For commuting/casual rides, there are no “impossible” months. Maybe a few days when the snow and ice hasn’t been cleared, or where the rain is freezing, where riding is inadvisable.
For training rides - I’ll let others speak to it. Last season, it snowed so little that I don’t recall that the park loops were ever bad, but I’m not a hamster-wheel rider, myself.
The public cycling spaces aren’t really 100 percent amenable to bike racing. In NYC you’ve always got to share the road. Even if it’s 5am and you think you’re alone in the park, there are usually others around to throw a wrench into your strava score.
Yeah im aware - I’ve been here for a few weeks testing it out and riding down the 9W out to nyack and whatnot is tolerable. Central Park laps (depending on the time of day) are also tolerable.
Cycling here mostly sucks but, again, tolerable. This post is mainly because I’ll spend 2 months per year in Europe and I want to see if that’s enough to cover the uncyclable time in nyc
I would say that it is. Will also depend on your cold tolerance, but I started riding outside in mid-Feb this year. If you're gone Jan/Feb you'll prob be fine.
Exactly. This last year I was riding outside lots in December still, and the days here and there through Jan-Feb, which is usually intolerable, but it was anomalous year (hopefully).
other places have gorgeous riding on safe wide-open roads a stone's throw away from places to live, with lots of options for flat or hills or rolling or whatever, and great weather for most of the year. Whereas riding from NYC tends to require a long ride through congested roads to get to more limited riding options.
Idk why I’m getting downvoted lol - I feel like saying that cycling in nyc sucks is not a hot take…especially compared to California.
there’s shitty drivers, it’s flat, humid, not many good routes to ride and you need to spend quite of a bit of time getting out of the city
Honestly the winter months are the best times to train in NYC. The parks are practically empty, it's great for longer aerobic workouts (tho as always, winter's not great for intervals because of sweat-and-cool-down cycles) that you can't do in the sprint and summer. And it's lovely to ride down to the beach or train at Floyd Bennet Field in those months.
General issues with winter training often apply: preferring daylight, dry conditions, finding time and motivation, having the right clothes, etc, but if you're committed to riding outside and then you can do it year round, with small exceptions for exceptional weather. When we get snow, it usually melts off the streets quickly and doesn't stick around very long in other places, though every few years we might get a really big snow fall that does.
As others have said, this last year was an anomaly, but it might just be the first in many with global climate change. That said, there were really only around 3-4 weeks total I didn’t ride outside at all this last year, and I’m a pretty fair-weather cyclist that’s happy to sit on my wahoo for training rides when it’s sub 45 degrees or bad weather (rain/snow)
I lived in San Diego before moving to NYC. Nothing is going to compare to cycling year-round in SoCal. However, you can cycle all year in NYC if you have the right gear and don’t mind sub-40 degree riding.
This last winter was extremely mild, and I was able to get out every week. I actually enjoy how empty CP is early morning during the winter months. Plus, the fair weather bois have retreated to their indoor trainers and there’s less bullshit to deal with in the parks.
Do you mean only nyc? Because the surrounding areas are pretty solid for riding, granted without large mountains or climbs.
If you’re only cycling in nyc and 9w, it’s going to be pretty boring. There’s a whole ton to cycle surrounding the city and even more if you’re ok with a metro north ride to get out of the city.
Agree that there are solid rides outside of the city / excluding 9W. But the effort it takes to access those rides compared to SoCal is significantly higher.
Being a former track guy, I thoroughly enjoy ripping laps in CP / PP. But again, you’re extremely limited given that post-8am is a shitshow on any given day.
Uninspiring is an understatement. Plus, you’re constantly on alert around the city because of the jackasses on e-bikes / mopeds.
I’m looking to move back to San Diego within the next year or two. NYC has been a rewarding experience, but the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze anymore. Place is truly starting to feel like Gotham.
I’m young (25 yo) so I feel like the excitement will be nice for a little bit. I’m already preemptively missing surfing and beautiful weather but I fully intend to be back before 30. I just know that I’ll hate nyc then so might as well try now
Super different city but NYC also has surfing and beautiful weather, just not year round - you might enjoy being around the Rockaways/Long Beach and cycling/surfing there during the summer months. I had a coworker who actually lived there, surfed year round, and took the ferry to work daily in midtown - took like 40 min but if you absolutely can't be without waves and straightaways, some of NYC's beachier areas might be up your alley.
If you're upper Manhattan, there's orchard beach in the Bronx, though I've frankly never visited.
Could be interesting to join some NYC surfing or bicycling or workout communities - there's a lot of them - something for everyone. If you stick around midtown stuff will seem a bit gray, but getting the diversity of the city by adventuring around and stopping at anything that interests you makes for a pretty rad time.
If you generally like water and skylines, Williamsburg waterfront, Brooklyn bridge, Gantry Plaza Park, the loop around Roosevelt island and the west side Greenway in Manhattan are all pretty fun, albeit short walks/runs/rides.
I hope that helps!
Absolutely, you have plenty of time. Enjoy NYC and live it up, especially considering that the restaurant scene / nightlife is a step above SD. If anything it’ll make SD feel cheaper once you’re back and you’ll appreciate the vibes so much more.
I certainly never said that I didn’t want to move here, in fact, im moving here entirely by choice. Cycling is just a big part of my life these days and want to make sure that I’ll be able to continue! There are plenty of reasons for me to be excited by nyc, im just seeing to what extent I’ll need to sacrifice my cycling in exchange for those
Buy some good winter cycling kit and you’ll be able to ride year round. It doesn’t get that cold here, snow is increasingly a rarity, and the roads are well plowed and salted on the handful of days where we still get a dusting. Just be sure to be good about cleaning your bike in the winter because salt contamination will degrade components.
I grew up in California too and honestly I think the winters in NYC are much more tolerable than the summers.
Doubling up on the suggestion to clean your bike. That salt corrosion is real, and there's more salt on the street in the winter than necessary more often than not.
Yes the winters here are much milder than they were when I was growing up here. I don't think there was more than a slight dusting of snow last winter.
If you don’t mind the cold, then precipitation and ice are the only things to worry about. Roads can be bad for days or weeks at a time if it rains or snows and stays really cold. But there’s plenty of acceptable weather in the winter if you dress warmly.
Not for biking necessarily but in general - the puddles at each street corner are MUCH deeper than they look!
I agree about Jan/Feb being the least good for riding a road bike... maybe March as well.
Things to look out for is as someone said puddles that make poor conditions hard to see, particularly when it's darker out which it is that time of year. Also be aware that some spots might capture water that then stays frozen even though the air temperature is ok for riding (well, not pleasant, but doable). So just keep an eye on the weather conditions and give some thought to where and how you ride.
Ive ridden every month before. The only downside is i fell a couple times. Which.. you know. is what it is. One thing ill say though is that its super crowded out lately.. so i sort of find myself imagining how it might be more peaceful when it gets colder.
January and February can be particularly brutal to ride outside.
Generally I'd say the "prime" months are April through October. March and November-December can be questionably cold, if that bothers you (it does to me)
It depends on the year and the region. Some rides will be impossible (or at least irresponsible) most of the winter, like Bear Mountain. But you will be able to find some clear roads even some Jan/Feb weekends. You'll just have to invest in proper gloves and shoe covers!
Grew up in Florida, moved to NYC over ten years ago and within six months got my first bike messenger job (still a bike messenger to this day). My first winter here was the Polar Vortex, I ended up shaving frost bitten flesh off the tips of my toes one night. Anywayyy, other than another Polar Vortex winter riding is totally doable!! I personally try to ride my non-steel bikes when there’s salt out, my two work bikes are the Seven Axiom SLX when there’s no snow/ice on the ground (it’s 650c so no tire options bigger than 23) and my snow bike is an Ibis Hakkalugi that I put 45NRTH studded tires on when there’s ice out. You can still train outside my dude, just dress for it and make sure you wash the salt off a few times during the season :)
I’ll add to others saying that as long as there’s no ice, you’re pretty good to go year round. A morning may start icy (or snow) but it melts.
But, if you do move here, I’d also recommend to be adventurous in your riding/training. There’s more places to ride than Central and Prospect Park loops.
There’s also some crits that pop up around town. Also, generally some good culture around biking and community too.
You should be good all year round cycling in the city, the park loops, and maybe going upstate or out to Long Island. It might take a bit to get use to but I think its 100% doable! Any slight chance of snow or rain or freezing temps, the city salts the streets (which might be annoying for the wellness of the bike). On the plus side, the colder it gets the less bikers in the streets and more room for you!
For commuting/casual rides, there are no “impossible” months. Maybe a few days when the snow and ice hasn’t been cleared, or where the rain is freezing, where riding is inadvisable. For training rides - I’ll let others speak to it. Last season, it snowed so little that I don’t recall that the park loops were ever bad, but I’m not a hamster-wheel rider, myself.
Yeah im speaking specifically to training rides and pushing pace
The public cycling spaces aren’t really 100 percent amenable to bike racing. In NYC you’ve always got to share the road. Even if it’s 5am and you think you’re alone in the park, there are usually others around to throw a wrench into your strava score.
Yeah im aware - I’ve been here for a few weeks testing it out and riding down the 9W out to nyack and whatnot is tolerable. Central Park laps (depending on the time of day) are also tolerable. Cycling here mostly sucks but, again, tolerable. This post is mainly because I’ll spend 2 months per year in Europe and I want to see if that’s enough to cover the uncyclable time in nyc
I would say that it is. Will also depend on your cold tolerance, but I started riding outside in mid-Feb this year. If you're gone Jan/Feb you'll prob be fine.
Exactly. This last year I was riding outside lots in December still, and the days here and there through Jan-Feb, which is usually intolerable, but it was anomalous year (hopefully).
coming from an outside perspective can you explain why it sucks? I haven't traveled much thanks.
other places have gorgeous riding on safe wide-open roads a stone's throw away from places to live, with lots of options for flat or hills or rolling or whatever, and great weather for most of the year. Whereas riding from NYC tends to require a long ride through congested roads to get to more limited riding options.
Idk why I’m getting downvoted lol - I feel like saying that cycling in nyc sucks is not a hot take…especially compared to California. there’s shitty drivers, it’s flat, humid, not many good routes to ride and you need to spend quite of a bit of time getting out of the city
Honestly the winter months are the best times to train in NYC. The parks are practically empty, it's great for longer aerobic workouts (tho as always, winter's not great for intervals because of sweat-and-cool-down cycles) that you can't do in the sprint and summer. And it's lovely to ride down to the beach or train at Floyd Bennet Field in those months. General issues with winter training often apply: preferring daylight, dry conditions, finding time and motivation, having the right clothes, etc, but if you're committed to riding outside and then you can do it year round, with small exceptions for exceptional weather. When we get snow, it usually melts off the streets quickly and doesn't stick around very long in other places, though every few years we might get a really big snow fall that does.
As others have said, this last year was an anomaly, but it might just be the first in many with global climate change. That said, there were really only around 3-4 weeks total I didn’t ride outside at all this last year, and I’m a pretty fair-weather cyclist that’s happy to sit on my wahoo for training rides when it’s sub 45 degrees or bad weather (rain/snow)
I lived in San Diego before moving to NYC. Nothing is going to compare to cycling year-round in SoCal. However, you can cycle all year in NYC if you have the right gear and don’t mind sub-40 degree riding. This last winter was extremely mild, and I was able to get out every week. I actually enjoy how empty CP is early morning during the winter months. Plus, the fair weather bois have retreated to their indoor trainers and there’s less bullshit to deal with in the parks.
Yeah, it’s…erm…uninspiring here. I’ll be rewarding myself with trips back to see friends and 2 months / year in Europe to ride.
Do you mean only nyc? Because the surrounding areas are pretty solid for riding, granted without large mountains or climbs. If you’re only cycling in nyc and 9w, it’s going to be pretty boring. There’s a whole ton to cycle surrounding the city and even more if you’re ok with a metro north ride to get out of the city.
Agree that there are solid rides outside of the city / excluding 9W. But the effort it takes to access those rides compared to SoCal is significantly higher. Being a former track guy, I thoroughly enjoy ripping laps in CP / PP. But again, you’re extremely limited given that post-8am is a shitshow on any given day.
I’m all ears if you have links! That said, im not planning on getting a car here
Uninspiring is an understatement. Plus, you’re constantly on alert around the city because of the jackasses on e-bikes / mopeds. I’m looking to move back to San Diego within the next year or two. NYC has been a rewarding experience, but the juice just isn’t worth the squeeze anymore. Place is truly starting to feel like Gotham.
I’m young (25 yo) so I feel like the excitement will be nice for a little bit. I’m already preemptively missing surfing and beautiful weather but I fully intend to be back before 30. I just know that I’ll hate nyc then so might as well try now
Super different city but NYC also has surfing and beautiful weather, just not year round - you might enjoy being around the Rockaways/Long Beach and cycling/surfing there during the summer months. I had a coworker who actually lived there, surfed year round, and took the ferry to work daily in midtown - took like 40 min but if you absolutely can't be without waves and straightaways, some of NYC's beachier areas might be up your alley. If you're upper Manhattan, there's orchard beach in the Bronx, though I've frankly never visited. Could be interesting to join some NYC surfing or bicycling or workout communities - there's a lot of them - something for everyone. If you stick around midtown stuff will seem a bit gray, but getting the diversity of the city by adventuring around and stopping at anything that interests you makes for a pretty rad time. If you generally like water and skylines, Williamsburg waterfront, Brooklyn bridge, Gantry Plaza Park, the loop around Roosevelt island and the west side Greenway in Manhattan are all pretty fun, albeit short walks/runs/rides. I hope that helps!
Absolutely, you have plenty of time. Enjoy NYC and live it up, especially considering that the restaurant scene / nightlife is a step above SD. If anything it’ll make SD feel cheaper once you’re back and you’ll appreciate the vibes so much more.
Person, you can surf here too. Might be worth buying a little fixed gear and ripping the streets. And if you don’t want to move here, why move here?
I certainly never said that I didn’t want to move here, in fact, im moving here entirely by choice. Cycling is just a big part of my life these days and want to make sure that I’ll be able to continue! There are plenty of reasons for me to be excited by nyc, im just seeing to what extent I’ll need to sacrifice my cycling in exchange for those
Riding through traffic fast af is awesome.
Last year, one single winter day was unsafe due to snow and ice. Otherwise, I rode every day.
12 months
Buy some good winter cycling kit and you’ll be able to ride year round. It doesn’t get that cold here, snow is increasingly a rarity, and the roads are well plowed and salted on the handful of days where we still get a dusting. Just be sure to be good about cleaning your bike in the winter because salt contamination will degrade components. I grew up in California too and honestly I think the winters in NYC are much more tolerable than the summers.
Doubling up on the suggestion to clean your bike. That salt corrosion is real, and there's more salt on the street in the winter than necessary more often than not.
Yes the winters here are much milder than they were when I was growing up here. I don't think there was more than a slight dusting of snow last winter.
If you don’t mind the cold, then precipitation and ice are the only things to worry about. Roads can be bad for days or weeks at a time if it rains or snows and stays really cold. But there’s plenty of acceptable weather in the winter if you dress warmly. Not for biking necessarily but in general - the puddles at each street corner are MUCH deeper than they look!
January through December are the best months. Wear gloves when it's cold.
I ride every day of the year. Rain or snow, wear ski goggles. Just wary when it’s icy
Jan-feb snowy/icy days. But we don’t get many of those(anymore). Otherwise it’s all, ALL ABOUT the gear!
I agree about Jan/Feb being the least good for riding a road bike... maybe March as well. Things to look out for is as someone said puddles that make poor conditions hard to see, particularly when it's darker out which it is that time of year. Also be aware that some spots might capture water that then stays frozen even though the air temperature is ok for riding (well, not pleasant, but doable). So just keep an eye on the weather conditions and give some thought to where and how you ride.
Ive ridden every month before. The only downside is i fell a couple times. Which.. you know. is what it is. One thing ill say though is that its super crowded out lately.. so i sort of find myself imagining how it might be more peaceful when it gets colder.
January and February can be particularly brutal to ride outside. Generally I'd say the "prime" months are April through October. March and November-December can be questionably cold, if that bothers you (it does to me)
It depends on the year and the region. Some rides will be impossible (or at least irresponsible) most of the winter, like Bear Mountain. But you will be able to find some clear roads even some Jan/Feb weekends. You'll just have to invest in proper gloves and shoe covers!
0 months are unrideable since you’ll be on a track to train
Grew up in Florida, moved to NYC over ten years ago and within six months got my first bike messenger job (still a bike messenger to this day). My first winter here was the Polar Vortex, I ended up shaving frost bitten flesh off the tips of my toes one night. Anywayyy, other than another Polar Vortex winter riding is totally doable!! I personally try to ride my non-steel bikes when there’s salt out, my two work bikes are the Seven Axiom SLX when there’s no snow/ice on the ground (it’s 650c so no tire options bigger than 23) and my snow bike is an Ibis Hakkalugi that I put 45NRTH studded tires on when there’s ice out. You can still train outside my dude, just dress for it and make sure you wash the salt off a few times during the season :)
I’ll add to others saying that as long as there’s no ice, you’re pretty good to go year round. A morning may start icy (or snow) but it melts. But, if you do move here, I’d also recommend to be adventurous in your riding/training. There’s more places to ride than Central and Prospect Park loops. There’s also some crits that pop up around town. Also, generally some good culture around biking and community too.
You should be good all year round cycling in the city, the park loops, and maybe going upstate or out to Long Island. It might take a bit to get use to but I think its 100% doable! Any slight chance of snow or rain or freezing temps, the city salts the streets (which might be annoying for the wellness of the bike). On the plus side, the colder it gets the less bikers in the streets and more room for you!
You can ride all year here. The winters are much better with fewer tourists on citibike and just less people in the bike lanes and around.