Schedule and Practical Info

Click here for security information about bringing bags on the Tour.

Staggered Starts

In order to minimize congestion at the start, rest areas and the finish festival, there will be three different start times. This will reduce waiting times at the start and provide a better overall experience for Tour participants.

Route:

• In Central Park there will be three full lanes of the East Drive available to riders.
• Due to construction changes, the Tour will continue to along the BQE and Gowanus Parkway this year to the Verrazano Bridge bypassing Shore Parkway.

Start Times and Schedule

Start times are organized according to your rider number and color.  Please see below for a detailed list of the start times and corresponding rider numbers and colors.  You should have received an e-mail containing your rider number in early April.

Start one – 7:45am (Blue Start)
Recommended arrival time: 6:00 am -7:30 am
Enter at Park Place
Get Local Directions

Note that the bike route will begin to close to vehicular traffic at 7:30am, be sure to take this into account when planning your arrival. It is not recommended to drive to the start area for Starts 2 or 3.

Start two – 8:30 am (Red Start)
Recommended arrival time: 7:30 am- 8:15 am
Enter at Rector Street
Get Local Directions

Start three – 9:15 am (Silver Start)
Recommended arrival time: 8:15am – 9:00am
Enter at Battery Place and Greenwich Street
Prior to 8:15am, Start 3 riders wait at Battery Park
Get Local Directions

Tour Marshals will be on site to direct riders to appropriate entry streets.
In the event that members of a group are assigned different start times, please leave together in Start 3.

Once the ride starts, the front of the Tour travels at 18 mph and the tail at 6 mph. Cyclists who fall behind are given the option of either boarding SAG vehicles traveling at the tail of the Tour or leaving the Tour as the route permits.

10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Finish Line and Festival at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island

Route- 40 Miles of Car-Free Cycling!

There are 40 miles of adventure ahead on May 5, when you will ride car-free through New York City with 32,000 other cyclists. The journey starts in Lower Manhattan. You’ll head north through the heart of Manhattan to Central Park and continue on to historic Harlem and the Bronx, returning south along the East River on FDR Drive. From there you’ll cross into Queens and then Brooklyn, taking over the highway before making the thrilling climb up–and down–the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island.

Along the way, be sure to follow the directions of Tour marshals.  They’ll keep you safe and on track.

Shortcut

Riders in the rear of the Tour may be directed to a shortened route that bypasses the Astoria Park rest area and leads directly to the Con Ed Learning Center rest area, a shortcut of 4 miles.

Due to the street closure schedule, all riders must be on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) by 2:10pm, otherwise, your Tour will end in Brooklyn at approximately mile 27.5. Please be mindful of your time spent in the rest areas.

Leaving the Tour
If you need to leave the Tour for any reason, we recommend the following locations. Note that if you leave the Tour, you will be riding in motorized traffic and will have to watch for cars and road hazards.

Mile 14, York Avenue and 63rd Street, Manhattan: This is your last chance to exit the Tour in Manhattan. If you don’t want to go to Queens, travel straight on 63rd Street after the Tour exits FDR Drive. Do not take the left-hand turn onto the ramp of the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge.

Mile 27, Brooklyn Bridge: Just before the Tour enters the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), you can leave the Tour at Old Fulton Street and Cadmen Plaza West to the Brooklyn Bridge bike path into downtown Manhattan. Marshals on the Brooklyn side will direct you (this is recommended for those traveling with children).

Subway: The Tour route is near many subway stations.    Bikes are allowed on the subway, but some un-staffed subway stations have turnstiles that do not accommodate bikes. Information Centers at all rest areas can provide more details.  You can also check the MTA website for information and subway locations along the route before you ride: http://www.mta.info/

Hitching a Ride with SAG: If you are running out of steam or fall too far behind the Tour, pull off to the side of the road and wait for the SAG (support and gear) buses and trucks. SAG will also be stopping at each rest area. They will take you and your bike to the Festival.

Medical Concerns: If you feel that you need medical attention, speak to a marshal or police officer immediately, or visit a medical station located at each of the rest areas along the course. Do not wait for SAG.

Services Along the Route

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour travels through the five boroughs of New York City on car-free roads, thanks to the cooperation of city agencies and officials. The Tour’s fantastic team of supporters and volunteers is ready to help cyclists along the route. All services, including those at rest areas and the Festival, are available to riders wearing a 2013 Tour vest.

Rest Areas & Water Stations
Replenish your energy at four rest areas along the route. Complimentary snacks at each stop include bananas, water, and energy bars. Signs and marshals along the route will direct you to rest areas–or to bypass lanes.
Rest Area Locations

* All cyclists near the head of the Tour are held here for about 20 minutes while the NYPD closes oncoming roads to traffic. Cyclists near the tail of the Tour are directed to a mandatory shortcut that bypasses this stop and leads to the next one.

Recycling
All rest areas will have designated recycling receptacles for plastic bottles. Please use them appropriately.

Bike Repair
If your bike needs attention, stop at a repair tent. Labor is free, but there is a charge for parts. Be sure to bring a spare tube. Flat tires are the most common problem. Marshals are more likely to be able to help you if you have a tube.

Repair services can be found in these locations:

• -Near the start lineup, in Bowling Green and Zuccotti Park, Manhattan
• -110^th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard, just north of Central Park, Manhattan
• -All rest areas (see above)
• -Festival, Staten Island

Lost and Found
Check at Information Tents for items lost along the way.  After May 5, call 212 870 2080 or email info@bikenewyork.org in case your lost items were brought to the Tour office.

Marshals and NYPD

Volunteers will be riding with you and/or stationed along the route providing directions to keep the Tour running safely and smoothly.  Here’s a breakdown of who to look for:

Rider Assist Marshals ride in yellow vests alongside Tour participants.  They help participants with flat tires and minor bike repair, assist with the flow of the Tour, and provide information and encouragement.

Course Marshals are stationed along the route in orange vests.  They give route directions and alert you to road conditions ahead.

New York Police Department officers are also on the route to manage car traffic.  Please follow all instructions given by Marshals and NYPD officers.

Medical Help
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics from the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center Medical Bike Unit are available to attend to medical needs, as are ambulances from the NYC Fire Department Emergency Medical Service. Ask any tour marshal or police officer to get you medical assistance if you need it. There are also EMTs at each rest area.

Toilets
Hundreds of toilets are available throughout the Tour, including handicap-accessible ones at all rest areas, water stations, and the Festival. There are also a few additional locations, and these may have shorter waits than at rest areas:

Start Area:  Battery Place*, just north of Battery Park as well as every few blocks along Church Street

Mile 3: Avenue of the Americas, at approximately 52nd Street, before Central Park. Look for signs. There are no restroom facilities for Tour riders in Central Park, so use these before you enter the Park.

Mile 7: 125th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd., about one mile north after exiting Central Park.

* Handicap-accessible toilets available.

Tour Photos
Photographers from MarathonFoto will automatically take your photo as you bike along the Tour route. For identification purposes, keep your Tour vest and helmet number clearly visible. After the Tour, MarathonFoto will contact you via e-mail so you can view and purchase your photos.

Information Centers
The information tents at rest areas and the Festival are where you can find answers to all your questions. What mile is this? How long before SAG comes? Where is the nearest Subway? Make a plan in advance for where you will meet family and friends if you get separated. Rest Area Information Centers are a good place to meet. Do not stop in Central Park, on any of the bridges or in the middle of the road to wait for friends. This is unsafe and impedes the flow of the Tour and the enjoyment of other riders.

Staten Island Ferry Service to Battery Park, Manhattan

At the end of the Tour, ferries will return riders to Manhattan on a first come-first serve basis.  Four ferries will run per hour, but lines will likely be long.  Please take the time to enjoy free snacks and entertainment while you wait.  Toilets and water will be available while waiting for the ferry back to Manhattan.

SAG (Support and Gear)
Trucks and buses provide transportation to the Festival for cyclists who require assistance. Simply pull off the road and wait for the SAG buses and trucks that follow the Tour.  Make sure your bike sticker is attached to the top tube or seat of your bike so that we can reunite you with the correct bike at the Festival. Your Tour vest with its rider number will serve as your bike retrieval ticket.  You can then board a SAG bus to Staten Island and reclaim your bike at the SAG drop-off at the Festival before the Tour ends.

If you do not pick up your bicycle on Staten Island, you may claim it by contacting Bike New York.  After May 8, unclaimed bicycles will be donated to Recycle-A-Bicycle. Call 212-870-2080 for more information.