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Photo: Courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/humanrights/14092044616/
On the first Sunday in May, thousands of cyclists, young and old, with varying skill levels, traveled from all over to explore New York on their bikes. For a rare day, the streets are bare and free of congestion. The city belongs to the bikers, who are able to explore every region of New York from Fidi to The Bronx. The 5 Boro Bike Tour, a 40 mile bike ride, is completely non competitive and encourages participants to enjoy the ambiance of New York’s diverse boroughs at their own pace. The tour is the largest charitable bike ride in the world and all proceeds go toward the free 5 Boro bike education programs.
This year, cyclist began their ride in Lower Manhattan and traveled up to the Bronx, back down and across to Queens, through Brooklyn and across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island. The ride concluded with a festival at Fort Wadsworth. People from all over the world participated and boasted about the pleasant weather and the beautiful views of New York from their unique vantage points. Participants, Nick Hajjer and Grace A. Capobianco, CEO represented Downtown Magazine at the event. “I’d say it was an entirely different way to experience the city,” said Nick. Grace stated, “Cycling is an incredible sport. [One of the many] things I love about the 5 boro ride is that anyone can do it. This year I saw all different ages families, to senior citizens participating. I wish that cyclists could enjoy even more freedom in the boro’s. City cycling has come a long way in five years; lets keep going NY!”
People interested in participating can sign up for the newsletter on the Bike New York website to stay informed on when to register. In the mean time, you can still tour New York on your bike via the various beautiful bike trails around the city. Check out NYC Bike Maps to discover bike paths in your neighborhood.
-by Johanna Silver