July 27, 2010

This is the second in a 3 part series on biking into Manhattan.
read Part One

Richmond to Boston on a bicycle

I recently completed a 1,000 mile bike tour in which I lugged all of my musical equipment from Richmond to Boston and then on to Buffalo.

This was a huge adventure. I had very little experience with biking, much less bike touring. Not to mention bike touring with 120 pounds of gear on the back of my bike!

Check out how I fit all of that gear on a bike in this post: How to Carry a Guitar on a Bike

The Hardest Part: Getting into Manhattan on a Bicycle

Of all the questions people asked me when I announced my intentions to do this tour on a bicycle rather than a car, the most common was “How are you going to get into MANHATTAN?”. It was asked of me enough to make me nervous, but not enough to really plan out my route. Who needs plans when there’s adventure to be had?!

I played my final Philadelphia show in Newtown, just across the river from Trenton, and packed up my bike to head up to Jersey City, where I would catch the ferry. Most of the day was spent on a beautiful bike/ped path but when I hit the NYC sprawl, I really hit it. Things got really nasty outside of Newark and did not get better. The biggest nightmare was getting across the Hackensack river. When I finally made it to Brooklyn, exhausted and covered in car fumes and industrial debris, I swore to myself that I would try a different route next time.

Get more details about my somewhat disastrous first
attempt at biking into Manhattan
in this blog post: How Not to Bike Into Manhattan

The Long Way Up: Biking into Manhattan on the George Washington Bridge

So when I started dating a woman in Manhattan and planned to bike there from Philadelphia, I wanted to uphold my promise to myself. I wanted to try out the George Washington Bridge.

I took the same route as before, this time from West Philadelphia. So I had to bike up through Northeast Philly (not fun), Trenton (even less fun), Newark, and North Jersey before I could even start to see Manhattan.

This was a long ride. The 20 or so extra miles that going across the GW Bridge adds to the trip really count. I felt every pedal stroke of it.

Bike Trail to George Washington Bridge

The most challenging thing about biking into Manhattan across the GW Bridge (other than the extra miles) was actually finding the bike path. The signage in Fort Lee is minimal. I was very lucky to have other bikers to follow, but in case you don’t, here’s how to find the entrance to the bike path across the GW Bridge:

1. Get Yourself into Fort Lee. I took Degraw Ave/Main St. from Hackensack, which worked out well.
2. Ignore all of the signs for cars to get on the bridge and continue all the way to the bottom of the hill.
3. Keep an eye out for other cyclists. This is a popular route, so you are bound to have some company.
4. Take a left at the bottom of the hill. The bike path starts up the George Washington Bridge at the intersection of Hudson Terrace and the Bruce Reynolds Blvd. in Fort Lee.
5. Take your time and enjoy the view as you’re going over the bridge. What an amazing place.
6. Think about how you’re going to get where you’re going in Manhattan. The GW Bridge does not drop you off in the nicest spot in town, but there’s a special way to head south without dealing with cars. Read on below

Getting from the George Washington Bridge to the Hudson River Park on your Bike

If you were to ride across the GW Bridge on your bike into Manhattan, you might arrive and say “Yes! I made it! Glad that’s over!”

You would be very disappointed.

There is a beautiful and easy path to get down into uptown Manhattan from the GW Bridge, but it takes some maneuvering. The Hudson River Greenway is a nice, bike-friendly way to get wherever you need to go… all the way to Soho! But first you have to get to it. I’ll make it easy on you:

1. Take Fort Washington Ave. South to Broadway
2. Right on Broadway
3. Immediate right on 158th, which takes you to the entrance to the Greenway.

The Best Route to Bike Into Manhattan

…was not this one. The extra miles were many, the landscape was gritty and in terms of beautiful landscapes, I didn’t see any.

Stay tuned for Part III in this series, in which I’ll reveal the best and most amazing way to bike from Philadelphia to Manhattan.

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July 1, 2010

A great big thank you to everyone who helped support my recent bicycle tour from Richmond to Boston and beyond.

For Their Generous Contributions:

• Sally of Annapolis, MD
• Mark of Belle Plain, MN
• Larry of Ithaca, NY
• Saragrace of Kilmarnock, VA
• Al of Richmond, VA
• Jacob of Richmond, VA
• Emily of Newtown, PA

For Hosting Me Along the Way

• Matt Fields
• Nate, Jenny, Lily and Rowan
• Ruth Morrison
• Scott Harrington and Peejo
• Nate, Christine, Colin and Rania
• Zan Lombardo and fam
• Leigh Gaston
• Marna Herrity
• Krista McKinnon and The Pennington House
• Sam and Liana Knight
• Holly Baldwin and the Beacon Hill Friends House
• Nancy and Cambridge Friends Meeting
• Frederick, Sheila and The Meeting School
• Paula and Albany Friends Meeting
• Larry Clarkberg and Family
• Sarah Mandolang and Family
• Molly and David Coffee

For Musical Inspiration and Bicycling Motivation

• Jacob Williamson
• Will Mckindley-Ward
• Betsy Blake
• Regina Spektor
• Lily Luck
• Stephen Dotson
• Connie Carringer

For Emotional and Spiritual Support

• My amazing parents, Al Watts and Peggy O’Neill
• Krista Mckinnon
• Jacob Williamson
• Everyone who kept in touch on Facebook and Twitter
• Jeff Hipp
• Micah Bales and Faith Kelley
• Carly Frintner
• My team of Elders at the Farmington-Scipio Gathering

Thank you all, from my heart. This wouldn’t have been possible without you.

The Two Wheel Tour

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May 10, 2010

This is the first in a 3 part series on biking into Manhattan.
read Part Two

Richmond to Boston on a Bike

When I first announced that I was going to ride my bike from Richmond to Boston, one of the first questions that most people asked was: “How are you going to get into Manhattan?”

The answer: no idea. I didn’t do any previous research about routes, bike paths or anything. I just announced that I was biking to Boston and figured it would work out.

• More About My Two Wheel Tour
• Tour Vlog

The East Coast Greenway: Trenton to Newark

I woke up the morning of my ride to Brooklyn just across the river from Trenton, NJ. I checked google maps and bikely.com and found a bike trail (part of the East Coast Greenway) that took me all the way from Trenton to Newark. It was a gorgeous day and I cherished spending hours and hours on a path with no motorized vehicles. Though I did run into some trouble with the path, as documented in my vlog below:

How to get into Manhattan on a Bicycle

I am in the habit of asking a question on my weekly vlog. The week before I biked to Brooklyn, I asked the question How do you get into Manhattan on a bicycle? and received a variety of responses:

See more responses here

My plan was to follow google’s walking directions over the Newark Turnpike (walking directions over a turnpike? OK, googlemaps, I’m going to trust you on this one…) and then take the ferry from Paulus Hook to just next to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Google Maps FAIL

Here was the result:

So it turns out that the turnpike was a turnpike. 18 wheelers going by at 70 miles an hour and no shoulder. I briefly considered it, and then thought about my Mom, crying. I turned around and decided to do a little more research.

Thanks a lot, google maps.

Biking into Jersey City on Lincoln Highway (rte 1)

I checked google maps again and saw that I had just one other option before I gave up and biked the 20 miles north to the George Washington bridge: The Lincoln Bridge, where route one crosses two bridges to Jersey City. Google maps told me that there was a pedestrian area to the right of the road.

Perfect. Let’s go.

Doesn’t that look so much better? No? That’s because it’s not. Again, no shoulder… turns out the sidewalks are closed on either side (and blocked off!) and again… 18 wheelers speeding by. I waited for them to have a red light, turned on my super-blinky-vest and sped across the two bridges.

It wasn’t super safe. Should you do it? NO. But I was tired and hungry. And besides, I made it to the ferry, which took me across the bay to a sweet bed and dinner and icing my knees. But if I had it to do again, it’s worth the 20 miles to the GW bridge.

Thanks a lot, New Jersey.

So…? What Have We Learned?

If you’re using google maps to plan your daily route on a bike trip, the bridges should be your focal points. Always cut up your trip by bodies of water and focus on how you’re going to cross. When you decide on a bridge, use street view to see what exactly you’re going to be attempting. If you don’t like looking at it, you’re definitely not going to like riding over it. Choose a different route.

• See my celebration upon arriving in Boston here
• Check out this video from my show in Brooklyn
• My review of the bike I rode to Boston
• See my blog entry on Why I Rode My Bike To Boston

east coast greenway ferry george washington bridge how to bike into manhattan jersey city lincoln bridge The Two Wheel Tour

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May 9, 2010

Trailer vs. Cargo Bike

When I first had the idea of doing my East Coast tour on bicycle, I looked into bike trailers. I couldn’t imagine any way to fit my guitar and amplifier onto the back of a bike without towing something behind. (not to mention my box of CDs, t-shirts, posters, tent, food, clothing, sleeping bag, stove, etc!)

But towing a trailer would have felt bulky… two wheels of extra friction on the road? And where would I leave the trailer when I wanted to ride around without all of my stuff?

The answer that I settled on: Xtracycle.

Carrying a Guitar on a Bike

So my plan was to ride my bike from Richmond, VA to Boston, MA and play shows in every city on the way. This would be easy if I were simply a wandering minstrel, but I am a professional musician. I booked this tour months and months in advance. I was selling CDs and T-shirts, had banners and posters, kept up with my facebook and twitter followers and released a regular vlog of my travels.

I needed not just my guitar, but an amplifier, a looping pedal, a big box of CDs, t-shirts, postcards and posters, a banner, a digital video camera, my laptop… not to mention all of the stuff I needed to survive on the road.

Check out the video below to see how I managed to fit all of that stuff onto a bicycle for my ride to Boston.

How I Fit My Amplifier, CDs, T-shirts, and Guitar On A Bicycle

Successful Music Tour on a Bike

In the end, I made it to Boston. I didn’t miss a single show (and I even booked a few more along the way!). And I had surprisingly little trouble carrying my guitar and all my gear on the bike.

And – perhaps best of all – I had a lot of fun. I got into shape. I saw and interacted with a whole lot of people and places that I wouldn’t have if I was driving or taking the train. And I loved every minute of it. Here’s more about why I decided to bike this one:
http://www.jonwatts.com/2010/why-im-going-to-boston-on-an-xtracycle-radish/

• See my celebration upon arriving in Boston here
• Check out this video from my show in Brooklyn
• My review of the bike I rode to Boston
• Get more info about this bike and other great practical biking solutions from Cycle 9

bike trailer vs cargo bike how to carry a guitar on a bike radish xtracycle

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May 3, 2010

So I just finished my somewhat grueling bike tour up the East Coast. While I was never hurried or stretched for time, willing your body to do anything like pedaling for 8 hours a day takes a psychological toll. There have been some moments where I was stretched thin and some moments where I felt dispair. I have felt immensely blessed that I had these two amazing new recordings to listen to (often over and over again on repeat) – from two good friends of mine.

The last day of my ride I had been pushing in the wind and rain for three days out of Manhattan and was desperately ready to be in Boston, my legs and butt were hurting and I was having trouble with my bike. Convincing myself to keep moving was becoming increasingly difficult. Then I pulled out my headphones and put on Jacob Williamson’s “Frequencies and Figures” and was given a new rush of energy immediately upon hearing the first notes of the driving guitar lines on Hey. I listened all the way through and then listened to Will McKindley Ward’s “Ground EP”, then back to Jacob and so on. I must have listened to both short albums 6 times each that morning, and I made it to Boston with these two semi-permanently stuck in my head.

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Will Mckindley-Ward – The Ground EP

William Mckindley-Ward is the indie-folk Aesop Rock. Even after I’ve listened to this project 10 times, I still find myself doing double-takes at some of the lines on Will’s most recent EP, “Ground”. “Wait… what? Did he really just say: Fallen cables in the rain jumped up and sparked and sounded out your name…?”

Will’s songwriting has the kind of natural beauty that draws you in quickly and the kind of depth that requires multiple re-visitations to fully harvest it’s amazing-ness.

Whether you pay any attention to his jaw-dropping lines, Williams sound is the kind of melancholy that causes you to appreciate the diversity of this human experience. This is beauty, comfort, depth, warmth. Listen.

Listen here

William Mckindley-Ward and I met up at Guilford College and had the opportunity to share an exploration of music and spirituality for my senior thesis. I still remember picking my jaw off the floor when he first played his song Open Sea/Featherbeds for me.

Support Will

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Jacob Williamson – Frequencies and Figures

Listening to this album, one might think that songwriting comes as easy to Jacob as breathing. But I have a special perspective on it. I know what a struggle it has been for him to get this album together.

Releasing this kind of project can be a psychological and creative adventure. What songs to include…? How to focus the engineering and production…? How to reign in your ambitious vision into something do-able…?

I have to say that I am just deeply grateful that Jacob sat down and answered these questions. This is a focused and tight group of recordings that captures me from the first note to the last and takes me on a gorgeous journey in between.

Jacob is a patient and loving songwriter, crafting pieces that remind the listener to breathe and return to center. His mastery of music instrumentation and notation has always astounded me… in this project he drifts between Norah Jones and James Taylor, between bluegrass and piano ballad, wearing each hat as though he was born wearing it.

A special moment for me is the song “Backroads” – not just because I cried every time I heard him sing “here’s some love, here’s some hope” as I completed my own epic backroads adventure – but also because I remember distinctly the first time Jacob performed it for my family in our living room when we met his new girlfriend… now his fiance.

Jacob Williamson was the confident and talented guitarist who I aspired to be like in high school. As we’ve grown into adulthood, we’ve kept in touch and share a surprising amount in common when discussing matters of Spirit. He still possesses (and has deepened) the natural beauty, playfulness and love for existence that attracts people to him the way I was back in school.

Support Jacob

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How to Love an Indie Artist

These two songwriters are making art that is exciting, beautiful and powerful. I have been engaging with them over the years and am now encouraging them to put more energy into spreading the word about their art. But the amount of energy, attention and resources that are required to maintain even the kind of web presence that I’ve built (not to mention the booking, the t-shirts, the videos, etc etc) is immense.

While I don’t see an alternative for success in the modern music industry, I can appeal to you, the listener, to support music that is meaningful and real more than (or as much as!) you support the music whose marketing bombards you daily (no matter how “alternative” or “underground” they bill themselves).

Visit these guys’ websites. Give them a couple of bucks for their masterpieces. The world will be a better place for it.

www.jacobwilliamson.com
http://amiestreet.com/music/will-mckindley-ward/

frequencies and figures ground ep jacob williamson songwriting will mckindley-ward

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