Thousands Of Cyclists Hit The Five Boroughs For The NYC Century Bike Tour

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Dan Bishop from East Islip is among the 7,000 cyclists who came out for the 23rd Annual NYC Century Bike Tour on Sunday.

Why was it worth it for him to get up at 4 a.m. and head to New York City for a 100-mile bike ride?

"Because I'm crazy," Bishop told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck with a chuckle before the race. "I'm just taking it easy, going to have some fun and stop and get some good food. I'm going to get a fish taco in Rockaway."

1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck reports 

His friend, Junior Anderson, also planned to stop for tacos, but he assured Schuck that he's taking the race seriously.

"I love the outdoors, and it's going to be a beautiful day today," Anderson said before getting started. "I love the exercise, and yeah, I'm going to stop and get some fish tacos."

Adam from London also took part in the bike tour, and he set off before dawn in Harlem.

"Well it's fun," Adam said. "It's terrific fun riding around parts of New York that you don't normally get to see."

And like Anderson, Adam admitted that it's not just about taking in the sights.

"It's not a race, but I'm not going to go slow," Adam said. "You want to finish by lunchtime."

The event continues to dramatically increase in popularity. The first event back in 1990 drew just 200 cyclists.

The bike tour began at 6 a.m. and will conclude at 6 p.m.

Have you ever ridden in the bike tour? What was it like? Share your experiences in the comments section below...