The Ward Tour will take place on Sunday, June 2nd, 2024. Registration and bib pickup begins at 9am, roll out at 11am sharp. Pick up your bib in advance to avoid a rush on Sunday morning.

The 2024 Ward Tour starts at Exchange Place, on Montgomery Street between Washington St and Hudson St. We'll ride through every Ward of Jersey City, and return to Exchange Place, where we'll have vendors, merch, and will be nearby to our partners, the Jersey City Jazz Festival. The full route can be found here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42028667

Traffic Impacts: The Ward Tour organizers make every effort to minimize impacts to traffic. The ride operates with "rolling closures," meaning that the police department will close an intersection just before the first bikes roll by, and will re-open after the last bike. Motorists should expect delays of up to 20 minutes if crossing the route. Volunteers, called "ride marshals," in yellow vests help JCPD manage the flow of cyclists and traffic. Please follow all ride marshal instructions. The full route can be found here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/42028667 In addition to rolling closures, Montgomery Street (between Washington St and Hudson St), and Greene Street (between Columbus Drive and York St) will be closed to all car traffic in both directions from 7 am to approximately 6 pm. Access to the LAX Parking Garage on Greene Street will remain open. Parking Impacts: There are only a handful of blocks along the Ward Tour's 16 mile route where parking is temporarily restricted for the safety of participants. Montgomery Street (between Washington St and Hudson St), and Greene Street (between Columbus Drive and York St) will be parking-prohibited from 12:01 am on June 2nd until 6 pm. There will also be no parking permitted on North Street between Central Ave and Palisade Ave from 12:01 am on June 2nd until 6 pm. Parking will also be prohibited on the West side of Palisade Ave between North St and Congress St from 12:01 am to 6 pm.

General admission to the Ward Tour is $10. This small ticket price helps support our advocacy and programming for the year. Kids under 18 ride free (kids under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). Seniors over 60 are eligible for a reduced ticket price of $5.

There is no age limit for riding in the Ward Tour, but riders should be able to maintain a pace of approximately 8 mph. This is a fairly relaxed pace for an adult who bikes even occasionally. We also take some short breaks to catch a breath and to allow for smooth traffic control, and our one long break in Lincoln Park roughly at the halfway point, after the only steep uphill on the course (so you can just walk your bike up that hill if you want).

Yes, the route has rolling closures, which means that traffic is not allowed on the road until the riders pass.

New Jersey State law requires anyone under the age of 17 to wear a bicycle helmet. In addition we ask all participants over 17 years of age to also wear a helmet. Please contact us with questions or concerns in the event that you are over 17 and the helmet requirement would rule out your ability to participate due to financial and/or religious factors. We would like everyone to be able to participate so we will try to work with you to make sure you or your group are able to ride in the tour.

The Ward Tour is a rain-or-shine event. It will still be held if there's rain. In the event of severe weather, such as lightning, hail, or extreme winds, Bike JC may be forced to cancel the tour. Any weather cancellations will be published by email, on our website, and across all our socials. Unfortunately, we are unable to issue refunds in the event of severe weather.

Yes! Come to any bib pickup, or arrive early on Sunday, June 2nd to register. Our volunteers will assist your registration and can accept cash or card.

If you're interested in riding the Ward Tour for free, please consider volunteering. Volunteers are essential for keeping this event sustainable and rolling smoothly. You can sign up here.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide refunds for any reason. You can transfer your ticket for no fee to someone else. Once they pay, you'll receive a full refund. You can find more info below.

Yes! Transferring your ticket is possible through our registration page. Please note that you cannot simply use another riders bib, your name and details must be registered on our page. To transfer a registration, click "Transfer my registration" on the top right of the page (if you're on a mobile device, it may appear as "help links"). Fill out the form. When the person who you've transferred your registration to has paid, you'll receive a full refund.

Please bring everything that you will need for a full day of riding your bike. Some suggestions: Water Bottles Sunglasses Snacks Lightweight lock Weather-Appropriate Clothing Spare inner tube Phone & Backup Battery ID Card Credit Cards and/or Cash Essential medications such as EpiPens or Inhalers

Unfortunately, due to the large number of participants, we are unable to store belongings for the duration of the ride. Please come prepared to carry all your belongings with you for the ride.

We suggest doing an ABC Check of your bike before the ride. A is for Air Check the air pressure, spin the wheels and make sure the tires are not worn out. B is for Brakes Check to make sure coaster brakes will stop the bike by spinning the back wheel and applying the brake. If the bike has hand brakes check to see that the levers don’t hit the handlebars when squeezed. Lift one tire up at a time and spin it; squeeze the levers to see if the tire stops. The brake pads should be clean, straight and contact the rims properly. C is for Cranks, Chain, and Cogs Grab the crank arms and try to wiggle side to side. There should be no movement. Spin the pedals and cranks to see if the chain drives the rear wheel. The chain should look like metal not rust or black gunk. If the bike has gears check to make sure the gear levers and derailleurs (gear-changing mechanism) work to shift the chain between gears.

Yes! Every rider, regardless of age, needs a bib. A bib is a piece of paper with a number on it that you pin to your shirt. It helps us ensure everyone is registered, has signed a waiver, and can provide us with valuable information in the case of emergencies.

The route is 16 miles long. The riding pace is conversational. Most of of the course is slightly rolling to flat. However, there are a few steady uphill sections, and one steeper but very short hill in Lincoln Park just before the halfway rest point where the ride takes a short water and shade break. People with a wide range of athletic abilities should be able to complete this course. We’ll ride on streets (or sometimes on one side of a street) that are closed to motor-vehicle traffic by the Jersey City Police Department. Police officers will escort us throughout the ride.

YES. All riders or passengers in the Ward Tour must be registered and wearing a bib number. This is for everyone's safety, and it helps us track you down if your child gets separated. Registration for riders under 18 is free.

Riders are encouraged to pick up their bibs on Friday or Saturday to avoid the rush on Sunday morning. Multiple pickup options will be available on Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st. We'll announce details by email & socials, and will post here. If you can't pick your bibs up in advance, you can do so starting at 9am on Sunday morning. Bib pickup will continue until the ride leaves, but we encourage you to arrive early, as there can be long lines.

The closest PATH station to the start at City Hall is at Exchange place, just two blocks from the starting line. The Newark <-> World Trade Center line stops here. If you're taking the Journal Square <-> 33rd St (Via Hoboken) line, the closest stop is Newport, which is just a short, flat bike ride from Exchange Place.

If you're coming by Light Rail, the closest stop will be Exchange Place. All stops between Marin Blvd and Pavonia/Newport are a short, flat ride to the start. You can't go wrong!

The NY Waterway ferry runs two lines that you can take you from Manhattan to the Ward Tour start: Brookfield Place to Paulus Hook: 10:20am boat from Brookfield Place Arrives 10:30am at Hoboken NJT → short (15min / 2.6mi) ride to the start Arrives 10:40am at Paulus Hook → even shorter (4min / 0.7mi) ride to the start Midtown / 39th St to Hoboken 14th St: Arrives 10:22am at Hoboken 14th St. 4mi ride to Ward Tour start NOTE! This is not the NYC Ferry! You need the NY Waterway app, and it costs $8-$9.

If taking NJT Rail, the closest station will be Hoboken Terminal. Several rail lines terminate here.

We suggest public transit to the start, as traffic will be congested and parking is scarce. There are some paid lots nearby, and street parking is sometimes possible.