Biking in Little Neck: Possible? Yes.

I am of the opinion that it is possible to travel by bike anywhere on the Earth’s surface. 

I cut my cycling teeth on the unevenly paved streets of Los Angeles, which has a well-earned reputation as one of least hospitable biking towns this side of Baghdad. It may be common knowledge that nobody walks in LA, but it doesn't take an '80s synthpop song to figure out why nobody bikes there, either. 

In College Park, MD, , a treacherous stretch of state-owned highway that serves as the city’s primary thoroughfare. On Route 1, there are no bike lanes. Hell. For the most part, there are no sidewalks, at least not the kind one can expect to walk on without shattering an ankle. The road itself looks like it’s been chewed up by a giant, satanic puppy, so if the cars don't get you, the pot holes and stray hunks of concrete probably will. 

That said, the benefits of biking far outweigh the occasional bad roads, bullying from cars and helmet-hair that accompany two-wheeled travel. The League of American Bicyclists breaks it down into categories, pointing out the environmental, health and economic benefits of biking, using bullet points and statistics to confirm what many already know: biking almost always beats the pants out of being cooped up in car or sweltering on the subway platform.

First of all, biking is good for you. It improves mental health and will help stave off obesity AND colon cancer, among other things. It's good for the environment -- a scant four-mile round trip ride keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air, according to WorldWatch Institute. It's also good for your wallet: A 2011 BMW 3-series will set you back around $33,150, while a gently used Fuji road bike on Craigslist runs for only $180! See? Also, no matter what anyone tries to tell you, bikes don't need gas.

The purpose of this column will be to introduce the residents of Little Neck to the highly bike-able locales that surround our fair neighborhood. All you need is a bike, a helmet and a little gumption. And this column. And maybe a map. And maybe some water and a granola bar and, if you burn easily, some sun screen. But that is IT!

Each week we’ll explore one new ride, starting at the Little Neck LIRR station. We’ll tell you how many miles you can expect to pedal, what the terrain is like, and what to do when you reach your destination.

So as the title says: Happy cycling!