Ride for Trans Lives, Create Kidical Mass, and Find Your Twin
June is shaping up to be an excellent month for New York City cyclists
Leg Day is a newsletter about the pursuit of joy as a city cyclist.
Last weekend, I celebrated both my 30th birthday and my one year anniversary of being laid off from my job at The Wall Street Journal. I went long on how I’ve been feeling recently in The DV Digest, which you can subscribe to if you’re interested in irregular updates about my professional life and the occasional blog about media or fashion.
To celebrate my birthday, I planned a 30 mile route that would pass through a bunch of places where I have core biking memories. It started in Prospect Park, of course, with the shortcut through Center Drive that allows you to either avoid the hill in the park’s northeast corner or the downhill section of the park’s southwest corner. When I started riding my bike in the city two years ago, the idea that I would willingly skip a descent was unfathomable. Now, I do it all the time, usually when I’m trying to cram a good workout into an hour.
Most of the stops have more wholesome memories attached. The pier in Red Hook where I ended one of my first long rides. The rollers of Brooklyn Bridge Park where I led one of my first group rides. The bike path inconspicuously located along the side of the Kosciuszko Bridge that always makes me laugh1. We ended the ride at my friend Taemin’s apartment, where he had made tacos for the riders and many of my other pals. It was a great day!
I had been preparing for disaster. The forecasts in the lead up looked at bit ominous, which made me worry I would have to cancel the ride portion of the party. But in the end, we were treated to an absolutely gorgeous day.
It’s an auspicious start to Peak Bike Season. Summer is not just when you can convince all your bike-curious friends to join you for a lap, but also when the most creative route planners and event organizers start COOKING with the free programming. I’m going to be away from the city for long stretches of this month—first to do some gravel riding in Arkansas, then for a wedding in Colorado—but those who are lucky enough to be around have some extremely exciting chances ahead of them to ride in community. Here, five cycling events coming up this month you should definitely know about.
BUT FIRST A QUICK REQUEST … Do you have a tandem bike in New York City? Would you be willing to let me ride it with you for a story or video? Let me know by replying to this email! You can also DM me on Instagram @drvarg01.
Trans Action Donation Ride + Yoga
Monday, June 2
6:45 pm
The hottest collaboration of the year is not a sneaker, it’s a group ride. The organizers from NightCap, Nonbinary Bike Club, Queer Joyride, and Lesbian Bike Clurb have teamed up to do a 4.6-mile social ride from Grand Army Plaza up to Marsha P. Johnson park. The ride will end in a 45-minute restorative yoga class—bring your own mat or blanket. The organizers are asking people who want to attend to donate between $10-$40 to cover costs, all the profits from which will be donated the NY Transgender Advocacy Group. Good way to start Pride Month, imho!!
Rallykat “Twin”
Monday, June 2
9 pm
Want to get competitive on a bike without having to don lycra? Check out Rallykat, a DIY-race event series in its first season under new management. (The originator moved to L.A. earlier this year. Sad for them and us, honestly.) Past editions have required riders to be the last one standing after continuous loops around a traffic cone and another forced you to add an unnecessary part to your bike. In the one this evening, you’ll have to do a two-person relay race where the baton is your bike. Make sure you and your partner have compatible bike sizes! And if you miss this one, there’s another planned for next week. Follow the @rallykat.nyc account for more details!
Bike Bonanza NYC
Saturday, June 21
11 am to 3 pm
Biking isn’t JUST for kids, but I am firmly of the belief that our city’s cycling infrastructure should be good enough that kids can ride on it safely without worrying they’ll get dragged under an NYPD tow truck. Thankfully, there are a ton of organizations in New York working to make this the case, including the ones who have come together to put on a day of kid-friendly bike events at the St. John’s recreation center in Crown Heights. There’s a “Kidical Mass” ride (incredible) from Grand Army Plaza to the festival, where educators from Bike New York will be teaching riding classes, staffers from NYC DOT will be giving away helmets and bike lights, and the crew form Recycle-a-Bicycle will be helping parents trade bikes their kids have outgrown for ones that fit. Good vibe alert!
Tour de Rot
Saturday, June 21
12 pm to 5 pm
Brooklyn Rot is the extremely cool organization that hires young New Yorkers to help collect food scraps and produce compost that’s used in community gardens and sold in the Park Slope Food Coop. You might have seen some of its collectors carting stinky bins with yellow lids in the back of cargo bikes throughout Brooklyn. This year, on the Solstice, the non-profit is hosting a scavenger hunt and funraiser, which will take you to “historic and active sites of community power, sustainability, art, culture, and more.” The prices include some gear from Patagonia, brews from Wild East, and a Artshack cafe gift card. Nothing to turn your nose at!
Q-Boro Loca
Saturday, June 28
11 am meet-up, 12:30 pm race start
Gabby continues to prove her devotion to planning incredible looking events for New York City cyclists. This month, she’s bringing back an alley cat she first did last year: Q-boro Loco. You can either choose to race the event for SPEED or ADVENTURE. Those who choose speed will be judged based on how quickly they hit all the provided checkpoints. Those who choose adventure can earn extra points along the way by doing … something. The details are still a secret! No matter which you choose, the race will end in a barbecue and soccer game.
Thank you for reading Leg Day! Once again, if you have a tandem bike in New York and want to let me try and ride it with you, let me know!
I feel like I’m always the only one using it.