Bike Tours

The best way to see a city, especially if you have a limited amount of time is to get on a bike tour. Somehow, that extra bit of participation you have to put in by riding about (which is really fun) makes you listen harder to the guide. I’ve been on many bus tours without having taken anything away but a good nap (I suppose those lousy sound systems could be to blame). Also, I think it lets you navigate the city better and bypass lots of traffic so you get to see up-close spots a giant tour bus can’t take you to. Best of all, it’s environmentally-friendly!

My best friend Karen and I have been on three bike tours so far in New York, London and Paris (in that order). We’ve decided our favourite is the one we did in New York with Bike The Big Apple.

Our guide was this guy named Levi who was super comprehensive in his storytelling about the past and present of all the neighbourhoods we cycled through. He even carried around a folder to show us pictures of how places used to look. And he did all this with just the right amount of enthusiasm that neither made us bored nor cringe at over-animation.

The tour was also the safest we’ve been on — it had another guy acting as a “sweeper” at the back of the pack so nobody got left behind or lost. Perhaps the most memorable part of the tour though, was when a bunch of local bikers rode past us and invited us over for a barbeque they were having nearby. We voted unanimously to join them (as seen in bottom-right photo).

That said, we did enjoy the London and Paris bike tours as well. We did them with Fat Tire Bike Tours, which also has tours in Berlin and Barcelona.

Things to note when on a bike tour:

-Dress warm if it’s cold outside. You won’t be doing any perspiring because there will be no racing from point to point.
-Make sure you know how to bike. It isn’t for people who need training wheels.
-Set aside lots of time for it. These tours usually last from 4 to 5 hours but are totally worth it!
-Don’t drink too much water or tea if there aren’t too many bathroom breaks on the way. Poor Karen had to do some crazy sprinting to find a loo on our Paris tour.
-It isn’t a race! Our Paris tour had a lot of over eager Americans on it and they’d cut everyone off at crucial junctures when we were all trying to get through traffic. It was annoying and dangerous.

Finally, have lots of fun and let me know if you’ve been on a really cool bike tour. Karen and I are thinking of doing one in Sydney next!