On Wednesday afternoon, I sat next to the Atlantic Ocean, looking at a red-billed oystercatcher, who was looking at me. I knew it was an oystercatcher because a woman walking by in a head-to-toe suit and mask told me so.
“It’s keeping an eye on you because its nest is over there in the dunes,” the woman yelled, straining to be heard over the wind, which was blowing pounds of sand into the second half of my exposed bodega sandwich (classic inaugural beach day mistake).
The gusts made hanging out at Fort Tilden less of a relaxing pastime and more of a comic endurance challenge. Still, the sun and the waves and the peacefully desolate landscape—my companion and I saw no more than 10 people over the course of two hours—gave me the same classic sensation that oozes into my sunburned limbs after a 16-mile bike ride to the beach: Yep, worth it.
While the pandemic will necessarily curtail many of our summertime rituals, there’s still hope that we’ll be able to spend a day by the sea. NYC Ferry says they are planning on running a kind of “summer service” to the Rockaways, but they won’t say what that means yet, and those details depend on whether the city meets certain public health goals.
With mass transit reserved for essential workers, and parking lot capacities slashed to discourage overcrowding, there’s no better time to start biking to the beach.
If you’re one of the many New Yorkers who have contributed to the city’s biking boom over the past few months, but hesitate at the thought of more than a few miles in the saddle, here’s some tips to get you out there already.
The author sits on the beach, contemplating his sandy sandwich.
The American oystercatcher, one of Fort Tilden's many treasures.
Your destination is Jacob Riis/Fort Tilden in Queens.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has given muddy guidance on what NYC beaches will look like this summer (though as of Friday morning, it appears that the city is now training lifeguards in order to fully open the beaches at some point), and with state beaches, you’ll need an automobile and a prayer.
Riis and Tilden are part of the National Parks Service, and we know for sure that they’ll be open (for all the details on beaches, read our guide here). Because they’re the least accessible by public transit—and because the giant parking lot at Riis is being capped at 50 percent capacity this year—there’s a decent chance they’ll be less crowded than other area beaches.
Group activities are prohibited, and picnic areas will be closed, but the Riis Park Beach Bazaar is planning on having some take-out concession areas open, and Tilden has lots of paths to wander on and cute little piping plovers to watch. You won’t miss Ruby’s (well, maybe a little).
So close, yet so far. A view of Manhattan from the observation deck at Fort Tilden.
Ride with a buddy.
It’s safer and more fun to ride with a friend (preferably someone from your household, six feet apart and masked no matter what). When you’re on the 28th mile, and the tiny rock lodged in your shoe is driving you insane, and you’re dreaming of the shower you’ll take and the feeling of your weary bones hitting the clean bedsheets and immediately drifting into deeply satisfying sleep, it helps to look up and see a friendly face urging you on. Plus, you’ll need help bringing the essentials.
Only bring the essentials.
Some Beach Fiends I know will insist that all manner of accoutrements are essential to enjoying a day on the sand: coolers, chairs, umbrellas, those tiny battery powered fans—the works.
On a bike, those things will just weigh you down, and make you hate yourself on the way home.
A lean/mean beach bag includes:
-water (at least a liter)
-sunscreen
-some kind of food bar(s) or nuts
-towel
-magazine/book/newspaper (doubles as sun shade for snoozing)
That’s it. That’s all you need. Sometimes a “fun” activity is bringing some fruit you have lying around and seeing if it will survive the ride (Grapes? Probably. That nectarine that you got on Monday? Let’s roll the dice baby).
There will be one opportunity for stopping a few miles before you reach your destination to get some lunch. More on that later.
See? It's not so bad...really!
Take the Bedford Avenue route all the way to Sheepshead Bay.
Google Maps will tell you to take a roundabout path through East Flatbush and Canarsie, much of it without a bike lane. Some well-meaning friends will tell you to “just get on Flatbush Avenue.” Don’t do those things.
If you can get to Bedford Avenue (anywhere south of Eastern Parkway), you will have a straight shot to the water, all of it with a bike lane. Just get on Bedford Avenue and start pedaling. Set it and forget it, etc. etc.
[Edit: Some commenters have helpfully suggested taking Ocean Parkway, instead of Bedford, at least until you hit a South Brooklyn street you feel good crossing over to Bedford on. Either is fine. Bike your comfort level!]
When you reach the intersection of Flatbush Ave and Bedford Ave, follow this crude arrow.
Beware the Weird Flatbush Avenue Veer
The Bedford Avenue route has one serious quirk, and you’ll see it as soon as you get to Flatbush Avenue. This five-way intersection is generally mayhem—buses contorting themselves around scurrying pedestrians, drivers honking at other drivers who ran yellows and are now blocking someone else’s path, and you, feeling naked and vulnerable on a bicycle, trying to cross the street diagonally.
Take the full lane so that you’re visible to traffic—if there’s a car in front of you that is also staying on Bedford, let them blaze the trail. Take your time. If you get to the intersection and feel overwhelmed, just hop off your bike and walk it over. You do not lose any cred for keeping yourself alive.
Need a break? Take a break.
In this same spirit, if you or your partner are pooped, anxious, or just want to rest your haunches, pull over for a few minutes! Dodging drivers in the bike lanes and guys with leafblowers is mentally and physically taxing. A sip of water or a handful of nuts can make a huge difference in morale. Admire the campus of Brooklyn College. Wave hi to the Shomrim RV that has been parked at Bedford and Avenue K for the last decade.
Stop at Deli On The Bay.
Once you cross the Belt Parkway overhead, you can start smelling the salt water (or is that Applebee’s?). Take a left on Emmons Avenue, make a mental note that you are passing Roll N Roaster, and proceed to Deli On The Bay, which is on the other (westbound) side of the road. This is the last place you can get a decent and filling bodega sandwich, a bag of beach chips, and a two-liter of cold victory seltzer. From here it’s a remarkably short five miles to Fort Tilden.
The entrance for the bike path that traces the Belt Parkway is on Brigham Street, next to the Lighthouse Inn. This will take you back across Flatbush Avenue (twice!) before you hit the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, and then, finally, the beach.
Pop into the Plumb Beach restrooms on the way if you must—you’ll pass right by them.
A north-facing view of the narrow pedestrian/bike path over the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge.
You may want to walk your bike over the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge.
The final bridge onto the Rockaway Peninsula is the mighty Gil Hodges, which features spectacular views from a tiny shared pedestrian/bike path. You are supposed to walk your bike over this bridge, but many cyclists do not. Use your judgement and do what is comfortable for you.
Not another human soul.
Biking around Fort Tilden is easy and enjoyable.
Pour the victory seltzer all over your body.
As of this writing, swimming is prohibited at all of the beaches in New York City, which is a shame because one of the greatest pleasures of biking to the beach is locking your bike, taking a swig of seltzer, and immediately sprinting into the water.
Because you cannot cool off in the water, it’s best to just gently shake up that two liter of seltzer that has been killing your lumbar on the way over and drink it sloppily and luxuriously, straight from the bottle, letting the bubbles fizz on your skin. You made it!
A view of the Atlantic Ocean from Fort Tilden's observation deck.
Stop at Roll N Roaster on the way home—you’ve earned it.
Biking home from the beach is never fun: the mileage is daunting, the sun has drained you, and you get that childlike sadness—as if you’ll never see the beach ever again. What you need is some fuel for the trek home, some mindless calories and cheesy smiles, something to look forward to. Enter Roll-N-Roaster, the Sheepshead Bay treasure. Plus, if you show them your bike helmet, you get a free bottle of water.
We won’t sugarcoat it: the ride home is not going to be pleasant. But you’ll get home, exhausted and ecstatic, wondering why you don’t do it every weekend.
UPDATE: After publishing this story, the Department of Transportation sent us this statement, after we asked them if the city was doing anything to facilitate biking to the beach:
"DOT is aware of the immediate need for bike lanes during this time and despite limited operations due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the City remains committed to cyclist safety as well as expanding the Green Wave program. As announced by Mayor de Blasio last week, DOT is currently installing the initial 9 miles of temporary bike lanes throughout the city, which will will help expand the network and set the framework for future projects."
