Bronx bicycling enthusiasts can get in gear for the 17th annual Tour de Bronx, as registration for the Oct. 23 event is now open. The tour is a joint project by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, and local hospitals to promote health and exercise.

“Riding a bike around our borough is the healthiest way to see the best of the Bronx, and I invite everyone to join me again this year to tour our wonderful borough,” Diaz said in a press release.

The borough president kicked off the event at a press conference at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore last Wednesday.

For Roxanne Watson, the event could be another marker in her recovery. Watson received a heart transplant at Montefiore Hospital last year and has recovered well enough to try and bike the borough.

“For a long time I couldn’t even walk.  Now I’m exercising three times a week and willing to try new things like Tour de Bronx,” Watson said.

It’s the largest free cycling event in the state, according to a press release. Bicyclists can choose between a 25-mile course designed for all skill levels or a more rigorous 40-mile course, for more experienced bikers.

The tour starts at the Bronx County Building on 161st Street and the Grand Concourse, heads into Mott Haven, then snakes around the southeastern edges of the borough. It pulls northward and to the west after Throgs Neck and ends near Bedford Park.

To register for this year’s Tour de Bronx, head to http://tourdebronx.org/register or call (718) 590-3518.