Bike East, the annual 20-mile community bike tour, returns to change the negative narrative of Brownsville and East New York.
Brooklynites will take to the streets of East New York and Brownsville for the 2018 Bike East cycling tour and lifestyle festival on Saturday, August 18. Cyclists and non-cyclists alike can participate in a packed program of activities and events including a supported bike tour, kids bike riding class, boxing, zumba, dance classes, a health market and live entertainment.
The bike tour will depart from Linden Park at 10:00am. Cyclists will ride as one group through East New York and Brownsville, as well as some parts of Howard Beach, Canarsie Park and Flatlands, and will make stops in the Jamaica Bay to introduce riders to new access points on the Jamaica Bay Greenway. Snacks to refuel will be available at various stops along the route. The tour's grand finale will culminate with a finish line concert by The Experi3nce, a Brooklyn-based music collective that blends hip-hop, funk and jazz.
With over 200+ registrants to date, Bike East has more than quadrupled participation for the 20-mile community bike tour and festival since its inception. Kevin Joseph, co-founder of Brooklyn dance company "Purelements: An Evolution in Dance," launched Bike East five years ago in an effort to change the negative narratives of his home communities of East New York and Brownsville, commonly associated with high crime and lifestyle-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Instead, the tour's purpose is to encourage community and unity through biking, as well as to introduce East Brooklynites to the active lifestyle amenities near them in hopes that they will choose to invest in their health, support local organizations and travel these routes again.
Registration for the tour and the active lifestyle events is free and open to all ages. Advanced registration is open at BikeEast.org. Check-in will begin at 8:30am and walk-in registration will be open until 9:45am. Early attendees will have an opportunity to score a free bike helmet in the helmet giveaway and biking newbies can join the adult or youth learn-to-ride classes courtesy of Bike New York.
