I have been doing the tour and volunteering at BikeNY since I was a kid, almost thirty years now. The first Sunday in May is one of my favorite days of the year. It’s like Christmas to me haha.
But I do agree that it’s pretty lame that they are now charging thirty dollars to mail you that packet. And, yes, it does have to do with them wanting as many attendees at the Bike Expo as possible, the inconvenient location not-withstanding. But BikeNY does a lot of good with the money. Take a look at their bike education classes for children and adults alike, for starters.
The tour also always sells out very quickly so there’s no surfeit of tour participants. Which means their peccadilloes are unlikely to change.
That said, it is doubtful you will have more fun on a bike in NYC than on tour day. It really is a singular experience.
...unless it rains. It can really suck when it rains. Think it was 2009 or 2010 that it poured all day long. And it was cold. Super, super cold.