Bike New York

A wonderful organization with a goal of promoting the cycling community. They have amazing instructors who are passionate to teach anyone how to ride a bike. Instructors follow a curriculum that is easy for new riders to comprehend and instantly learn how to ride a bike.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST Bicycle education class! I took the learn to ride Adult class and I have nothing but praises and thank you’s to give to the instructors and volunteers. Although I learned how to mount a bike as a kid I never actually got the hang of all the natural techniques. I love the method of removing the pedals and taking giant gliding steps before raising your feet in the air to gain your balance. This method was amazing I was able to gain my balance in no time. After I felt comfortable enough the pedals were placed back on. The one thing I constantly mention to people is the positivity of the instructors who are rooting for you to do your best. After hear the instructor’s positive words of encouragement I was pedaling and holding my balance an hour into the class. If you want to learn how to ride a bike sign up with bike new york, it’s a judgement free zone. Good Luck future cyclist.

My friend and I took this class last year because we both wanted to relearn how to ride a bike. The instructor did an amazing job explaining and demonstrating. They provided the feedback we needed to learn how to ride a bike.

Drove to Roosevelt Island and had a little trouble find the location with my daughter to Bike New York. My 6 year old daughter want to go and get better riding her bicycle. The instructors Douglas, Corine, Jack and others were great and positive encouragement to the children. I brought M’s bike to make sure she confident with it. I would make sure that your own kid understands the concept of riding a bike before coming here.

Love love love Bike New York! Free, easy to access, fabulous teacher Dahlia, fun, met great people and can’t wait to go to the next class. What an awesome organization and thanks to those who fund it

I took the cycling class at Brooklyn Bridge Park, pier 2. The end result? 30 mins into the class, I was able to ride with no issues! This certainly proves there must be some kind of magic with their teaching methods.
Here are the exact things I really appreciated about Bike New York:
1) They let you find a bike matching accurately with your size, specifically, your height and the length of your legs. The seat should be about level with where your butt falls; you should be able to stand on your toes while sitting on the bike seat, but your heels should not touch the ground.
2) Breaking down the exercise into two parts: first just slide while sitting — your pedals being taken away. Once you get comfortable, you get to ask of one of the staff to help you reinstall the pedals back onto the bike. This really helps.
3) They give you a helmet in advance. This safety measure grants you huge mental comfort so that you feel safe and secure, and therefore focus 100% on bike-​riding with no fear afterwards.
4) The encouraging words at the beginning of the class were really helpful too. Everybody was encouraged to say something about what motivated you to learn to bike– most of us were not first time learners, the reason why we failed usually could be attributed to various personal things such as childhood trauma, over-​protective parents, etc. But putting history, burdens and debts behind us is so important for us adults to move on. The instructor reminds us once again. Here we go, now we are all motivated, as long as you desire something to happen, the world is already conspiring to help you achieve that goal!!!
5) The instructor warned us about the potential discomfort while seating, but hey, it’s okay, tiny discomfort is normal in life. It’s the same for everyone! We are reminded beforehand, again, it helped, especially for people with low PHYSICAL pain tolerance. (To be quite honest, I am very strong and tough mentally, but when it comes to things physical, I’m not so sure… I think it might be related to my over-​protective parents and my weak sports nerve, which I am determined to change…)
Once the class started, I was 100% focused on my own learning to ride, constantly adjusting, coordinating, and reacting to changes. Being precise about the direction of movement and my speed. Making adjustment on the improvement strategy and summarizing based on experience… all these efforts paid off by the end of the class.
Besides following the instructions, I didn’t focus so much on other people, because I understand 90% of the time, caring about others’ progress is futile when it comes to learning and growing. You should just do your best at your own pace!
Overall, I can guarantee to say, this was one of those perfect learning experience which was thoroughly enjoyable, inspiring and beneficial.
Next step is to buy a perfect bike and to ride more on the streets. :))) Can’t wait!
Thank you, Dahlia, you are truly an amazing instructor… and to other other volunteers — John, Arnold, Sarah… You were awesome.

Took the street skills ride class a few weeks ago. The instructors were excellent. It was my first time ever riding a bike outside a parking lot and they had (almost) everyone riding in traffic within a few hours. I learned a lot about the rules of the road for bikers… things I never knew. I’m so thankful that these classes exist and they’re free for anyone who really wants to learn. Highly recommend!

I had the pleasure of participating their FREE Adult Learn to Ride class this past week in their Roosevelt Island location. The instructors were very knowledgeable and patient with the students and I definitely felt more relaxed in a classroom environment as compared to just learning to ride on my own.
The Roosevelt Location takes place in a indoor gym so that there’s no worry of running into traffic or pedestrians. You have to sign up for the classes in advance online and the classes are free. However to cancel or change the reservation you would have to give AT LEAST A WEEK NOTICE otherwise they do charge $ 50 for no shows or cancellations.
The bikes and helmets they provided were pretty new and in good shape, only thing might have to do is to add air to the tires which the instructors will gladly show you or help you with. I thought it was a really good idea they remove the pedals of the bikes first so that you can learn to balance before learning to pedal.
I guess my only complaint is that the bike seat at least for me was really uncomfortable and I wish they had bikes with higher handles. But its free so can’t really complain. If you’re like me never learned to ride you definitely want to give them a try. Most of their weekday classes are in Roosevelt Island but weekend classes are throughout the 5 boroughs. You do have to sign up pretty far in advance for the weekend classes (1 months+) though but for weekdays i believe I had to sign up probably 2 – 3 weeks in advance.

I was determined to ride a bike for the first time in my almost 31 years on Earth. I found the class through
. I will say that at moments, I was so frustrated. Still at the end of a 2 hour class, I could actually ride a bike for a few minutes. Something I have never been able to do. I will say, bring water, wear athletic gear and don’t give up. The teacher, Lina and her volunteer Marianne were fantastic. I can’t wait to rent a bike and continue learning. I plan to take their BIcycling Basics in August. Also, I can not believe that the whole thing was absolutely free.

This review is for the Five Boros bike tour which I participated for the first time this year. I know this was the first time they had some changes (i.e. lottery system) which I heard a lot of complaints about. I guess it is understandable as the ride just gets bigger each year. I had the earliest start time, 7:45am, which was fine. I just really wished they broke off each wave into speed categories (e.g., 16−18mph, 13 – 15 mph, etc.) which would make starting off easier as opposed to weaving like mad men trying to pass people. The rest stops were great and evenly spread out. The finish line was also very well organized with sponsors and entertainers (jugglers, man on stilts, etc).
I was crazy enough to bring my DSLR during my ride and took some pretty awesome shots that I would have never gotten a chance to take any other time (without trying to get myself run over).

bike new york has my utmost appreciation for finally doing what many have attempted to do, but never succeeded– teach me how to ride a bike. yes, i am an adult who does not know how to ride a bike. the reason is unimportant, but i am so happy to have finally taken that step and found a service– a FREE service, here in nyc that could help me achieve this delayed right of passage. i’ll admit i was skeptical. learn to ride a bike in two hours? free bike & helmet? hmmm…
but when we got there, sure enough there were about 4 – 5 volunteers, and the captain, andy, who was extremely professional and super nice. i like that he goes over the basics of the helmet & the types of bikes before you start. for a novice, these details are important. you don’t want to just throw inexperienced people right in. there were about 15 – 20 adults there, so i didn’t feel embarrassed at all. and the volunteers were so patient and encouraging. kudos to them for giving up a sunday afternoon!
we first got on the bikes that had the pedals taken off. he had us hold onto the handle bars and use our feet to propel ourselves to get a feel for balancing and weight shifting on the bike. it was on the pier so there was no chance of us running into pedestrians and other riders. you go around this circle a few times on the pier, and i was surprised to feel that this method actually works! after he sees you have a good feel for balancing, he graduates you to actual pedals and you just go ahead and bike! in the beginning i was wobbly, but towards the last half hr i was able to make full rotations on my bike! pretty much everyone graduated to pedals towards the end. i think i will go back for another class to practice my turns and staying in a straight line. but overall it was a very successful class and i highly recommend this to any adult in nyc who for whatever reason never learned to ride a bike.

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Bike New York for helping me re-​learn how to ride a bike… for FREE!
At the age of 29, I was resigned to the fact that I may never bike trails with friends nor use a bike as a means of transportation. Now before you laugh at the fact that a grown woman couldn’t ride a bike when 90% of children can, here’s my story: I learned to bike one summer as an overprotected 12-​year old, then after that summer the chain of my bike broke, rendering my bike useless. My parents, non-​bikers themselves, promised to get me another one (when a simple visit to a bike repair shop would have sufficed) but never did, so I never tried biking again until college, fell on my second attempt because I didn’t know how to use the brakes, and that’s the end of my sad story. But actually, it really wasn’t the end, it was just «to be continued.»
Fast-​forward a decade later to Riding a Bike: the Sequel. Well actually, it was Learn to Ride-​Adults, a two-​hour class for others with similar stories of woe– or no stories at all. I found out about this class, and the organization Bike New York, from a friend who bailed on me the week before the class, so I was off to Randall’s Island on my own (don’t worry, I forgive you, Erik!)
By the way, the class (and other classes) are free BUT you do have to reserve a spot online and put down your credit card number. You have up to a week before the class to cancel but after that, or if you decide to be selfish and put a no-​show act, you will be charge $ 50. I fully support that, since it seems like being a no-​show to free events or volunteer events where you must reserve a spot for yourself is a part of our self-​centered society. Believe me, it’s more common than you think.
Upon arriving, I signed a waiver, was given a helmet and bike with a lowered seat and no pedals, and was told by the two friendly volunteers that were leading the class to practice balancing on the bike and pushing off with my feet, while looking ahead of me and not on the handlebars. After an hour, the pedals were put back on and it was time to ride for real… and I was riding in no time! The volunteers were so friendly and helpful throughout the class by answering questions, giving us pointers, smiling, and even taking pictures of us riding– which is really encouraging!
So… is that the end of the sequel? Nope, not even close. I was so happy and satisfied with this class that I signed up for the next one, Bicycling Basics, which takes basic bike riding a step further. In that 3-​hour class, with 3 volunteers, we learned the mechanic of biking, such as keeping ABC in mind each time we bike (air, brakes, and chain), starting and stopping, shifting gears, looking back, and signaling. Wow… that was really hard work, but the volunteers were once again informative, supportive, encouraging, and patient. They didn’t mind demonstrating what we had to do, taking questions, and giving us pointers. When one volunteer was approached by a crying student who couldn’t push off on her bike while everyone else was already riding, he told her his encouraging story of how he was once just like her. Now he bikes everywhere, and told her that she’ll end up biking all over the place too, and even worked one-​on-​one with her briefly until she got it and was able to push off and brake. As a volunteer, that was truly nice of him to be able to make a difference by reaching out to a struggling student out of a class of 20 or so.
So is THAT the end of the sequel? Well… yes… for now. I’ve signed for a Street Skills class, which involves no riding and is all about biking know-​how, but can’t make the Street Skills Ride, which involves putting that knowledge into practice on the streets of New York. So…
To be continued :)

This was a NIGHTMARE paying airfare, bike rental, hotel not to mention the registration fee to be stranded with thousands of people on the BQE with no obvious leadership. The other times I spent waiting (in the park, at the bridges to get on the FDR) were boring and annoying but the time waiting on the BQE was downright scary. I would not recommend this to anyone who is not a complete masochist. It took me 7 hours at least half of that time standing our walking my bike, not to mention the hour and a half waiting before I could even ride in the shade, freezing at 730 am with no vendors open and the hour and a half I spent trying to get from the ride back to Manhattan. The worst part — the joke of «festival». No beer. Seriously. I felt sorriest for the people with kids.
As a native New Yorker, I know how taxing these things are to the city and for it to also be a bummer for the riders is a shame. Shame on the organizers.

Just got back from my first NYC 5 Borough Bike Tour, and I have to say I’m pretty darned disappointed. Granted, I had just run the Paris Marathon a few weeks before & so my standards were pretty high, but even so I was psyched as an avid recreational biker in NYC and 14-​year resident to finally give this ‘major’ event a try.
An hour after the scheduled 8:15a.m. start, the large crowd not even having budged yet, I thought I had been duped into a completely separate event, the ‘5 Borough Standing & Walking Ride… With Occasional Cycling’.
It only got worse.
The literature promoting the event warned to expect a few ‘log jams’ and to ‘use them as an opportunity to get to know your fellow New Yorkers!’ (propaganda if I ever heard it… bah humbug!), but it was, Constant. Start. And. Stop.
The event turned out to be neither leisurely nor physically challenging (but for a couple of stretches on the BQE & then the final stretch on the Verrazano Narrows), and the route itself was underwhelming. Sixth Avenue was cool, the Queensboro Bridge & Verrazano ditto, but for the most part it was a tour through industrial, fast-​food chain, abandoned lot NYC.
With better planning (did the organizers really not realize there was major construction on the BQE in progress, creating a bike jam that literally lasted ONE HOUR? I mean, these projects don’t pop up, unannounced, over night!), and an overall more scenic route– I would even suggest forgetting the 5-​borough premise if it meant taking riders through more scenic NYC (after all, we all know there is plenty visual to spare here, certainly 42 miles worth!), the ride could be greatly improved & truly live up to its reputation.
Until then, I advise would-​be riders in this annual event to PROCEED WITH CAUTION when deciding whether to sign up for 2012, and if you do– find someplace on your bike to stash a book!

Learned to ride a bike with Bike New York. I didn’t think I’d be able to learn but their «balance method,» really is useful (though feels silly) is great for a bunch of adult learners!!!
They’ll resume lessons in the Spring, so check their website (see Learn to Ride — Adult) as early as April for their newest schedule.
Afterlearning two years ago, my sister and I rented bikes and continued practicing. We’ve gotten the hang of it and now can bike comfortably along bike lanes (along the West side Highway)! It’s great! We hope to get even better and eventually do a bike tour or (eeps) bike on the streets!
Enjoy and happy cycling!

Bike New York is the newest Free programs I discovered NYC has to offer. You don’t feel embarrassed whatsoever when you’re standing around in a park on a lovely afternoon with 15 other adults getting mentally prepared in learning how to ride a bike. April, whom I met earlier last month durring Summer Streets was leading the class yesterday at East River Park. She and all the other volunteers (or employees??) were extremely helpful that I learned how to ride in no time.
It’s actually awesome fun when you’re comiserating with other student riders discussing how much your crotch hurts or how the seat is digging into your nuts. O_​O If you think it’s a little TMI from a stranger, take it from a guy who you actually went to college with. haha. Not only did I run into an old Alum, also Nina C. whom I didn’t get to meet during Unilocal’s Date Auction. When two Elite Unilocalers randomly check out an event — that’s instant awesome.
Super excited to check out their other classes, but for now — Time to Unilocal a bike shop…

I just participated in the Twin Lights Ride in NJ yesterday and I have to say Bike New York did a fabulous job! They were well organized with street arrows, police assistance at busy intersections and they had the best rest stop snacks — peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, ice cold water, chocolate fondue fountain, brownies, bananas, & pie! Needles to say I didn’t have to bring any powerbars with me!
For the first time though I thought the people on the ride were not as nice… even rude at times like not sharing the lane with the cars, passing other cyclists without warning & not checking if my friend was ok when he was lying on the side of the road after his leg cramped (he was by himself!)!

This is solely based on the Five Borough Tour. It’s a unique and wonderful way to see the city. How often do they close off major NYC streets?! The only problem is that there is a lot of bottle-​necking which got to be pretty annoying.

A bit late adding this review… never mind!
I travelled to NYC in May with the bike the five boro ride as the ‘excuse’ to come across and to cycle New York.
First the ride… agree with many of John T’s comments that the ride might be better at Central Park with more of the Bronx but I have to say that the route as it was was pretty near perfect for me. I got a bit fed up that they ‘held’ the ride at a few points right at the beginning and then after Astoria to help manage the flow of riders as I wanted to get a good time (I know it’s not a race but still…). I did it in about 3.5 hours and was pleased with that. I had a bit of a stroll around the stalls at the Staten Island festival but wasn’t delayed at all getting on the ferry. I heard that people getting the ferry later in the day had to wait ages.
Secondly…I have to recommend cycling as a brilliant way to sightsee in New York. I stayed in LIC (solo trip… so just wanted somewhere to stay, but I really liked LIC) and rode across the Q-​boro bridge every day. It was great. Whizzing about Manhattan and down to Brooklyn was just the best thing ever. When you’re on the subway you don’t see things or experience them so I came across loads of sights that I would have missed (e.g. Jewish Williamsburg was brilliant to ride through after ‘doing’ Prospect Park).
I would highly recommend taking your bike or hiring one for the day. You realy get a great feel for the city.

Bike New York originated as a fully supported fun bike tour of all five boroughs of NYC, roughly 40 miles in length. Due to the massive growth of its signature event (over 30,000 participants each year), Bike New York has evolved into a hybrid sort of organization: part event management, part advocacy, and part urban cycling education resource for both children and adults.
But it’s hallmark is clearly the five boro tour (it really only kisses the Bronx, so the name’s a glamorous technicality). To many a New Yorker and tri-​state resident, this is a spring ritual. To many others who live nowhere near the city of cities, it’s a must-​do-​before-​you-​die kind of thing. It is utter splendid mayhem on two wheels.
How many people who live in NYC really venture out of their own, or immediate neighboring borough? Really? An event like this is significant in that it gives New Yorkers and and devotees of the Big Apple the chance to see so much of the metropolis in a day… on their own power, and with the privilege of full road closure. Imagine riding your bike on car-​free FDR, 59^th Street Bridge, BQE, Gowanus, Verazzano bridge. Then witness the same bad habits drivers espouse on these roadways in their cars… only on their bikes this time. Specific examples:
Erratic lane and direction changing
Infuriating speed variation and gridlock
Opportunists drafting in the wake of emergency vehicles
Chronic weaving in and out of traffic (the only way you’ll get to travel faster than 15mph, I think)
But ya gotta love it. Even if, time after time, you’d swear they ought to just name this thing WALK YOUR BIKE, NEW YORK. And even if you have to maintain your alert and sense ALL. THE. TIME. As you never know when the next idiot surrounded by at least 50 moving bikes is gonna decide with fleeting judgment of a squirrel to stop and take a picture of the skyline.
Many repeat participants have devised their own methods of getting clear of the crowds during this event. I’d share some, if not for the fear of being lynched by the event organizers, the City fo New York, and the folks who’ve developed their genius plans (pssst, it’s no secret, fellas). But really, I think anybody who experiences this for the first time ought to see it in its messy whole.
Rubber side down!