Hang out at a lap pool sometime... people are awful to each other, especially newbies.
It does seem to be much worse for my girlfriend, when she bikes alone. Men on bicycles (and only men on bicycles) frequently insult her for her weight or imply that she is promiscuous, and then ride off.
It shouldn’t be important, but I will also mention that she is a highly experienced cyclist who primarily moves around the city on her bike. She is a competent and careful road user who knows how to get around without getting in people’s way.
My personal theory is that riding a bicycle in the city puts people into an unusual hyperalert, competitive, euphoric, and persecution-complex-y mindset that causes some of them to feel comfortable being loudly obnoxious to strangers. And of course, it’s easy for them to ride away quickly and avoid any consequences.
It’s deeply frustrating to me, because I have to explain to friends who are interested in cycling in the city, that one of the biggest downsides is that you will be repeatedly verbally harassed by strangers pretty much irrespective of your cycling skill.
And of course, it is totally possible that European cyclists don’t exhibit this behavior, or that it is less common for whatever reason, but it is a real thing in NYC.