NYC Five Boro Bike Tour Recap

Lining up by Battery Place

The NYC Five Boro Bike Tour was an awesome experience for a first-timer like me. The best part was getting to see the city and its changing landscape from borough to borough with thousands of others. The first few miles up the center of Manhattan went by quickly. We had a nice fast ride through Central Park surrounded by gorgeous leafy, green trees. We were then stuck for at least an hour in Harlem as we attempted to get on a bridge to the Bronx. Once in the Bronx it was a mere second and little loopty loo before we exited.

Parts of Brooklyn and Queens gave off a mix of quaint against industrial with little shops and cafes set against the backdrop of factory-like buildings. We had a number of bottlenecks and moments that we had to dismount but finally got to the final stretch after stopping to refresh by Brooklyn Bridge and see my hubby and family. For family and friends that took in the tour from the sidelines it was a day of walking.

Those last 13 miles or so on highway and the Verrazano Bridge proved the most difficult. The bridge felt like one giant climb with over a mile of uphill pedaling but then the ride down was super sweet and fast. Once we wrapped up in Staten Island it took us nearly two hours to get to on the ferry and return to where it all began. All in all, many lessons wrapped up in the ride.

Thousands rode in the NYC Five Boro Bike Tour.

And we’re off!

Funny Muppet helmets stand out

Stops to refuel helped along the ride.

(Photos courtesy of hubby who spent the day cheering me on and walking across bridges from boro to boro.)