At first glance, New York City might seem like a bicycling death trap, but there are plenty of great paths in Brooklyn where you can calmly pedal your cares away. If you're looking to ease into Brooklyn biking, try one of these guided rides.
It costs $20 to join the Five Borough Bike Club, but anyone can sign up for one of its day trips (for free). The group rides to destinations throughout the city and hits several Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, Dumbo, Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Prospect Park, Clinton Hill and more. The sights are sure to be sweet, and your fellow riders are guaranteed to be friendly (I think it's an FBBC requisite).
You provide your own wheels (of the bicycle or rollerblade sort) and join a free, guided nighttime tour of Prospect Park. Sponsored by the environmental group
Time's Up, the ride takes place on the second Saturday of every month and begins at Grand Army Plaza at 9pm.
Every year during May,
Transportation Alternatives hosts the Tour de Brooklyn, an 18-mile ride through the borough. The route is never the same, but it always includes a variety of diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods.
This is a
do-it-yourself trip, but it's well worth the effort. You start at the Brooklyn Bridge and make your way through Prospect Park and, five miles later, to Coney Island. For most of the ride, you'll be on a great, historic bike path that dates back to 1894. It runs along Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway (your final destination is the beach). Make it an all-day affair and feast on delicious pizza at
Totonno's before you head home.
