Many will call it reckless, yet there is no doubt that riding fast, almost racing, in New York City traffic is quite the adrenaline rush. It’s one thing to go against another bicyclist – and they are out there, too – but quite another to go against cars and trucks and buses and motorcycles.

Obviously, one doesn’t really go against motorized vehicles. You’ll find no racing strategies for that. It isn’t even a contest. But part from the thrill of cycling in heavy traffic comes from the illusion of passing them by. For in heavy traffic, cars cannot go too fast, relatively speaking – relative not only to their true potential but also, more importantly, to their actual customary practice.

And so the daring cyclist (for it still requires quite a set of nerves) will likely be able to keep up with them, oftentimes, and taking advantage of lights to bypass car after car after car when cross-traffic allows it. It’s not actually real racing, nevertheless it sure feels like it to the cyclist! It’s about the only time anyone will ever be able to pass car after car after car….

You’ll even be able to weave in and out of traffic, too, if your handling skills are good. Situational awareness is also a must. And because it’s rush hour, drivers are arguably much more attentive: so many cars, so many witnesses….

Needless to say, the streets of Manhattan are fun without cars, too, such as early on a Sunday morning or, even, late at night when even the revelers have gone home to bed. New York being New York, there will still be motorized traffic on the streets, but at these kinds of times, while you cannot exactly “race” cars, there is still just the sheer joy in having the streets seemingly all to yourself, relatively speaking.

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