Urban Athletics: Bike the NYC Bridges by Night

The other night I was on my bike riding around town and was struck by how dramatically the vibe of the city changes once the sun sets. People get out on their cycles and enjoy this town during the day but most of us put them away when the evening comes. That's like ordering a slice of pizza, throwing away the cheese and only eating the crust-—you're only getting half of what makes the experience great.

The plan...

We are going to take a nighttime tour of the East River bridges, we'll wheel through three boroughs and cross over five spans—the Queensboro, Pulaski, Williamsburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn bridges. This ride will highlight the stunning sights only viewable from our water crossings and take in different views of the sparkling nighttime Manhattan skyline. If there was ever a time to go through the hassle of carrying your camera with you, this will be it.

The important stuff...

• This is going to be a casually-paced ride of about 18 miles. Most of the ride will take place in bike lanes but there will be parts with some automobile congestion. You must be comfortable riding in a group and in traffic. Helmets are required. Lights and reflectors for your bike are also REQUIRED by law.

• This is a night ride so dress to be seen by motorists and pedestrians--bright or reflective clothing is a must

• Make sure your bike is in good working order before the meetup and bring a lock in case we need to leave our cycles. Also bring a patch repair kit, air pump, and spare inner tube.

• Rain cancels the meetup

Here is the map of the ride:
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43567766