Cycling in New York City: From High-Wheel Novelties to Citi Bike Nation

Jason Littrell

Published on: 05/03/2025

New York City’s relationship with the bicycle has been a 150-year rollercoaster – from Victorian-era “wheelmen” wobbling on penny-farthings to modern commuters gliding through protected bike lanes. Every turn in this saga has been marked by excitement, backlash, activism, and policy change. Let’s take a ride through the key eras and milestones in NYC cycling history, and see how a once-novel contraption became an integral part of the city’s transportation fabric.