Bike arrived in the mail today. It's relatively cold (snow on the ground) here for me, but riding over the Billzburg bridge was like slicing direct through memory. In a good way. Here's something I'll hazard: NYC is vastly superior to San Francisco from the perspective of a bicyclist for a few reasons:
1 ) Street Quality:
The average street in SF is abominable compared to NYC. In spite of the usual suspicions about potholes, the California city with great weather has more ruts, holes, grooves and whatnot that the Northeast metropolis with four seasons. I say this as someone who's suffered at the hands of a pothole.
2) Traffic:
A surprise to many. "You bike in the city? That must be scary!" Not really. NYC has a higher proportion of professional drivers -- taxis, car service, bus, truck, delivery, etc -- who are all told much more well-versed at running the road than you are. It also has by in large slower traffic due to volume and the generall narrowness of the streets. Rarely does a car top 30 mph unless it's very late at night. California, by contrast, is beset with four-lane nightmares where unskilled motorists routinely top 40mph on their way to get some milk. Biking is much better when you can move fast enough to pass, and when the person you're passing is accustomed to the practice.
3) Topography:
No surprise here. The biggest hills I could ever hit here are the bridges, which don't hold a candle to twin peaks, but on the whole that's pretty good on the workaday tip. Level terrain simplifies planning. Unknown hill contours invite the poochscrew.
Anyway, it's good to be back in the saddle. I'm looking forward to making the cycle my primary mode of transport and reaping the physical and psychological benefits for the next couple months.
