Five Boro Bike Tour: Around 32,000 cyclists on the streets of New York

How an old dream comes true on an early Sunday morning in May.

To cycle with around 32,000 bike enthusiasts from all over the world on the streets of New York. From the start in Lower Manhattan near Broadway, up into the Bronx, across to Queens and down towards Brooklyn, to the finish after around 40 miles or around 65 kilometers in Staten Island. Without having to fight with cars, buses and trucks for every square meter of road, and being cheered and encouraged by tens of thousands of people along the side of the road: If you want to experience all of this for once and aren't afraid of goosebumps all over your body and tears of emotion, you should sign up for the next 5 Boro Bike Tour ((Link: www.bike.nyc )) on the first Sunday in May.

Special encounters in the starting zone

This dream came true for me on May 3, 2025. I flew from Berlin to New York to participate in this year's TD Five Boro Bike Tour through the five boroughs of New York. I had already registered in December 2024, before all the starting spots were taken. I had booked affordable accommodations in Brooklyn near Prospect Park and rented a simple but robust hybrid bike from Unlimited Biking. rented. I was so excited that I was already in my starting zone at the intersection of Franklin and Church Streets at 6:30 a.m. The time until the start at 7:30 a.m. passed like nothing. I had one of those special encounters that I have had again and again since my diagnosis with Parkinson's disease in February 2013. This time it was a very nice conversation with two helpful technicians who were responsible for the sound on the starting stage. During their break, they helped me stow my rain jacket properly. My fingers were still a bit stiff until my morning dose of L-Dopa really started to work. Shortly after, the start of the approximately 40-mile course was over.

Franklin Street, corner of Church Street, just before the start of the approximately 40-mile route with the finish in Staten Island.