Tens of thousands of cyclists will take over major thoroughfares throughout the Big Apple for the 48th annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour on May 3.
The event, the nation’s largest communal bike ride, will see 32,000 cyclists embark on a 40-mile journey through all five boroughs.
The course begins in Manhattan, runs through a sliver of the Bronx, returns to Manhattan, then goes into Queens and Brooklyn, before ending on Staten Island. The first wave of cyclists will begin at 7:30 a.m., while the fifth and last will start at 10:30 a.m.
The affair is organized by the group Bike New York, which has hosted it almost every year since 1977. It raises money both directly for Bike New York’s own educational programming and a list of outside charities who partner with the event.
Ken Podziba, Bike New York’s president and CEO, said that what makes the Five Boro Bike Tour such a special event is that, unlike the NYC Marathon, it is not a race.
“It’s not about getting to the finish line first, it’s about seeing New York City in the best possible way: on two wheels,” Podziba said in an interview.
“You ride across the five bridges, and you see the skyline in front of you,” he added. “You’re experiencing it at street level. And you’re going through every neighborhood, every block, and people cheer you on along the way. And it’s just something that becomes in your mind and your memories for many, many years to come.”
Registration for the tour will close soon, as it is almost sold out of tickets, Podziba said — encouraging those interested in participating to sign up as soon as possible.
A map of the Five Boro Bike Tour route.Image Courtesy of Bike New York
Throughout the tour, Podziba said, cyclists should be prepared for various forms of entertainment, such as a gospel choir in Harlem and an Afro-Puerto Rican band in the Bronx. Moreover, bike riders will be able to grab food from various cultures at the Finish Festival on Staten Island near the end of the route.
“If you love New York City, you’ll love this event, because it feels like a microcosm of the world,” he said.
Podziba also advised that participants be prepared for chilly mornings before warming up throughout the day. Over the past couple of years, the tour has taken place on overcast and foggy days.
The event first started in 1977 when public high school students, participating in a program focused on bike repair and maintenance, got together with local bike advocates to organize a ride across all five boroughs, Podziba said.
However, in its first year, city streets were not closed for the bike tour. Instead, cyclists rode with police escorts to their front and back. The next year, when Ed Koch took over as mayor in 1978, he scaled up the event and barred vehicle traffic from its route.
Koch also changed the event’s original name, the “Five Boro Challenge,” to its current one.
“Koch actually said, ‘Let’s do what we did for the marathon and do it for cycling, and we’ll give them all the city resources they need, through the Department of Transportation, the Police Department, and we’ll make this really an amazing event for cyclists,’” Podziba said.