OldBridgeRider

I signed up, it's not a distance challenge but just a nice bike ride. I did it yrs ago on a mountain bike and at that point the longest I had ever gone was under 20 miles. Even as a novice, if you take your time and enjoy it, the miles fly by.

oddjob2

The hard part will be deciding which bike to ride on? Also, coming from NJ, is it better to take the ferry across from HB?

1nterceptor

The Path train from Hoboken to lower Manhattan will be faster and cheaper.
But the trains are usually packed on the weekends. At the end of the event,
the lines for the free ferry from Staten Island going back to Manhattan will
be long. Last year I took the Bayonne bridge instead back to Jersey.

Bacciagalupe

At the risk of making a blunt assertion... It's fun to ride with a massive group.

You also get to ride on some bridges and roads that normally are not accessible to cyclists.

The only real downside is that there are several bottle-necks on the 5 Boro ride, which means you'll be walking at a few sections. As long as you're patient (and forewarned...), it's not a big dea.


It's 30,000 cyclists, many of whom are riding in areas they aren't familiar with, and blocking traffic in many areas. A pre-planned route is required.

And there's nothing wrong with following a pre-set route. For example, I often lead club rides, which means I'm spending time to find optimal routes and avoid hazardous sections. The participants get to focus on cycling and/or enjoy the scenery, without having to worry about navigation.

Relax, enjoy the company, enjoy the view. Go into it with an open mind, and you might actually enjoy it.

oddjob2

Thank you, very useful advice!

OldBridgeRider

I drive into SI and Park in any free lot to take the train to the ferry. It's easy enough bc the return trip is just train back to my car. Where in NJ are you located? I am in Old Bridge

Ferdinand NYC

Right; as I mentioned, this will be my only chance to ride on the Verrazano Bridge.


Oh, I understand why a pre-set route is necessary in a ride of that scale. It's just a strange thing for me personally, given my usual practice of following last-minute whims.

Yes. Even though it wouldn't have been my first choice of things to do, I'm committed now; so I might as well make the best of it. I do hope to enjoy it. More important, I hope that my friend will enjoy it, and that she will be encouraged to continue riding regularly.

oddjob2

That's a good suggestion! My folks live in Soprano land, West Caldwell. I'll be coming from Michigan.

zacster

Getting back from SI is always the worst part of the ride for me. Waiting for the ferry just sucks, and then I have to make my way back from Manhattan to Brooklyn, either on the subway or by bike. My daughter will be with me and won't want to ride. Maybe I'll arrange to get picked up.

cc_rider

Last rode the BNY5B in 2010, but did it for several years before that. I used to drive over the GW and park on Riverside near Grant's Tomb. Plenty of free street parking before the church crowd arrives. I'd get a 14 mile warm up ride, and a good cool down ride after. Usually managed 60 to 70 miles for the day. Easy drive in from W Caldwell on I-80.

If you do want to take the ferry, check the schedule. The years I looked into it, I remember seeing that it didn't start running until 8 - too late to get a good place at the start.

btw - Get there early, before 7 or earlier. The closer to the start line your are, the fewer delays you have. Some people hang out along the route (bottom end of Central Park is a good spot) and wait for the head of the tour to arrive so they can join in. I did this one year when I over slept. Worked out ok.

DSchlichting

The "get there early" situation as noted by cc_rider has changed. Starting last year, the event uses a so-called staggered start where rider documentation is color coded to a defined zone in the start area with each zone having a defined start time. The intent is to reduce not only the hanging around for hours as was the case, but also to manage the flow of riders up Sixth Avenue and reduce congestion into Central Park.

cc_rider

Sounds like a good idea.
Are the color codes assigned with your registration? Guess that means connection up with ride partners in other groups is out of the question.

EddNog

Next week, Bike NY will be sending out an e-mail to all registered riders with a link that lets us group up/link up with other riders/friends/family so as to share the same start time.

-Ed

Dahon.Steve

Once in Bayonne, you don't have to ride all the way to Jersey City to take the Path into Manhattan. The Hudson Bergen Light rail can be caught at 8th Street just one mile away from the bridge and it will take you to Path.

Those lines that form for the ferry are insane.

capejohn

It's a great way to see NYC. This will be my 5th and my son's third. We are bringing a new guy with us this year. If your from out of the area it's not just the bike event it's what you can do the day before. We have walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, the Williamsburg bridge from the Bowery to the Bronx. Visits to Time Square and Central Park as well as the Battery Park area where the WTC is located. We have dined on 2nd Ave between 52nd and 49th streets, a 10 minute walk from the very expensive 6th 7th and 8th Avenue restaurants. We visited East village for lunch and a martini or two, and spent some time in the Bowery which is better than you may think. (For tourists). For around $15 bucks, you can get a ticket on a tour bus that lets you get off and on at multiple places in Manhattan all day.

In general if you want to see NYC this is a great event to do that.

FrankieV

Glad you take the time to enjoy our city.
We New Yorkers take all this stuff for granted.

stedanrac

Hey Folks,

I got the "Make a Team" email this week and did so.

Now, my best guess is that the start times will be assigned by the event (not something that we can select)? Is this right?

Thx!
Steve

Andyz

I signed up also but riding with one of the charity teams. Should be fund and a lot of money gets raised for various charities so all the better.

CodeBrown

**UPDATE** Not available anymore **

Thankfully I was able to get free passes from work. Some people have cancelled so I have up to 2 free passes for the tour. Yes free. PM me, I'll check this forum after work tonight at 6pm and reply. If no takers I'll post to Craigslist tonight.

Stacy

No backpacks. No Camelbacks. No large bike bags.
Seat bags and water bottles only.

https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer...er-boston.html

csi56

Some responses in comments at www.bikenewyork.org/security from Elizabeth ****r, Director of Communication, BikeNewYork:


A bungee cord on a rear rack to store rain gear is fine. At the Finish Festival, small clear bags will be provided to people who purchase items.
A trunkbag attached to the seatpost is permitted as long as no larger than 12" x 5" x 7".
Small handlebar and rear rack bags are allowed, as long as they are smaller than the 12" x 5" x 7" rule.
Trunkbags are okay as long as they are 420 cubic inches.
The size limit on fanny packs is 14" by 7" by 4".
q: Can we have a trunk bag, an under the seat wedge bag, handle bar bag, and fanny pack if they all meet the designated size limits? a: Yes

jyossarian

The whole bag think is a load of crap. How are they going to enforce the size of trunk bags and fanny packs? And if they do, they'll end up alienating people including long time participants.

EddNog

Agreed; if anything, I would imagine that if anyone DID try anything, it would more than likely be someone who is NOT participating in the event itself. I don't see how this is particularly practical or ideal.

-Ed

Stacy

"Restricted items will be confiscated, and not returned"

Last time I did this ride it rained so in addition to my raingear I packed some extra clothes, socks and a pair of shoes in my Carradice rack top bag. I tend to get very cold at the end of rides - especially the year I had to wait three hours for the ferry - and it was quite a relief to be able to swap my wet muddy shoes for dry ones. The bag measures 14x6x8 which is just over the limit.

The idea that BikeNY might confiscate this bag that I paid about $100 for, or that I should forego these added "comforts" just makes the ride un-doable for me. The fact that they would come up with these rules Less than two weeks before the ride, without offering any refunds, means I'll never even consider doing this ride again.

billm45s

Folks, although a huge pain, try to keep in mind that these requirements were not developed by BNY in a vacuum. They are the result of interaction with multiple governmental entities/agencies. The requirements will not be enforced by the volunteer marshals, but by various security, NYPD, the bridge and tunnel cops, etc. BNY will not be confiscating your bag. And clearly BNY would have prefered if none of these requirements ever came up. BNY can only work with agencies involved and try to get the word out. The restrictions only make things that much harder for BNY, who run this ride to support a much broader not-for-profit mission.