burning rubber

I completed the five-borough bike tour on Sunday, May 1. Bitchcakes and I finished the route in almost exactly four hours, which is pretty good time for ~40 miles with two rests and a few bottlenecks. We biked on roads that are usually off limits to cyclists, like the FDR Drive and Verrazano Bridge, and couldn’t have asked for better weather! The toughest parts were over the Gowanus on the BQE (the elevation is killer) and along Shore Parkway (regardless of the flat terrain we were biking, as Bob Seger would say, against the wind).

I want to give a big THANK YOU to Bitchcakes for allowing me to accompany her during the ride. She prefers riding alone, and originally I was only heading to the start with her (over the Brooklyn Bridge around 5:30am -- the only time it's not flooded with people!), but we made a good team, I think. When my bags fell off my new rack in Astoria, I expected her to zoom out of sight, but she was kind enough to wait. She also took this triumphant photo of me at the end:

I made the Verrazano my bitch, a photo by bitchcakesny on Flickr.

It's surprising how great this achievement makes me feel, and it makes me sad that I wasn't able to feel as incredible after last year's 55-mile Century Tour. I was arguably in better shape last year, but that tour took its toll. This year, however, I was all smiles and celebration, kvelling to anyone who'd listen.

And, because I'm insane, I biked to Punk Rope at the 14th Street Y the following day, leaving around 10:30 after two happy-hour beers. I survived the round trip in one piece!

After taking my mom to the much talked-about M. Wells in LIC for Mother's Day, I did something I never thought I'd do: I ran an errand in Manhattan on my bike, taking the Williamsburg Bridge to Housingworks Bookstore Cafe. It's so invigorating, and I wish I had the opportunity to ride every day.