Fall Rides for All

By Dave Kraus

Remember the days (if you’re old enough) when you used to use a paper calendar or planner? Or, if you’re our publisher/editor, you still do! It seemed like the pages turned or the leaves flew off that little desktop calendar twice as fast when summer arrived. Before you knew it, the real-life leaves were flying off the trees and another summer of cycling had disappeared. 

Now even in the digital age, the warm months seem to fly by as you ride with your friends in the beauty of Upstate New York. But autumn brings its own rewards. Vibrant colors burst out. Your fitness is at its peak so you can ride longer and enjoy the season. Plus, there are stops at local orchards and farmstands with hot drinks, fresh ripe apples and... cider donuts!

Our region also offers a bumper fall crop of organized cycling events for all riding ages and abilities. You can pedal routes planned for their beauty while spending time in the saddle with old friends and making new ones. Here’s a roundup of some magnificent events to mark on your calendar – digital or paper.

September 15: Saratoga Trail Festival in Saratoga County presented by the Saratoga Trails Alliance – This inaugural gathering offers free guided trail adventures from for bike rides, hiking, kayak, and equestrian riding across Saratoga County Trails, and an after party at Glenham Farm in Saratoga Springs. Info: saratogatrails.org.

September 29: Fall Foliage Ride in Broadalbin by the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club – The fall event season kicks off with a new ride from the area’s largest cycling club. Riding from the Great Sacandaga Brewing Company with road routes of 20, 42, and 73 miles, it takes in the beautiful scenery and fall foliage around the Great Sacandaga Lake in the foothills of the Adirondacks. The brewery will be open after the ride and plans include available food. If you have never ridden with MHCC before, then you get one free ride as a guest without joining. You would just need to sign a waiver form at the start of the ride. Otherwise, you will need to become a club member to participate. Membership dues are only $20 a year and you can easily join online: mohawkhudsoncyclingclub.org.

October 5: Cross Mountain Crusher Gravel Grinder in Arkville presented by the Catskill Recreation Center and Overlook Bicycles – The annual Crusher has made some route changes this year to add more gravel miles to the ride that take you on some challenging climbs deep in the Catskills including 40-mile Crusher Lite, 55-mile Crusher (original), and 62-mile Super Crusher. The start/finish is at the Catskill Recreation Center in Arkville, which offers full locker room and shower facilities, plus post-ride food and coffee, music, beer from Catskill Brewery, and tech support from Overlook Bikes in Woodstock. This event benefits CRC and has it all! Visit: bikereg.com.

October 5: Cider Ride in South Glens Falls hosted by the Adirondack Multi-Sport Club – The club coordinates activities for a variety of sports throughout the Glens Falls region and this eighth annual ride includes routes of 32 and 43 miles traversing the scenic countryside southeast of the city with a mid-ride stop at Saratoga Apple in Schuylerville. Start and finish your ride at the Common Roots brewery in South Glens Falls and enjoy a free beer after your ride. Go to: bikereg.com.

October 5-6: Saratoga Foliage Ride in Saratoga Springs presented by Bikeatoga – This premier cycling advocacy organization has put together a complete weekend of biking in Saratoga County and entertainment in Saratoga Springs, with two days of rides on routes of 30, 50, and 75 miles visiting the Saratoga National Battlefield Park, Saratoga Monument, and an ice cream stop at King Brothers Dairy farm. Ride participants also get a generous roster of benefits that includes a catered post-ride lunch, event T-shirt, and on-route support plus available ride jerseys, a Saratoga Regional YMCA day pass, and additional discounts at area hotels, restaurants, and stores for event weekend. There are even additional discounts for visiting groups of 10 or more. It’s a complete event weekend and a fantastic way to get more acquainted with Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County. Visit: saratogafoliageride.com.

September 15-November 3: CBRC Cyclocross Series in Scotia, Troy, Glens Falls, and Delmar hosted by the Capital Bicycle Racing Club – This long running series from CBRC includes four weekends of racing that has events for every level of rider from age six and up. September 15: NomadCX in Scotia’s Collins Park, presented by Nomad Endurance – With this fantastic location they’ll have some challenging obstacles, it’s close to anywhere in the Capital Region, and it supports the NICA Team and Flow Riders to get more kids on bikes.

October 5-6: Uncle Sam CX in Troy’s Prospect Park is sponsored by Unified Beer Works and is New York State’s longest running cyclocross race with two full days of racing. October 20: Hometown CX in Glens Falls, presented by Grey Ghost Bicycles, takes place in beautiful Crandall Park and will have Common Roots Brewing in attendance for post-race recovery. November 3: Bethlehem Cup CX in Delmar at Elm Avenue Park offers their 17th annual full day of racing plus a post-race potluck smorgasbord with food from club members, ribs from The Coop, and both Unified Beer Works and Common Roots Brewing will be on site. Register: bikereg.com.

October 13: Fall Foliage Ride in Nassau is hosted by the Chatham Lions Club – The unpaved roads in Columbia County have become legendary in the Northeast for great gravel cycling. This fundraising event for the Lions Club takes in some of the most scenic unpaved routes you will find anywhere, designed by Lichen Bike Tours, with an easier 25-mile ride, and a challenging 40-miler that has over 100 feet of vertical per mile. Start your ride day at the S&S Farm Brewery with coffee and hot cider, then head out to enjoy the peak foliage ride! There’s a custom long-sleeve shirt for the first 100 to register, plus a post-ride beer at S&S, and an available food truck. Each route has an aid station with snacks and water refills, and available mechanical support by OK Spoke bike shop. Visit: fallfoliageride.com.

October 19: Tour de Forest and Icebox Rides in Norfolk, Conn. sponsored by the Norfolk Curling Club – If you’re looking to find some new roads and enjoy additional fall foliage, this is your ticket to some colorful cycling. The Icebox Gravel route covers 29 miles on rural northwest Connecticut roads with great scenery, light traffic, and fully half of the route is on a private gravel road with no cars allowed. The shorter 13-mile Tour de Forest is perfect for novice and casual riders with an even mix of pavement and gravel. There will be pre/post-ride refreshments, and all proceeds support Norfolk Rails to Trails and Great Mountain Forest. After the ride, join the Norfolk Curling Club’s first annual fundraiser Pig Roast! Go to: bikereg.com.

October 19: Day of the Shred Youth Mountain Bike Race in Saratoga Springs hosted by Saratoga Shredders – Since 2018, Shredders has grown from one family to over 300 members enjoying and promoting kids’ mountain biking in the region, and the fourth annual Day of the Shred offers friendly races open to kids in grades K-12, with exciting loops in Saratoga Spa State Park – and costumes encouraged for some extra fun. There’s even a beginner’s race on non-pedal bikes for 2-4-year-olds. The Shredders offer a wide variety of programs including fall and spring ride programs, developmental and NICA teams, a bikes in schools program, and development of the future Saratoga Springs Bike Park. Checkout: bikereg.com.

November 3: Gravel Goblin Gravel Grinder in Nassau is hosted by Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club – The fall cycling event season closes out with a bang – or should that be a scream? – with this Halloween-themed event that raises funds for Regional Food Bank. Gorge on all that Halloween candy, then come out and work off all those calories riding the routes of 30, 41, or 54 miles on the beautiful roads of northern Columbia County, out of the S&S Farm Brewery in Nassau. Participants will also have a special opportunity to meet and ride with former professional cyclist, Olympian, and World Tour winner Megan Guarnier. Megan, who grew up in Glens Falls, races professionally between 2010-2018 and accumulated three national titles while riding for Team Tibco, Rabobank, and Boels-Dolmans.

All Gravel Goblin registration fees benefit the Food Bank, and MHCC will be collecting additional monetary donations and gathering donated non-perishable food items on event day. What started out in 2018 with 75 riders as the Gravel Gobbler Thanksgiving Ride, developed by MHCC club member Chet Lasell, has morphed into the Goblin – held several weeks earlier. Last year the Gravel Goblin attracted over 200 riders and raised $10,000 for the Food Bank, and since 2018 the event has raised $40,000 to support the Food Bank distribute items to charitable agencies serving hungry and disadvantaged people in 23 counties. From Plattsburgh to Newburgh, in urban, rural and suburban areas, they provide 55 million pounds of food a year to 1,000 agencies. Visit: bikereg.com.

Dave Kraus (dbkgrafik@gmail.com) is an area cyclist, bike tour guide, photographer, and writer who is always ready to explore some new roads. Visit KrausGrafik.com.