May is Bike Month

At first glance, NYC might seem like a bicycling death trap, but the truth is that there are plenty of great paths in the city where you can calmly pedal your cares away. As far as investments go, we think a bike is an amazing one. Check out Craigslist for deals. Not ready to commit? Beg, borrow, or steal. Or do the right thing, and rent.

Once you've secured some wheels, check out one of these great biking options:

1. Coney Island Ride
This is a do-it-yourself trip, but it's well worth the effort. You start at the Brooklyn Bridge and make your way through Prospect Park and, five miles later, to Coney Island. For most of the ride, you'll be on a great, historic bike path (created in 1894!) that runs along Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway, and (bonus) your final destination is the beach. Make it an all-day affair and feast on delicious pizza at Totonno's before you head home.

2. Free Moonlight Ride
Want to try a BYOB of a different kind? You provide your own wheels (of the bicycle or rollerblade sort) and join a free, guided nighttime tour of either Central or Prospect Park. The Prospect Park ride starts at 9pm on the second Saturday of every month, and the Central Park ride takes place at 10pm on the first Friday of every month.

3. Free Day Rides with the Five Borough Bike Club
This cool club costs $20 to join, but anyone can sign up for one of its day trips (for free). What will you get? How about guided rides to destinations ranging from Queens to the Hudson River Valley? Or maybe you'd rather explore the Jersey Shore or cycle through the Greenwood Cemetery? The sights are sure to be sweet, and your fellow readers are guaranteed to be friendly (we think it's an FBBC requisite).