The annual Five Boro Bike Tour is a 40 mile car-free extravaganza in New York. Did you catch that? 40 miles of car-free riding, across all five New York City boroughs. 32,000 cyclists ride to have fun and raise money for bike classes. 

As magical as that is, what happens the day before the ride - and has been happening for 16 years - is possibly even more magical.

The day before the Tour the heavy grand doors of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the 4th largest Christian church in the world, open to anxious parishioners. The eager subjects are waiting on the steps, bike in hand, for service their local bike shop does not offer.

For 16 years the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has been hosting the Blessing of the Bikes, a short but serious service conferring "safety and joy and fun" upon each bike, and each rider.

Julia (left) inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Julia, a daily NYC commuter attended her first blessing this year. "My favorite moment was probably waiting in line to go into the cathedral. The morning sun was bright. The air was fresh and cool. At least a couple of hundred cyclists showed up." 

"While we waited to go inside, someone passed out Danishes and croissants from a wicker basket. We chatted, took pictures, and shared stories. I felt a sense of community being there. After the service ended and we were all blessed with sprinkles of holy water, we led our bikes on a procession around the cathedral."

Julia added, "It was a moving experience, for any rider."

The Rev. Canon Julia Whitworth leading the service

You don't have to be religious to attend. The Blessing is a chance for riders of all persuasions and skills - one woman even showed up on a CitiBike, New York's bike share - to congregate in a show of solidarity. Riders need riders. Every bike on the street is a proud and overt endorsement of every other bike. The annual Blessing of the Bikes brings all those riders together, and adds a little holy water. It couldn't hurt.