We decided to do a ride around Manhattan Island and back. There is a pretty good cycling map that indicates lots of bike routes so it looked very viable. The bike lanes are very well used, though there's a few too many electrically powered bikes where no pedalling needs to be done and going fast (usually with a delivery bag on the back). The habit of treating red lights lightly is commonplace - there a traffic light at every block and this makes for rather slow going - OK for tourists like ourselves but frustrating otherwise. But it's a crowded city.... We went, from our base at a hostel in Brooklyn, over the Williamsburg Bridge - great views - down the East Side of Manhattan - partially under reconstruction and so closed - across to Central Park - where we had lunch from a salad shop - through the park amongst swarms of fellow bikers, scooters, etc, then up through Broadway and Time Square, across to the Hudson River bike route (excellent) until we reached the Seaport Museum at Pier 16 where we went around the 1885 three masted sailing ship The Wavertree. This is a ship built in Hull and based at Liverpool. By now we were hungry - NY is a great place to find a meal - tofu in a sweet chilli sauce with rice. More tofu than I've ever eaten in a single meal.... Very good.
Then we finished off by doing the Manhattan Bridge, a more recent one, then finally the Brooklyn Bridge, the oldest one and a bit of an icon. Then we cycled to Moynahan Station - Penn Station - where we sweltered in the underground on the 'L' train which took us pretty much back to NY Moore Hostel, our starting point. Supermarkets are thin on the ground so no beer to end the day but plenty of Lipton's tea.... Yes you can take your bike on the underground or subway. The photo is of Guy wowwed by Time Square.