A large crowd of cyclists in colorful attire and helmets at the Five Boro Bike Tour 2016, with a sign reading "Tripsite | does" centered over the image.

July 18, 2016     Tripsite Staff

Tripsite Does: Five Boro Bike Tour 2016

Cold, rainy and surprisingly a blast!

Another year in the books. Climbing the stairs of the Tripsite HQ (home-office) in Springville, Pa after participating in the Five Boro Bike Tour, I could not help but look at the old Five Boro Bike Tour jersey's on the wall and think "Seriously? We (Tripsite) have been participating in this event for more than a decade and it has never rained." Well, this year it rained.

A group of cyclists stands together with their bikes, wearing helmets and colorful jackets, surrounded by trees. They appear to be participating in a bike tour event.

Let me paint you a picture. The Five Boro Bike Tour is a biking event that winds through all five of New York City's boroughs, attracting 32,000 biking enthusiasts, old, young, in-shape, not-so-in-shape, and some who just said, "screw it, why not". Oh and the tour is around 42 miles, but when it's all said and done, it's probably around 50 miles.

  • Cyclists cross a bridge with a view of New York City's skyline. One cyclist in the foreground looks triumphant with their arm raised. The bridge's metal structure is visible.
  • A large group of cyclists ride along a highway beside a river in New York City during the Five Boro Bike Tour. A yellow taxi is visible on the adjacent road.
  • A large crowd of cyclists wearing colorful helmets and clothing gathered in a city street, participating in the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City.
  • A vast assembly of cyclists at the starting line of the Five Boro Bike Tour, surrounded by tall urban buildings in New York City.

Now picture this: it's cloudy, rainy, windy, and frigid. I'm talking 42 degrees and soaked in ice cold rain! I don't know if you have ever ridden a bike in the rain, but it's quite miserable and can be downright dangerous!

Cyclists ride down a wet street in New York City while wearing helmets and yellow vests. The urban setting includes brick buildings and traffic lights.

However, in spite of the weather, we truly had a great time. It might have been the fact that we had the largest number of Tripsite employees, friends and family participate. Some who traveled as far our satellite offices in Montana and California.

A group of four cyclists posing for a selfie, wearing helmets and standing next to their bikes on a city street.

Or maybe it was the adrenaline of riding through The Big Apple with 30,000+ other riders, who are all going at their own pace and (despite the weather) still greet passer-byers with an "on your left/right" often followed by a friendly "hello".

Maybe it was the event staff shouting "you can do it" and "almost there", some dancing, smiling, or singing.

Whatever the reason, we all finished the tour in varying degrees of dishevelment. Although I'm pretty sure I was approaching a state of hypothermia, when I saw that finish line I couldn't help but smile.

A cyclist wearing a yellow vest and helmet rides a bike along a roadway next to a waterfront. The background features city buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress and grow."Thomas Paine once said...

Let me tell you from experience, that this quote is true and it's very much a part of what makes biking and traveling so rewarding. Whether "the struggle" is missing a turn on a 20 km bike ride through the countryside of Holland and "the triumph" is finally getting back to the barge to enjoy a post-ride pint, or if it's a cold 42-mile bike tour in the rain with the reward of a comforting hot shower, it's all worth it.

  • A large crowd of cyclists in colorful attire and helmets at the Five Boro Bike Tour 2016, with a sign reading "Tripsite | does" centered over the image.
  • A group of cyclists in helmets and jackets posing with their bikes at a rest stop, with portable toilets and urban buildings in the background.
  • Cyclists ride down a street in Harlem, New York City, during a bike tour. Large trees line the road, and a sign indicating Harlem is visible.
  • A group of cyclists stands together with their bikes, wearing helmets and colorful jackets, surrounded by trees. They appear to be participating in a bike tour event.
  • A cyclist wearing a yellow vest and helmet rides a bike along a roadway next to a waterfront. The background features city buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.
  • Cyclists ride down a wet street in New York City while wearing helmets and yellow vests. The urban setting includes brick buildings and traffic lights.
  • Cyclists cross a bridge with a view of New York City's skyline. One cyclist in the foreground looks triumphant with their arm raised. The bridge's metal structure is visible.
  • A group of cyclists rides on a wet road in New York City, passing tall buildings and a bridge under a cloudy sky during the Five Boro Bike Tour.
  • A large group of cyclists ride along a highway beside a river in New York City during the Five Boro Bike Tour. A yellow taxi is visible on the adjacent road.
  • Cyclists pedal along a wide street under an overpass in Spanish Harlem, New York City, with "Spanish Harlem" text and a dancing illustration overlayed on the image.
  • Cyclists ride down a street in The Bronx, New York City, under a gray sky with the word "The Bronx" overlayed at the top.
  • A group of people take a selfie at Times Square, New York City, with a busy street in the background.
  • A large crowd of cyclists wearing colorful helmets and clothing gathered in a city street, participating in the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City.
  • A vast assembly of cyclists at the starting line of the Five Boro Bike Tour, surrounded by tall urban buildings in New York City.
  • A group of four cyclists posing for a selfie, wearing helmets and standing next to their bikes on a city street.

Comments

Rosemary
9 years ago

Verified Reviewer

I arrived in Garden City, Long Island with two friends after driving from Ontario. My friend's cousin took us on the train with rented bicycles to Pen. Station and total strangers helped me up the escalators with my bike. Then met up with the "Ride". It started raining half way through and was pouring before the finish. We opted not to follow the crowds down to Battery Park to endure the end of the ride festival in the teaming rain.
We were dripping and freezing when we entered the metro and bought a tea from the Coffee Shop there. The cashier said it was "on the house" for us(two older woman in our group of four). She said she had seen us going out early that morning and was pleased that we had endured the weather to finish. We had to ride through the busy streets no longer
closed to traffic, dodging buses and taxis to get back to Pen. Station, but what fun we had riding past Radio City Music Hall and singing, "the sidewalks of New York", and riding past the Cherry Blossoms in Central Park during "the ride".
What an experience.

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