Rode it last year, with the implementation of the no backpacks rule.
There are plenty of stops. I only stopped at the mandatory stop in Queens, and the finish stop, bypassing 3 other stops on the way (or was it 4). At ~40 miles, it’s not all that long, and that early in the year, it didn’t get too hot, so it wasn’t a lot of sweating. Two water bottles was more than enough.
From what I overheard was that because of the safety restrictions, there were a lot fewer riders in odd costumes.
It was quite fun riding down the FDR on a bike, but there were a few injuries (road seams catching people unaware) and a death (heart attack on the Queensboro bridge) on the ride last year.
And remember it’s a family ride, so when you want to open it up and put the hammer down, expect to have to slow up because 12 people are riding side-by-side down the BQE. Unlike the Air Force Cycling Challenge, which is about as Racey as you’ll get for a non-race, expect to go slow any time there’s a climb.
And though it’s Major roads in NYC, the road surfaces are really poor for most of the ride; they make DC’s roads seem well kept in comparison. The stretch up from the start to Central Park was one of the worst surfaced roads I’ve ever ridden on, and the FDR & BQE weren’t very well surfaced either.
Unless there was someone I knew that really really wanted me to go with them, it’s one of those “Been There, Done That” rides for me.
I wrote about it in more detail on my blog: http://www.denitto.com/2013/05/14/td-five-boroughs-bike-tour/
–Pete
