All cyclists with stamina and durable bikes are invited to go on a bike tour to kick off the return of Bicycle Sundays.
The Bronx River Bike Tour, organized by the Bronx River Alliance will take place on Sunday, September 14 along the Bronx River Greenway.
The Bronx River Alliance will team up with co-sponsors and closely affiliated Bronx River Alliance Greenway Team, Boogie Down Rides, Five Boroughs Bicycle Club and the East Coast Greenway Alliance for a bike ride to promote environmentally friendly travel and healthy activity.
Cyclists have an opportunity to join these bike clubs on a scenic route that begins in Soundview and continues all the way to Valhalla, a span of 23 miles.
“This event is a great way to promote the new and improved greenway to cyclists around the city,” said Claudia Ibaven, who is the Greenway coordinator.
“We hope bicycle enthusiasts will appreciate the work that has been done on this project since it began nine years ago.”
The original Bronx River Greenway was created in 1925. At the time, the greenway did not extend past the borough borders of the Bronx.
In 2005, the Bronx River Alliance published the Bronx River Greenway Plan with the idea of expanding the greenway to Westchester County, a plan that had been envisioned by the community for years.
Now that cyclists have seen this vision come to fruition, they can enjoy an extended bike path in both an urban and suburban environment.
The bike tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. with cyclists gathering at the Soundview Park Field House, on Lafeyette Avenue near Colgate Avenue. The nearest subway stop is Elder Avenue on the #6 train.
The bike route will start at the Field House and end at the Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, where the ride will break for lunch for approximately 45 minutes. Cyclists can bring their own lunch or purchase lunch on site.
Think that’s far? The Bronx River Alliance will then challenge those who are up for it to bike back to Soundview Park where the bike tour started, which will conclude a 46-mile ride.
Cyclists who plan to attend this event are required to wear a helmet and sign a waiver prior to the bike ride. Those travelling back to the city by train can take the Metro North from the Valhalla train station. A $5 permit is required to bring a bike on the Metro North with the exception of folding bikes, which do not require a permit.
This event marks the return of Bicycle Sundays, a set of bike tours sponsored by Con Edison and Westchester Country Parks that will take place on every Sunday of this month.
“The great thing about this ride is that it’s bringing together many of the coalitions that have been critical in developing the Bronx River Greenway,” said Andy Hamilton, Mid-Atlantic Trail coordinator of the East Coast Greenway Alliance.
“This greenway is important not only locally, but nationally as a part of the 2900-mile long East Coast Greenway system linking any of the major cities of the Eastern Seaboard.”
All cyclists must register beforehand by contacting: Claudia.Ibaven@parks.nyc.gov.
