32,000 cyclists brave strong winds in TD Five Boro Bike Tour

6 articles · Updated · amNY · May 3

Riders from all 50 states and 60 countries tackled the 40-mile New York City course, while Mayor Zohran Mamdani became the first sitting mayor to complete it.
The tour began in lower Manhattan and ended with a Staten Island festival, with riders citing steep climbs and strong crosswinds on the Queensborough and Verrazzano bridges as the toughest sections.
Held nearly every year since 1977, the event is billed as the world's largest charity bike ride, funding Bike New York education programmes and other causes, with conditions improved from last year's rain.

Beyond a one-day spectacle, will this event inspire permanent car-free zones and truly change New York's transport culture?

Does the tour's economic benefit outweigh the major disruption it causes for millions of non-cycling residents?

Can a sponsored program truly reverse declining youth ridership, or is it just effective corporate public relations for its backers?