Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Bicyclists Get Ready For The Tour de Brooklyn

Four weeks before its much bigger French cousin rips out of the starting gate, Brooklyn is getting its very own Tour.

Started seven years ago to provide a family-friendly riding atmosphere and to promote the visibility of the borough's growing number of cyclists, this year's is set to begin on Sunday at Prospect Heights High School at 8 a.m.

Hundreds of cyclists are expected to participate in a rolling "bike parade" through eastern and southeastern Brooklyn — places where cyclists are not traditionally a force to be reckoned with on city streets.

However, for Bespoke Bicycles employee and Clinton Hill resident Dustin Wade, there were plenty of reasons closer to home to get involved.

"Presence and awareness are pretty essential," Wade said. "From an advocacy standpoint there are not enough people on the road that give credence to the thousands of riders out there like myself."

Even in relatively bike-friendly Fort Greene, Wade pointed out several areas in need of continued advocacy, such as and creating a two-way biking corridor between the Williamsburg Bridge and the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Sunday's event will be held by nonprofit transit advocates Transportation Alternatives, which also organizes borough-specific rides in Queens and The Bronx, as well as a citywide Century Bike Tour. 

Riders looking to participate in the Tour de Brooklyn are encouraged to sign-up in advance at tourdebrooklyn.org/register. Registration is $5 for kids and Transportation Alternative members; $10 for non-members.