Biking in New York City

Get ready to ride! Urban biking has become popular in the last decade, and is a great way to experience a city or even a park. New York with its vast parks and bridges has many routes set up specifically for bikers. Biking through some of New York’s parks is also a great way to see the city up close and personal. Read on for suggestions on where to rent a bike and some great paths to ride.

If you’re just visiting New York, you’ll want to rent a bike to tour around the city. One of the most popular bike services in New York is Citi Bike. The Citi Bike program has over 24,500 bikes and 1,500 bike stations, a ride is never far away. The program has a website and app where you can easily locate bikes. There are several pass programs available, but it’s important to note that rides are limited to 30 minutes at a time, so you’ll want to be near a docking station. Longer rides are certainly available for an extra fee.

Another option is Bike Rental Central Park. They have a fleet of over 1,000 bikes with different sizes and models, and the packages are a bit more flexible than those of Citibike as they allow for longer ride times without an extra charge and don’t rely on docking stations. Bike packages come with a map, helmet, chain lock and even a basket at no extra charge. Rentals are available from 9am-9pm. Bike Rental Central Park can also deliver bikes to many of the major hotels in the surrounding area— which is another bonus!

Bike Rental Central Park

1391 6th Ave

New York, NY 10019

Once you’ve got your bike set up, you’ll want to pick a path or park to ride through and explore New York. A few suggestions…

For epic riverfront biking with spectacular views, you’ll want to check out the 12mile ride from Battery Park City to the George Washington Bridge on the Hudson River Greenway. The HRG is a smoothly paved bike path known for its river views and easy riding. Bikers should note that the path is shared with pedestrians and joggers, so expect to have to share the road. There are also lots of great stops for scenic rests along the way!

This Brooklyn bike path checks all the boxes from classic New York brownstones to the beachside boardwalk. Beginning in Cobble Hill with its stately brownstones, the Ocean Parkway Bike Path makes its way toward the waterfront. To boot, it holds the title of the nation’s first bike path built in 1894. With recent improvements for safety including guardrails and design that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) it is still one of the nation’s favorites. The 5 plus mile path runs from Ocean Parkway and East 8th Street in Kensington, Brooklyn, to Surf Avenue in Coney Island.

New York City icon Central Park has three awesome bike paths: a 6.1 mile, 5.2 mile or 1.7 mile ride. Some paths offer more hills and challenges while others change less in elevation. All routes are car-free during weekends and holidays, which makes a great opening for bikers, horse drawn carriages, runners and other pedestrians to enjoy. You can also rent your bike at the park, see above.

Open exclusively to cyclists in the spring and summer months, Randall’s Island is a 255 acre parkland— and a welcome calm oasis in the big city. The island boasts several paths of varying lengths from 1 to 6 miles. It is located on the north end of the East River between Manhattan and Queens. The path starts at East 103rd Street. It’s easiest to access the island via the pedestrian-only Ward’s Island Bridge on E 102nd St.

The bike path at Brooklyn Bridge Park is known as the Greenway for its lush green scenery. The designated bikeway ambles at the waterfront from Pier 1 to 6, with easy access to the park’s many food and drink concessions, verdant lawns and gardens along the route.

The Lombardy Hotel’s timeless elegance is iconic to Midtown Manhattan. Our rooms are spacious, comfortable and thoughtfully designed to make you feel at home. We look forward to hosting you on your next visit to New York City.

*Due to Covid-19 our restaurant, cafe and gym will remain closed for a time.