Call it proving the mettle in the pedal. Organizers say a New York City bicyclist has bested a driver and a transit rider in a rush-hour race.

The cyclist made a 4.5-mile commute Thursday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking and transit.

Another cyclist won the annual competition last year.

Call it proving the mettle in the pedal.

Organizers say a New York City bicyclist has bested a driver and a transit rider in a rush-hour race.

The cyclist made 4.5-mile commute Thursday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking and transit.

Another cyclist won the annual competition last year.

The cyclist made a 4.5-mile commute yesterday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking, and transit.

Another cyclist won the annual competition last year.

High gas prices are causing spot shortages of bikes in New York City, as commuters turn to pedal power.

Many of these new cyclists are from areas not commonly associated with the "Bike Belt"--neighborhoods such as the Upper West Side and Williamsburg in Brooklyn--but are instead from Queens and other places where driving to work has long been common and affordable. With gas costing nearly $4 a gallon, these commuters are switching to bikes, leaving some stores short on fashionable brands and preferred colors.

Call it proving the mettle in the pedal. Organizers say a New York City bicyclist has bested a driver and a transit rider in a rush-hour race.

The cyclist made 4.5-mile commute Thursday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking and transit.

Another cyclist won the annual competition last year.

For the second year in a row, a bicyclist beat out a driver and a transit rider in the annual rush-hour Great NYC Commuter Race Thursday.

Event sponsor Transportation Alternatives said a cyclist made the 4.5-mile commute from Fort Greene, Brooklyn to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

It took the driver 22 minutes and the transit rider 29.

Transportation Alternatives promotes cycling, walking, and transit, and says the city is becoming more bike-friendly.

To the surprise of no one -- with the possible exception of Bike Snob NYC -- bike commuter and social worker Jamie Favaro won Transportation Alternatives' 7th Annual Great NYC Commuter Race this morning, completing the 4.5-mile route between Fort Greene and Union Square in 16.5 minutes. Driver Emmanuel Fuentebella came in second at 22 minutes, and transit rider April Greene made the trip in 29 minutes. Writes T.A.:

A bicyclist, a driver and a subway rider walked into a bar.

No, actually they didn't. The three actually raced from Fort Greene to Union Square during today's morning commute to see who got there fastest in 7th Annual Great NYC Commuter Race, held by Transportation Alternatives (essentially an anti-car lobbying group). Think of it as a more modest version of a planes, trains and automobiles race between New York and Washington.

The daily commute got heated this morning after three commuters competed for the prize of "fastest commuter." A woman on a bicycle, a man in a car and a woman on a subway and bus went head-to-head. So who won? Check out the video to find out.

Call it proving the mettle in the pedal. Organizers say a New York City bicyclist has bested a driver and a transit rider in a rush-hour race.

The cyclist made 4.5-mile commute Thursday morning from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood to Manhattan's Union Square in less than 17 minutes.

Race sponsor Transportation Alternatives says the driver took 22 minutes, and the transit rider 29. The group promotes cycling, walking and transit.

WCBS spoke with Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives.