It was a fantastic weekend get away for me. I brought my 24" unicycle as checked luggage (within the allowed dimensions) without any problems. My husband rented a bike and rode behind me over the bridge. I only made it a couple of miles past the bridge before pooping out and getting into the van to ride the rest of the way to Coney Island. That ride really stretched my newbie skills to the limits.
The festival was on Governor’s Island, just off the tip of Manhattan. The views of the city and the Statue of Liberty are spectacular. The festival has small town atmosphere despite being in the big apple. It was fun to see fellow unicyclist do what they love and also participate a bit myself.
Hey, does anybody have or has anyone spotted photos of my son riding on the Brooklyn Bridge? Even if he is in the background. We explained to him that we were going to meet in the middle of the bridge for photos. He got caught up in the moment and just kept going!
The only photo we have of him during the ride is at the end of the 13 miles.
Anyone planning to go to this year’s festival (Sept 3-6)?
I just started riding two weeks ago so obviously wasn’t there last year. Not sure if I’ll be up to the bridge ride in another month (and though I work in midtown east would probably take the train down to the starting point if I do go), but looking forward to at least the weekend portion of the event!
Any advice on what to bring/not bring or things like that?
Dress for the weather and possible changes. You could throw something in a string back pack. Bring a bottle of water and snacks for the ride, unless you want to stop at the delis along the way. When you get to Coney Island, everything you need is available!!
If you can’t make the whole ride as a newbie, you can catch the subway to Coney Island at a corner of Prospect Park (or at other points along the way).
A large unicycle, a bit of cash and maybe a Metrocard if necessary for getting home after dark- that’s all I would bring. The sun isn’t that strong, as most of the ride is in the evening and along tree-lined streets. The organizers of the ride sell bottled water along the way, and there are also drinking fountains in Prospect Park and Coney Island.
So I’m not the only one who realized how useful those are as a unicycle accessory! I’m not sure I’d use one normally when just walking around, but the ability to stuff one in a carrying bag with the unicycle, then stuff the carrying bag, phone, etc into it while unicycling has proved great.
I’m really hoping I’ll somehow have a halfway reliable free mount in another month, but is trying to do the bridge ride dependent on walking to the next light pole or fence at all feasible, or simply absurd?
Apart from the bridge ride, what about the part on Governors Island’s? Better to bring a 26 or a 20? or whichever one I’m most comfortable on in another month? I doubt I’d really be taking part in any events, mostly just watching and working on basics.
I don’t live anywhere near New York, but for any kind of distance riding, the 26" will be way better than the 20". Even if the 26 still feels new to you, ride it a little bit every day, and you will feel pretty confident on it a month from now.
I sure hope so! I got it because the 20" seemed like a toy once I got it out on a bike path.
But the festival has a few parts - a couple of distance rides, and then on a different day a gathering on Governors Island that seems to be more about events - basketball, sumo, obstacles and presumably some trials stuff. All of which is way beyond where I’ll be by then. I’ve seen mention in the past of more experienced folks bringing multiple unicycles out to that event, but I think that’s more than I want to carry through the transit system to get there - so makes sense to pick the best one for each distinct day.
On the ride to Coney Island the sun is not a problem, but on Governor’s Island it is overwhelming, or at least it was last year!
Bring a big hat, a small unicycle and a large refillable bottle of water. Bring your wallet as well, at least if you think you might want anything from the Unicycle truck, or if you don’t pack your own lunch. Some of the food sold out of the trucks on GI is actually very good. The tap water there is not safe to drink, and the vending machines that sell water are expensive and sometimes overrun by thirsty crowds, but last year I did manage to find a new high-tech drinking fountain that someone had installed in a remote area for humanitarian reasons. As long as it’s still functioning, you should have a very pleasant time.
I did the ride over the bridge and on to Prospect park on my 24" uni. I had only been riding three months and could freemount but wasn’t that great at it. There are three things beginners need to keep in mind.
There are lots of people and bikes on the bridge and many don’t pay attention.
The bridge has an incline and deline. Also there is some elevation just before reaching Prospect park.
If you continue beyond the bridge you’ll be riding in traffic until Prospect park.
My training goal was to be able to freemount and ride three miles with no UPDs. I didn’t have any climbing experience.
There are things like posts, railings and cars to hold onto along the way. On the bridge I think the railing is on the left so that can be tricky especially with bikes coming at you.
The group stops and waits for everyone at a couple of places which was really nice. There was even guys from the Kosher Bike team helping keep track for part of the ride.
You can always try it and bail if it turns out to be too difficult. I surprised myself and made it to the park. I think I walked most of the way up the bridge though.
Bring water on the ride and/or buy some along the way from the organizers. Two bucks for a small bottle. They also sell T shirts.
If you don’t wear a helmet you might get yelled at by a woman in Brooklyn.
I’d take the 26" to Governors Island to ride around some of the paths if that’s what you think you’d like to do. Some just hang out and play hockey, basketball and/or do trials on 20" unis. If UDC shows up you can do a bit of shopping.
Experienced the Brooklyn Bridge myself today! Hopped on the train with my 26" and met up with Pierrox who was in town with his 29" over by Brooklyn Bridge park where he exhibited encouraging patience as I gained comfort on the larger wheel, and provided a useful tip to keep my weight more forward was I worked on my far-from reliable but occasionally useful freemount. Rode some bike paths there, played with tire pressure (thanks for bringing a pump!) then said I wanted to eyeball the bridge to know what I’d be facing for the unifest ride.
Pierre was nice enough to accompany me half way back across to Manhattan, without which encouragement I would probably have just walked. Can’t say I rode it all, but substantial stretches. I think what I found hardest (being out of shape and on a 26er with 127’s) was the upgrade. I did some hills last weekend on my 20", but wasn’t quite ready for this. The center section is wood planking - approximately 2x3"s and that could probably be very disturbing on a smaller wheel, though I managed to ride stretches of it. As a newbie it was quite helpful to be going from Brooklyn to Manhattan (the uni fest ride is the other direction) as the Manhattan bound bike lane gets a handy fence and/or cables on its right, while Brooklyn bound has no access to mounting aids without crossing over. Those vertical suspension cables are fine to get up by, but grabbing one while moving can lead to some crowd pleasing (if unintentional) tricks!
After the middle sections the pavement resumes for the downgrade, and thanks to polite cooperation of pedestrians and bikers I was able to ride that in one go, until a point where pedestrians split off and both directions of bike traffic squeeze sub-meter choke point that a teenager was walking up. The great realization was how nice it feels to descend a gentle hill- the gravity does all the work, and you just meter it out at the pace you are comfortable with.
Other new experiences of the day included wind (mild but noticeable) and camber (more in the park than on the bridge) - definitely things to think about when attempting that route for the first time.
I lost my sense of direction on foot in lower Manhattan, then got headed towards the bikeway on a street that was quiet enough I did my first ever riding in car territory. Rejoined the east river greenway around the Manhattan Bridge where it was welcomingly shadowed a bit and was able to mostly ride with a bit of walking. Continued on up, but jelly legs meant I was walking the majority of the time. Quite frustrating, as the lower section of the greenway is great beginner unicyclist territory - wide “bikes yield to pedestrians” rather than segregated signage that is perfect for someone who isn’t quite either, and nice smooth fence railing along the water when needed. That stretch above and blow the Williamsburg bridge is certainly something I’ll need to return to. The final bit - past a long choke point bypassing a con ed facility and into the territory of my commute north of 20th street has only a few sections worth riding, and halfway through the second I decided I was too worn out to do anything but put the uni back in its bag, sling it across my shoulder, and limp the rest of the way home.
Hi all, I will be at the NYC Uni Fest this year, I am super excited. I am arriving via train around 1:30 on Thursday. Does anyone know what time the Thursday ride starts from Battery Park? If it is late afternoon or later, I will make it. Otherwise, I will be there for the Brooklyn Bridge ride to Coney Island.
In an unrelated note, I am a big fan of the TV show Mr. Robot. I want to go get my picture taken where the main character Elliot usually sits in front of the Bo Hai Dumpling Town. (Stupid tourist stuff but it will be fun.)
If you arrive at Penn Station (presumably since it looks like you are coming from the south) you are already moderately west, so could just head out and explore the Hudson River path on your own. Of course maybe you need to drop things elsewhere first.
Can someone who was there last year help me understand something? It sounds like Friday night after the ride to Coney Island there’s some sort of performance or show. What do people who rode out there do with their unicycles during this? Can we keep them with us in the audience? Is there an official place to store them? Are we expected to bring means to lock them to bike racks?
And while I’ll probably not want to deal with the transport hassle, what do people who bring more than one unicycle out to Governor’s Island do with the one they aren’t riding at any given moment?
Yes there is a performance. Last year there was some confusion about storing unicycles. I think in the past the venue had a place but the woman selling tickets didn’t seem to know anything about it and said we couldn’t take them in with us. Just as I decide to give up and head back to Manhattan I think they found a solution but I left anyways.
BTW, after eating at Nathan’s everyone heads over to Dino’s Wonder Wheel for a picture and a ride on the wheel. You can’t take your uni on the ride but they let you leave it near the guys running the wheel.
