The need to Roam
Whenever I meet a cyclist who’s never been to NYC, I can inevitably expect the question, “But where do you even ride?!” They have a point. Our concrete jungle consists of overcrowded pothole-laden streets, where we dodge pedestrians, cars and trucks every day just to get to work, or to a city park where we have to ride in circles. Most of us work long hours at stressful jobs, only to turn around and pass through our wages to landlords for a few hundred square feet of living space, that we share with roommates. “The Big City” can definitely seem pretty claustrophobic at times.
But, just over the bridges and tunnels that connect us city dwellers to the outside world, is an endless expanse of open road. Anyone with a bicycle and a sense of adventure can escape the city and enjoy some fresh air, bucolic farms, shaded woods, and refreshing bodies of water. Having a Metro-North Rail Road bike pass and some reliable guidance technology can help to extend that exploration even further.
My good pals and favorite adventure riding couple, Donalrey and Karen, invited me to participate in a special video project for Wahoo, ahead of the launch of their new Elemnt ROAM GPS bike computer. Our route highlighted some of our favorite roads just outside of NYC, and the well-designed ROAM made navigation a breeze. Our friend, Angelo came along and took some great pics, and the end result was this pretty cool video, shot by Chris Milliman. Check out some of my favorite images from the day in the gallery below, and the final cut of the video project, courtesy of Wahoo.
It’s a privilege to live in the greatest city in the world. But sometimes, you just need to get the heck out and recharge. It’s this ability to roam outside of the City on our bikes that enables many of us to continue to thrive within the City.
I am a New Yorker who rides bikes of all kinds, sometimes runs, loves cats, and nerds out on transit justice issues. I am an advocate at heart and a member of the All Powerful Bicycle Lobby, though opinions here are my own.
Instagram: @luciadlite
Twitter: @luciadlite
E-mail: lucia@tobedetermined.cc
