I’m still pretty new to Citi Bike and want to try a weekend ride from the Upper East Side over to Long Island City. I keep looking at the Queensboro Bridge on Google Maps and I can’t tell which side bikes are supposed to be on. Is it the side with the walkway, or do you ride in a car lane? Also, is a regular Citi Bike okay for the climb? I’m not in great shape and I’m worried I’ll be that person walking it up. Thanks!

Ha, I made this exact mistake last month! I went up the wrong ramp near 59th and ended up walking my bike while road bikes squeezed past. I think the path is on the north side, but the signs are not obvious until you’re already on it. Would love somebody to break down the exact entrance.

Welcome, Beth. You absolutely do not ride in a car lane on the Queensboro—that's both illegal and genuinely frightening given how the traffic merges on the Manhattan side. Bikes and pedestrians share the signed path on the north outer roadway of the lower level, not the south side. The Manhattan entrance most people mean is the ramp at East 59th Street and Second Avenue; there are stair entrances nearby, but you want the ramp if you have a Citi Bike. The Queens end near Queens Plaza can feel confusing because the path ends in a fenced switchback and dumps you near a service road. Follow the bike markings toward Crescent Street instead of merging with traffic immediately.

A regular Citi Bike is fine for the climb. It has a low gear if you twist the right-hand shifter down before the slope. The climb from Manhattan is more long than steep, but the path is narrow, so you won't have room to stand and mash without drifting toward pedestrians. Keep it in a low gear, spin, and stay to the right. If you need to walk, get off on the right side of the path and keep your bike close; don't stop in the middle.

The bigger issue is the downhill into Queens on a busy afternoon. The switchback at the bottom has blind corners, so brake before them, not in them. And please ring your bell before passing pedestrians—bridge noise drowns out a lot.

Otis is right about the north path, but if you're coming from the Upper East Side, have you tried the entrance at 60th Street and Second Avenue? It's a little hidden, but there's a bike ramp if you keep left of the staircase, and it saves you from the 59th Street mess of pedestrians and delivery e-bikes.

Also, watch the metal expansion joints on the climb! They get slick after rain and can grab a Citi Bike tire if you hit them at a shallow angle. I always pedal a bit harder and cross them on a wider line. Don't try to pass anyone near the blind S-curve at the Queens end—it is single file there, no matter how fast somebody rode in behind you.

Thanks, everyone! I tried it this morning around 9:00 on a regular Citi Bike. I found the 59th Street ramp, but I was in too high a gear and did a stupid wobble near a runner. I pulled over, walked a few hundred yards, then rode the rest. The downhill into Queens was no joke—I was pretty much braking the whole way. Quick follow-up: when I get to Queens Plaza, is there a good Citi Bike dock that isn't always full? The one by the bridge was full and I had to circle around.

Beth, the dock immediately at the path exit fills up on nice weekends because everyone does the same ride. Don't circle there. If you can check the app before you descend, pull over at one of the wider spots on the path and look at the live station map. There are usually several docks within a few blocks of the bridge, but the ones right at Queens Plaza South and Crescent Street hit capacity first.

Next time, shift down before you enter the climb, not after the bridge has already tilted upward. It sounds like you handled the walk correctly—single file, right side, no shame. The more you ride that crossing, the more you'll learn to save your braking for the switchbacks instead of dragging it the whole way down.