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Updated 06/03/2012 04:56 PM

Cyclists Bring Flair, Enthusiasm To Annual "Tour De Brooklyn"

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About 2,000 cyclists pedaled the 21.5-mile route of the eighth-annual Tour de Brooklyn on Sunday, to wind their way through the borough's many neighborhoods.

Riders of all ages started at Commodore Barry Park and made their way through Fort Greene, Park Slope, Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Midwood, Kensington and Prospect Heights.

To keep things interesting, the organizers alter the route every year.

"I love that we don't know our route and we just show up and go where they tell us to," said one rider.

"I like seeing different parts of the city, plus I always see restaurants and shopping things that I've never been too and I'm like, 'Oh, I'm going back there,'" said another.

One 11-year-old boy was a Tour De Brooklyn veteran, going on his fourth ride.

"It's pretty exciting because there are a lot of hills. And when I first started I was kind if scared, but now I'm used to it," he said. "It's nice to go home at the end."

Some cyclists jazzed up the bikes and wore bright adornments, such as stuffed bears on helmets, red polka dot dresses and butterfly wings.

"My roommate has the same ones and thought this would be really fun," said a rider in sparkly rhinestone-rimmed glasses. "We wish we had tutus but we didn't have any."

Organizers hoped the 20 mile ride reminds people how accessible the Borough is.

"One might not think getting from Fort Greene to Bensonhurst is a simple ride, but it really shows the interconnectivity of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn," said tour director Ben McRoberts.

Next month brings the launch of the city's Bike Share program, which will allow people to rent bikes on the go. That will allow New Yorkers to see how easy it is to ride in all the boroughs, any time.

For more information on the Tour de Brooklyn and the bike share program, visit www.bikenyc.org.