Tour · New York, New York · since 1977
TD Five Boro Bike Tour
Sunday, May 2, 2027. The tour is always the first Sunday in May.
What is the TD Five Boro Bike Tour?
The TD Five Boro Bike Tour is a 40-mile, car-free ride through all five boroughs of New York City, held the first Sunday in May. It starts at Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan, crosses five bridges and finishes with a festival on Staten Island. Bike New York has run it since 1999, it draws 32,000 riders, and it began in 1977 as a bike-safety ride for high school students. The next edition is May 2, 2027.
Registration for the 2027 tour opened at noon on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 on Bike New York's new haku platform. Standard, member, VIP and charity-team entries are sold separately; Bike New York members get a dedicated start wave. Proceeds fund Bike New York's free bike-education programs.
- Next edition
- Usually
- First Sunday in May
- Start
- Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan (Broadway at the foot of the island), New York, NY 10004
New York, New York - Distances
- 40 miles — One day, fully car-free, through all five boroughs and over five bridges.
- Terrain
- Flat city streets and highways closed to traffic; the only real climbs are the bridge approaches, ending with the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island.
- Riders
- 32,000 riders from every U.S. state and about 65 countries
- Cost
- $176.45 standard adult or youth (including fees); $496.70 VIP; Team Bike New York charity entry with a $650 fundraising minimum (2027 pricing)
- Founded
- 1977 by Sal Cirami of American Youth Hostels and Eric Prager of the New York City Board of Education. The first ride, the Five Boro Challenge, went off on June 10, 1977 with about 250 riders. AYH spun the tour off into the nonprofit Bike New York in 1999.
- Organizer
- Bike New York
How the TD Five Boro Bike Tour started
The ride started in February 1977, when Sal Cirami of American Youth Hostels met Eric Prager, who had been hired by the New York City Board of Education to build a bicycle-safety program. Prager's plan included a day trip around the five boroughs. On June 10, 1977, about 250 people rode it: 50 high school students from five schools and 200 club cyclists. It started and ended at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens and covered 50 miles with one rest stop.
The next year Mayor Ed Koch backed a citywide ride, the distance was shortened, and 'challenge' became 'tour'. TD Bank has sponsored it since 1992. In 1999 AYH decided the tour needed a dedicated organization and spun off Bike New York, which was established in 2000 and still runs it.
Today the tour brings 32,000 riders a year. Proceeds fund Bike New York's free bike-skills classes, which have taught more than 100,000 kids and adults since 2007. The 2020 tour was cancelled because of COVID-19; it has run every year since.
What to expect on the day
The start is at Bowling Green at the bottom of Manhattan, reached by the Hudson River Greenway or Broadway. Riders are assigned to start waves; Bike New York members, VIP riders and charity riders each get a dedicated first wave. The route heads north through Central Park, into the Bronx, back down the FDR Drive, over the Queensboro Bridge into Queens, through Brooklyn and over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge into Staten Island.
Every street on the route is closed to cars. Rest areas along the way have snacks and entertainment, with extra water stops in between, free bike-repair labor, and SAG vehicles. Registration includes a rider packet with helmet cover, bib and bike plate, a special-edition finisher medal and entry to the Finish Festival on Staten Island.
It is a tour, not a race. With 32,000 riders the pace is slow at the start and the bridges bunch up. Bring a bike that works, a spare tube and patience. If you are flying in, Unlimited Biking is the official rental partner with pickup at 105 Broad Street, a few blocks from the start.
Weather in New York for the TD Five Boro Bike Tour
Early May in New York City averages a high of about 71°F and a low of about 56°F, and May has roughly 9.7 days with measurable rain, so plan for anything from cold drizzle to warm sun. The bridges are exposed and windy.
Loading the forecast for New York…
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Times are local to New York.
The town
Sleep, eat, fix the bike.
New York City is the largest city in the United States, with about 8.8 million people across five boroughs. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour starts at Bowling Green at the southern tip of Manhattan on the first Sunday in May and is the one day a year 40 miles of city streets and bridges are closed to cars. Riders base themselves in the Financial District, a short roll from the start.
Three airports serve the city. Newark (EWR) is about 13 miles from Lower Manhattan and JFK about 18; LaGuardia is closer to Queens. You do not want a car. Take a train or cab to a Financial District hotel and you can ride to the Bowling Green start in minutes. If you are shipping or renting a bike, Unlimited Biking, the tour's official rental partner, has a downtown pickup at 105 Broad Street.
Group rides around New York
Free, recurring, open to anyone. Ride with locals the day before, or the week after.
TD Five Boro Bike Tour FAQ
Is the route really closed to cars?
Yes. All 40 miles are car-free, including the FDR Drive, the Queensboro Bridge and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
How hard is it?
It is flat apart from bridge approaches. The main challenge is the crowd; 32,000 riders share the road, so expect stop-and-go sections.
Where do I start and finish?
Start at Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. Finish at the Finish Festival on Staten Island, then ride to the Staten Island Ferry to return to Manhattan.
Can I rent a bike?
Yes. Unlimited Biking is the official rental partner. 2027 rentals start at $109 for a hybrid and $149 for a road bike, with downtown pickup at 105 Broad Street.
What does the entry fee support?
Bike New York's free cycling-education programs across the city.
When does registration open?
For 2027 it opened at noon on September 15, 2026, on the haku platform linked from bike.nyc.
Sources · 5 pages we read
- bike.nyc https://www.bike.nyc/events/td-five-boro-bike-tour/
- bike.nyc https://www.bike.nyc/about/our-story/
- en.wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Boro_Bike_Tour
- unlimitedbiking.com https://unlimitedbiking.com/events/nyc-five-boro-bike-tour-rentals/
- weatherspark.com https://weatherspark.com/y/23912/Average-Weather-in-New-York-City-New-York-United-States-Year-Round
Facts checked September 15, 2026. Dates and prices come from the organizer and change. Confirm on the official site before you book anything.
