New York City Five Boros Ride

by Graf Hilgenurst

While everyone else in the Harpeth Bike Club was getting cold and wet in Chattanooga, I was defending the “colors” at the annual New York City 5 Boros Bike Ride. Always held the first Sunday in May, it’s limited to the first 30,000 who register. And yes, it does sell out. It’s a real mob scene, and although it’s 42 miles long, it’s too congested to be what I would call a fitness ride. It’s a great opportunity to people watch, however. Among this year’s standouts were the crowd from Quebec flying their flags, kids as young as 8 on their own bikes, and lots of the “modified” helmets. These included the inevitable beer can stuck to the top, devil horns, martini glasses, and my all time favorite, the stick of dynamite complete with pin wheel fuse!

For me it’s also a great opportunity to bike watch. I caught a glimpse at more than a few folding Bromptons, Dahans, Bike Fridays, a hundred or so recumbants (including trikes), tandems, tandems pulling tag-alongs, tandems pulling trailers, and tandems pulling tag-alongs AND trailers, which is the bicycling equivalent of a “road train”.

It’s also a wonderful chance to ride in places you might not otherwise get to see on a bike. While Harlem and The South Bronx are theoretically ridable, they bring to mind the line in Casablanca where Humphrey Bogart says to the Nazis “Major, there are certain sections of New York I suggest even you don’t try to invade!” Other neighborhoods (Astoria in Queens and Green Point in Brooklyn) are less intimidating, but too far off the beaten path for all but the most inquisitive riders.

The highlight for me would have to be riding over the great bridges connecting Manhattan Island to the Outer Boros. Although the Brooklyn Bridge is not on this tour, it is worth a visit in itself, just for the sheer majesty of its gothic stone towers and labyrinth of spider web cables. No worries, because it has a permanent bike and pedestrian lane, which is elevated above the road, made out of wood, and makes great noises when you ride over it. The others bridges tend not to be open to bicycle or pedestrian traffic. First up is the Queensboro Bridge. This is a lacey steel truss that spans the East River, goes over Roosevelt Island, and connects to, you guessed it, Queens. Not the biggest bridge out there (you are “only” 130 feet from the water at road surface), but the view from the upper deck is superb. Finally, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, connecting Brooklyn to Staten Island, is right at the finish line. It’s the largest suspension bridge in the country, beating out the Golden Gate by a mere 40 feet. (World wide, it has dropped to #8 in overall length as various Asian economies have stripped us of our “mine’s bigger” bragging rights). Only the lower deck was open to bikes, so I was robbed of the view of the monster 690 foot towers I was hoping for (Nashville’s Batman building is 619 feet tall just for comparison). No great view, but instead, I was given the sensation of riding “up” the bridge without ever quite getting there, like trying to follow the earth’s curvature. When I finally did get to the bridge’s center, it was a dizzying look down to the water 230 feet below.

Be prepared for big crowds and long waits. Be sure to bring plenty of money, and expect to have tons of fun. New York is an amazing place, and this was an amazing ride!