It occurred to me the other day that it would be great to collect a set of tips for future NYC newcomer riders, and so I start this mini-series. Notice a few recurring themes?
Reflective tape - to put on your helmet, backpack, tail bags
White or yellow helmet - the goal is to stand out from the grey tones ever present in the city. White has the added advantage of making you at quick glance appear to be a policeman, and car drivers in NYC are trained to react with fear to the color of yellow cabs
Frame guards/sliders - your bike will fall. It won't be your fault, it'll be the fault of that Jersey minivan trying to squeeze in that compact car spot in front of the Met. He'll realize too late he doesn't fit, and drive back across the border
More reflective tape - this time for the bike itself, your jacket, pants, and just about everywhere (anywhere) else you can think of...
Heavy duty chain & lock - to anchor yourself to all those strategically placed mini-gardens that surround trees on the sidewalks. Each mini-garden has a cemented guiderails that make great anchors
Two brightly colored disc locks - one for the front, one for the back. You'll hear it from everyone, "if they want your bike, they're going to take it." True, but first they'll take that Monster parked down the street, then they'll come for yours. You'll have plenty of warning from the high-pitched squeeling made by the 'cati owner to move yours to a garage...
Electronic immobilizer - look up "how to steal a motorcycle" on the net. Scroll through the depressing how-to's that revolve around hauling the bike into a van, and you'll see some of the next most common methods involve hot-wiring
Dirty bike cover - if you have a new one, rub it on the street a bit to dirty it up a bit. Older bikes are less desirable, and if you must park on the street, this is a must
Rear brake LED flashers - a full set usually costs $99, and will double the amount of light emitted from the back of your bike. A good set will flash for 5 seconds whenever you brake. I've had cabbies pull up to me and comment that they saw me braking two blocks away. You can't pay enough for that kind of visibility in NYC.
Headlight modulator - though I don't have one on my own bike (yet), I've seen others riding around the city with them. I'd feel a lot more comfortable riding up and down the split routes like Park.
A louder horn - $20-40 usually gets you a significantly louder horn than the one that came standard on your bike. The goal here is to project over the sounds of all other traffic noises, like that jack-hammer, ambulance, and horn war between dueling cabs
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