Rode home over the Manhattan Bridge around 9:30 last night on 25mm tires. Maybe I'm losing it, but the expansion joints on the Brooklyn-bound side felt way sharper than they did in June. There's one just past the first tower that rattled my fillings. Did they regrind the plates? Or is this just what happens when it cools down and the metal contracts? I usually take the BK bridge, but the path has been full of walkers watching the sunset. Anyone else feeling it, or do I finally need to bump up to 28s?

I just started riding that path at night and thought it was just me. I'm on a used hybrid with 32s and still felt those seams. Are the expansion joints those metal strips every few hundred feet? I keep slowing way down because I'm scared of catching a wheel. Do people just send it?

Took a Citibike across the Manhattan Bridge late Monday, and the bike made a huge clunk near the middle. The e-bike is heavy so I didn't know if it was the platform or the bike. Is the Manhattan Bridge path generally worse than Williamsburg at night? I'm trying to pick a regular route home from Downtown Brooklyn to Harlem.

newbie_nate_nyc yeah, those metal strips, especially the ones with the little gap before the pavement. Don't send it blind. Hitting them at an angle can get sketchy if your line is off. new_in_harlem Williamsburg is generally smoother, but has more joggers and people stopping for photos. For Harlem, I'd take the Manhattan Bridge to Chrystie, then up First Ave. The path condition is just annoying, not dangerous, if you unweight your hands and keep your speed steady.

So 'unweight your hands' means don't death grip? I tried that tonight and also made sure my tire pressure wasn't through the roof. Still felt harsh but less scary. Does running lower pressure actually help on the metal joints, or did I just placebo myself? Also, how late does the path stay busy?

Rode again last night with the Citibike, going slower over the Manhattan side. The clunking was definitely from the platform, not the bike. I saw a few people bunny hop the joints, but I'm not doing that on a Citibike. Is it just me or is the approach from Jay Street uphill worse than the actual joints?

newbie_nate_nyc lower pressure can help a little, but only if you were overinflated. If you're already at 80-90 psi on 32s, dropping to 70 won't ruin you. The main thing is line choice: pick the flattest line and don't pedal through the joint. new_in_harlem the Jay Street ramp is a grind. People treat it like a race, then they're gassed when the path narrows at the tower. I usually spin up slow.

Started doing the no-pedal through joints, and it's way more stable. Thanks GreenwichVillage_G. Also, rode around 10:30 last night and there were still tourists on the path with phones out, so I guess it never really empties. Is there a best time to ride across before the selfie crowd?