Braving city traffic without a helmet seems too risky. But carrying one around all day would be a hassle.
“I know how crazy the drivers are here,” said Ms. Steren, 36, a personal stylist who lives in Greenwich Village.
Like many women in New York City, she has weighed the wind-in-your-hair joy of urban cycling with the pulse-quickening anxiety of steering between barreling trucks and decided against taking a spin.
When Citi Bike arrived here, it promised to spread the benefits of biking to the masses, an uphill push in a city where large potholes, heedless yellow cabs and darting pedestrians can make riding on busy streets seem like an activity best left for daring messengers.