NYC 5 Boro tour

[radair]

Anybody done this?

My wife's been bugging me for 20 years to take her to NY, I figure this is the perfect way to do so.

http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/fbbt/index.html

Would love to hear some stories...

[leebo]

My daughter (14) and her friend and dad did the 5 boro bike tour last year. She said it was well organised, lots of food and water. She said lots of people, 30,000+ , 5 bridges and very enjoyable to see the sights. You could ride at your own pace too. When she got home she said " after 44 miles, I'm not tired, could we try something longer ?"

[heckler]

My crew from the Lung Association Trek (Team Mohawk!) did it last year and said it was awesome. We have about 10 people heading down this year! The trouble is getting there for the start if you don't have a room down in NYC. last year people stayed in CT and took the train down at 4:30 or some crazy time. They said it was an insane mob with an average of 14 mph but totally worth the trip.

[peterdbikes]

I have thought about doing this for a number of years. When I asked around, the advice I was given was to do it on a mountain bike. Especially at the start, everyone is packed tight and it is difficult to go around potholes and slow riders.

[radair]

I'm going to do it on a ghetto SS, built from parts I would not miss if they didn't come home with me. I haven't figured out what gear ratio yet. Any suggestions?

In past years it sounded like a clusterbind to me. Now it seems like a good way to see the city; something my kids should never forget.

[heckler]

I too have decided on an SS- but a road bike version. The only hill you need to be at all concerned with is the Verrezano Narrow bridge which I guess, is over a mile long. Too big a gear could be a drag. Speed isn't going to be an issue so low is good. Unless you need to ride to the start and back from the finish...

I think I am going with a 39/18...

[Zeena]

I did that a couple of years ago because I thought it would be a great way to see the city. It wasn't. There were so many other riders around, I couldn't take my attention off of riding long enough to actually look at anything. Riding in traffic from the ferry back to Grand central was actually less stressful that riding in the crowd.

I didn't mind going slow, i didn't mind the insane lines at the porta potties, or the fact that there was no food left at the rest stops when we got there, or that you couldn't even get thru the crowd at the end to actually get to the food. I just didn't think it was worth the effort. I'm clearly in the minority, since so many people do this ride and go back, but I thought I'd offer up a different viewpoint.

Reenie

[CTMBRer]

I'd like to try it but I am booked that weekend with a ride on the North County Trailway in Westchester County. As for Gearing, I'd go with a 2:1, 32:16, or even 32:15.

Next year for sure. I forget the date, but there is MTB Fest in NYC at the Highbridge Park put on by NYCMTB. That ought to be something - single track in NYC!

[radair]

I did that a couple of years ago because I thought it would be a great way to see the city. It wasn't. There were so many other riders around, I couldn't take my attention off of riding long enough to actually look at anything. Riding in traffic from the ferry back to Grand central was actually less stressful that riding in the crowd.

I didn't mind going slow, i didn't mind the insane lines at the porta potties, or the fact that there was no food left at the rest stops when we got there, or that you couldn't even get thru the crowd at the end to actually get to the food. I just didn't think it was worth the effort. I'm clearly in the minority, since so many people do this ride and go back, but I thought I'd offer up a different viewpoint.

Reenie

Whoa, you're really scaring me (I am an original country bumpkin). What you describe was always the vision in my head. But a bunch of people I know rave about it.

[heckler]

Your friends rave about the visions in your head? Very cool!

[mtbtom]

Worst thing were the bicycle traffic jams where the throng of riders would come to a halt for 10 minutes or more. Second to worst thing was the complete lack of a place to take a leak. In the woods you can go behind a tree, not so easy to find a place in the concrete jungle.

Riding through Harlem and Central Park and over the Bridge to Staten Island was pretty cool, otherwise there were a lot of industrial areas on the route which I didn't think were all that interesting.

At the end of the ride you take a ferry back to Manhattan from Staten Island. The year we did it the trans. authority "unexpectedly" took a ferry out of service. As a result we stood there with our bikes in a gigantic crowd baking in the sun waiting to get on the boat for three hours straight. For a while I thought there would be a riot.

Best thing about the whole experience was the pizza I got on Staten Island and the Ferry ride back to Manhattan.

So would I do it again ? NO F'IN WAY.

[jerseygirl]

A friend of mine in PA almost convinced me to do it but another friend told me it would be way too crowded and not a fun thing to do. I'm inclined to agree. He pointed out that it wouldn't be much of an adventure if you couldn't stop and check out things along the way.

New York is a great walking city. Think I'll save the road riding for more bucolic settings.

[radair]

Well, we had a really good time. Tom & Reenie, you guys should have been off the front, where things disperse a bit better. We were about mid-pack and had almost no issues with traffic jams or tightly packed groups. It was really quite cool.

Photos and write-up here: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=3045405#post3045405

[heckler]

I was there and also had a blast! We started a bit ahead of the bunch so we had relatively clear sailing up to the bridge where they made us all wait for the "official" leaders. My friend and I worked our way through the crowds to the front again only to get stopped for 45 minutes at Astoria Park. They have to close major highways for the ride so they try to get it into a big bunch to minimize the impact. Again, we worked through the pack to 50 yds behind the cops. It was crowded but nothing like being in a road race! We were able to see lots of sights. Not as many crashes as I thought.

The amazing thing was that out of our group of 17, not a single flat or mechanical! Go figure.

The SS was perfect at 39/16. The Queensboro bridge hurt and I was spun out many many times but I would choose that weapon again without hesitation!

[Zeena]

I guess we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, most of the time, on the wrong day... Glad you had fun!

R


Well, we had a really good time. Tom & Reenie, you guys should have been off the front, where things disperse a bit better. We were about mid-pack and had almost no issues with traffic jams or tightly packed groups. It was really quite cool.

Photos and write-up here: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=3045405#post3045405