These bikers got the beat!
Hordes of neon-clad riders transformed Brooklyn’s waterfront Greenway into a party on wheels on July 22 as they pedaled illuminated bikes from Greenpoint to Dumbo in a ride hosted by a local bicycle-advocacy organization.
“It was pretty cool because people had stuff like Christmas lights on their bikes, and refractors on the wheels,” said Sheepshead Bay resident Heather Heron. “People had speakers, too, and there was a guy deejaying in the front who we all followed.”
The second-annual Brooklyn Bike Rave was organized by the borough’s Greenway Initiative — which maintains the green-colored cyclist thoroughfare that runs along the water — as a way to bring attention to the group, according to a spokesman.
“This is just another way to build awareness about our mission and engage people in a fun way,” said Brian McCormick, co-founder of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative. “It’s a celebration of life moving along the waterfront at night, and creates a little spectacle.”
The amped-up, seven-mile journey — which ended with a more traditional celebration where participants mingled on two feet beneath the Manhattan Bridge — was a one-of-a-kind experience, according to a rider who came in from Long Island to whoop it up on two wheels.
“I’ve never done anything like that before,” said Claudia Hernandez. “Now I’m thinking about doing it again next year with my kids.”
