You might think that the owner of a friendly neighborhood bike shop would have trepidations about the launch of a bike-share program, but you’d be wrong. “I’m all for anything that gets people biking,” says Julie Hirschfeld of Adeline Adeline on Reade Street. “In fact, I already bought my membership!”

Citi Bike launches for members on Monday, May 27; the following Sunday, June 2, you can buy daily ($9.95) and weekly ($25) passes.

An expert biker, Julie has some advice for anyone who hasn’t done a lot of cycling around here:

••• Research in advance where bike lanes are, bearing in mind that side streets are much preferable to avenues. Stop by Adeline Adeline to pick up a copy of the city’s free Bike Map 2013.
••• The racks won’t be all over the city just yet, so you’ll want to check to make sure they’re at your destination.
••• By all means, cycle on over to Brooklyn. But the Brooklyn Bridge—with all the tourists and construction—is pretty crowded these days, so consider taking the Manhattan Bridge instead. You can find lots of other route suggestions in Bike NYC: The Cyclist’s Guide to New York City (available at you-know-where).
••• There’s no shame in walking: If you get overwhelmed, take a break and walk your bike on the sidewalk.

The bikes don’t come with helmets, which is just as well, because do you really want to use a shared helmet? Or, for that matter, an ugly one? Adeline Adeline has helmets to suit every personality, and if you buy Citi Bike NYC’s annual membership ($95), you’ll get a coupon good for $10 off Nutcase, Bern, and Bontrager helmets—and the shop stocks the first two brands.

A backpack will come in handy, too. And maybe a poncho for when the weather is iffy….

And when you fall in love with biking in New York City, and you realize you want a stylish ride, not one with a bank’s logo’s plastered all over it, you know where to go: Adeline Adeline, 147 Reade (between Hudson and Greenwich), 212-227-1150, adelineadeline.com. “Maybe I’m really just a 12 year-old,” says Julie, “but I still get a kick when someone says, ‘Hey, that’s a cool bike!'”

Sponsored by Adeline Adeline.