jyossarian

Yours?

SBinNYC

Ironically, the ride's success is one reason for the increased entry fee. The entry fee used to increase as the ride date approached. In 2004, the entry fee was $50 for registering within 2 weeks of ride day. Getting additional money from people signing up later is no longer possible with the ride selling out so quickly. However, costs are the same whether one signs up on February 1st or May 1st. The organizers were loosing money with the ride being an immediate sell out. The early signups now have to bear their full cost and not be subsidized by the people who signed up later.

The youth fee has not increased. It's still $20 - the same as in 2004. It's important for the continuity of cycling to introduce new people to the sport. There are very few clubs that accommodate teenagers on their regular rides. The $20 entry fee, while expensive, is not completely outrageous. If somebody deserves a break, it should be the teenagers.

Stacy

Hard to imagine that previous years' $35, $40 or $45 fees were being subsidized by anyone, or that organizers could actually lose money on such an event. Of course the upside to closing registration early is that organizers don't have to deal with last minute or day-of registrations, which might actually cut costs a bit and make everything a little less hectic.

v70cat

I did and have not gotten a response?

FrankieV

Maybe they have enough marshal's already.
Sorry........It was worth a try.

Stacy

Give it time. I saw somewhere on their site that their Marshal's Orientation isn't till mid April.

mattyknacks

Thanks Frankie

mattyknacks

No sir.

09box

Is it required to attend one of the orientations if you are appointed to be a marshal? I can't make it up for either of them.

v70cat

I got this email today:

For many years, we’ve enjoyed riding the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour
route the weekend beforehand on a “pre-ride”. Unfortunately, this year
we will not be able to hold the pre-ride due to city budget pressures.


Please mark your calendars for marshal orientation which will be held
on April 12th & 14th this year at 6:30 PM at Hosteling International,
891 Amsterdam Avenue. Also, look for your marshal packets with your
assignment that will be mailed in late April.

We look forward to working with you this year.


No pre-ride not sure that I want to do this, seems like NY Bike budget is growing

DSchlichting

The marshals' (or so called pre-) ride began already on the second year of the 5BBT in 1978. During these years, the route changed somewhat from year to year and so that ride was a good introduction to that year's route. The 5BBT had a few thousand (3,000-5,000) participants and fewer than 100 volunteers--many of whom participated in the marshals' ride.
Of course, the event has, uh, GROWN, and with riding marshals and Tour Corps volunteers, you have 1,500 volunteers, but usually only 150 or so on the marshals' ride. For some years, in order to avoid traffic congestion issues, the marshals' ride has not used the BQE/Belt Pwky, so the majority of the 5BBT route in Brooklyn is not even covered.
Today, most marshal and Tour Corps assignments are somehow stationary, so route knowledge is less important than the particular skill of that individual's assignment. Training of that skill is the responsibility of the team captain and is supported by BNY's marshal orientation program. The exception to this is a captain position for a marshal team. When I have new captains on my teams, I try to meet them separately to review the route issues as the marshals' ride does not give time to do this.
Couple this now with the City's recent announcement that the intent is to reduce NYPD overtime by shortening parades and other such special events. The fact is, the 5BBT would not happen without the fine support of the NYPD and many other NYC departments and agencies. While I always enjoy visiting with old friends on the marshals' ride, one cannot make a "business case" for the use of NYPD resources for this event.

v70cat

Most marshals like to ride and the marshal ride was a benefit of being a Marshal.

Stacy

Bike New York says the VIP registrations are now sold out too!
Various charity slots are still open.

v70cat

Sounds like they are making a lot more money.

FrankieV

I would rather pay for this, where the money goes towards cycling and cycling safety,
than pay taxes, taxes and more taxes for stuff I don't even use.

rlee17

Since registration is now closed, is it illegal to "bandit" it? Such as bandit running a marathon. Anyone know what the rules are on that and if people do that in the past?

jyossarian

No one can stop you from riding on the street. They can stop you from getting on the bridges and the highways. The men in black stationed near the Verrazano look particularly fearsome.

rlee17

So these "men in black", do they prevent people without bibs from entering? I have a few friends that signed up when tickets were on sale, so I would like to be able to ride with them and not get split up.

DSchlichting

We all remember the endless security concerns and outright scares in the months after 9/11. It was during this time that the 2002 5BBT was being planned. The Men In Black came along at the insistence of the National Park Service (who controls the land under Fort Wadsworth) insofar as they wanted "known persons", i.e. registered riders, only on the property. NYC DOT later took the same position with regard to their bridges, hence the 63rd Street checkpoint as well as the one before the VZ Bridge. There were originally 3 checkpoints, but the third one in Brooklyn was later scrapped after 2 years.
To your question, one could obviously take the QB Bridge bike path avoiding the 63rd Street checkpoint and meet up in Queens. But when meeting up, just be aware that the Astoria cutoff takes place in the 1130 range, so your friends' vision of the route and your vision of the route might be different --in this case by a block or so. Or wait a while for the inevitable registration sales on CL.

jyossarian

Yup, the MIBs will keep you from getting on the Verrazano. I didn't notice them anywhere else, but ride marshals will prevent people w/o bibs from getting on the Belt.

Stacy

The two times I did the ride, in 2005 and 2009, there were marshals (volunteers in vests) checking for ride vests where riders enter the BQE around Atlantic Avenue. I didn't notice anyone at the Queensboro Bridge or the Verrazzano actually checking but if you never got onto the BQE the Verrazzano was sort of a moot point.

Check out Craigslist starting maybe two weeks before the ride. If the weather forecast is good you may have to pay a premium. Last year when the forecast was for rain people were selling bibs for below cost.

zacster

I did it last year in the rain with my daughter and it was horrible. It started out OK in a light drizzle, but by the time we hit Astoria it was pretty wet. In Williamsburg I asked her if she had enough and she was ready to quit, so we bailed at the Manhattan Bridge and hopped on the subway.

It really isn't much fun in the rain, even though people were making the best of it.

cc_rider

Ride packet arrived yesterday.
Green vest this year.

cc_rider

Some people I know from Virgina (including one of the owners of my LBS) are riding BNY5B for the first time, so I put some advice on how to survive Bike New York.
https://cc-rider.livejournal.com/45506.html

* * * *

What's the weather forecast for the weekend?

TiberiusBTkirk

I think it's going to be beautiful. 60's in the AM warming up to 80.
Enjoy your ride. I can hear you guys and Cousin Brucie from my apartment window every year.
though I didn't hear cousin brucie last year.