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Have Some Real Fun at Wheel Fun Rentals
The end of summer is rapidly approaching, and with it, your chance to take advantage of the season’s best outdoor family-friendly activities in Queens.
You’ll find a few in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which offers two locations of Wheel Fun Rentals, a nationwide bicycle and boat rental service. One location is on the northern end of Meadow Lake and the other just off David Dinkins Circle, near the east end of the tennis complex.
I took an excursion of my own, bringing a loved one along to the Meadow Lake location, and was greeted by a variety of cycles: surreys, coupes, tandem bikes and others. Farther into the distance, a lineup of boating options was set up, containing both pedal craft (which come equipped with canopies to shield the sun) and kayaks.
Wheel Fun Rentals New York Area manager Michael Posniak and location manager Daniel Giorgi were ready to assist and answer any questions.
“We’ve been here for eight years,” Posniak said. “We keep getting renewed to come back. It makes us happy that the community is used to us here. There’s not too much boating going on in New York — it’s a Long Island thing, but you don’t have to go to Long Island for that experience.”
Wheel Fun Rentals has indeed become a part of the community, even engaging in charity work. It supports Big Brothers Big Sisters by offering free rentals to volunteers and the children they mentor. The program, named “Biking & Boating Buddies,” was founded in 2006 and has continued to grow, according to the Wheel Fun website, wheelfunrentals.com.
“Many people prefer to spend time outdoors doing something fun that is also healthy exercise, and riding a surrey bike with friends and family, while pedaling together as a team, is a very special experience,” Posniak said.
After weighing my options, I opted for the single surrey cycle, which thankfully had a canopy to shield against the 90 degree heat.
The single surrey can seat three people, in addition to two small children in the front basket. It comes equipped with brakes, two sets of pedals, two steering wheels (one being nonfunctional, perfect for kids) and a bell that acts as a horn.
After a quick instructional tutorial from Giorgi (don’t forget to learn how the brakes work), I referenced the map attached to the bike’s dashboard, which details where one can go.
There is a lot of freedom in the route, so long as you don’t wander off onto the Van Wyck or Long Island expressway.
Along the way, you will find many residents biking as well, either solo or with others on a surrey. You’ll also see others sitting down in grassy, benched areas with friends and family.
There’s music playing, and a nearby café to grab a bite to eat. Some riders have speakers on their bikes as well, to listen to their own music.
I made sure to take a moment to rest in the shade and sip some water. Both were highly encouraged by Giorgi, especially in the heat of summer.
By the end of the allotted hour, I was sufficiently tired but content. Biking is a workout, but it was lovely to exercise and bond with someone in an open, visually pleasing environment like Meadow Lake.
Next time, perhaps, I’ll opt for a pedal boat for a trip onto the lake itself.
Whatever you try, Wheel Fun Rentals is surely worth a visit before it gets too cold and it closes for the year.
