Taking a Bicycle on Vacation

Citizen's Barcelona Folding Bike at the Beach

Summer is here and perhaps you've already made your vacation plans: Trips to the beach, a cruise or my favorite, a woodland cabin retreat.  Any of these destinations and more can be made all the better by taking along a bicycle.  Cycling is the best way to intimately enjoy the local atmosphere.  It also takes care of the problem of getting in your exercise while vacationing.

Some people use car mounted bicycle racks to take their bikes along. I've done that too but if you're staying at a hotel you might want to bring your bike with you into your room. Traveling by plane or train? Well, that car rack isn't going to be much help so why not consider taking a folding bike?

Folding Bikes like this one by Green Zone are ideal for vacation and travel.

Green Zone Alloy Folding Bicycle
We've taken this folding bicycle on the train to New York City last summer.  We took a trip downtown to the Marina at Chelsea Piers via the New York City Bike Path / Greenway. This Green Zone folding bicycle packs easily into a canvas bag which comes with it. However it is a folding bike with a LOT of features:  Rear spring rack, fenders, 7 Speed Shimano shifters and a sweet bell are ALL included.

The Train Trip

The folding bike itself was very quick and easy to pack into my car trunk, carry on the train and then set up at our destination. It took about 30 seconds (seriously) to unfold on the street outside the train station - ready to ride.  We clipped on our Trek Trunk and effortlessly zipped down the Bike Path!

Our Green Zone in its bag for the train ride!

I've seen full sized bicycles rolled onto trains but ours was very compact and secure in its own neat tote bag.  The picture above shows our folding bike in the bag sitting on the train seat.

Weighing in at only 25 lbs, this folding bicycle was very easy to transport while the 20 inch wheels gave us a safe and comfortable ride downtown.

While New York City is relatively flat, it's good to have 7 speeds at your disposal for hilly terrains. I've ridden the Green Zone through rural towns with rolling hills and it does just great.  The fact that it has fenders means you'll stay cleaner and dryer during a rainfall or if you hit a puddle or two.

The Green Zone at our destination - Chelsea Piers, New York City

A folding bicycle like this can go where YOU go.  Take it with you when you check into your hotel room. Ride it instead of renting a car, especially if your destination is a resort or other attraction. Need a bicycle built for two?  Yes, Green Zone makes FOLDING TANDEMS as well.  Visit their website and get some wheels to go for your BEST summer vacation ever! GREEN ZONE FOLDING BIKES

New Film Project

Moira North, founder of the Ice Theatre of  New York.

NYC, NY: We have often covered Ice Theatre of New York events on their yearly calendar here at Best Picks.  In fact one of the first ITNY galas we attended was to honor Moira North, founder of this prestigious institution.  Ms. North is an accomplished, artistic ice skater who founded the ITNY in 1984 which is the first ice dance company to receive program funding from the National Endowment of the Arts as well as local New York city and state councils.

The Ice Theatre of New York offers a wonderful outreach program to the next generation of skaters in the inner city via the New Works and Young Artist Series.  This same initiative provides free performances and skating instruction to more than 3,000 public school students each year. The ITNY also hosts free public performances at the Rink at Rockefeller Plaza, the Pond at Bryant Park and the World Ice Arena in Queens.

Moira North was interviewed for a video for XTreme XTraining with the New York Bike Path & Greenway as a backdrop.  Ms. North commutes from Tribeca down to Chelsea Piers each day and teaches ice skating lessons.  This makes her the ultimate cross trainer and a savvy New Yorker who is using her bicycle to leave a smaller carbon footprint.  The video is in editing with a planned release of August 2011.