NYC 5 Boro Ride May 4, 2025

[Dick Pahle]

I just registered for this. Curious if anyone else here will be riding?

Dick

[Michael Morrissey]

I didn't register yet but I'll be there too. I did it last year for the first time and it was really fun! I highly recommend it for anyone out-of-town, as it's a great way to see the city.

What bike are you going to be on? I'll be on my mustard colored Appaloosa. 

Michael

[Dick Pahle]

Michael:

I'll be riding my 2015 Waterford built Homer. You are right. Great way to see the city. 45 years ago I ran the NYC Marathon.  This will be kinda a book end thing for this 75 year old.

Dick 

[Marc Irwin]

I'm planning on it this year.

Marc

[Roberta]

I’m planning on riding too

On Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 11:34:58 AM UTC-5 Dick Pahle wrote:

[River Bailey]

I rode last year and might participate again in 2025. Last year we just rented bikes in NYC. Would be way more fun to rideone of my Rivs!

[velomann]

I won't make it for 2025 - traveling to NYC from the west coast is not gonna be an annual thing. But am already plotting my 2026 return. One thing I will be sure too do - that I found out about after the fact this year - is to attend the Blessing of the Bikes that happens at the Cathedral of St John the Divine on the upper West Side the day before the ride.

Mike M

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Hmmm. My sister lives in NYC and has a pair of Clem Ls we could ride…

I really really want my own Riv but I can’t imagine how I’d get one there…will think on this!

L

[Leah Peterson]

My sister was delighted and insisted we do this on her Clems. I guess I’ll see you there!

On Dec 15, 2024, at 11:18 AM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! <jonasa...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hmmm. My sister lives in NYC and has a pair of Clem Ls we could ride…

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[Dan Dunmire]

We consider the 5 Boro a bucket list activity- Its an unbelievable way to see the city. Every year we say no, not this year. But then someone we know wants to do it so we ride it again!

[Steven Seelig]

My advice is to figure out a way to get onto the course EARLY.  Certainly, if you get a ticket for early entry that would be great.  But otherwise, just show up early and jump onto the course before the traffic builds.  There is nothing worse than getting stuck in a bike traffic jam trying to get over the 59th Street bridge.  This does not mean you have to ride faster in that most riders behind you are not riding fast.

Others with stealth ideas on being early should chime in here.

Steve Seelig

[Michael Morrissey]

I paid the extra fee and started in wave 1 in 2024, and I'm doing it again in 2025. Wave 1 was great last year, except for the many misguided riders who think it's a race. I don't mind people passing me, but many people passed me very close and on the right. I cursed out a few people because of it, especially for getting close to my wife. However, after we hit Central Park the crowd thinned out, the would-be Strava heroes were gone, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the tour. For every rider who passed me in the first few miles, I must have passed 5 on the BQE who were a puddle of struggle right before the Verrazano.

If you really want to jump the start, read BikeSnobNYC's post about it and follow his lead (https://bikesnobnyc.com/2024/05/06/five-boroughs-32000-riders-and-all-the-bananas-you-can-eat/). Otherwise, the waves before wave 1 (which I had no idea existed) are reserved for charity riders, and you should maybe consider leaving them to it if you are not in their charity (which I wouldn't want to be in either, because I agree with Saint Sheldon Brown: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/thons.html)

Also a good idea is to consider picking out a place for lunch in the Williamsburg/DUMBO area. Most of the rest-stops give you unripe bananas, but the Brooklyn area is ripe with great restaurants right along the course.

M

[Dick Pahle]

I paid a little extra for a Wave 1 start too. Ok, I'll ask an obviously stupid question. I'll be staying with my daughter who lives in Queens. What's the best way to get from Queens to the start? Just Ride, I presume (to borrow title of Grant's book). 

The Bike Snob's posts are great, by the way. Always enjoy em. The one Michael referenced is what motivated me to register for the 2025 ride. Thanks too for good suggestion about lunch. 

Dick

[jkerr...@mac.com]

I’m planning to ride it on my Homer, flying out from the west coast. I’ll definitely try to attend the Blessing of the Bikes. 

[Ben Gardy]

I would highly recommend volunteering as a course marshal to anyone who is interested. You are allowed to ride the course for free after your volunteer position is finished, you can bring a larger bag with you, breakfast and lunch are provided, and they have a priority ferry boat back to Manhattan for all the volunteers.

An extra tip is to volunteer early on in the course, or at the start area, so you are able to ride the entirety of the course

Ben

[Dan Dunmire]

And if driving- park on Staten Island to avoid late afternoon ferry lines.

[Fred Marsh]

Debating. Would love to do it. Would my Holdsworth Professional with 32's do the trick?

I love my Bleriot, but it weighs a ton. Haven't ridden in NYC since I did a Monster Track race 

on a brakeless track bike. I'm so much smarter now lol. 

Fred

Chicago

[Roberta]

I signed up today and found there was a $60 (yes, sixty!) fee to have the bib mailed.  As far as I could tell, there wasn't any information on in-person pick up whens and wheres, and not being from NYC, I couldn't take a chance.  For the 20 mile Philadelphia ride in October, the pick up bib option was for the day before the ride only and it was clearly posted.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to meeting some of you for the first time,  and meeting up with old friends.  Not sure which bike I'll be taking, but one of my mixtes--Betty Foy or Platypus for those quick jump off the saddle unexpected stops.  :)

d4dunmire--do you have a recommendation where in Staten Island to park, or do we just wait until they announce the starting and finishing lines and hope there is parking nearby?  How early should we expect to park prior to the ride start?  I'm thinking two hours.  Does that sound right?  Three hours?

Fred--I cannot imagine a Bleriot would be that heavy.  I have a Homer Hilsen (isn't Bleriot the forrunner of that) and it's my lightest bike.

See you all there!

Roberta

Philadelphia

[Ben Gardy]

There is in person packet pickup for the three days before the ride, and if I recall correctly, there is a spot to pickup your bib day of in lower Manhattan, close to the ferry terminal.

The course start and finish lines are usually in the same places, so most of the information surrounding the 2024 tour should still apply for 2025. 

There are several parking garages on Staten Island that specifically cater to 5 boro riders, https://www.bike.nyc/events/td-five-boro-bike-tour/getting-there/staten-island-parking/ Just keep in mind that the ferry takes approximately 30 minutes to get to lower Manhattan from Staten Island, and the capacity can be limited.

Ben

[Dan Dunmire]

Any bike you can sit on for 4 hours over the course of a day will work. Last year I rode an old Rudge 3 speed. People ride everything from 45 lb Citi bikes to Stingrays to carbon fiber road rockets. The Bleriot sounds close to ideal!

We just find street parking somewhere within biking distance of the St. George ferry. You might be a mile or so away but a nice warm-up. We parked outside a micro-brewery one year. Nice place for a post ride beverage.  2 hours to get to the star should be fine. And if you start late you might miss a lot of the early congestion.

Dan

LI NY

[Jeffrey Zelevansky]

I did the ride many years ago on my  1985 Cannondale ST500 and it was a lot of fun. I lived in NJ at the time and it was easy for me to get to SI for the start. I think I left somewhere towards the back of the first wave. The only un-fun part was the congestion in Manhattan meant an awful lot of trackstanding, and attempted trackstanding. I have heard that it's paced out better nowadays and hopefully your experience will bear that out! Riding over the bridges on the roadways was the most fun and memorable part.

[Roberta]

I secured a hotel room close-ish to the Staten Island ferry terminal in Staten Island at a good price.  May 3 through May 5.   two queen beds plus a sleeper sofa. 

If there are any females who would like to share the room and split the cost, please PM me. You need to be known to me or active sometimes on this board.  

Roberta

On Friday, January 3, 2025 at 4:04:17 PM UTC-5 Roberta wrote:

[claudia Jacobs]

oh man!  now you're making me want to ride it again!  I first rode it in the 80s.  Believe it or not, I found it much harder in my 20s (probably mostly due to attitude?...) then  I have found it (many times) over the past 15 years.    My son was 8 his first time (the other two were young teens), rode it on some crappy probably poor fitted mtn bike. It was so inspiring and well worth being tailed over the Verizanno bridge  by the police escorts closing the course down.        

As Dan said, it IS a bucket list item; owning the streets of NYC!!!!!   I always find it helpful to tell newbies, or even some 2nd and 3rd timers, it is NOT a race!  It can be if you want it to be; but I STILL love to go at a pace that I can safely look around at the sights with my personal soundtrack.

In years past, they would sell out, the fact that they haven't yet means it may be less crowded!    With that said, there is always plenty of room once you get past 5th Avenue (the start) and it's always been tremendously impressive how every year they have modified the course to smooth out any tight spots.   Last year, I don't think there was more than one or two minor slow downs due to bottle necking. 

IMPORTANT for some:  There are PLENTY of rest stops and bathrooms!!!  Never a need to worry.

Feel free to contact me with any info you might be needing; and if you feel like braving the mean streets of LI, we can help you out there too!

WOOOHOOOOOO!

Claudia