Ghefty

Zacster Thanks for the heads up, my slow cruiser is 14-16mph bike with a granny gear for climbing. From what I saw on the ride videos, It is generally slow paced, are there any sections other than the bridge descent where the pace exceeds 18-20mph?

zacster

The section in Brooklyn can pick up, especially once on the BQE. At that point in the ride you'll want to start moving. But 18-20mph? Maybe, maybe not, and certainly not the entire crowd. To some people this is a major endurance event, to others it is just a casual ride, to others still it is a ride to take the kids.

SBinNYC

This isn't a race. You are best advised to keep your pace in the 10 to 12 mph range. The roads have taken a beating this winter. The continued cold weather through the end of the month means less time will be available to patch up the damage. There's also very limited sight distance with 30,000+ other riders on the road. For your own safety, go slowly and constantly look around you for sights and hazards.

There are sharp right angle turns on both major bridge descents. They have been the sites of falls to riders going too fast for conditions. Marshals advise riders to slow down on descents. Please heed their caution for your own safety.

The Five Boro offers riders a unique way to see the City. Being one of the 30+ riders who are end up in a hospital is a bummer.

Ghefty

Sounds like some good information. I am looking forward to a scenic ride through the city and will do my best to avoid the hospital. It is always best to control your speed, even more so when riding in a crowd. I've been taken down by out of control riders in the past.

1nterceptor

I've done it a few times before as a volunteer marshal and always had a blast.
Not really fair comparing it to the NYC Century; most folks the go on the 5BBT
are recreational riders and/or out of towners. While the century ride attracts
more hardcore riders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmFU...aIoDLA&index=9

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20LB...IoDLA&index=35

capejohn

Take your road bike. If you get in the first group or the beginning of the second group you can finish this ride in 3 hours if you want to put your head down and ride. It's not that kind of tour though. It's my 7th time riding and it's a great way to see New York City. Last year our group of three finished just before noon and that included a few stops along the route. If you paid the entry fee, by the time the ride happens that fee is nothing but a memory. When your riding this spring you will be glad you entered. It's not a race, its a bike ride.

The weekend can get pricey. I make the event a full weekend including hotel, fine dining and sightseeing along with the bike ride.

SBinNYC

You don't have to speed to finish in 3 hours. The route is 39 miles long. This translates into a 13 mph pace for completing it in 3 hours.

Riders are not permitted to get ahead of the front line. The front line's pace is 15 mph. It's a safety consideration. While the route is closed to traffic, stray cars get on the route before the bikes get there. The front line pace allows the police to make sure the route is clear of cars before the first riders get there.

There are holds for the front line at two rest stops. This permits the route to be divided into 3 sections. The tour does not proceed into a section until it's ready for the riders. This means laying down bridge expansion joint covers, placing safety barriers, towing parked cars, etc. on a very tight time frame. That's why the front line pace has to be controlled.

The tour is a major logistic undertaking. Not all things occur as planned. Most surprises get ironed out by the time the weaker riders appear. They don't see the tour's warts. It's hoped the stronger riders will understand and accept the restrictions placed on their speed. There are plenty of places and times where a strong rider can go flat out until he/she drops. The Five Boro Bike Tour isn't one of them.

streetstomper

I can't say that I understand this compulsion some people have to get through the tour as quickly as possible. To me, it would be about enjoying a relaxed ride on streets completely free of traffic, not being confined to the side of the road, feeling at home amidst lots of other riders, enjoying the sights. It's your only chance each year to ride in the middle of the street. I'd want that to last as long as possible. It's like they forget the simple joy of just being on a bike like when they were kids.

Chriscc63

Despite the hefty fee this thing sold out in one day just like it did last year. 32,000 riders this year, and in order to discourage more people from wanting to ride they raised the price. Instead of keep raising the cost to participate why don't they have it a two day event.

zacster

That would never happen. It takes a lot to close down parts of the city one day, never mind two.

streetstomper

It did not sell out in one day. It took over a week. I don't think it sold out in one day last year, either. The last time it sold out that quickly was sometime around 2011.

yankeefan

It was sold out in 4 days (I checked daily). The email was sent a couple days after. Could have probably sold out faster if the registration link wasn't down for a couple hours on the 2nd (or 3rd) day. I didn't sign up because it didn't appeal to me at that price, however I did enter a raffle for a free ticket. The only way I would ride 5BBT was if I got a free ticket.

velofinds

I think the NYC Marathon should also be a two-day event

Sy Reene

Can someone who has participated in the past comment on bike security.. especially eg. around the Portajohns? I don't want to be caught with my pants down so to speak.. and find out I'm walking home. Since regulations don't permit any larger bags or a backpack, bringing the U-lock isn't terribly feasible? Solutions?

streetstomper

I checked daily, too. Registration was definitely still open when I started this topic.

davlafont

I participated last year. I didn't worry at all about theft. You are in a sea of participants the entire route. Anyone not participating is either handing out free snacks or is a cop. And if there are thieves on the prowl, you're still in a sea of participants. You'd have to have a pretty unlucky cloud following over you to be the one who gets vic'd.

davlafont

I did 5BBT last year and once before like seven years prior. The event improved greatly in that time as far as walking goes, but there's no denying that tens of thousands of people all biking in the same direction will cause for some log jams. Next time, I will leave the road bike home and take the hybrid. The road bike just puts pressure to make the event into something it's not.

After the first time I swore i'd never do it again. After the last, I was ready to do it in '15. Alas, I have another commitment that day. Probably just as well given the cost; I'd be happy to do it every two or three years. I do want to do NYC Century (lite) so maybe this will be the year. Sounds like the road bike will be the way to go given the comments in this thread.

yankeefan

Sorry, my bad, I mixed up the timeline. You're right it was open when this thread was started, I believe it closed 4 days after this thread was started, which would mean registration was open for a total of 9 days.

Sy Reene

I suppose you're right. Though at the same time, how would any of the sea of people recognize that the bike someone is walking off with doesn't belong to them? This type of event brings in riders of all genres and appearances (would anything look out of place?). In some ways the whole scene strikes me as perfect for the opportunistic crook. I'll probably bring a 3-4 ft thin cable lock.. at least it will prevent a casual-looking walk-off with my bike.

Solidjake

I'll be doing this for the second year in a row. Luckily last year my company paid for it, but it's out of pocket this year. Sucks that none of my friends were able to go so I'll be biking it alone :/


I did the NYCC in September and THAT was a blast. Did the 75 miler and it was a lot more fun, being able to go a lot faster and the roads were good.

Vonruden

I'll be going and my company has paid for it. I did the 2013 tour and worked to the front of the pack where there was a nice pace. Had a blast, hoping for a nice day.

yankeefan

Ok so I'm in the tour as a charity rider, which means I should be in the first wave. I hear that the first wave usually consists almost entirely of experienced riders so I don't have to worry about those amateurish crashes that will likely end up on youtube. Its safe to ride the carbon bike...I hope!

streetstomper

I envy you. Was going to ride for a charity specifically to get near the front and avoid the casual riders, but things came up and I won't be participating this year. Oh, well. There's always next year, which is chronologically the 40th anniversary ride, although not officially since they had to skip a year when Citibank pulled their sponsorship.

But you may have been misinformed about the waves. The waves aren't assigned by ability or experience, but more or less random. There can be just as many newbies in the first wave. They just won't be able to hang with the strongest riders and will eventually fall back. Likewise, strong riders in the later waves will move up. And then of course, there are the experienced but still stupid riders. In that group of videos I linked to in the OP, there was one guy riding up a bridge stuffing his gloves into his jersey pockets, wobbling left and right as he did, elbows sticking out ready to hit someone.

yankeefan

It says on the website that VIP and charity rides are guaranteed a start in the first wave, so assuming that anyone willing to drop $325 on this must have some group riding experience...and maybe, just maybe, the charity riders have done other charity rides before and understand the basics of these mass start events.

But you're right even experienced riders are prone to doing idiotic stuff at times, so really its just about being extremely alert and paying keen attention to the riders around you. I am thinking of putting a bell on my bike but I'm not sure how effective it will be considering we'll be surrounded by other cyclists who'll likely be dinging their bells as well. Besides, I can't have a bell weighing down my bike on the climbs

streetstomper

It's true that you'll be at nearly the front of the first wave, just behind the VIP riders, but that wave also includes 1/3 of the 32,000 riders. With marshals keeping the front of the ride in check, you'll have to make sure you stay at the very front. I wouldn't be surprised if there will be weekend warriors who'll try to jockey around you otherwise.

You just have to convince some company to make an aero bell. Aerodynamics is more important than weight. Maybe you can convince them to make a titanium Air Zound.