NY to Boston trip, May 27 to May 30.

As a veteran of many weekend trips, about 10, and I having co-lead a few; I can give this trip an A.  For those who want the more detailed version, please continue to read.

I diligently trained for this trip, from Ronkonkoma, NY to Boston, MA.  This trip had its challenges, one very rainy day, the distance, elevation gain, physical...

Part of my daily routine is to check out the 5BBC website for upcoming events. Back in January, I went through my morning rituals and was surprised to see a new ride posting “NYC to Boston” during Memorial Day weekend.  I never biked long distances day after day, and always wondered what my distance limit is.  This ride seemed like the perfect chance to challenge myself and it also gave me...

By Alfredo Garcia

Since 2015, the 5BBC has revived, with flare, a nice lead-in weekend trip to Montreal’s Tour de L’lle. It is a bike event similar to New York City’s Five Borough Bicycle Tour, but in our sister Canadian city of Montreal, Quebec province. You’ll see a much bigger ride, spread evenly our and beautiful glimpse of this beautiful city.

We will do this again, from...

OK, this is just a week in my life on the Erie Canal, but it was a tour that had significance in many stages of my life.  Participating in the New York Parks and Trails "Bicycling the Erie Canal" was an event I had been considering for several years.  Many of my cycling friends had done it in past years.  It was not for the faint of heart since it was 400 miles in 8...

The days are shorter, the temperatures are colder, and one's concentration goes to the holidays.  For many, this means that it is time to hang the bike up on the wall - to be taken out next spring.  But...there are those among us who not only ride all winter, but actually enjoy it.  There is something very satisfying about going outside and conquering the elements. Here is a guide for those...

5BBC put out a call to our members to nominate charities that serve a local or national constituency and focus on bicycling or bicycling-related issues. Here's who our members recommended.

Achilles International
www.achillesinternational.org

501(c)(3) charity

5BBC members, family, & friends.

Once again, in the spirit of the holidays, it would be much appreciated if you can bring one or a few non-perishable food items to the Christmas party on December. 3rd.   These items will be distributed to selected seniors through out the Harlem Community.  Thank you in advance for any contribution that you can make.

Ken...

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Marc Bertucco, marcbertucco@yahoo.com

SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: www.facebook.com/Supercross.cup.weekend
Twitter: @Supercrosscup
Web: www.supercrosscup.com

...

Membership Coordinator Dave Meltzer drafted the following message to membership:

The Five Borough Bicycle Club is pleased to announce that the following club members have successfully completed the Leadership Course and are now leaders in the Club: Brad Taylor, Patricia Chew, Vanessa Galloway, Paul Himmelheber, Sarit Levy, Susan Brenner, Louis Mazzone and Peter Morales.  Thank you for...

The 5BBC board would like to change the club’s fiscal year to a calendar year basis. When you receive your ballot, please vote to support this measure!

The board has already voted in favor of this, so now, to be enacted, the membership must vote to update the club's bylaws as described below. This measure will be included in the upcoming ballot, and will pass with a "yes" vote from ≥ 60...

Hello Volunteers!

Thank you for dedicating your time to help Transportation Alternatives as a volunteer on for the 2016 Bike The Boros: NYC Century. Thank you for coming out despite warmer than normal weather. We registered thousands bicyclists for this all-urban ride and visited some great areas in New York City. We could not have successfully executed this event...

Six years ago I got into cycling.  I would normally ride by myself, or maybe with a friend.  I loved the freedom that cycling brought, and the exploration that it allowed.  Some of the rides that I continue to lead today, The Dead Pool and Ramblersville, were the result of these early rides.  When I first found out about the 5BBC - my initial reaction was NO.  I do not like group rides.  I am...

How much air pressure should we be inflating our bike tires to? That debate has been raging ever since the first pneumatic bicycle tire was invented in 1887.

We all know that underinflated tires are at risk for getting “snakebite” punctures, so the most oft-heard advice is pump the tire to the max pressure printed on the tire's sidewall. Unfortunately max pressure is actually too much...

We have a reputation for friendly, fun, effective mechanical support! And we had more than 40 people sign up for our weekly as a result. 

Summer Streets is an annual tradition that let's pedestrians and cyclists share access to Park Avenue closed to automobile traffic for...

GREAT NEWS. We now have an archive to show past Weeklies. 

Click here to find it 

or Go to Community Menu Item and Click on Weekly E-mail Archive

Help find opportunities to promote 5BBC
Like this one at RXR in Manhattan
...

Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the five cyclists killed and four seriously injured by a suspected drunk driver earlier this week on a club ride in Kalamazoo, Michigan. We are all one cycling community and any loss is a loss to all of us. 

John...

Friday 6:30 AM and the riders start accumulating next to the House that Ruth Built in the Bronx. Front wheels come off, and the bikes are loaded in the bays. After driving through a misty rain, the skies cleared up as we crossed customs into Canada. About a third of the group are returnees – and the rest are newbies. We are all excited.

After arriving at Ruby Foos, we...

Daniel Ranells Director of MIS at Bronx Science by day, Chair of Transportation Alternatives Bronx Activist Committee and Susan Brenner Overnight Operations Manager at Citibike, member Leader council at TABX and both active 5BBC members volunteer for Boogie on the Boulevard 2016.

Daniel who has been Chair of the TA Bronx committee for the past two years said he started bicycling for...

Clearing out the attic of our late father’s house this past fall, my sister and I discovered our late mother’s account of a 10-day bicycle tour of Vermont that she and five of her Oberlin College girlfriends took in the mid-1940s.  The yellowing typewritten letter to an unknown relative is undated, but the trip almost certainly took place in the summer of 1944, following her...

It was cold for an April morning but sunny, clear, and ready to blossom into a fine day for bicycle riding. Our destination was the newly reopened High Bridge connecting Manhattan and the Bronx. We were gathered outside the Council district office on the corner of 87th Street and Columbus Avenue: 5BBC ride leaders, Manhattan Community Board 7 members, and a very, very special guest: the...

It’s common sense and it’s the law:

Bicyclists in New York State are prohibited by law from wearing more than one earphone attached to a telephone, radio or other audio device.  § 375(24-a) (NYS VEHICLE and TRAFFIC LAW)

You could be startled by a cyclist passing you, miss a shouted warning about upcoming road hazard.  It’s hard to avoid an approaching car you can’t hear.

...

Back in December 2015, Bill Mastro persuaded me to take on the role of bicycle course coordinator, and even though I can never claim to be a bicycle mechanic (I only do simple repairs and maintenance, and I had some spectacular malfunctions, thankfully only on my own bikes), I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to the club!

In the spirit of giving back, I had the opportunity...

When we first learned to ride a bike, that just meant being able to balance, pedal and steer. While these are core to the art of cycling, they are only the first few skills necessary to becoming a cyclist. Staying safe on your bike also requires you to learn how to effectively scan the road and handle your bicycle. These two skills will improve your chances of having a great ride by making it...

Crosswalks are for pedestrians, not bikes. Crosswalks are a space designed for allowing pedestrians to cross an intersection or road safely.

If you and your bike are stopped in the crosswalk, you force pedestrians to move out into potentially unsafe road spaces shared by vehicles. That means your action is unintentionally putting their lives at risk. There's an easy way to solve this:...

Here at the 5BBC, each new year brings us new possibilities and new challenges. Per our By Laws, the purpose of our club is to promote the general interests of bicycling via trips and cycling activities in order to gain a greater understanding of the world and it's people. We do that by providing group experiences that develop teamwork and cooperation, develop good leadership skills through...

For those of you who wanted to go last year but found the ride sold out, or those of you new to the club wanting to get a sense for what a weekend trip with the club is like, we are re-printing this article by Dave Meltzer on his perspective on the trip. If you'd like to speak to others on the trip - reach out to communications@5bbc.org and we will...

Hi fellow 5BBC'ers,

On Sunday November 2nd, I led an unusual ride with an unusual response from the Trippers.

The theme of the ride was to show where the abandoned North/West Side Staten Island Railway is. The hopes of some Staten Islanders is that it gets turned into a green way.

The Trippers who are not from S. I., were totally taken with what they saw. I say that...

I blame the tilt of the Earth's axis for Winter.  The weather's colder.  The days are shorter.  It it seems like the Spring and Summer are either in the rear view mirror or in the distant horizon.  Yes, the Winter season is upon us, and we have the opton of hibernation or exploration.   I know that there are many who will opt to hibernate, and we will look forward to seeing you in the Spring...

I recently sent an email to some non-cyclist friends to give them an idea of my exciting life here in the Center of the Universe.  I decided to share it as sent, and omit the names of the guilty

____________________________

My bike club, the No Crazy Left Behind Bicycle Club, advertised an end-of-summer overnight camping ride to Floyd Bennett Field last weekend. ...

Did you know that if you have a 5bbc.org login, you have a profile page that can be personalized? Well, you do! This allows you to put a face to your name as part of the Friendliest Bike Club online community.

Before I begin to explain how to update your profile, I'd like to point out that different users are able to see different information on your profile. Your privacy is of utmost...

Are you aware that we have a list of affiliated Bike Shops?

You can click on the above link to find it - or look under Community from the main menu of 5BBC.org

An affiliated bike shop is one that offers our members some kind of discount on accessories and perhaps other things (it's up to them) but typically this is at...

Summer Streets-Let's say thank- you to all the hard workers  of Steve Bauman, Ed Ravin and Harlan, and additional group of Ed Pino, Tom, Alfredo,  Dave, and our ever present Bike 21 (Phil), Phil O'Reilly ,and the ever presnt who I did not see-   and our trusty sign in sheet group, of various  others , who over the last three weeks once again used the miracle hands on bikes that came out of...

 A while back there was a TV show called Hill Street Blues.  The show always started with an in precinct roll call.  At the conclusion of the session, Sergeant Esterhaus always remarked, “Let's be careful out there.”  Esterhaus knew that you could never tell what eventualities would arise – and that you always had to be ready for them.  The same is true on a bike.
  We will never be...

To all our members,

Some meandering thoughts from the past President, Leadership Coordinator, VIce President, Golden Spoke winner. etc.

Over the past few years the club has gone through vast changes and undertakings. Some members are pleased and others are not so pleased. Most members, however, do not even notice. As a past Board Member of the Club as well as a Board Member in...

No biggie for this club, right? Congratulations to the team 16 cyclists including the leaders that put this together and made it happen.

A model for others to follow. Lots of pics on Facebook, check them out and if you were on the trip, please add more!

...

I had never cycled up to Rye before. I did some research and it seemed like an interesting ride. The scout with Nathalie Pham was great...good bike trails, a tasty pub meal, sitting on the back porch of John Jay's house and some scenic Rye sights. We found a hole in the schedule and listed the ride. The Facebook event was published, cue sheets were made, and we were ready to roll...

The cool inky darkness of a late September morning slipped past me like motor oil as I plunged my pedals earthward, propelling myself up the moderate incline of the bridge to another borough. 2%, my Garmin tells me. Feels more like whole milk, not 2%.

I hate riding this bridge, yet it is a lifeline to most of the cycling events in New York City. This bridge causes dual anxieties: at...

Bike New York has announced that the Five Boro Bike Tour will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2015. If you're interested in volunteering, there's a place for you!

The TD Five Boro Bike Tour brings 32,000 cyclists of all skill levels from around the world on a tour through the five...

The 5BBC web site is your site! The content you see on the site is largely created by members like you and we want your contributions! Do you have a great article you’d like to share with the club? You can! Do you want to give your local bike shop props by having them listed on the Affiliated Bike Shops page? You can do that too! Did you see a great web site that the Club...

The Winter riding season is upon us.  The short sleeved jerseys are packed away.  The shorts will likey not see the light of day until sometiime in April.  For many, this is a time for hibernation.  But, your club is not only Five Boroughs - it's also Four Seasons.  So...why ride when there is an Arctic chill in the air?  For me, the answer is obvious - I am a cyclist.  It is something that I...

Most of you know my story. Kat Baur invited me to the Dyker Heights Lights ride. I always thought of my self as a lone wolf. To my surprise, I had a great time. I went to a cool place, I got some exercise. And, best of all, I made some friends. I joined that night. The next year, I took the Leadership Course with Ed Pino and Liz Baum, and pointed my first ride – Brooklyn Beer Geeks. During the...

As a New York City cyclist, bike commuter, and all around “let’s ride everywhere” kind of person, I regularly enjoy, while riding cross town, the mystery of wandering bike lanes that seem to move, without rhyme or reason, from one side of the street to the other, and then back again, as if simply restless and seeking a different view.  I think about this conundrum.  

I...

As a New York City cyclist, bike commuter, and all around “let’s ride everywhere” kind of person, I regularly enjoy, while riding cross town, the mystery of wandering bike lanes that seem to move, without rhyme or reason, from one side of the street to the other, and then back again, as if simply restless and seeking a different view.  I think about this conundrum.  

I also think about...

Every year, my wife, Joanne, and I use our vacation time to do what we love to do most… ride our bikes. We have taken about twenty bike tour vacations over the years with three different companies. We have traveled to Hawaii, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, Austria and that doesn’t include our tours in the continental US.

Why do I think of these...

Whether on a club ride, or traveling around town on your own, the 5BBC seeks to be a proponent of safe cycling. The City of New York has embarked on an ambitious plan to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist injuries and death. This quest is called Vision Zero. Here is what we can due to make this goal a reality.

I. Your Bike

Motor vehicles have to have their vehicles inspected...

In partnership with Bike New York (BNY), Bob Castro who liaisons between the 5BBC and them (among other things), we are trying to drive new membership and new riders in NYC, by supporting the "Bike Path Cruise Rides". The idea here is to lead really easy rides ( a la Happy Face only perhaps even easier) to help people who are nervous about riding the streets of New York overcome their fears...

As my many years of being a member of the board come to a close by choice, I wish all the present members of the board great success. We are always looking for and need more help. We need more of you to become leaders, more of you to write blurbs, take pictures and read our website.

We encourage all of you to buy our SWAG and when our new jerseys come out to help support out club by...

Congratulations to Vincenzo Nibali for his Tour de France win and to...

Dear 5BBC'ers

I would like to offer a few rides out of town during the Summer and the Fall. Usually it would mean getting there by Metro North but some really nice and rural destinations are only reachable by a car. I have one ride scouted out and already scheduled for Saturday, August 9, 2014 in the Taconic/Harlem Valley area:

...

I've just completed the 2014 5BBC leadership course. Successfully, I might add :) I wanted to share some things while the memories are still fresh.

I guess some people may just decide themselves to become a ride leader while some grow to it over time. I'm the later. I have been riding with 5BBC on and off for 10 years. Yup, 2014 is my 10th anniversary!

I always enjoyed...

Got your attention? 

Well, it’s really not that big a deal when all is said and done.

But I have to say, not only has being part of the leadership training in 5BBC helped me grow my cycling knowledge and abilities in many subtle and not-so-subtle ways, but riding in the Day-rides of the club over the past years has been fun, confidence-inspiring (I ride around NYC carefully and...

Sevilla gets it! This beautiful, traditional, and historic city has gone all in with cycling. Between 2007 and 2010 the city constructed 120km of cycle track where virtually none existed before. Like Citibike, Sevilla has Sevici, which you see being pedaled all over the city. In NYC, cycling has been embraced by some NYC officials [Jeanette Sadik Khan] and either detested or ignored by...

Know someone who would enjoy bicycling, but needs a little push?

We know you love bicycling. You probably have adult family members or friends who would enjoy bicycling as much as you, but they’re not riding because ... they don’t have a bike, or haven’t been on a bike in years, or are afraid to ride in traffic, or would ride with a group (like 5BBC!) but are unsure of...

Lisbon is not a city designed for cyclists. It is composed of seven hills - steep hills. The streets are primarily cobblestones. And, there are electric trams that run all over the place liberally placing the tracks on the streets. Picture Red Hook or Dumbo at an 8% grade and you get the idea. And if the roads are not crazy enough - Portuguese drivers have the highest motor vehicle...

How about ending some 5BBC rides at one of these spots for post-ride refreshments? And maybe stopping at these spots for a mid-ride lunch?

Want to learn how to fix a flat or perform basic bike maintenance? Bike New...

This was posted elsewhere as an intro to a bike commuter blog and it was edited as a general introduction to bike commuting.

Introduction
---------------

Bike commuting isn’t for everyone. That’s because it’s not about the bike, the gear, the route but it’s about the rider. Whether it’ll work out for you depends on your attitude, your expectations and your personality. You...

A few easy steps:

1) Click on the Articles pulldown on the main menu at the top of the web site and select Articles.

2) Read any you have not read yet (optional) and then scroll down to "Add Artcile" and click on the button.

3) Choose a clever inviting title, write to your hearts content and then click on "Publishing Options" in the grey section underneath the Body Box to...

May is National Bike Month! In honor of the spring cycling season, let's all pay homage to Velominati Rule #6: "Your mind is your worst enemy. Do all your thinking before you start riding your bike.  Once the...

My favorite book is a Tale of Two Cities, so most must know how it goes, if not go read it- it's wonderful - So anyone who did last years Montauk and this years Montauk, knows that what a difference a year makes. From cold wet and miserable weather, to sun drenched spring day, near perfection. For us sagging, it was a much nicer, cheering our riders on, when not wet, cold and driving...

I got my beloved Fuji Grand Tourer before the Subway Strike. Not that one….the one before. It was beautiful. A gorgeous silver steel frame with red welds. 12 speeds when 10 was pretty much standard. I knew this bike before I knew my wife. When I rented a bike on vacation I felt like I was cheating. But alas, the old Fuji started showing her age. Steel rims were not great in the rain....

Bike fit isn't exactly rocket science. It doesn't really require expensive equipment and it doesn't have to be done by experts. Sure, it's cool to pay someone to fit you for a bike, but it's not that necessary. It makes more sense if you are into competitive cycling and are buying a whole new bike and every ounce of performance matters. However, to get you fit to your...

I will discuss here some general philosophy, attitudes and defensive riding techniques that I refer to as defensive cycling, which in principle is similar to defensive driving, and I act on the road according to these myself, well… most of the time :) This is all written based on my experience and it's not based on any official research. I'm sure there are some parts that may be...

With spring in the air, more cyclists are out on the road again. This might be the time to start practicing your mindfulness while cycling. Get Up and Ride's Lisa Markuson has a great article on this over at Transportation Alternatives. Stretch, take some deep breaths, visualize a pleasant ride and go read the...

"Be prepared, that is the Boy Scouts marching song.
Be prepared, as through life you march along."

Tom Lehrer

Much goes into the preparation for a ride. First, there is always the idea. Where are we going? How will we get there? Where will we eat? The ride gets mapped out. Co-Leaders are chosen. And we are...

Now that it's almost spring, it's time to start worrying about how to prevent bicycle theft again... And if you missed the last one, maybe it's also time to start getting in shape for the next...

With the advent of a new season of biking it’s time to clear the air and spell out what these “Quick Spin“ rides are all about. This year we will be offering both the traditional fast paced rides as well as a QS Light group of rides that are geared to introduce riders to this more physically challenging type of ride.

If you consider yourself to be a pretty good rider who would enjoy...

Head on over to Adventure Cycling Association to read about the history of fatbikes, which have emerged as the fastest growing segment of the bicycle industry this year. Also at ...

To All Members, Non Members and Future Members:

As a new year approaches, we wish all a safe and happy holiday. On December 14th, we had our annual Holiday Party, and for all that came, thank-you, for all that helped out, thank you and for all who made this the best ever, thank you, thank you.

At the party, a new award - The Extra Mile, given out by Ed Pino, and the first...

Bicycletter - November-December 2005
By Alfredo Garcia

Hawaii, our 50th state, is well known for its lovely beaches, the culture of “Aloha” and its Pacific shorelines. The typical recreational activities include swimming, surfing and hula dancing. However, the islands also have roads suitable for good cycling. I’ve brought my bike to the Aloha State twice, both times to Oahu and...