For riders like E. Ramone Segree, the second annual Tour de Queens was just another chance to enjoy the beautiful weather and leisurely ride his bike through the borough, along with about 1,000 other cheerful participants.
Segree is the vice president for institutional advancement for LaGuardia Community College, which is one of the biggest sponsors for the Tour de Queens this year. He and his group of riders from LaGuardia will keep pace with each other and share the stunning sites on this 18-mile bike ride around Queens.
“This is our first year here and we have been planning and training for this event for a long time,” Segree said. “It is very important to us to be involved in this because Queens is our home.”
The Tour de Queens brings out the best in people from all ages and skill levels. With preregistration capped at 500 riders and day of registration also capped at 500, the event filled up as soon as the gates were open in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 12.
The thousand or so riders of all ages prepared for the start of the tour by checking their tires, stretching, taking photos of the masses that showed up, and stocking up on water and energy bars, which were provided by Transportation Alternatives, who host the annual event.
“We started setting up here at the park at 6:30 in the morning, and people where already here waiting to sign up,” said Noah Budnick, projects director for Transportation Alternatives.
Riders young and old come out to support events such as this, which advocate for more space for bike riders all over Queens. They rode through places like Hollis, St. Albans, Corona, Kew Gardens, and Flushing.
For some, planning for this event took weeks of preparation. For others, a quick shower in the morning and a bike ride over to Flushing Meadows sufficed.
“My fiancé brought it up over dinner last night and it was kind of like a spur of the moment thing for us,” said Astoria resident Darius Penikas, who is a big supporter of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s initiative for more bike lanes throughout New York.
With city cops escorting the riders all day, the main goal of the event was to enjoy the sites and sounds, along with being friendly and aware of the other riders.
Tom Finkelpearl, Director of the Queens Museum of Art in the park, who also rode in the event, addressed the riders before the official start at 9:30 a.m.
“This is the most culturally diverse place in America, if not the world, and this is great because we are riding around Queens and getting to know the borough better.”
The start of the race was announced over the loudspeaker system around the park and they were off. Bells were ringing as 2,000 legs were pumping the pedals of a vast array of bikes.
Starting and ending in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the riders arrived back at around 2 p.m. with well-deserved congratulations at hand, along with food and drinks for the well-traveled participants.
