Photo Highlights: TD Five Boro Bike Tour Returns to 40 Car-Less Miles of NYC Streets with 32,000 Riders

32,000 cyclists set out on the 44th edition of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour from lower Manhattan © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

By Karen Rubin, Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com

On an absolutely perfect, sunny spring day when New York City is at its absolute best, the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, the world’s largest charity bike ride, returned to its full strength: 32,000 cyclists, hailing from all 50 states and 32 countries, got to 40 miles of car-free streets across all the city’s five boroughs.

Italian cyclist Massimo Stefani leads the second wave of the 32,000 cylists in the 2022 TD Five Boro Bike Tour 32,000 cyclists set out on the 44th edition of the TD Five Boro Bike Tour from lower Manhattan © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

In addition to being the largest bike ride in the United States, it’s the most diverse and inclusive ride in the world – with people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, said Bike New York CEO Ken Podziba.

Bike New York CEO Ken Podziba © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The sheer joy and delight – omnipresent for the ride – was particularly exuberant this year for the 44th edition of the bike tour after a hiatus in 2020 and last year’s (held in August instead of May) limited capacity of 20,000.

Riding up 6th Avenue through Greenwich Village © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Cheerleaders, bands, banners and signs, marquees greeted and cheered on the riders as they made their way up through Manhattan, into the Bronx, back into Manhattan, down the FDR Drive (a personal favorite), over the Queensborough Bridge (what a view!) into Queens and along the revitalized waterfront, then over another bridge into Brooklyn, onto the highway and over the Verrazano’s one-mile expanse, into Staten Island to the Finish Festival at Empire Outlets on Staten Island’s North Shore, before taking one of New York City’s best rides back to Manhattan,  the Staten Island Ferry (and in my case, a delightful ride up the Hudson River Greenway). 

NYC’s iconic Radio City Music puts greetings to the Five Boro Bike tour riders on its marquee © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

What is so special about New York City’s TD Five Boro Bike Tour is how, for one day, you and 32,000 of your closest friends, feel like you own the city. The streets, bridges and highways – like Sixth Avenue, the FDR Drive, the Queensborough Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Verrazano (the longest suspension bridge in the Americas) are your domain. It makes you giddy. Neighborhoods – so colorful, with their distinctive personalities and character, ring with sound and spirit – Greenwich Village, Harlem, Astoria, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, DUMBO, Staten Island’s north shore. Central Park’s blossoms seem to burst open just for us.

Just three of the 1200 volunteers, marshals, captains, who serve snacks, refill water, help with bike repairs, give care if there is an accident, stop/slow traffic, shout cheers of encouragement along the route © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Some 1,200 volunteers – captains, marshalls, EMTs, bike repair people, people who hand out snacks and refill water bottles – add to the Big Apple-sized welcome riders receive.

The annual event raises money for bike education. Bike New York operates bike education centers, after school programs, summer camps, as well as its first membership program.

Four of the 50 members of the LetsShareaMeal.org group from New Jersey (Sikhs: Warming Hearts & Bellies) pose on the Queensborough Bridge. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is the largest charity ride in the world. © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Numerous charities also use the event for fundraising, purchasing registrations which participants then raise money against.

The ride is designed to be a family friendly tour, not a competition, appealing to all abilities, ages – volunteers hold signs to slow the pace and alert riders to turns and obstacles.

Riders in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour span age groups, right down to this young fellow © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

TD Bank has been the title sponsor for the past 16 years; Manhattan Portage was the presenting sponsor.

Among the dignitaries on hand to send the cyclists off: Ken Podziba, President & CEO of Bike New York;  Andrew Bregenzer, Regional President of Metro NY – TD Bank; Su-Hwei Lin, CEO  of Manhattan Portage; New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez;  Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine; NYC Council Members Christopher Marte and Lincoln Restler; and representatives from Prosecco Cycling, including Italian elected officials.

More information about events and programs offered by Bike New York at bike.nyc.

Here are more photo highlights:

Riders are sent off by the choral singing of the national anthem © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
“Always Conquering. Never Conquered.” The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is the most diverse, inclusive ride in the world © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Gotham Cheer cheers on riders as they exit Central Park into Harlem © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Angela “Missy” Billups and the Voices of New York© Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Bomba Yo performs for riders as they ride through the Bronx © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Special treat – a personal favorite: biking down the FDR Drive © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Another special treat: biking the Queensboro (Edward Koch) Bridge from Manhattan to Queens © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Coming down the ramp off the Queensborough Bridge you get a perspective of the city you can’t get otherwise © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
A thrilling ride coming down the ramp off the Queensborough Bridge you get a perspective of the city you can’t get otherwise © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
A rest area in Astoria Park, on Queens waterfront © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
 
The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is distinguished by the colorful neighborhoods, like Greenpoint, Brooklyn © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Live Poultry Slaughter (Comedy Club) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn © Karen Rubin/ goingplacesfarandnear.com
One colorful scene after another – you get to the city’s granular level.  You go through real New York City neighborhoods © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
Riding through DUMBO, in Brooklyn © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com
One of most dramatic and iconic views of the ride: Empire State Building framed by Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO, is very popular with TD Five Boro Bike Tour riders © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

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