Five Boro Bike Tour 2018: Route, Schedule For Ride Across NYC

NEW YORK, NY — Cyclists will traverse New York City on Sunday, May 6 for the 41st annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour. The world's largest urban bike ride is expected to draw 32,000 riders from across the nation and around the globe.

Those riders will travel a 40-mile route winding through the five boroughs without any cars in their way. Money raised from the event helps the cycling nonprofit Bike New York teach free bike skills to thousands of kids and adults, organizers say.

"The opportunity to experience 40 miles of car-free streets in the most exciting and diverse city in the world is what keeps folks coming back to the TD Five Boro Bike Tour year after year," Bike New York President and CEO Ken Podziba said in a news release. "And the fact that proceeds from the Tour help New Yorkers transform their lives and communities through bicycling makes it even more meaningful."

The annual Bike Expo New York will take over Pier 12 at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in Red Hook for the two days preceding the tour. The expo on May 4 and 5 will feature more than 100 exhibitors, demos, onstage programming, food trucks and a beer garden.

Here's a look at the route, schedule and other need-to-know details for Sunday's big ride.

Route

The tour starts in Lower Manhattan, then winds its way through the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn before ending in Staten Island. Riders will line up at the starting line at Franklin Street and Church Street. There will also be entry points for each of the four start waves running south along Church Street to Battery Park.

Cyclists will head north through Central Park and Harlem before crossing the Madison Avenue Bridge for a short jaunt into the Bronx. They'll then come back into Manhattan across the Third Avenue Bridge, then head down the FDR Drive before crossing the Queensboro Bridge.

The ride will eventually take over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which will take cyclists over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island, where they'll gather for a "Finish Festival."

See a map of the complete route here.

Schedule

The first wave of riders will start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by the second wave at 8:10 a.m., the third at 8:45 a.m. and the fourth at 9:20 a.m. The start locations for each wave are available here.

The street closure schedule requires all riders to get on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway by 2 p.m. Anyone who doesn't make it in time will have to stop the tour at mile 28 in Brooklyn.

The Bike Expo New York runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 4, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.

Street Closures

The NYPD has not detailed street closures for the tour, but the entire route is closed to cars. Drivers should plan to stay off the FDR Drive, the Queensboro Bridge, the BQE and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge for at least part of Sunday.

Finish Festival

The Finish Festival will take place at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. It'll feature local food vendors, exhibitor booths, musical acts and bike repair services. The festival is only open to riders and registered friends and family.

(Lead image: The 41st annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour is set for Sunday, May 6. Photo courtesy of Bike New York)