NYC cycling is its own special thing. Stop signs don’t really count as stop signs, stop lights are merely for good measure and even designated bike lanes aren’t really like bike lanes in any other city; at least people believe in helmets. But that’s what makes riding in the city fun.

Ringing the bell incessantly as you cross the Brooklyn Bridge and having to maneuver around children flying by on wooden trikes. Dodging tourists in Chinatown with that smell of outdoor markets and produce hanging in the air that’s reminiscent of previous visits to Asia. Raising your hand in disgust at the drivers completely oblivious to the fact that a bicycle was ever invented. But on two wheels, the big city feels manageable, even more friendly. Which is why you keep ringing the bell.