Hi all! New-ish to city riding and did my first West Side to Manhattan Bridge ride last Sunday. My phone took me straight down Canal. I had to weave around double-parked trucks and fruit carts. Is there a better way? I see the greenway ends near Chambers? Do I just go up Allen? Sorry if this is obvious. I’d rather ride extra blocks than end up under a box truck.

Canal is a trap unless you like playing chicken with delivery vans. I usually cut through from the Greenway at Chambers, jog east on Reade or Duane, then work over to Worth. Worth has a lane for a bit and dumps you near Chatham Square/Lower Bowery. From there you can join the Manhattan Bridge path without much Canal time. Still have to stay alert around Confucius Plaza but way less insane.

Oh! I love this question!! The connector is a mess, but have you tried going through Thomas Paine Park? You can come off the Greenway at Duane, take Duane east, then Centre Street north to Worth. Worth has decent separation until Mott, then it just dissolves. The real trick is not following Google onto Canal — it thinks Canal is a bike route because of the old sharrows. It is NOT. If you’re coming from uptown, get off at Reade. I’ve been trying to map the best block-by-block route.

I just moved here and tried the same ride a week ago. My GPS put me on Canal and I genuinely had to get off and walk a block. Is there a route entirely on protected lanes or is that just not a thing yet? Also dumb question: once you get to the Manhattan Bridge entrance, do you go up a ramp or stairs? I was too frazzled to find it.

Thanks Midtown_M and DumboSunset! @just_moved_jake same. The bridge entrance from the Manhattan side is a ramp on the north side of Canal near Bowery, but it’s easy to miss because you’re focused on not dying. I think I saw a tiny green sign? Going to try Reade/Worth next weekend. Do you use Duane or Reade for less traffic?

Reade is calmer than Duane in the morning but has a school? Keep your head on a swivel for double-parked parents. Honestly after Worth I just take a block of Canal at the end. It’s like half a block if you stay in the bus lane? Not great but manageable. If you’re really spooked, walk the last block on the sidewalk — nobody in Chinatown cares what you do as long as you’re not an e-bike blowing through.

@big_city_beth The ramp is technically shared with the Brooklyn-bound bike path but the entrance is on the north side of Canal at Forsyth/Bowery — it’s behind that fence. Have you tried going through Sara D. Roosevelt Park and exiting at Grand, then going down Chrystie? Chrystie has a bike lane now, but it’s always blocked by bus stops and produce trucks. I am dying for the city to finish the direct connector! There were plans for a protected lane on Grand from the East River to the Greenway, but who knows.

Wait, so is the entrance actually north of Canal? I crossed at Chatham Square and saw a sign for bike path but it looked like it pointed into traffic. I’ll try the Duane-Worth thing too. Do you all find it easier going to the Williamsburg Bridge from the Greenway instead? Or is that just a longer loop?

Williamsburg from the West Side is fine if you want a longer ride: Greenway up to 10th, east through the Village, cross at Delancey. Delancey has a protected lane under the bridge now, but the block before it is gnarly with the market vans. If your destination is downtown Brooklyn, Manhattan Bridge is shorter; if you’re going Williamsburg/Greenpoint, WB is fine.

@just_moved_jake Yes! Manhattan Bridge bike entrance is northwest side of Canal, not the south side. Google Street View still makes it look impossible. When you see the subway entrance and the little traffic triangle, the ramp is right there. But the real pro move after you get off the Greenway? Take Worth to Mott, one block south to Bayard, then slip under the ramp? I need to test after the next DOT changes because last week there was construction.

Update: did Duane > Centre > Worth today at noon and it was way better. Only had about 15 seconds on Canal and I didn’t feel like fresh meat. The bridge ramp was still a little hidden behind scaffolding. Thanks everyone. Next mission is figuring out the Brooklyn-side exit without getting dumped onto Flatbush Extension.