That Was Fun! Just now getting around to responding - I was in NYC for a week and just flew back into PDX late Thursday night. My only electronics while there was my phone, so I'm just now able to reply to this thread.
As I think I said before, I've only been to NYC once before, on a whirlwind 8th grade east coast trip in 1973. I think the Twin Towers were still under construction then. So everything was essentially new to me, and I tried to make the best use of my time and my bike while I was there. I wore myself out, in the best possible way. As Michael Morrissey indicated, the weather for the 5 Boros Ride day was...unsettled. Fortunately, we started dry, so waiting with the thousands of other riders for my wave to start (wave 3 of 7, released at 8:40) didn't involve hanging out in the rain. I was wearing a light Shakedry jacket and shorts, and while I packed rain pants and booties, I never put them on and didn't get wet. I was on the course about 5 hours and I think it rained lightly about 1/2 that time. That said, it was cool enough that I didn't linger at the finish line or socialize as much as I would have if the weather had been drier and warmer (as it was the rest of my stay.) I've done big group rides before here in Portland (Bridge pedal, Sunday Parkways), but this was a whole other level. Waiting to start on Church street, all I could see for blocks ahead and blocks behind me was other riders. And that was just my wave, one-seventh of the total participation. But once we got rolling north, and especially once we got into and through Central Park, it was remarkably smooth and delay-free. Honestly, from stories I'd heard, I was expecting more of a cluster****, and maybe riders behind me experienced more delays, but I was pretty much able to ride the whole course at whatever pace I wanted. I passed A LOT of riders (many walking) on every climb (usually bridges) and A LOT of riders on every descent (usually bridges.) Highlights (just a sampling) Curb-to-curb bike takeover of 6th Avenue through midtown, Central Park, the street corner gospel and jazz and R&B musicians serenading us through Harlem, the cobblestones of Williamsburg, miles of smooth rolling on the BQE, the excitement of the other riders climbing and descending the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge; for many of them they were on the final stretch of the longest ride they had ever done, the surprisingly scenic final 3 miles from the finish to the Staten Island Ferry, and of course the ferry ride back to Manhattan with all the thousands of bikes and riders, passing by the Statue of Liberty. This was also the maiden travel voyage for my Ritchey Outback Breakaway, and it proved the perfect bike for this ride, and the week. I was able to check it through as regular luggage, and the 650b x 47 tires were perfect for the sometimes rough pavement & cobblestones I encountered during the week. I'd definitely do the ride again. I'd love to experience it in better weather - I regret kind of rushing through the course and not lingering at the finish, but the weather was deteriorating and I didn't want to stand around in the rain waiting for the ferry (I got right on). But I'd gladly ride it in similar conditions. I rode around Manhattan and Brooklyn a lot the two days before the ride, trying to get my bearings and a feel for the...unique quality of biking in NYC. I found it absolutely intoxicating. But I can also see how it would be really intimidating to riders not comfortable with the special chaos involved in navigating the dance of cars, trucks, busses, pedestrians, and bikes. I was absolutely fascinated by the bike delivery culture that is ubiquitous in the city now. I saw delivery riders with a backpack for orders, as well as 3 or 4 bags draped on the bars. So Many Meals just flying around the city. And it seems like every restaurant I went into had a counter absolutely stacked with orders waiting to be picked up. I know not everyone is a fan, but that economy must be generating a lot of money, without cars. And the delivery drivers are definitely doing their part training everyone else in the city how to share the space with bikes. On Tuesday (great sunny weather) I rode across the Brooklyn bridge, through Brooklyn to Prospect Park, and South on the Ocean Perkway bike path (which I heard is the first designated bike path in the U.S.) to Coney Island. Had a hotdog at Nathan's and dipped my feet in the Atlantic, then back through Prospect Park, across the Manhattan Bridge, and back to Midtown. A good, long, satisfying ride. A few more experiences: St Patrick's Cathedral MoMA - I spent hours just going through the 5th floor galleries Walking the paths around the perimeter of Central Park I got lost every time I rode south of Canal Street. It would take more than the week I was there to gain the spatial memory necessary to get from Point A to Point B in South Manhattan. I got a ticket for running a red light on Christie St. in The Bowery. If you've ever ridden in Manhattan, you know how ironic that is. My first traffic ticket of any kind in over 30 years. On that note, I really appreciate the role the NYPD played in making the 5 Boros tour so successful. They protected pretty much every intersection of the route for 40 miles, a long with all the volunteers, and even the municipal garbage trucks which were frequently parked to block the side streets adjoining the route. It's a supremely impressive logistical feat pulling off this ride every year, and I tip my cap to everyone involved. Flickr album here - currently unorganized and uncaptioned: https://www.flickr.com/gp/8199310@N04/37mW4v2AkB Michael Mann On Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 10:37:04 AM UTC-7 Michael Morrissey wrote: > Hi Mike! > > What did you think of the Five Boro Bike Tour? Did you have fun? > > This was my first time on the ride and I had a great time. For me, I’ve > biked a lot in NYC and a lot of the streets are very familiar. But, I would > highly recommend it to anyone visiting New York! We did the ride with > plenty of stops and at a slow pace, finishing in 5 hours. > > I was there on my Appaloosa and saw a few other Rivendells: > Pretty sure I saw a blue Rambouillet first thing in the morning in wave 1. > Pretty sure I saw an Atlantis first thing in the morning in wave 1. > Was passed by a woman on a grey Clem Smith! > Saw a Bleriot at the finish fest! > > Unfortunately it was way too crowded and I was too busy hanging out with > my wife that I didn’t get to say hi to any Rivendell owners. > > I loved that it was a mix of people and bikes. I saw a few people riding > department store bikes like Huffys and Nexts but also Moots and Gary > Fishers. I didn’t take any pictures because I was too busy enjoying the > ride and trying to stay warm (I underestimated how cold and rainy it would > be). > > Michael > > On Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 2:36:58 AM UTC-4 bcu...@cullensfoods.com > wrote: > >> Pam you made riding from the airport sound so simple, I had to streetview >> it. Now I have to try it! >> >> The tour is on my bucket list as well. >> >> Ben from Guelph >> >> On Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 10:18:47 PM UTC-4 Pam Bikes wrote: >> >>> >>> NYC is great to ride. I just got back from being there 9 days. Here >>> are my routes <https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2372121>. I flew >>> into LGA and unboxed my bike in baggage claim and rode from there. Exit >>> Terminal B and turn L down the sidewalk towards the parking deck and then >>> cross the street to 96th. I rode through Queens across the Queensborogh >>> Bridge to Manhattan. I didn't go to the Bronx or Staten Island but I rode >>> the other 3 boroughs solo. Have a blast! Photo is at Central Park. >>> [image: >>> centralpark1.jpg] >>> On Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 10:48:54 AM UTC-4 Brady Smith wrote: >>> >>>> I used to live in Fort Lee, and it was the prospect of commuting across >>>> the GWB down to Chelsea and back each day that got me into cycling. >>>> >>>> We moved to Utah mid-pandemic and went back to NYC for the first time >>>> last week. I rented a road bike from Bicycle Habitat and did the classic >>>> Bear Mountain route. It was all great, but I'd forgotten how much I loved >>>> exploring Manhattan on a bike. I never did the Five Boro tour, but it >>>> looks >>>> like a blast. >>>> >>>> Have fun! >>>> >>>> Brady in SLC >>>> >>>> On Monday, April 8, 2024 at 11:51:14 AM UTC-6 Michael Morrissey wrote: >>>> >>>>> Hi, >>>>> >>>>> My wife and I signed up for the tour and will be there! We even payed >>>>> an extra cost to be in the first wave of riders. I'll be riding my >>>>> mustard >>>>> colored Appaloosa (I might even rock my tweed saddlebag) and my wife will >>>>> be on her extra-small orange Salsa Vaya. I'll be on the lookout for other >>>>> Rivendell riders other than my main man, Eben Weiss: >>>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as_9Pj_AD3A >>>>> >>>>> Say hi if you see us! >>>>> >>>>> Michael >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Monday, January 8, 2024 at 10:05:33 PM UTC-5 velomann wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> The 5 Boro Bike Tour in NYC has been on my bucket list for years, and >>>>>> I decided this year is the year. First Sunday of May (5/5 this year). >>>>>> https://www.bike.nyc/events/td-five-boro-bike-tour/ >>>>>> Registration opened this week, and I signed up. >>>>>> I've got my lodging and flight booked as well. >>>>>> >>>>>> This will be my first trip to NYC since I was a kid, 50 years ago. I >>>>>> won't be bringing my Riv (Bringing the Ritchey Breakaway), but I'll be >>>>>> there for a week, staying in midtown not far from ride start. >>>>>> I'd love to meet up with others while I'm there, get recommendations >>>>>> on where to ride, cheap food, coffee, bike shops, etc. >>>>>> >>>>>> Anyone else here doing the ride? >>>>>> >>>>>> Mike M >>>>>> >>>>> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4b53c4f1-e7c2-41ee-aaae-dad61d23dd12n%40googlegroups.com.
