Sadly, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the 43^rd Annual TD Five Boro Bike Tour has been cancelled. For the past few months, we have been working tirelessly with our partners in New York City government with the hope of rescheduling the Tour to October. We tried hard to find a viable solution, but the long-term implications of social distancing and the uncertainty around large gatherings post-COVID-19 have made it impossible for us to move forward with a 2020 event.

There are three options available to our registered riders:

• Support our cause: We hope that you will continue to support the Bike New York community by donating your registration fee to support our organization. If we don’t hear from you by June 1, your registration fees will automatically be converted to a tax-deductible donation, and you will receive an acknowledgment at year end. You have our deepest gratitude.
• Defer registration: We hope that you’ll join us for a future ride, so you may use your 2020 registration fee towards a ride in one of the next three years (2021, 2022 or 2023). To do so, please click here.
• Request a Refund: We understand that these are difficult times, and if converting your registration fee to a donation or deferring to another year is not possible, please email us directly at supportingourfriends@bike.nyc before June 1, 2020 to request a 50% refund of your entry fee. You will receive an automatic email confirmation with a link to a website where you will be asked to provide your information by June 15, 2020. Once we’ve received all necessary information, you will receive your refund by the end of June via the payment method used at registration, minus processing fees.

Regretfully, we are unable to provide a 100% refund as registration fees help cover the cost of pre-paid, non-refundable event expenses. If you choose a refund, please follow the instructions and deadlines above. Otherwise, your registration will automatically be converted into a charitable contribution as noted above.

To all 2020 registrants:

Whether you choose to donate, defer, or receive a refund, we hope you will join us on October 4, 2020 to participate in a free virtual Tour–one small way we’re striving to keep our community connected, no matter where in the world you ride. Details will be sent out in a separate communication.

All 2020 registrants will also receive a one-time 15% discount for either the 2021 or 2022 Discover Hudson Valley Ride or Twin Lights Ride.

Registered 2020 riders are invited to pre-register for either the 2021, 2022, or 2023 Tour by June 1, 2020. Please visit this link.

After selecting the year of your choice, you will receive an automatic email confirmation.  In September, you will receive additional communication that contains your link to the official registration page.

Registration for deferring riders will run from October 1 – October 14, 2020.

The registration fee is ordinarily non-refundable, even if the Tour is cancelled.  This policy is outlined in the Tour Waiver signed during registration for the Tour. If you would like to review the terms and conditions, they can be found here.

The refund policy is in place as most of the Tour expenses have already been incurred, including bike plates, bibs, helmet covers, credit card processing fees, signage, timing chips, permit fees, medals, storage fees, promotional expenses, and staff compensation as well as fees paid to multiple companies who have been working for months on the Tour.

Additionally, Bike New York is a non-profit organization that relies on the Tour to fund its bike education programs year-round. However, we understand that COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our nation and the world, and that many of our riders have been severely impacted. If you prefer a refund, we will send you a 50% refund by the end of June using the same method as you paid at registration.

Bike New York has already implemented painful cost-saving measures, including layoffs and salary reductions, and we will have to drastically reduce our free bicycle education programming as a result of COVID-19. We ask that participants consider the impact on the community and on our organization before selecting the refund option.

Organizing a mass participation event like the TD Five Boro Bike Tour requires a high degree of advance preparation. Efforts to plan the 2020 Tour began in earnest in June of 2019 and, consequently, most of the expenses for the anticipated event were incurred well before the emergence of the pandemic.

The non-refundable portion of registration fees is needed to cover costs already incurred from planning and preparing for the 2020 Tour and to support the year-round charitable training and safety programs that Bike New York provides.

• At its core, the Tour is a fundraiser for Bike New York, powering our mission to provide New Yorkers with the largest free bicycle education program in the country, as well as our community work across the five boroughs and calendar of local and regional events.  The Tour funds 85% of Bike New York’s operations.
• Additionally, through our Charity Partner Program, the Tour also serves as a fundraiser for 60 other important charities.
• Bike New York is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Here is a sample of what we do with the money you contribute through the Tour and our other events:
  • Provide free bicycles to hundreds of children from underserved communities
  • Execute an innovative partnership with the Department of Education that brings bike safety classes into the curriculum for thousands of middle school students throughout the five boroughs
  • Provide specialized instruction for autistic students and their families
  • Train formerly incarcerated residents of Brooklyn to become bike mechanics and offer them job placement assistance–most participants in our pilot program were hired by Citi Bike.

Bike New York is a small charity with a big mission. We have no endowment to fall back on and must raise money for our operating budget each year.

TD Five Boro Bike Tour and Bike New York Event Production Department – 32.84%

• 30.1% Participation Costs – Rider Identification Kits, Volunteer Vests, Participant Packets, Time Tracking Components, Medals, etc. – ordered six months in advance
• 38.43% Staffing and Personnel Costs directly related to events
• 14.9% Operating Costs – including warehouse rent to store supplies used during the Tour – majority has already been committed
• 6.78% Insurance (a fixed and contracted expense), but which does not cover cancellation of the event
• 9.8% Advertising & Marketing Costs (the majority of which is committed during the registration launch period)

Bike Education Programs – 32.86% – we served over 33,000 New Yorkers in 2019

Bike New York Operational Costs – 34.3% (including rent, staff salaries, and benefits)

Yes. On May 6, you received an email from Bike New York that contains a link to a page where you can designate how your 2020 entry fees will be reallocated – as a deferred registration applicable to the 2021, 2022, or 2023 Tour, or a full charitable donation to fund Bike New York’s important community work.

If you choose to request a refund, please email us directly at supportingourfriends@bike.nyc any time before June 1, 2020. You will then receive an automatic email confirmation that will include a link to a website where you can input your information by June 15, 2020.

Once this is completed, you will receive your 50% refund by the end of June via the payment method used at registration, minus processing fees. Please note: those who don’t respond by June 15, 2020 will, by default, donate their registration fee to Bike New York.

If you registered with a standard entry, 100% of your registration fee (minus processing fees) will become a tax-deductible donation. If you registered as a VIP, $201 is tax deductible after deducting the combined value of the VIP jersey ($92, which includes shipping) and bag ($57, which includes shipping) from your total registration fee. For information about when you will receive your bag and jersey, view “I registered as a VIP. Will I still receive my jersey and bag?”

Yes. On May 6, you were sent a letter from Bike New York that contained a link that will drive you to a page where you can choose the deferral option, as well as the desired year for deferral, by June 1, 2020. After selecting the year of your choice, you will receive a confirmation email within one week.

At the end of September, you will receive an additional communication that contains your link to the official registration page. Registration for deferring riders will run from October 1 – October 14, 2020.

Yes. On October 1, 2020, Bike New York will send you a link to a page where you will initiate the deferment of your 2020 registration to one of the following:

• 2021 Discover Hudson Valley Ride
• 2021 Twin Lights Ride
• 2022 Discover Hudson Valley Ride
• 2022 Twin Lights Ride

If you purchased insurance during registration, you may file a claim with the insurance provider, Allianz Insurance, to request a refund of your registration fees. You may also call them directly at 888-497-6987.

You’ll need to have your Tour registration confirmation number handy so you can provide it to them when requested. You can find your confirmation number in your registration receipt or on the Tour participant page.

Please note that Allianz Insurance, and not Bike New York, determines the outcome of all claims submitted to them.

Most jerseys ordered during Tour registration will have been sent to each rider’s registered address by the end of April. VIP entrants should receive their jerseys by June 5. Jerseys and shorts ordered on or before April 14 from Primal Wear’s website should be delivered by June 5. Orders after April 14 will be fulfilled in bulk, so we are unable to provide an exact delivery date.

As you know, the COVID-19 situation has disrupted supply chains and shipping throughout the world, so there may be delays that are beyond our control.

Yes, you will receive your jersey and bag as separate mailings at no additional cost. Your jersey will ship directly from our partner Primal Wear, and your VIP bag will ship from the warehouse.

First, thank you for your generous support. We are grateful for your Membership. If you choose to defer your Tour registration, you will be guaranteed a spot in the first Start Wave. If you choose to contribute your registration to Bike New York as a donation, we are doubly thankful. You are helping to support a generation of healthier, safer cyclists.

If you need to ask us for a refund of your TD Five Boro BikeTour registration fee, we will send you a 50% refund (minus processing fees). However, we cannot refund your Membership fee.

Yes, you will automatically receive a refund issued to the method of payment used for purchase, minus processing fees.

By now, you should have received an email from onPeak informing you of the cancellation of your reservation. If you did not, please contact onPeak at (877) 766-6748 or 5borobiketour@onpeak.com.

Questions regarding bookings made via tour operators must be directed to the tour operator you used to book your entry into the Tour.

1. Most recently, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we donated thousands of ponchos and gloves from our TD Five Boro Bike Tour storage warehouse to local hospitals.
2. Bike New York is proud to run the nation’s largest free bicycle education program; we served over 33,000 New Yorkers in 2019. Programming highlights have included:

• We host after school and summer camp programs in neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs, providing thousands of children, including those who might otherwise never have the chance to learn how to ride, with the opportunity to experience the joy and freedom of bicycling.
• We launched an innovative partnership with the NYC Department of Education to introduce bike safety classes into the curriculum for thousands of middle school students.
• We work with other organizations serving youth in low-income communities, helping them use bicycles as tools to explore New York City beyond their own neighborhoods as well as areas outside city limits–just last year, we held our inaugural tristate overnight bike touring trip for youth riders.
• We provide specialized instruction for autistic students and their families, unlocking a powerful outlet that connects them with friends, classmates, and the broader cycling community.
• We created an employment initiative designed for formerly incarcerated people, enrolling participants in an intensive mechanic training program at our Recycle-A-Bicycle shop and offering job placement assistance through our partnership with Citi Bike.
• In partnership with the State of New York, we opened New York’s first-ever “Bike Library,” giving visitors to Shirley Chisholm State Park and members of the surrounding neighborhoods access to bikes free of charge.
• Through our Gear Femmes program, we’ve built an inclusive, affirming community that welcomes women cyclists and contributes to closing the gender gap in New York City’s ridership.
• We salvage, repair, refurbish, and sell almost 2,000 broken and unwanted bikes each year, thus diverting more than 45,000 pounds of waste from the City’s landfills. This program allows us to provide more affordable bikes to a community that needs affordable transportation options.
• We’re on the ground in every borough, advocating for better bike infrastructure and safer streets for all who ride and walk.
• Click here for more information about Bike New York’s adult education programs
• Click here for more information about Bike New York’s youth education programs