Spin tactics

For the past 29 years, the Five Boro Bike Tour has marked a red-letter day for cyclists: Cars are booted off many city streets, and riders can pedal down such usually off-limits paths as the FDR Drive. Here are a few tips that will help you get the maximum enjoyment from your excursion.

• While you can register on the day of the ride (Sunday 7) at the starting line on Chambers Street between 6:30 and 7:45am, the scene is totally chaotic. It’s better to pick up the required bib on Saturday 6 at Bike New York’s office (891 Amsterdam Ave between 103rd and 104th Sts, 212-582-9304) or at Bicycle Habitat (244 Lafayette St between Prince and Spring Sts, 212-431-3315) until 4pm—and it’s $10 cheaper than the $55 charged on Sunday.
   
• The Five Boro’s start is a mess. Not only are 30,000 cyclists squished derailleur to derailleur, but many of them are weekend riders who can’t handle their bikes. If they take a spill, chances are you’ll go down with them. So while the official start is 8am, showing up a good hour earlier will put you at the front of the throng.
   
• Skip the first rest stop at East 116th Street and FDR Drive, and keep riding the 19 miles to Astoria Park in Queens. This will also allow you to remain ahead of the crowd.
   
• You don’t have to do all of the Five Boro’s 42 miles: Brooklyn is a perfect place to quit, especially if you live there. Ride a few miles on the BQE just so you can say you did it, then take any exit. While this means you don’t get to go on the Verrazano Bridge, you also avoid its rather steep access ramps and fierce winds. The icing on the cake: No waiting for the Staten Island Ferry back to Manhattan.—Elisabeth Vincentelli