Maybe you are visiting New York City, and that rack of Citi Bikes looks fun yet daunting. Or perhaps there is a bicycle leaning against a wall in your apartment, waiting, but the idea of joining those fixed-gear daredevils on city streets makes your stomach drop. And besides, the honking vehicles, jaywalking pedestrians and idling trucks are enough to drive anyone to call a cab.

Whatever your trepidation, you can get comfortable on two wheels in this city. We talked to some experienced urban bikers to get advice on how you, the nervous cyclist, can hit the streets.



Protect Yourself and Your Bike

There is no law requiring adults to wear helmets in New York, and it is common to see experienced riders pedaling with their heads unprotected. But you, the wary cyclist, should wear a helmet every time you ride.

Kristen Phillips, an experienced cyclist, has always worn a helmet.

“I have a theory that people who don’t wear helmets haven’t hit their head hard,” said Ms. Phillips, a sales associate and the women’s program manager at Bicycle Habitat, a bike shop and cycling center with four locations in the city.