Bike!

My big ride is tomorrow!  The weather forecast looks great. I got my bike tuned up today and I'm excited!  Last night I went to the Bike Expo to pick up my registration packet.  We wear a snazzy vest with our number on it so they can keep track of all of us.  I heard there are 32,000 people registered to ride.  That is a LOT of bikes! One thing I am looking forward to is riding on some of the major roads that will be closed to traffic.  We are riding on the FDR (big highway down the east side of Manhattan) and the BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway - Interstate 278).  I mean, they are CLOSING an INTERSTATE for us to cycle on!  Who does that?  I love it!

Does this look like NYC?

I did a couple of rides this week since I have barely been on my bike since last summer.  I actually rode to work and home on Thursday and then rode down there again today.  I'm excited because it only took a little bit longer to ride than to take the subway.  And after the first 10 blocks or so the ride is completely on the Hudson River Greenway: a path for biking, walking, or running that runs the entire length of Manhattan.  It is completely protected from cars (SAFE!) and runs along the water the whole time.  There are lots of trees (which are full of pink and white flowers now) and benches to stop and rest.  It's really one of the nicest things about NYC.  A lot of people use the path, but it rarely seems crowded or clogged up. I like to ride and see everyone from serious bike riders in their spandex, to families teaching their kids, to grandmas with little dogs in their bike baskets.  Everyone is out to have a nice time, get a little exercise, and enjoy their day. I'm excited about riding my bike a lot to work this summer.  It's so much better to be above ground biking through a park rather than underground crowded on a subway car.

Okay...wish me luck tomorrow!  :)