End of 2023 Recap
I feel like I am almost on the other side of my third bout of COVID and after getting thirteen hours of sleep last night, I have some energy to at least start this post. Besides being sick now, who the heck knows what I’ve been up to these last few months.
Girls Bike NYC: Marathon Route (Final Ride of Season)
Girls Bike NYC’s last ride of the 2023 season was, as is tradition, the unsanctioned NYC Marathon route. I met a few girls at Prospect Park for the very early ride south to Bay Ridge. We all (Girls Bike NYC and hundreds and hundreds of other cyclists) met at the designated Dunkin’, just at the Brooklyn side of the Verrazano Bridge.
This was only my second time riding the marathon route, but this year was notably different than my experience a few years ago. Unofficially, cyclists and others can use the route while checkpoints and rest stops and other necessities are set up along the course, but police start kicking people off the route by the time the first runners start. This year seemed a lot less organized than my previous experience - there was still so much setting up going on, with lots of trucks still gaining access to the closed streets to make deliveries and finish the preparations. There also seemed to be a lot more riders this year, which led to lots of bottlenecks, and unfortunately, a few different incidents. A lot of people were not obeying NYPD, many riders treated it (and some clubs even advertised it) as a race, and I know at least one pedestrian was struck by a cyclist, and was left in critical condition. I think our group wound up having a good time as we separated and came back together throughout the ride, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the course is no longer open to riders next year. What was meant to be a really cool, unique experience for cyclists in the city has seemed to devolve into another risky day of riding in New York, with a lot of riders putting themselves and others in danger. I think it would behoove the cycling community to have a large, open discussion about these events and the importance of safety and respect during the rare opportunities we have for rides like this. Step 1: Let’s not advertise the marathon route as a race course, thankssss.
Girls Bike NYC: Leaders Ride
At the end of the season, the leaders organized a fun little ride to celebrate. We opted for a casual brunch ride, meeting at the Manhattan side of the Manhattan Bridge, and riding across the George Washington Bridge to 9W for breakfast at Brownstone Pancake Factory (which I’ve ridden past innumerable times, but have never gone to).
It ended up being a pretty beautiful day for riding, and it was a nice change for all of us to be able to ride together in a small group like this. Jaime scored a stuffed animal from a claw machine while we waited for our table, and then we all got to chat and hang out over a big, delicious breakfast. At first, we considered some extra miles after brunch, but after stuffing our faces, we all agreed it would be best to make our way back to NY.
This season was my first as one of the leaders of Girls Bike NYC, and it wound up being rewarding and fulfilling in ways I could not have imagined. I learned that I have a lot of patience (but that there are still situations that use it all up hahaha), and that I missed being in a role where I’m able to teach and share things with others. There is a lot that goes into planning a season, and I want to thank the other leaders who have put so much time and effort into organizing rides and fostering a community that has allowed so many of us to learn and grow, and to realize our accomplishments and how much more we are capable of. I never would have thought that I would end up as a leader of a cycling club, but this opportunity has forced me to reflect on my own cycling journey, and to acknowledge and appreciate my achievements, and how much my cycling has evolved over the past few years. Sometimes I doubt myself, but being part of this community has really helped boost my confidence and I’m learning to give myself more credit for the things I do in my life.
It’s nice having my weekends back to myself, but we’ll be planning the 2024 season before I know it.
Bike Life Generally
While I’m not exactly sure what I’ve been up to the last few months, I know there’s been riding! I’ve always been predisposed to finding trails and routes outside of the city, but lately I’ve been doing some casual riding around the boroughs, visiting new parks, finding the best pastries, and even staying up past my bedtime for some beautiful night rides through Brooklyn Bridge Park. The holiday season also meant lots of trips to Long Island to visit family and friends, so LIRR has become a second home for me and my bikes.
At the end of 2021, I set some cycling goals for myself for 2022. If you recall, I did not accomplish them. Despite that, I had a great year of riding. For 2023, my only goal was to “eat less shit,” and by my measures, I succeeded, with only one episode of eating it enough to end up with scars (I am getting more injuries and scars as a women in my thirties than I ever did as a child). But 2023 was also the year that I accomplished the goals I set all the way back in December of 2021:
Complete my first century ride (CHECK!)
Ride at least 1,500 miles (CHECK! See below)
I’m tempted to set some goals for 2024, but I think things that used to seem like goals to me are now just the things I know I’m going to do, simply because I enjoy them. So instead, cycling things I’m looking forward to in 2024:
Another amazing Girls Bike NYC season
Traveling more by bicycle with the below tentative cycle tours:
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail and the C&O Towpath (much of which I previously rode on my trip with Polly)
Le P’tit Train du Nord (a trail that begins in Montreal and takes riders northwest though Quebec; ***I know zero French)
Learning more maintenance
A new custom road bike for my thirty-fifth birthday???
Updating this thing more consistently??? LOL GOOD LUCK TO ME
