Calling All Leaders

Are you a Leader? The 5BBC Leadership Class of 2022 is now enrolling. Every ride that the 5BBC offers is designed and led by leaders. Leaders make sure that the ride is safe and fun for our members.

Here are the Leadership Class Requirements:

1. 1. Three Zoom [or...

As we welcome 2022, I am honored to be chosen as your club president.  I am priviledged to be part of such a motivated and committed team.  Thank you to everyone on the 2021 board and Allan, you have done an outstanding job as president for the past three years, and looking forward as you continue on the board as co-vice president with Alfredo, certainly a winning team! With Allan and the...

The old expression is true..... Time flies when you are having fun and I can tell you that with many ups and a few downs, the past three years as President of the 5BBC have been mostly, and most significantly, FUN! I have had the privilege of working with a committed group of volunteers - board members - who made the role relatively easy.

What is the key to my...

One of the things that the 5BBC always encourages is for leaders to actually scout a ride. Rides that often look wonderful on paper – do not always translate to wonderful on the road. An example of this was a scout that Myles and I did to Overpeck Park in Leonia, NJ.

After crossing the George Washington Bridge, cyclists always make either the right to go up to Piermont and...

The following members have been elected as the 2022 Executive Board

• President - Toby Weiner

• Vice-President - Allan Friedman and Alfredo Garcia

• Secretary - Daniel Bach and Virginia Gentile

• Treasurer - Steven Lyon

• Membership...

You don't have to log thousands of miles to gain rewards from riding a bike. You don’t need an expensive bike, special clothes or a high degree of fitness to experience the benefits of riding a bike. Whether you're ride a fancy new carbon bike or an old reliable one, bike riding is a great workout with the fun to keep you going. Riding a bike can add a fitness activity into your day even if...

You have a bike. You have ridden around the neighborhood. Maybe you commute. Now, you have decided to join the 5BBC.And you wonder, what makes a good club rider? This article will attempt to answer that question.

Your Bicycle

We will start here. I have seen all sorts of bikes on a ride. I've seen expensive titanium bikes. I've seen...

Hi, my name is David Jendras and along with Elyssa Respaut, we are leading the IT Committee of the 5BBC. If you are technically curious and have time to offer the club, please reach out to me at david.jendras@gmail.com to get involved.  

The Board is in the process of deciding how to build a new website and we need your feedback!  ...

Hello fellow 5BBC members. My trip is going out again. I am a leader with 5BBC, a leader with Morris Area Freewheelers and a leader, and past President for 5 years with the Staten Island Bicycling Association. Because this trip is being run through the Staten Island club, it is necessary to join that club to be covered by insurance. The cost is $25 for an individual and $35 for a couple. You...

We are ordering the jerseys for our 21 in '21 leader recognition special award. It's an opportunity to let the general membership order jerseys too. The picture shows you what's available. If you'd like to order, please e-mail president@5bbc.org and Toby will tell you how to pay after letting her know what you want. Here's how to specify your selection...

        You get any group of cyclists together, and inevitably they will start bitching about infrastructure. Crowding on the Brooklyn and Queensboro Bridges. Poorly marked bike lanes. Terrible pavement. And yes, we have a long way to go for safer cycling. But this article is more about looking back and seeing how far we have come. Here are my top five infrastructure improvements - one in each...

To all of our longstanding members we want to take a moment to thank you for your patience and support during the pandemic.

To our many new members who are taking up cycling anew or after a long break, we are happy to have you and welcome you to the club.

If any member ever has have any questions,  we love hearing from you! Please do not hesitate to e-mail us at...

It is very clear that this pandemic is, unfortunately, not a "short" thing. This too will pass, but we have no clue when.

As we have written elsewhere about the 5BBC - we are a community.

Being New York's friendliest bike club, while we can't ride the way we typically do, we will commune in ways that respect social distancing guidelines but let us come together and enjoy each...

Covid-19 is a worldwide pandemic respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus. Typical symptoms include fever and cough.

Covid-19 is highly prevalent in the New York City area and we all should be practicing contagion avoidance measures. Wash your hands regularly (especially before eating) with soap and water or sanitizer. Avoid touching your face unless...

Volunteers are the lifeblood of 

• our club, 
• most of the bike clubs in our area and around the country, 
• and in fact - even the mass rides that support the advocacy and education organizations who are our strategic partners.

To deliver the value we do, we need and are grateful for volunteers.

First and...

Winter is Coming

In Game of Thrones, the phrase “Winter is Coming” was meant to instill fear. So too, many cyclists also fear the winter. As the temperatures drop, the bike gets hung on the wall, not toemerge until Spring Training. But, it does not have to be like that. You CAN ride in the Winter. You CAN have fun riding in the winter. Here is some advice.

One of our unique attributes as a club is the Point Drop Sweep (PDS) System that we use on most of our rides.

There are other philosophies in cycling that focus on speed, getting to a particular destination as quickly as possible perhaps stopping at key points along the way to have a quick look, and riding together in a very disciplined way (training required) or in the racer...

Have you ever wanted to lead 5BBC rides, but were unable to take or complete the 5BBC Leadership Training Course?

We have an alternative just for you.

The 5BBC Board will continue to offer our well-loved traditional Leadership Training Course in 2020. However, we also recognize that for various reasons the traditional course does not work for everyone. Therefore, we are...

This article is intended for new members to show them how to ride with the Five Borough Bicycle Club. However, we hope that all riders can benefit from what is discussed below. If you follow the principals and procedures in this guide – you will have a great riding experience every time you are on the bike.

I. Your Bicycle

There are many types of bicycles that...

Must the City Destroy the East River Greenway in Order to Save It?

Would you be incensed if your city government planned to demolish the largest park in your neighborhood, cut down nearly 1,000 trees, bury the park’s amenities including multiple athletic facilities and the city’s most prominent greenway, and then take “at least” three and one-...

As we start 2021, I thought I would just make a small tweak to my messages from 2019 and 2020 - the sentiment of which only grew stronger as we dealt with the pandemic last year into this.

Our objectives for the club remain unchanged.

Priority 1 - bring you more rides, rides, rides, We have a growing number of leaders posting rides over the past two years and the results are...

Round and round and round we may go, and where we stop.. well, ultimately back where we started, but that is the essence of a true perimeter ride – after all, we are The FIVE Borough Bicycle Club, and what better way is there to explore the quintuplets? Although each plat may be unique in terms of shape, size, architecture, population, culture, history, waterfront access, and...

What the heck is a “Dutch Reach”? 

If you, or anyone you know, has ever been “doored”, then you need to practice the Dutch Reach.

What do the Dutch reach for? Oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts)? Of course! Tulips? Sure!

But the Dutch, known for their bicycle addiction, also reach for something else…safety. Simply the Dutch Reach is a safer way to leave...

This page is dedicated to the 5BBC's special relationship with Bike New York.

The 5BBC has been involved in supporting the TD Five Boro Bike Tour since inception. We know it well and love it! Read more about its history and our role in it here.

And this year will be no different.

We have a spring training...

The Velodrome is where man and machine become one, for the single purpose of going faster than the next guy. It's the bicycle equivilent of a speedway, with its banked corners, smooth surface, and grandstands fro cheering crowds. Its normally reserved for the best cyclists, who bring their years of experience, nerves of steel, bikes and bodies tuned to perfection. In Trexlertown, Pennsylvania...

There is a saying that you often hear from 5BBC riders -  "You never know what you will see on a ride." 

Interesting things always seem to happen when you place a group of cyclists in strange environments. 

And few areas of NYC are stranger than Dead Horse Bay. 

Now part of the Gateway National Seashore, Dead Horse Bay was never exactly a scenic part of New York. 

...

Article written by Gail Green-Anderson about how she met and married her husband Rick through 5BBC

October 7, 2018

Once upon a time, two cyclists met on a ride and fell in love.

Rick and I have been married for almost nineteen years and when people ask us this question --“How did you two meet?” -- we tell them the truth: “We both went to the wrong starting point...

Discover new places and meet new friends!  Our day trips are all freee!!   We are all about adventure-- but also about your safety. Our rides are lead by trained, responsive and responsible leaders who adhere to ride descriptions that they themselves post.  Helmets are required on all rides. Come try us out!  We have insurance in the rare case that something goes wrong on a ride.  It's not our...

I learned to ride a bike when I was very young but growing up in a small town in an era when cars were boss, my love of cycling, ironically, didn’t take off until I moved to the Big City.  It was more a need for an inexpensive social activity than a desire to become more physically fit that lead me to get serious about cycling in New York City.  

I owned a bicycle as a young mother...

Bicycles have been my go to means of transportation ever since I survived the crash and burn school of bike riding, the method endorsed by my big brother. Soon I was begging my uncle for a real bike from his hardware store. That Huffy three speed went where few three speeds dare to roll with camping trips from Denver into the mountains. A few years later, I was bicycling through Europe solo on...

Article By Katie Marion, Mary Martinez and Mary O’Neill (only Posted by Allan Friedman)

When we look back on that trip to Ireland in the summer of 2004, everything about it exceeded our expectations.

The weather was mostly sunny and warm although we had been prepared for rain.  The people, often described as friendly were more than that.  They were kind and warm with a more...

The weather is warming up and our Spring Training Series has started.  This article discusses what you need to know about riding with the 5BBC.

BEFORE THE RIDE

Is this a good ride for you?.  Many things enter into consideration, but primary must be whether your skill level is up to the ride.  What is the pace of the ride?  How many miles does the...

Posted by Allan but actually written By -- Ted Kushner, with thanks to Steve Sakson.

Register for the Memorial Ride on April 21st !

There are many ways to describe Phil O'Reilly: jokester, comic, bike ride leader, volunteer, beloved husband and dad and brother – and one of the...

This page is dedicated to the 5BBC's special relationship with Bike New York.

The 5BBC has been involved in supporting the TD Five Boro Bike Tour since inception. We know it well and love it!

And this year will be no different.

We have a spring training series that runs every year through March and April.

It's designed to help those of us who don't...

Last week I was asked to write something about Phil O’Reilly and although I tried, nothing I wrote sounded right.

I sat down, with my tub of coffee, early this AM and tried again.  Again…nothing.

I gave up, went back to bed and just when I started to doze, the telephone rang.

It was a friend from the bike club – a close friend of Phil’s.

Ignoring the many apologies...

Hi there.  Thank you for electing me  President-- to help keep us all pedaling together in 2018. I care a great deal about the Club and will do my best to work for our collective benefit. More fun. More community. Safety and shared good will are always priorities. This is to check in and let you know that the fellow volunteers who you elected to the 2018 Board are talking about and...

The days are shorter.  The weather is colder.  Many of your friends have hung their bikes on the wall until March.  BUT, there are a surprising number of riders who do ride throughout the year.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US:

FIRST:  There is a saying that goes, "There is no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing."  Any winter rider will tell you (often in...

All day today, I kept on finding pennies. I had picked up a habit from my very dear friend of two decades. He would find loose change on the floors and streets as he went through his day and would proudly tell us how much money he had collected this way. Astoundingly, he would readily exceed a hundred dollars a year. Jessie lost his battle with cancer over the Weekend and I'm sure he got on...

When I first started cycling seriously, Queens scared me.  It was vast, sprawling, and its street system made no sense.  Clearly, the cartographers and city planners were smoking something when they came up with this nonsense.   Like Manhattan, the streets are mostly numbered.  Unlike Manhattan, the numbers appear to be randomly assigned.  You are riding down Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria and...

If you want to go from here(Queens) to there(Bronx), you're going to have to walk. Hey Governor, now that the subways are broken, can you get the MTA to at least let cyclists going to and from work ride our bikes? It takes 30 minutes longer to walk across the bridge that to ride it. This is so inconsistent. The State breaks the subways, is going to build the new Tap with a bike path and then...

Hello, I’m Michele, and I grew up in Bronx.  I’m a fairly new commuter cyclist in New York.  I was introduced to commuter cycling in 2013 through my neighbor and friend who is a 5BBC.  At that time I worked at a non-profit in Chelsea and a bike lane was right on my street.  I didn’t immediately transform into a cyclist.  At first I was filled with fear and trepidation.  I was determined and...

While Staten Island is referred to as “The Forgotten Borough”, The Bronx may as well be known as the “Misunderstood Borough.” While gentrification has indeed been slow to come, The Bronx has come a long way since Howard Cosell announced “The Bronx is Burning.” I led a ride there recently, and the comment that I heard the most was “I never knew this existed.” For many riders, The Bronx is a...

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...