nyc bike tour

Cycling enthusiasts and anyone else who wants to take a bike ride for a good cause will be hitting 42 miles of streets in New York City for the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour.
The fun takes place on Sunday, May 3.

On Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 the 5 Borough Bike Tour will kick off, rain or shine (the route is labeled in detail below). Riding will start at approximately 8:00am, following the opening ceremonies with city officials and others at the start stage. At around 11am, the festival at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island begins.

The festival is open to the public, and will feature areas designated to the sponsors, whom all provide some service to its attendee's. Here is a list of some of the sponsors and the services they will provide: -Td Bank (the tour's title sponsor) asks for people to stop by for a free massage, photos, giveaways, and other fun activities.

-Con ED will have a tent, where information about its programs will be provided, also giving away free cell phone carrying cases. -Fuze Beverages, Naked Juice, Snapple, and Starbucks will provide treats for all to sample.

-Cannondale, Michelin, and Specialized will have bikes and gear on display, plus live demos, of what I can only guess will be people utilizing their bikes and gear. If that is not enough, people can travel over to the Bike New York Concession area, where a hearty and healthy lunch of salads, sandwiches, desserts, and beverages will be offered at decent prices.

The Route: 1. The Ride begins in Downtown Manhattan at Battery Park. 2. From there, riders travel up Church Street continuing onto 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas)through Midtown Manhattan, where they will enter Central Park. 3. From Central Park, riders will travel north into, and through Harlem. 4.

Once through Harlem, the route continues over the Madison Ave. Bridge (Mile 8 of the tour), and into the Bronx for a pleasantly short time. 5. Then it is back to Manhattan, traveling over the Third Ave. Bridge (Mile 9), and onto the FDR.

6. Traveling down the FDR (at 116th street is the first rest area), bikers exit onto the Queensboro Bridge (59th Street Bridge) and enter Queens (Mile 15). 7. Once over the bridge, the route follows north up the East River, and into Astoria Park (where 2nd rest area is located). 8. It then loops back around and down along the river, heading towards the Con Edison Learning Center (location of 3rd rest area), before crossing the Pulaski Bridge (Mile 22). 9. Once over the bridge, bikers travel south through Greenpoint and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to Commodore John Barry Park (4th rest area).

10. From the 4th rest area, riders bike through Downtown Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn Bridge, and enter the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. 11. Travelling down the expressway, riders pass over the Gowanus Canal and along the South Brooklyn waterfront, reaching the shoreline park in Bay Ridge (the final rest area at John Paul Jones/Cannonball Park).

12. Next, riders will travel onto the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Mile 35), and into Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. 13. Finally, it is only 3 more miles to the Staten Island Ferry, where riders can enjoy a free ride back to Manhattan.