Great effort on both the write-up and the commitment to start riding again.

Try and separate the issues:

• Your route was suboptimal due to trusting google
• Getting off and walking a bike is surprisingly tiring
• your speed is quite fast for someone who is just coming back to riding after a multi-decade long break
• You were under time pressure to avoid being late, and therefore pushing hard.
• I bet your park pathways were nice smooth asphalt, and the roads are less-smooth which adds to the resistance
• You're on a fixed gear which is hard work at the best of times. Fortunately there were no hills on your path!

Some of these you can resolve and minimise, your choice of bike is locked in for now.

ROUTE

It looks like you have few good options. Based on the Strava Heatmap, https://www.strava.com/heatmap#13.23/-73.92722/40.66005/hot/ride suggests that the most popular road for cycling is Pitkin Ave, which has "sharrows" allowing you to "take the lane" This can be scarey especially if you're on a fixed gear.

I notice Blake Ave has bike lanes too but doesn't show up well on heatmap. This is likely a distinction between sporty riders and those riding for transport.

Oddly, the Belt Parkway comes in as popular but streetview shows its not at all bike-friendly. Google may have made similar bad suggestions.

I notice Flatlands Ave is very car-centric and to be avoided, but one road north is Cozine Ave which looks much quieter and has shoulder space. Van Siclen Ave also has cycle lanes.

Without knowing your general start and finish, its hard to suggest exact routes, but find the one that you feel safest on, even if its a little bit longer. You can use Street View to check out the road before you ride too.

Not sure of the rules in New York - you should check if you're legally allowed to ride on the pavement/sidewalk/footpath which adds more options.

Preparation and planning prevent poor performance :)

ALSO give yourself more time. Being late and stressed did not help.

Set a backup Wakeup alarm on your cellphone which is battery powered, to help prevent this happening again.

For at least the first few days, allow more time, and ride a bit more relaxed rather than pounding along as fast as you can.

Talk to someone locally who can see you on your bike, and might be able to suggest better fitting. Could be your saddle is too low or something, we can't tell from the bike alone.

Great effort on both the write-up and the commitment to start riding again.

Try and separate the issues:

• Your route was suboptimal due to trusting google
• Getting off and walking a bike is surprisingly tiring
• your speed is quite fast for someone who is just coming back to riding after a multi-decade long break
• You were under time pressure to avoid being late, and therefore pushing hard.
• I bet your park pathways were nice smooth asphalt, and the roads are less-smooth which adds to the resistance
• You're on a fixed gear which is hard work at the best of times. Fortunately there were no hills on your path!

Some of these you can resolve and minimise, your choice of bike is locked in for now.

ROUTE

It looks like you have few good options. Based on the Strava Heatmap, https://www.strava.com/heatmap#13.23/-73.92722/40.66005/hot/ride suggests that the most popular road for cycling is Pitkin Ave, which has "sharrows" allowing you to "take the lane" This can be scarey especially if you're on a fixed gear.

I notice Blake Ave has bike lanes too but doesn't show up well on heatmap. This is likely a distinction between sporty riders and those riding for transport.

Oddly, the Belt Parkway comes in as popular but streetview shows its not at all bike-friendly. Google may have made similar bad suggestions.

I notice Flatlands Ave is very car-centric and to be avoided, but one road north is Cozine Ave which looks much quieter and has shoulder space. Van Siclen Ave also has cycle lanes.

Without knowing your general start and finish, its hard to suggest exact routes, but find the one that you feel safest on, even if its a little bit longer. You can use Street View to check out the road before you ride too.

Not sure of the rules in New York - you should check if you're legally allowed to ride on the pavement/sidewalk/footpath which adds more options. edit no, not legal in New York, but may be elsewhere.

Preparation and planning prevent poor performance :)

ALSO give yourself more time. Being late and stressed did not help.

Set a backup Wakeup alarm on your cellphone which is battery powered, to help prevent this happening again.

For at least the first few days, allow more time, and ride a bit more relaxed rather than pounding along as fast as you can.

Talk to someone locally who can see you on your bike, and might be able to suggest better fitting. Could be your saddle is too low or something, we can't tell from the bike alone.