TWO DECADES OF 5 BORO BIKING

Some of his friends call it a fabulous social outing. Others say it is a joyous reunion, delightful chaos, a highlight of the year, or a truly dynamic, healthy, communal celebration of New York City. But for Kenneth Levy, Brooklyn-born and bicoastal legend of Silicon Valley’s semi-conductor industry, the annual Five Boro Bike Tour is simply good oldfashioned fun and always a trip down memory lane.

For more than fifteen years, Ken and Gloria Levy have invited their friends and family to come to New York for a weekend of festivities built around this amazing Tour. The invitees range in age from 16 to 85 and travel thousands of miles from as far away as Israel, California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas for a carefully planned, action-packed two-day weekend that includes Broadway Shows, dinner and cocktails for the Kentucky Derby at a Manhattan sports bar, shopping, museum visits, biking through all five boroughs with friends, family and 35,000 others and then celebrating with their guests with a “Victory Party” at an upscale Greek restaurant.

all things BMX, cycling, and racing in Brian’s and Evan’s lives.

Brian likes the bike Tour because it’s not a race.

“You can set your own pace and it isn’t too strenuous, so you’re not over-exerting yourself. Anyone in any walk of life can do it, not just avid cyclists,” he says. He has even seen people on unicycles, so he encourages people to “just do it” and not hesitate since “there are plenty of places to exit or rest and refuel, and you don’t need the best equipment or to be in the best shape because it’s an inclusive event.”

The Godzilla Racing crew has gotten larger and larger over the years, with people floating in and out. Brian and Evan’s story is a reminder that when we ride together, we can heal and find joy together. The TD Five Boro Bike Tour brings much joy to Brian and Evan every year. Brian and his wife Alison currently reside in Tampa, FL, where they raise two sons, who also love their bikes.

This story for Ken goes back more than 20 years when he first joined the Five Boro Bike Tour with one of his semi-conductor colleagues and good friend, Gary Hillman, a fellow engineer from New Jersey (see attached image) and they promised each other that they would both ride the Tour until one of them could not. Ken, now 80 years young, keeps on biking, and likes to tease that:

“The Tour claims that the distance is the same every year but I’ve been riding this for at least 20 years or so and I know that the distance has changed. The forty miles must be at least 60 or 70 miles now based on how long it takes me to finish.”

Ken is too modest to see what he does as heroic. But his enthusiasm, good humor, unbridled generosity, commitment to friends and successful management of a remarkable two day agenda is worthy of a gold medal not only for Ken, but for Gloria Levy, his high school sweetheart and wife of 60 years.