Bike Month Events in New York City
BY VARUNI SINHA
Time Out New York: May 5 2015
Cycle through the city this May with these outdoorsy events, all in celebration of bike month
May is Bike Month, so that means it’s time to experience the quintessential sights of NYC on two wheels. This May you’ll find biking events sprinkled all across the city, so you can roll through it one cyclist-loving event at a time. Veer toward Central Park by night for Moonlit Roads, compete in a real race, cycle for a cause, or simply grab the handlebar for the love of it—it’s up to you.
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The Red Hook Criterium No.8
Red Hook is strictly for the pros. Professional road racers, track specialists, bike messengers and urban cyclists from the world over are drawn to this premier competition. With well-oiled muscles and machines, each participant has eyes set fiercely upon the finish line, though it takes serious training, challenging levels of fitness and specialized gear to be part of the game. Fixed-gear track bicycles are compulsory, and so is the dexterity to maneuver through labyrinthine streets. All athletes must check in at 11am. Your first chance to qualify will be at 12:30pm and your last chance at 6pm. Men will circuit 24 laps through 30km and women 18 laps through 22.5km!
Bike Expo New York
Two days before the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, one of the most prestigious cycling events in town, 60,000 cyclists and more than 100 exhibitors participate in a roaring workshop. Whether you want to get started with urban cycling, learn how to fix a flat tire, figure out how the basics of cycling or get the gear to prepare for a professional race, this expo is a one-stop shop. Sales, giveaways, demonstrations, talk shows, contests and entertainment will show you how much fun you can have on two wheels!
Central Park Moonlight Ride
There is something awesomely metal about riding your bike in the light of the moon. Admittedly, it would be way more metal if the bikes in question were Harleys and not fixies, but it’s still pretty badass. Join the Time’s Up crew for its midnight sojourn.
17th Annual Blessing of the Bikes
You need only believe in the benefits of biking at this nondenominational service presided over by Reverend Julia Whitworth. After the blessing, take your spiritually enhanced set of wheels for a spin with fellow cyclists.
TD Five Boro Bike Tour
Cyclists: For one day the city is yours. This 32,000-strong tour spans all the boroughs and five bridges, over the course of 40 automobile-free miles, courtesy of a partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation. Regular registration is already sold out, but you can still volunteer (visit fbbt.bikenewyork.volunteerhub.com). Starts at Franklin St at Church St.
Bike the Branches
For the past two years, bikers have scavenged through Brooklyn for this daylong event. This year you can investigate 11 new bike paths filled with awesome destinations and pit stops, like Smorgasburg, Sixpoint Brewery, the Brooklyn Museum, and Prospect Park. If you don’t have a bike, don't worry—registrants get a 24-hour Citi Bike pass or have the option of walking or running the paths. After your trek, check out the block-party at Central Library where live musicians will play and prizes will be awarded.
Brooklyn Bike Jumble
This semiannual event returns to Park Slope, giving local cyclists a chance to peruse all kinds of bikes and the gear that goes with them. Technicians from Recycle-a-Bicycle will appraise rides, and you’ll also find local vendors peddling street-ready models, as well as individual components and accessories.
CycloFemme
This global women's-cycling day salutes current female cyclists as well as pioneers who changed the meaning of womanhood in athleticism and spun new records. Each member of CycloFemme takes an oath to inspire one more woman to become a part of this tribe of female bikers. A global cycling event celebrating broads on bikes, rides will take place in different cities across the globe. Register for free online to connect with riders close to you.
East Coast Greenway’s Four-Island Ride
Explore four islands of New York City through a guided bike tour. You will never see Manhattan, Randalls and Roosevelt islands—and Queens (which, as we all know, is on Long Island)—the same way again. Cover 26 miles, easily paced at just 10 miles per hour. The adventure begins with a ride north, crosses Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx, turns southeast onto Randalls Island, takes the RFK Bridge to Queens, travels farther south to Roosevelt Island and then heads back to Manhattan. Many stops feature cherishable landmarks, like the new Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. Just donate $20 to East Coast Greenway to participate in the ride. Each contribution goes a long way toward building the 2,900-mile trail from Maine to Florida.
Bike Home from Work Party
Meet at the archway underneath the Manhattan Bridge, on Water St between Adams and Pearl Sts, Brooklyn (bikenyc.org/event/7188). Detour to Dumbo and join the celebration at the third annual Bike Home from Work Party. Transportation Alternatives hosts this block shindig, which features nibbles from such vendors as Rice & Miso Everyday and Brooklyn Brewery; booths staffed by Recycle-a-Bicycle, Bicycle Habitat and other cycling-centric spots; and a reflective-clothing fashion show. And if you took up the Bike to Work Challenge from May 1 to 22, and took it very seriously, you could be among the lucky winners receiving an award.
Published in Time Out New York on May 5, 2015
Available Link
http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/bike-month-events-in-nyc
