Man it was really cold this morning! I started with the NYSC troup near the front. I finished at 12 noon after 2 breaks. Had a great time! Wore fleece and sweats the whole ride.
Saw some bad crashes. Hope those folks are ok.
Here's some pictures (Hosted on photobucket)
I'm never coming on time again...
Starting place at 6.35am
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_Start03.jpg
The starting area. Around 7.40am.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_Start01.jpg
The infamous Credential Check bottleneck at 54th street. I got through in 30 minutes. I think they do this every year to thin out the line for Central Park and the rest of the tour actually. It was a drag, but I think it's the right thing to do. A safety feature. I saw a guy crash gracefully at the very next turn. No injury that time.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_Start02.jpg
Me in full Fleece by Verazano. Man I got BAD helmet head...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_BundledUp.jpg
Door to door odometer.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_Homeagain-1.jpg
My bike. 40 lbs. I took too much cr*p with me. Good training I guess.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/BumbleFish/5boro_theHumbleRig.jpg
Anyone else have some shots? I had a great time. Next year I'll take the road bike. Although, I may change my mind. This street clad MTB was actually a nice way to go.
Looking forward to Montauk on May 20. See you there!
jyossarian
05-06-07, 05:25 PM
Just a few.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/487228232_8aeada7c27.jpg
Belt Pkwy
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/223/487228238_ae07c617d0.jpg
The SI Ferry pulling into lower Manhattan
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/487228242_6b92bcb3c1.jpg
Post ride meal!
tankman10024
05-06-07, 06:09 PM
hey im glad you guys had a good ride, i did it last year
ride safe
tankman
Avatar
05-06-07, 10:47 PM
Glad you guys had fun. I'd have done it this year if I weren't sick and besides, I had wanted the ride to be more social.
Air
05-07-07, 06:59 AM
Hi Avatar!
robo
05-08-07, 09:43 AM
My friend and i did the tour for the first time this year. People in line for the S.I. ferry may have seen us - we were the two dorks playing frisbee on the grass in front of the band... pretty much the only people there after a while.
We had a lot of fun, and didn't have too many problems with the congestion except at the beginning. I got out of the Chambers street A-train station at around 6:50, and the end of the lineup was literally right there! It was perfect. We also inadvertenly bypassed the big credential check delay at 50-something street because when the whole ride ground to a halt around 53rd street i suggested we go over to the next avenue and shoot up to Central Park. We thought we were just getting past a bunch of slow riders, but it turns out that we skipped a really big delay.
We were passing people most of the time we were riding, but wasted lots of time goofing around at Astoria Park and so arrived at Staten Island just before 1:00. There was generally enough space for passing, although it required some (careful) weaving around. I saw one cyclinst on a stretcher with a neck brace on the BQE (hope they're ok), but other than that didn't see any accidents except one guy who tried to ride up the curb diagonally without lifting his back wheel and ended up on the pavement, but i don't think he was seriously hurt.
Posted pics at the link below. The ones at the end are from exploring the fort and bunkers at Staten Island. I'm glad i brough the 650b touring bike... some of the roads were rough, especially the FDR, and we did some off-roading at the end :)
jyoss: Very nice pictures. Looks much less insane that I imagined.
steveCT
05-08-07, 08:38 PM
Great photos! Mine are here http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/nyc_5_boro_bike_tour_2007
This is my first and won't be my last tour. The most amazing thing is that when we were in Manhattan, the streets where they are normally filled with cars are filled with bicycle. It is so quiet and peaceful! That was a surreal feeling.
Steve
jyossarian
05-09-07, 01:19 PM
Saw this on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnH8YiiCd9o&mode=related&search=
mediaavid
05-09-07, 02:03 PM
Here is a link showing 3 clips I posted on YouTube. I was riding a Dahon MuXL.
http://www.youtube.com/mediaavid
cc_rider
05-09-07, 03:57 PM
I like the other youtube titled "Preparation for Five Borough Bike Tour part 1"
Shows a rider struggling up a small hill and stopping to rest. Another making it part way up and walking the rest of the way. Another falling over and getting tangled in his bike.
Very realistic. :p
Great photos! Mine are here http://www.pbase.com/steveyau/nyc_5_boro_bike_tour_2007
This is my first and won't be my last tour. The most amazing thing is that when we were in Manhattan, the streets where they are normally filled with cars are filled with bicycle. It is so quiet and peaceful! That was a surreal feeling.
Steve
Steve ~ those shots are just great! Cyclists take over my city! Only thing, I was on a trip to Texas :(
You've definitely encouraged me to do this next year. Were the roads pretty smooth or were some parts tough for a road bike?
sukram
05-09-07, 04:51 PM
I really need to step into the digital camera world... I love my SLR, but carting it along for the bike tour just wasn't much of an option. For the time being I'll just envy everyone else's pics 'n flics... at least I convinced myself to actually go on the Tour this year considering I'd always avoided it before.
Great craic the bike tour (well, when actually riding...)
steveCT
05-09-07, 07:12 PM
Steve ~ those shots are just great! Cyclists take over my city! Only thing, I was on a trip to Texas :(
You've definitely encouraged me to do this next year. Were the roads pretty smooth or were some parts tough for a road bike?
Thanks! I wish I took more photos actually, there is always next year. A lot of people did this ride on a road bike. I took my mountain bike and it is fine with me. You are riding with a lot of novices, even a leisure pace on my mountain bike means speeding past a majority of the riders. There are areas where it is fairly rough like the FDR, the bridges. Also the more upright position let me enjoy the scenery.
Steve
jyossarian
05-10-07, 08:04 AM
Some spots are rough, but easily doable on a roadbike or any skinny tire bike. The spot on the FDR that's the roughest is also in a tunnel so guess what? You can't see the potholes and expansion joints you're riding over! The road conditions were the least of my worries though.
robo
05-10-07, 01:05 PM
I actually took my (digital) SLR in my saddlebag, but with a small prime lens on it. I should have brought a wider angle lens though... my lens was too 'long' for very effective shots, but it is the (physically) smallest one i have.
My friend took some funny photos, below (not with my SLR)
ranger5oh
05-10-07, 01:30 PM
Nice fries! Sounds like a cool little ride there. No pun intended.