It's May and what better way to begin Bike Month 2021 then to appease -- and vanquish with a good old blessing of the bikes -- the Pandemic God. 

And so we'll make our yearly trek, that opens the bicycling season for New Yorkers, and is a 5BBC tradition, but with added urgency in 2021, to The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, at 112 Street and Amsterdam, to join a throng of other like-mind exorcism-driven cyclists in breaking the covid loggerjam with renewed hope for, well, humanity, but also our sadly under-ridden bicycles, which probably are in need of a tune up and dust off.

We meet in the vicinity of Chelsea Piers (exact location will be emailed to registered riders) at 8:00 AM. Wheels down at 8:15, when we roll uptown, arriving at St. John around 9ish for the blessing which, according to organizer Glen Goldstein (credited for the photo as well), begins promptly at 9.

After, we'll pick up a few more stragglers -- those who have opted to meet us at the cathedral --  and after some Hungarian pastry, breakfast coffee, and a tour of the cathedral grounds, we'll head up to Arthur Avenue, in the Bronx, for some take out (we are opting for the Casa Della Mozzarella Shop for a sandwich), and then a leisurely ride back across the Bronx, Upper Manhattan, that'll take us back down along the greenway. We'll make a stop at ride's end, at the kiosk at 66 Street and the greenway, for outdoor drinks and relaxing Hudson River views.

Note: Though we are listed as a happy face, we'll need to kick up the pace at the start to make the event on time. So no dallying on the greenway.

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IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS: A reminder that you must register for the ride and that the exact start location will be forwarded to the registered riders. Ride is limited to 12 riders and 2 leaders.   Please 'unregister' if you can not make the ride so waited list folks can move up and take the slot.  All riders should come equipped with a mask, hand sanitizer/wipes, a spare tube, sunscreen, snacks and a bike in good condition, as well as being familiar with the current criteria for riding with the Club.