If you're a New Yorker, you know the TD Five Boro Bike Tour from the perspective of either a frustrated motorist (40 miles of city streets are shut down) or a joyful cyclist, experiencing parts of the city normally not welcome to bikers. I was lucky enough to be one of the 32,000 cyclists in this year’s annual tour on Sunday, along with four friends and fellow creatives. It was my best day this spring.
1 The Whole Living crew at the end of our journey, from left to right: Stephanie Hung, Jason Hamilton, Liz Adler, Brandon Pilcher, and myself.
2 The start line.
3 Cycling on the off ramp of the Queensboro Bridge.
4 Fellow bikers at the end of the ride, waiting for the Staten Island Ferry.
5 At the top of the Verrazano Bridge, looking towards Manhattan.
The TD Five Boro Bike Tour winds (hence the name) through all five NYC boroughs, and the route includes major bridges, highways, and beautiful tree-lined areas of Central Park. I was inspired to see so many amazing urban vistas—it reminded me why I moved to New York City from Missouri seven years ago.
Besides the views, it was satisfying to accomplish such a hefty ride. Most of our group at one time or another worried about how our bodies would be able to make the 40-mile journey—plus the additional miles to and from the start line and home! But we all finished. And we were all so excited to have finished. (Mind you, we are not the most athletic bunch! We’ll all still nursing some soreness.) We spent the whole lunch afterwards talking about how amazing the experience was and how impressed we were with the tour and our own surprising athletic abilities.
Since May is National Bike Month (and our cycling guide running in our June issue), look for more biking in the coming weeks. Hopefully we’ll inspire you to bike—whether it’s simply riding down your block, commuting to work, or training for something like this tour—and help you get set up to take the most enjoyable rides possible.
Happy spring and happy biking!
