It was a sea of excited bikers Sunday morning. From veteran riders to first timers, more than two thousand, young and old, signed up to ride in the Tour De Staten Island.
This is Transportation Alternatives second biggest fundraiser of the year. The group's mission is to advocate for more people to bike, walk, or use mass transit. Organizers say the event continues to grow as they partner with more and more local businesses.
"On Staten Island we just want people to get out and see what a great borough it is. We want Staten Islanders to come out and see how great it is to bike in their borough as well," said event director Beth Slade.
That's something Transportation Alternatives member Anton Hart says he appreciated. He tells us he's been riding for more than 50-years, but it's his first ride on Staten Island.
"I'm a lifetime New Yorker but I don't know Staten Island so well and so the excitement of this ride is going in and out of little streets and through different neighborhoods and seeing how people live," said Hart.
Riders got to choose between two routes, either 35 miles or 50 miles long and during this ride the experience allows bikers to ride simultaneously with traffic as there are no street closures.
"Riding a bike is kind of a fun sport, good for your health but it's also an ethical stance. Not long after Earth Day, we're trying to get on bikes and burn less fossil fuels," said Hart.
For many riders, it wasn't about racing against the clock to finish but enjoying the experience and finishing the ride.