Being from New York, it’s funny how I hadn’t heard about the TD Five Boro Bike Tour until I moved to Cincinnati. Maybe it wasn’t on my radar because I didn’t ride a bike then. Even so, with thousands of riders (this year had over 32,000) and the roads closed to traffic, I’m surprised I didn’t know about it sooner.
We signed up for the May 5th event when online registration opened in January. The less expensive hotels were already booked which I hadn’t considered when we registered. Probably a good thing as that may have deterred us from going. Since we would be driving from Cincy to NY and staying for 3 nights, we looked for something more affordable. Considering logistics, convenience, and price, we luckily found an Airbnb on Staten Island near the SI ferry and close to where the event ends.
We arrived in NYC late Friday afternoon. Since we didn’t want to park and leave our bikes unattended in the rental van, Alex stayed in the vehicle while I picked up our ride packets and bought some merch. With the ride being on a Sunday, we met up with family and a couple of friends on Saturday.
Event Day
On the event day, we rode our bikes from our Airbnb to the SI Ferry. With a chilly forecast and probability of rain, I wore long cycling tights, waterproof socks, and a base layer underneath my Five Boro bike jersey, covered by my cycling jacket. We stood in the long line with hundreds of other riders waiting to board the ferry with our bikes.
When we got off the ferry in lower Manhattan, we followed signs and other riders to the Wave 5 staging area. We arrived about an hour before our 9:50 am start time. We looked for my friend and her boyfriend, and with so many people, I’m glad we found each other.
Taking It All In
Alex and I were so excited about the event, and it did not disappoint. As each wave got released, we inched our way to the start line. Our 40-mile bike ride through all 5 boroughs was amazing.
Not in a rush, we took in the sights and streets of NY, riding past iconic landmarks like Radio City Music Hall and through Central Park. We even stopped for lunch in Brooklyn when we caught a whiff of pizza. Possibly the most memorable and exciting part was riding on highways and bridges, which I had only driven on previously. While the rain might have been miserable for some, it didn’t dampen my spirits.
We were wet, cold, and tired from being out all day, so we didn’t stay long enough to enjoy the post-ride food trucks and entertainment at the finish festival in Fort Wadsworth. Ready to go home, Alex and I biked back to our Airbnb while our friends biked to the SI ferry to return to Manhattan.
Aside from the underwhelming rest stops with green unripe bananas and even with temps in the low 50s and rainy weather, we had such a blast! The Five Boro Bike Tour is easily one of my favorite rides, and I can’t wait to do it again.
