Songs for bike rides to the boardwalk

In the summertime, I always look forward to my weekend bike rides from south Brooklyn to Rockaway beach. I've enjoyed it so much that I've even extended the journey into the autumn and have biked all the way to Rockaway from the Upper East Side in Manhattan. This journey isn't for someone in a rush to arrive at their destination, but if you're like me and enjoy distance biking, maybe you'd like to hear the playlist I made for the ride. I've been missing the warmth of summer and this playlist gives me a taste of that, no matter what time of year it is. I had so much fun curating the songs for this playlist and one song might not necessarily make sense next to the one that follows up, but as a whole, all of these songs share a similar energy and feeling for me.

Here are my top songs for my bike rides to the beach:

Whitney is one of my favorite bands (my Spotify Wrapped for 2016-2020 can confirm that), and I especially enjoy listening to Strange Overtones to start a ride. Honestly, just erase this whole playlist and listen to their full discography! (Well, give my playlist a chance first.)

Does it help that the name of this brand is Bombay Bicycle Club? Eat Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You) picks up the pace to get you moving faster. I love feeling the wind comb through my hair as I listen to this song.

This next song, Petal by Raveena defines summer for me - down to the birds chirping gently in the background as the song starts. While the message of the songs can be a bit dark, some of the lyrics truly match how I feel when biking downhill:

When I feel like a petal

Floating in the breeze

When I feel like a speck inside

An endless feed

I am weightless

Under sunny sunny sun

I am weightless

Wildest Moments by Jessie Ware is a song I've had in my Spotify library for years. I think I first Shazamed it when I heard it on a TV show soundtrack. Sometimes you forget about a song you love and then love it even more when you remember it. This is definitely one of those songs for me and I love how it fits into this playlist.

Misterwives has been one of my favorite bands even since their song Reflections went viral on Vine. I've seen them in concert a couple of times and they put on an amazing show. Recorded in a studio or performed live, I always feel so attracted to their positive energy. I love blasting Superbloom as I'm pushing on an uphill incline. These lyrics inspire me to keep going:

I deserve congratulations

I'd never thought that I'd survive

If you tell me I won't make it

That's when I, that's when I

Superbloom, superbloom

Superbloom, superbloom

Speaking of songs that went viral on a popular video sharing app, I first heard Plustwo's Melody (1983 Club Vinyl Mix) this past summer on TikTok and now every time I hear the intro, it automatically brings me back to the excitement I feel at the beginning of every summer - almost like electricity.

I couldn't tell you how many time's I've listened to Easy (with Kacey Musgraves feat. Mark Ronson) by Troye Sivan. When I was a teenager, I subscribed to Troye Sivan's YouTube channel and watched all of his videos as soon as they were released. At some point in college, I lost interest in most of the Youtubers I once loved, so I was excited to watch Troye branch out beyond the Youtube personality and release some great music.

Kacey Musgraves is one of my all time favorite musicians. Nine of the top ten songs in my 2019 Spotify Wrapped playlist were from her Golden Hour playlist. Oh, What A World is one of my favorite songs ever, but it's more of a year-round track for me. Otherwise it would be at the top of this playlist. (And to be completely honest, I haven't given her new album Star-Crossed, a chance yet. I absolutely loved Golden Hour and worry that her new music can't live up to the incredible work she has already done. I've only listened to the Star-Crossed once or twice but when I'm done with this playlist, I plan to take a deeper dive into that album.)

Pull It Together by The Greeting Committee has a playful and uplifting energy that I love to hear as I approach my destination. Even as I write this with the song playing in the background, I just want to break out in dance. (If you don't plan to use this playlist for biking to the beach, this song could also be great for a morning routine or dancing while cooking in the kitchen.)

This photo is from Jacob Riis Park (aka Rockaway Beach). The long bike ride is worth it when I get to take in views like this at the end. (I love this view so much, the Live Photo of it is the background on my iPhone.)

When I make my playlists, I normally don't consider writing descriptions about them, because they're often just for me to listen to on my own. I'll occasionally share my playlists to my Instagram story, but even then, I mostly want people to listen to the songs and decide how they feel about them on their own. Especially if someone is listening to one of my song recommendations for the first time, sometimes I like to share it without context. Maybe I can get a more authentic reaction that way. So I'll let some of these songs speak for themselves:

• The Difference by Flume feat. Toro y Moi
• O.K., Meet Me Underwater by Jay Som
• I Miss That by Porches
• Julia by Colony House
• Minimum by Vacationer
• Feet Off The Ground (feat. Jade Bird) by Brent Cobb
• Antidote by Orion sun
• Baby Blue Shades by Bad Suns
• Spirit by Jack Larsen
• In My Groove by Mikaela Davis
• Seabird by Babeheaven
• Positive Force by Delicate Steve
• Light Yeah (feat. Lennon Stella) by Adam Melchor
• Where I Come From by Passion Pit
• Baby Boy by Kevin Abstract
• Daydream by The Aces
• Wallflower by Latir
• High Beam by Sjowgren
• Summer Love by Muzz

No matter the time of year, I am constantly updating my Spotify playlists and creating new ones. I like to get creative with the names of my playlists, similar to the way I try to think of clever captions for my Instagram posts or even my venmo transactions. The titles of my playlists are usually the most I say about the songs they hold. I hope you enjoyed my commentary, but more importantly, I hope you enjoy the songs.

If you don't find yourself biking to the beach anytime soon, or biking anywhere for that matter, I still have another playlist for a commute! I call this one Smiling At Memes On The Train. It has nearly 3 hours worth of music, so I never get through the whole thing during my typical train ride, but I love each of these songs.