Let's Go, Jane!

On Sunday morning my alarm went off at 4:15 am. Carey and I dragged ourselves out of bed and caught the 5:07 am train to Manhattan, bleary eyed with bicycles. We hopped on the subway at Grand Central and rode the 4-5-6 a few stops. It wasn’t until we got off the train that we started seeing other riders with bibs and matching jerseys and huge smiles. We lined up and waited for the ride to begin.

It was my first time completing Bike NYC’s Five Borough Bike Tour. This ride, the 47th annual, attracted over 30,000 riders from all 50 states in what is the largest organized ride in the U.S., and largest charity ride in the world. We passed through 40 miles of traffic-free road in all five boroughs of New York City. The vibe was laid back, the rain held off (mostly).

We started at the Manhattan end of the Brooklyn Bridge, went up through Central Park to 138th street, where we dipped our toes in the Bronx for a few blocks before turning back down along FDR Drive. Having grown up in the Bronx, Carey felt a little cheated by how little time we spent in his borough, but he got over it. We were greeted with a scenic view as we crossed the top level of the Queensboro Bridge and rode up to Astoria before turning and heading down into Long Island City. 

This, my friends, is where we took a little detour. You know I can’t resist a Costco, and there was one RIGHT ON THE ROUTE. So of course Carey and I took turns watching each other’s bikes so we could step in and check it out. Store #243 (Long Island City) is now the 13th on my list. We rejoined the ride and headed toward Brooklyn feeling refreshed. We passed another Costco in Brooklyn but resisted stopping because of a long steep entrance ramp.

At the end of the ride, we crossed the Verrazano Bridge into Staten Island. At .81 miles across, the Verrazano is not the longest bridge we’ve ridden across, but coming at the end of a 40-mile ride and uphill most of the way, it sure felt like the longest! Just as we were crossing the finish line, Carey raised his hand to give me a high five and we almost took each other out. One of the photographers got a great shot of us laughing. I’d share it with you but I don’t feel like spending $35 to remove the watermarks. 

At this point, the rain was threatening to start so we collected our finisher medals, downed a pickle juice and a chocolate chip cookie, and hopped on our bikes to ride the two miles to the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan, feeling tired but accomplished. I would definitely do this ride again.

This was my last week of classes and internship. I’ll spend the next few weeks preparing for the 4-hour licensing exam, which I’m scheduled to take in early June. It feels strange, after 2.5 years, to be wrapping up this chapter of my life. I have a meeting scheduled in mid-June to begin a remote Research Assistant position while I prepare for full-time travel. This next chapter is going to be epic, and I’m glad to have you along for the ride!