New York
New York was a fun stop, and it came in two parts. I’ve always loved this city, and I was especially excited to finally ride my bike around it. Even though I had my Omnium cargo bike, it was still an amazing time. Someday, I hope to bring my fixed gear up here, but that’s for another trip. :)
One of my goals for this tour was to be in New York City for Cranksgiving, an alley cat/scavenger-style event that involves racing around the city collecting goods to support local food banks and shelters. Each borough hosts its own event, but I was set on the Manhattan Cranksgiving, the original Cranksgiving that started it all, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, which is like, a pretty big deal! You can find a full write-up and video from the event HERE.
Riding in New York is chaotic, but the city has some solid bike infrastructure, with new bike lanes still being added. Personally, I love crossing bridges by bike, and New York has inspired me to start posting YouTube videos of me just that crossing bridges by bike!
Although I didn’t lock in any deals with bike shops, I left with some promising leads. I’m optimistic about a few of them and will follow up once my webstore reopens for dealers, so fingers crossed!
By the third day, I was feeling pretty exhausted. After grabbing an absolutely incredible slice of pizza, I hopped on an earlier train back to DC. But the second part of my New York adventure came the next day when I drove up to Brooklyn with a friend from DC. We had tattoo appointments for matching Party Sized Cycling tattoos, and we were both stoked! PSC is a group based west of NYC in New Jersey that focuses on body positivity and inclusivity in cycling, and I love the work they do for the community. It was a thrill to get tattooed by their friend Mikey.
In summary, I love New York. It’s fast-paced, gritty, and bursting with history and culture. No amount of time will ever be enough to fully experience it, and my four days there only left me wanting more. But I’ll be back, and I’ll fall more in love with it every time.
With New York behind me, I’m now beginning my journey back toward Portland!
