More than 32,000 cyclists turned out for the annual Five Boro Bike Tour — with riders racing through the streets to beat out rain showers that swept over the city Sunday.
The first wave of riders took off from Lower Manhattan around 8:30 a.m, with the huge crowd moving north through the city and through Central Park, before crossing briefly into the Bronx and back into Manhattan.
From there they travelled south down the FDR and crossed into Queens over the Queensboro Bridge, spun a look through Astoria and headed south into Brooklyn, before crossing the Verrazzano Bridge into Staten Island.
The whole route stretches about 40 miles and crosses five bridges, as spectators also braved the forecasts this year to cheer on the riders.
Cyclists managed to dodge most of the deluges that had been forecast for the day, with only scattered showers during the leisurely ride, which is not a timed race.
First biked in 1977 by only a few hundred riders, the event has grown over the years and become an annual staple in the city’s cycling community.
Registration fees go towards bicycling education programs, along with advocacy for more and safer bike infrastructure across the city.
