NYC teens biking to Boston for 2025 Youth Bike Summit
Some teenagers from New York City are preparing to bike across state lines to get to the 2025 Youth Bike Summit in Boston.
The students from El Puente Bike Club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn will cycle from New Haven, Connecticut to Massachusetts for the national conference on cycling, sustainability and youth empowerment.
NYC teens will bike from New Haven to Boston
The group's route begins with a train ride from New York to New Haven on Monday. From there, they'll bike through Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, arriving in Boston just in time for the three-day summit.
As the teens made their final bike adjustments and packed for their trip, they said the journey is all about sending a message.
"It's a great way to get out of the city and see places that you normally wouldn't see, like, taking a car," said 16-year-old Raymond Moreno.
This will mark the second straight year the group is making the trip by bike, and the furthest they've ever gone on two wheels.
"I remember going up a really big hill and I was just like, 'Oh, this is a lot,'" said 16-year-old Karly Rosa, reflecting on last year's experience. "It was tiring mentally and physically, but I'm just proud that I could do it."
Rosa said the ride is also about demonstrating young people's strength and potential.
"It's showing the power that youth have and what we are able to do," she said. "We can travel this far, then we can change a lot of things that we think are going wrong right now."
Choosing the greenest way to travel
The El Puente Bike Club is a community-based program promoting environmental awareness and leadership through cycling. The teens are determined to choose the greenest way possible to get to the summit. They also believe they are the only group in the country getting there by bike this year.
The group spent recent weeks not only training, but also preparing art to raise awareness about sustainability and youth-led transportation initiatives. They even operated a bike pumping station at the Five Boro Bike Tour.
"I know that not that much people can do this," said 15-year-old Jeffrey Ortiz. "And I think it's a privilege, me being here."
Bike club co-facilitator Jorge Luis Berrios said the journey is just as much about education as it is physical effort.
"The world is a school, because it is about biking there, but it's also about learning through experience," Berrios said. "How is the weather? How does your body feel? What do you see out there?"
As they finalize their itinerary and double-check their gear, a mix of nerves and excitement fills the air.
"Probably going to be a test to see what I'm capable of doing," Moreno said.
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