NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The 5 Boro Bike Tour is often touted by organizers as the world’s most inclusive ride with diversity of ages, races, ethnicities and abilities welcomed.
Francesco Magisano is an example of that inclusive spirit. The 27-year-old Upper West Side native participates in many sports—running, swimming, biking—and he’s also visually impaired. This year’s 5 Boro Bike Tour was his second time riding the course.
“I have a tandem bike and my pilot is sighted, he's riding on the front of the tandem,” Magisano told 1010 WINS. “I'll be riding behind him and I'll be getting the verbal cues—right turn, left turn, duck down, pedal harder, stop sleeping. It’s a lot of fun.”
Magisano is the director of the NYC metro region within Achilles International, a global organization with a mission to transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connection.
Along with his sighted pilot, Wesley Demauro, Magisano took on the 40 miles of the bike tour which brought him over five bridges, two major highways and through some of the city’s most iconic places.
“How can you count the number of stars in the sky, right? There's so many awesome points you can't quantify,” Magisano said.
Magisano’s favorite portion of the ride is a part most people dread–the treacherous climb up the Queensboro Bridge. Riders are rewarded for their exhausting efforts with an exhilarating ride down from the overpass into Astoria.
This year, 45 athletes with disabilities were representing Achilles International on the bike tour, the most the organization ever had.
Ken Podziba is the CEO of Bike New York, the organization which puts on the iconic bike tour each year. He’s quite proud of how welcoming the event is for all sorts of people.
“It's the most diverse bike tour in the world,” Podziba said. “You have people who are four years old, 94 years old, all abilities, all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. It’s a microcosm of the world. There's so much power and energy from all the different people. And it's just so wonderful.”
After a two-year hiatus, the 5 Boro Bike Tour made a grand return on Sunday, drawing 32,000 riders from all over the country and world.
“The opportunity to ride car-free through the five boroughs of the most exciting and diverse city in the world is why the TD Five Boro Bike Tour has become our country’s most popular bike ride,” Podziba said.
As a visually impaired person, Magisano’s ride experience focused less on sights and more on other ways of experiencing the city.
“I pay attention to the sounds a lot, so hearing the different sounds and various neighborhoods and communities around the city,” Magisano explained. “That's something really special that isn't really highlighted a lot, that even the sounds of the different areas of the city are different.”
And what does the city sound like?
“A lot of honking. Maybe some pigeons,” Magisano said. “A lot of people having fun.”
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