Bike NY five boro tour--anybody else going?

[BumbleBeeDave]

My buddy and I both got in, so we are planning to use our same award winning strategy from several years ago . . . Get a room in Manhattan, go down Saturday, paint the town, then jump on the route in Central Park Sunday AM.

Anybody else going? Plan a "Paceline-apalooza" someplace for Saturday night? :banana:

BBD

[thegunner]

My buddy and I both got in, so we are planning to use our same award winning strategy from several years ago . . . Get a room in Manhattan, go down Saturday, paint the town, then jump on the route in Central Park Sunday AM.

Anybody else going? Plan a "Paceline-apalooza" someplace for Saturday night? :banana:

BBD

ahhh -- the annual NYC traffic ****-show :)

try riding the route ahead of the actual tour -- i know a couple of years ago they didn't care, and the roads were 100% clear (unless of course you're dead set on riding the event)

[AngryScientist]

i'll drink beers with you, but no way i want to ride in that clown show.

[Nooch]

In for beers!!

[shovelhd]

i'll drink beers with you, but no way i want to ride in that clown show.

I hear it's a real Stravapalooza.

[BumbleBeeDave]

i . . . but no way i want to ride in that clown show.

I strongly resemble that remark! ;)

BBD

[fiamme red]

I hear it's a real Stravapalooza.You're not kidding. Parts of the route are closed to bikes the rest of the year, and I can imagine people trying to get the KOM for the Verrazano Bridge or the BQE on the one day they can be ridden.

[Ahneida Ride]

Ride a beater bike !!!!!

Don't bring a good bike !

[rice rocket]

You're not kidding. Parts of the route are closed to bikes the rest of the year, and I can imagine people trying to get the KOM for the Verrazano Bridge or the BQE on the one day they can be ridden.

Hmm....let's look on Strava for the BQE!

I forgot about the registration deadline, I assume it's full already.

[bambam]

Rode it once had a great time. 8.5 hours to ride 49 miles and I had to skip 2 stops to do that.

Definately bring a beater bike. I suggest having a rear view mirror as well (prevented me getting ran over more than once) and don't draft anyone.

We have 2 Mayor holiday (10-20 mile) rides anually with 2-4k people. This was preperation for this ride. The shear number of idiots on that ride is hard to imagine. On the 5 bouroughs I expected to multiply that by 7 but it was more like 10.

Might want to cut down a broom stick wider than your handlebars, put flags on either side and put it on a back rack or saddle rails. Or hang pinwheels off either side of the bike and one on you. Its very easy to get seperated on that ride. Out of our contingent of 10 or so I started with one and lost her but I eventually found one 35 miles into the ride with 33k people. I still want to go back. Laughed most of the day.

I will never for get the face of fear I saw on a pedestrian crossing 6 lanes while hundreds of people at different speeds and 2-4 people per lane.
Frogger in real life with a 10 foot sprint in high heels at the end. (I wish I had a picture)

[csm]

Not this year. They've made it difficult to register.


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[BumbleBeeDave]

The shear number of idiots on that ride is hard to imagine.

I resemble THIS remark, too!

Yeah, I will be taking the cross bike with the studded tires and be prepared to ride over prone bodies. :p

You have to be careful but you can't beat it for cycling people watching!

BBD

[druptight]

I want to ride this some year.... I always miss the deadline. Seems like it's worth doing once.

[54ny77]

i did it several years ago and had a blast. guess i was lucky.

[rice rocket]

They supposedly have staggered start times now, so you're not just standing and waiting an hour from the start time to start moving.

The year I did it, I stood for 45 minutes at the start, walked 50% of Central Park, and a few exit ramps were jammed to hell too. I was too late to go to Astoria Park and they closed that loop, even though I fought my way as far as I could from the time I arrived (an hour before the start).

The parts where you got away from the madness were nice though (Verazzanos and FDR).

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . was to get a hotel room near Central Park, then jump on the route in CP at the start. We were FAR from the only ones doing this and it worked well. We were definitely not out front but we were far enough up that it was no worse than a large club ride for most of the time. Of course, it also meant we couldn't linger too long at the rests tops or the Creeping Horde would catch up with us.

In 2007 with multiple problems we didn't get back to our hotel on Staten Island until after 5pm. In 2008 we were done, back across to Manhattan, and sitting in a Chinese place near the World Trade Center sipping a beer by 2:30, watching hotties jog by on the West Side bike trail. Then we rode back uptown, grabbed the car, got on the West Side Expressway, and were outta there. We are planning to do the same this year, even if they have staggered starts.

No matter what you do, though, this is definitely a ride where you don't want to take your uber expensive bike and don't be afraid to be assertive in your riding and in calling out your intentions. There are lots of people who do only one ride a year and this is it. Their handling skills and knowledge of technique and group etiquette are minimal to non-existent. But if you go into it knowing that and are alert, then not a big deal. Be alert, be assetive, and don't draft on anybody you don't know and you should be fine. My cross bike with knobbies and the extra brake levers on the bar tops worked perfectly.

It's not a ride. It's a social and people-watching experience. You've got to view it through that filter. :)

BBD

[mistermo]

I did it two years ago with my wife. Never again. Worst "ride" ever. By far.

I took this as a fun, people watching event too. I was humored by the countless crashes, even the guy who took me out at 3mph. I'm a mellow dude who can roll with it. But...

They funneled us up onto the elevated Bronx Xpwy, where we came to gridlock. Thousands, literally thousands, of cyclists stuck on an elevated highway for HOURS, crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, for 3-4hrs, not moving, in the hot sun. Some were crying. Many had to use the bathroom in the midst of the crowd.

I'm a mellow dude and didn't come for a hard ride, but this was utterly inexcusable to be stuck for 3-4hrs, paralyzed with no exit. After we finally got off, we rode the rest of the ride fast and were in no mood for the post event party. We took the ferry back to Battery Park, got in the car, drove home and vowed not to return.

Sorry, I don't mean to crap on your thread, and that's not my point. Hopefully they have this resolved. But I'm not takin' the risk.

[csm]

I was on that bridge 2 years ago. I forgot all about that. It's worth doing once I think.


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[Louis]

They funneled us up onto the elevated Bronx Xpwy, where we came to gridlock. Thousands, literally thousands, of cyclists stuck on an elevated highway for HOURS, crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, for 3-4hrs, not moving, in the hot sun.

That's insane. And I suppose since it's an elevated highway there was no easy way to bail out and go home.

[csm]

There was some sort of emergency that caused it iirc.... But it did suck a little bit.


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[arazate]

Worth doing once. Did it 3 years ago, crashed into twice; nothing major. My sister came along, and she had a great time. I made sure to keep her behind me in the crowds.

Ha, funny just thinking about it......

[bambam]

That's insane. And I suppose since it's an elevated highway there was no easy way to bail out and go home.

I never found a bailout.
Happened the year I did it as well. Three lanes that go funeled into one for the drop off the elevated road. I believe I was walkling for abou 20 minutes. Worst part was the sun finally came out, it got hot fast and there was no shade.

[harryblack]

BBD-- ignore the naysayers who have no compunction dorking out with the other ** clowns ** in Prospect, CP, the Jersey side of the GWB and have a great time with this. 5 Burro Bike Tour gets a bum rap from most of these pseudo-elites but scratch their surface and you find out how limited their 'critiques' and 'alternatives' truly are. (There ARE a jillion fine alternatives, btw, but they entail striking out where pack riders rarely do.)

My buddy and I both got in, so we are planning to use our same award winning strategy from several years ago . . . Get a room in Manhattan, go down Saturday, paint the town, then jump on the route in Central Park Sunday AM.

Anybody else going? Plan a "Paceline-apalooza" someplace for Saturday night? :banana:

BBD

[harryblack]

but Mo, when else can you be naked on the highway like that, unless you're a highway construction worker or cop? things happen-- try being on a subway train when some schmuck commits suicide or has a heart attack or whatever... though the % of things that CAN go wrong is higher in NYC than less populous/complicated cities/towns that's just how it is. expect the worst and dig on everything better.

I did it two years ago with my wife. Never again. Worst "ride" ever. By far.

I took this as a fun, people watching event too. I was humored by the countless crashes, even the guy who took me out at 3mph. I'm a mellow dude who can roll with it. But...

They funneled us up onto the elevated Bronx Xpwy, where we came to gridlock. Thousands, literally thousands, of cyclists stuck on an elevated highway for HOURS, crammed together, shoulder to shoulder, for 3-4hrs, not moving, in the hot sun. Some were crying. Many had to use the bathroom in the midst of the crowd.

I'm a mellow dude and didn't come for a hard ride, but this was utterly inexcusable to be stuck for 3-4hrs, paralyzed with no exit. After we finally got off, we rode the rest of the ride fast and were in no mood for the post event party. We took the ferry back to Battery Park, got in the car, drove home and vowed not to return.

Sorry, I don't mean to crap on your thread, and that's not my point. Hopefully they have this resolved. But I'm not takin' the risk.