The Tour de Bronx is back for its 29th annual ride.
The ride, New York state’s biggest free cycling event, is taking place this Sunday, Oct. 22, and is open to bikers of all levels, although registration is required. The annual tour hopes to promote bicycling and encourage exploration of the Bronx’s parks and historic neighborhoods.
This year’s iteration will consist of three routes, including a new 10-mile route and bring back the 40-mile route for more experienced bikers. Last year, only a 25-mile ride was available. The three rides will start at 161 Street and Grand Concourse and finish at the New York Botanical Garden, with a rest stop available for all riders at the Castle Hill YMCA.
Additional rest stops are available for 40-mile riders at the Woodlawn Cemetery, Roberto Clemente State Park and Orchard Beach. There is also a new rest stop only for 25-mile riders at Pelham Bay Park.
The entire route goes through the Mott Haven district, along the East River, and through Pelham Bay Park — the city’s largest park.
A new wrinkle this year includes a tribute to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop as the route is planned to travel passed 1520 Sedgwick. Ave., commonly referred to as the birthplace of hip-hop.
The event is organized by Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson in conjunction with the Bronx Tourism Council and Transportation Alternatives. At a kickoff event on Tuesday, Gibson noted that the event aims to showcase healthier modes of transportation, while also highlighting the borough.
“With an emphasis on encouraging alternative modes of transportation and fitness, Tour de Bronx has each year been successful in attracting both new and skilled cyclists to explore our parks, cultural institutions, greenways, and everything else that makes our borough a beautiful place to live, work and visit,” Gibson said.
The Bronx ranks last out of 62 New York state counties in terms of health outcomes, according to the 2022 County Health Rankings National Findings Report, which includes neighborhoods in the southern portion of the borough known to be food deserts — areas where residents have limited access to quality nutrition, rely heavily on processed foods and are often oversaturated with bodegas in place of supermarkets.
For Marcos Crespo, senior vice president of community affairs at Montefiore Medical Center, the event plays an important role in encouraging better healthy habits. Montefiore Medical Center has been sponsoring the Tour de Bronx for almost two decades.
“As an institution committed to health and wellness beyond the walls of our hospitals and healthcare facilities, we are grateful for the opportunity to promote this annual event,” Crespo said.
Bike rentals are available through Unlimited Biking and can be picked up at the start line, and include free helmets. Ride-share bikes are also allowed at the Tour de Bronx, but must be docked before the tour’s final destination.
The event was founded in 1994 and has historically drawn thousands of riders. Last year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, organizers had to cap registration at 1,000 participants. Still, the group ride was at a pandemic peak, with the previous two years offering scaled-down, virtual self-guided rides where cyclists could team up with others to conquer one of three routes on their own.
This year, there is no limit on registration and organizers expect upwards of 4,000 bikers.
The 28th annual Tour De Bronx is back Oct. 23, capped at 1K participants
As part of the event, there will be live musical performances after the bike ride.
Registration for this year’s ride ends on Oct. 21 and can be found here. Check in begins at 9 a.m. and the race starts at 11 a.m.
This article was updated on Oct. 18 at 9:24 p.m.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes.
