NYC REALITY CHECK – Covid19 Cycling

Living in the city thru this trying time and keeping the pedals moving often means you have two easy options for getting some miles in, Central Park + Prospect Park. Before I go any further I want to acknowledge that DS Tim messages about staying far away from most and riding off the beaten path is the absolute best route during this situation. However when time is an issue and you need to get those miles in sometimes you have to pick a park. I personally pick CP almost every time. Yesterday I picked PP for a change of scenery but man did I get more than that. Manhattan // CP has been pretty quiet the last week, still people going about their shit working out some chillers. PP yesterday was absolutely booming, people everywhere, dangerous laps going down (high density on bike path), many aggro rapha drip gods fighting for the yellow jersey and passing within 18″ and so many endless sketchy path crossings. Granted yesterday was warm and its the beginning of spring, pandemic or not I was expecting more people to be out. What caught me was the contrast of the vibe difference between the city and BK, people seem to be way more out here in Brooklyn while the city seems to be more serious with the quarantine. I did see a LL jersey PP last night which was cool, we almost dapped each other then immediately both of us thought better of it. My conclusion and also my thought before yesterday and before C19 – Prospect Park is a toy lap and should be avoided. Central Park is far superior- lap length, elevation and surface quality. If one only can get out for long enough to cuts some laps, you know what to do.
John Smith