Bicycle books by David Burne & Jeff Mapes

41kChriFM2L._SS500_I’m thrilled to report about the fastest selling book from Oregon State University Press, “Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities, by Jeff Mapes.” I’m going to pick this up! (amazon link)

Artist and musician David Burne, (link to his blog) wrote about this book, in The New York Times Book Review last week. (NY Times article) Byrne, a bicycle enthusiast has his own book, “Bicycle Diaries” due out in September. (NY Times article) (I’ll get this one too!)

From the NY Times article about “Pedaling Revolution”

David Byrne writes: “…But the book is useful — for those of us who occasionally find ourselves on the defensive, Mapes provides names, dates, facts and figures. He details how cities from Amsterdam to Paris to New York to Davis, Calif., have developed policies encouraging cycling in recent decades, and how other towns are just beginning to make way for bikes…”

20arm190From the NY Times article about “Bicycle Diaries”

“…Mr. Byrne’s travelogue uses a bicyclist’s perspective — “faster than a walk, slower than a train, often slightly higher than a person” — to take us from his home in New York City and around the United States, as well as to Berlin, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Manila, Sydney and London, stops on the tours he has made in support of his musical and art careers…”

As I’ve written in a previous post, I just love to ride my bicycle, and not just on the “Greenway” in NYC, so these new books are on my reading list. Thanks to David Byrne and Jeff Mapes for writing on this subject. I hope it will make an impact on people who haven’t yet gotten on a bicycle, but will now.


Riding my bicycle on the Greenway in NYC

Yesterday was a bright, clear day, the air was cool and just perfect for a long bicycle ride. The Greenway runs all along the Hudson River, from Battery Park to the George Washington Bridge. I took my camera along because there are a few gardens that I love to circle a few times, and I sometimes stop and admire the beauty.

One of those gardens is in Battery Park and somewhat hidden if you didn’t know about it. It even has a lily pond, but I didn’t see any Frogs. There are gardens all along the Greenway, one near Chelsea, and another of my favorites further uptown, at Riverside Park (91st Street Garden & Crabapple Grove).

Here’s a sample photograph from Riverside Park, to see the complete gallery, click here.

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As I was riding, I was taking it all in, the sounds of crickets, birds, and the river water against the rocks, the butterflies here and there, sail boats out on the water, the Circle Line, people out in kayaks, and the beauty of the surroundings. I’ll never understand why someone would choose to ride and wear earphones, talk on a cell phone or even text. Aside from the dangers of not wearing a helmet and not paying attention to the others on the road, they’re just missing it all.

From Jersey City through Hoboken to NYC and back

Once or twice a week I get my helmet, bicycle bag, and head downstairs to retrieve my bicycle from the shed. Checking the tires, setting the odometer to 0, I’m ready for my ride.

I ride through the streets of Jersey City along with the cars (since we have no bike paths except on the waterfront of the Hudson River) down to Hoboken and then sometimes along the waterfront toward Liberty State Park or the opposite direction toward the George Washington Bridge. Occasionally, like today, (because it’s so sunny and beautiful) I’ll take the NY Waterway ferry from Hoboken to New York City and ride on the “Greenway” along the Hudson. From 42nd street up to the GW, back downtown to Battery Park City and back again.

Many years ago when they were building the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail train that runs from North Bergen to Bayonne, I thought the plan was to include a bike path, which would have been wonderful, but they didn’t. So, if I want to ride safely where there are no cars I must take the ferry to NY.

As I design suggestive bicycle t-shirts, I’ll be thinking about ways to promote how wonderful one feels after a ride of 20-25 miles or so, the wind in your hair, the sense of freedom, the wonderful exercise and I’m not using any fuel to pollute the planet.

Leave the car, get on your bike!

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