Judah Schiller makes headlines by crossing the Hudson on a bicycle
A bicycle enthusiast and founder of BayCycle Project, made headlines with a one-mile trip from Pier 13 in Hoboken to his destination in Manhattan on a 21-speed Bianchi road bike mounted on two inflatable pontoons.
Photo screenshot YouTube video by BayCycle Project
The publicity stunt was executed by Judah Schiller, age 41, in an attempt to create a fan and the “the next frontier of biking,” Schiller said.
“Bikes are awesome. We want to bring our bikes onto the water and enjoy a ride into Manhattan like you never had before,” Schiller said while paddling around on the water near the end of the pier before setting out on his ride. “I have been setting out to show the country that there is a whole aquatic frontier to biking that is ready to explore.”
Schiller created BayCycle Project to promote water cycling as both as recreational and a green alternative form of transportation.
“There are so many opportunities not just for the recreational part, which is I think a huge sport waiting to happen,” Schiller said. “The alternative transportation possibilities are equally interesting. This may be a way to get people to jobs, get people across waterways, and around traffic jams. … It’s cheap. It’s easy and it’s human powered so it doesn’t burn anything. ”
This was his second trip across a major harbor. On Friday he cycled across the San Francisco Bay, which he said was at least three times further. Later this year he plans make similar demonstration trips in Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland and Hawaii.
