to the streets to mark potholes with onomatopoeia.
Toronto’s street artist and bike activist collective Urban Repair Squad, known for making radical interventions in on-street signage to promote cyclists’ safety, recently unveiled a project. Their Pothole Onomatopoeia series appeared on Toronto’s Harbord Street recently, pointing out irregularities in the pavement with arrows and old school-Batman-style words like “THUNK!,” “OUCH!” and “OOF!” stenciled onto the street with bright spray paint. [h/t @sheepdontswim via @L Magazine]
I personally hit a pothole pretty hard this morning, but luckily didn’t get a flat. Friends have not been so lucky. Apparently if you are motorist you can file a claim with the city should you hit a pothole, but what about the cyclists? Anyone know if there is something in place for us?
Check out this video from streetsfilms explaining the different types of New York City bike lanes and examples of the their implementation. We’re on our way to becoming a world class cycling city! [via Streetsblog]
Bike lanes: In some cities people are so desperate for them they’ll go so far as to mark their own. Here in New York City, it
If you came out to El Tour de Taco this month, you probably met Emily, one of the organizers of the tour. Earlier this year, Emily was hit by a cab driver who was texting while driving in the rain. The front wheel of her bike was wrecked and she was injured. Last week, Emily had to call in to testify for her case and was unhappy with how it unfolded.
She writes that during the hearing “the attorney based her entire case on the fact that I shouldn’t have been riding my bike in the rain at 11:30 at night from Queens to Brooklyn, and that it was my fault that I got hit, because I shouldn’t assume that the cab would stop at the stop sign. Here I’m assuming that they’re admitting that he ran the stop sign. She also said that because I wasn’t filing a lawsuit that I must be lying.”
It’s kind of unbelievable to hear this would be considered a legitimate defence. Turns out the judge probably thought the same thing because Emily got a message from the Taxi and Limousine Commission stating that the cab driver was found guilty, which means 3 points on his license and a $250 fine. While this just a slap in the face for a guy who could have killed a cyclist, it’s good to hear the justice system isn’t a total wash and that there indeed was a verdict in favor of a cyclist.
This past Saturday, we completed an epic Tour de Taco Ride through Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The ride itself was around 36 miles. Though nine stops were planned, we only made it to six taco joints – a pretty decent showing nonetheless. (See the list and map below.) Along the way each taco was rated on a scale of 1 -5 in the categories of tortilla, filling, guac and spices.
[For more photos from the ride check out our Flickr. Were you on the ride? Add you photos to our Flickr pool!]
Personally I thought Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos, a tortilla factory and taco place, killed the competition. Their tacos had the best marinated meat and a crispy soft taco shell. That combined with the ambiance of sitting in an actual factory, placed it high on many lists.
Once the Tour de Taco ratings are complied, I believe the winning taco joint will receive an award. We’ll keep you posted!
Here’s the list of taco places with the tour map below
01. Taqueria y Fonda – Amsterdam btwn 107th & 108th, Manhattan
02. Tortilleria Nixtamal – Corona, Queens
03. Papacitos – Greenpoint, BK
04. Tortilleria Mexicana Los Hermanos – Bushwick, BK
05. Tacos Matamoros – Sunset Park, BK
06. Tacos Nuevo Mexico – Park Slope, BK View Larger Map
Out in the heart of Queens there is a little known velodrome buzzing with track racers from the area. We rode out there this past Sunday to watch the New York state elite finals. Though most us of didn’t know the first thing about track racing (no brakes, no gears), a racer from MIT was kind enough to explain the matches and the rules.
[More photos are on Flickr. Were you on the ride? Add photos to our group pool! Our map of the ride is on Ride the City.]
That's MIT Mike on the right.
We learned a little something, got to watch the 20 lap races and meet some fantastic people on our way. Post ride we even had our second #bikenyc tweetup at Berry Park. As one of our riders put it, “cycling must really be marginalized if this is the big state event and you can’t even get a sandwich.” It’s true. We could all stand to support our local cycling community a bit more and I definitely recommend you check out the Kissena velodrome. They have some upcoming labor day events. It’s unlike anything you’ve seen.
More proof that NYC is continuing on a mission to become the world class bicycle friendly city…
On Saturday, September 12th, two teams of accomplished Dutch and American planners & designers will face off in a live competition, part performance art and part debate. Each team will present its most creative, compelling vision to increase bicycling in lower Manhattan and the New York Harbor District.
At the end of the evening, the judges will declare a winner, with the most innovative and practical plan for making New York, and New Yorkers, more bicycle-friendly. [via New Amsterdam Bike Slam]
