The NYC Century Bike Tour, the world's only all-urban 100-mile bike tour, will take place on September 12th, 2010. As you can imagine, it's a bike ride through, in and around New York City.
The event is put on by, and benefits, Transportation Alternatives. Their mission is "...to reclaim New York City's streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives." The NYC Century Bike Tour started in 1990 with 200 participants, and it now draws over 6000 people.
Unlike other large benefit rides you may have done, this event is unique in that not only does it ride through NYC, the purpose of the ride is to take people through different areas of the city as an example of how cyclists can get through the city safely. As a result, there are no street closures, riders go with the flow of traffic and it's mandatory they obey all traffic laws. Six-thousand people riding through the city without street closures might sound like a tall order, but it works well.
If riding 100 miles through the Five Boroughs might not be your cup of tea, you can get your ride on with 75, 55, 35 and 15 mile options. You also have an option of starting and finishing in Central Park or in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Though people who choose the 15-mile option must start and end in Central Park.
Rest stops along the way will provide limited support in the form of food, drinks, first aid and mechanics.
Registration is now open here. And remember: "Every registration helps fuel the fight for better bike lanes, car-free streets, faster transit and a safer more sustainable city."
Have you participated in the NYC Century Bike Tour in the past, or do you plan to attend this year? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Comments
I rode last year and while it's fun and has great volunteers, the line about following traffic laws gets thrown out pretty quickly. Everyone around me, event marshals included, ran nearly every stop sign and red light when there was no traffic was minimal.