Note that due to weather, ride schedule has changed

 

It's Time To
Get Back In The Saddle! 

Ride Dates: April 8 to June 17

 

 

STS means SPRING TRAINING SERIES...

 

Whether you're training for a big ride event like the OutCycling Pride Ride (Sunday, June 11th) or just need to get back in the saddle after a Winter off your bike, STS can help you achieve your cycling goals.

 

Series Summary
 

Rides are fun, friendly, and informal. The routes follow quiet roads as much as possible. These routes give the STS rides a more relaxed, social feel. We will start out with a 40-mile ride and build up by ~10 miles each week, improving our strength and endurance, all while taking in some lovely scenery.

 

The rides are self-supported, meaning we do not have formal "leads or sweeps," and we ask all riders to be comfortable navigating with RidewithGPS (we provide) and fixing flats on their own. If you are unsure what any of that means, don’t worry — it’s not complicated and we will help you get up and running in online workshops before the series starts.

 

We endeavor to run “no-drop” rides (no one gets left behind), but we do ask that you come into the rides with a sense of your riding capabilities. You should be able to ride in the 13-17mph* range, but we’ll probably all start out on the slower side of that as we shake off the cobwebs. Don’t worry if you don’t know your speed. Our first ride will be Central Park laps where we learn our average cruising speed. You may be surprised how fast you already are.

 

* Typical speeds "on the flats." Not the average ride speed shown by your GPS app.

 

 

Ready to Ride? REGISTER NOW

 

 

What Happens Each Week…

 

Rides generally take place on Saturday each week, starting Saturday April 8 and run through Saturday May 20 (with a bonus 7th ride on June 3.) Rides will be pushed to Sunday in the event of bad weather.

 

Week 0: Self-Timed Ride (April 8) - you will ride around Central Park four times as quickly as you can without it being unpleasant. The elapsed time will translate into your ride speed. Knowing your ride speed will make sure you pick rides that are right for you throughout the series. Get to know your fellow riders in Central Park afterwards.

 

Knowing your speed is important because we ride informally, meaning rides do not have leads and sweeps. Different cyclists will have different speeds and will naturally break into sub-groups as we ride. Within the first few weeks you'll get a sense of who is compatible with your speed and style of riding and then it's usually best to stick with that group throughout the series and buddy-up. Of course, riding with a slower or faster group is always an option if you prefer to slow down or speed up for any given ride. All riders usually regroup at rest stops so we do spend plenty of time together.

 

If you are new to Road Cycling and are uncertain about riding outside the city, you can sign up for the "Introduction to Road Cycling" rides, which are a series of formal training sessions the first three weeks of the series. The Intro Series covers all the fundamentals, like how to handle traffic, how to ride in a group, how best to use your gears, fixing a flat on the road, etc. After you complete those training rides you can ride with the larger group the last three weeks.

 

Weeks 1-5: Training - you'll gradually build up distance (and speed) over these rides. 

1. (NJ) Nyack
2. (NY) City Island and The Bronx
3. (NJ) Saddle River and Westville
4. (NJ) Saddle River Trail, Orchards of Conklin, and S. Mountain Road
5. (NY) Bronx River, Armonk, and Bedford 

Route specifics are subject to change as the ride date approaches

 

Shorter Distance Options are available on many of the rides for people who prefer shorter rides or simply don't have the time for a longer ride that day. Many of the shorter distance options require a train or subway ride to return. In the list of rides to the right (or below if you're on a mobile device), when you see 🚇after a mileage number it means that distance involves a subway return. When you see 🚆after a mileage number it means that distance involves a commuter train return (MetroNorth, NJ Transit, LIRR). Since these routes branch off from the standard, it is very important that you download these alternate routes in Ride with GPS so you can navigate yourself.

 

Longer Distance Options are also provided for riders who want to push themslves a little harder. While these extended routes do reconnect with the standard one, you might not reconnect with the other riders.

 

Week 6: Ride & Picnic - a more relaxed, social week with plenty of food and fun. 

 

Week 7: A bonus ride - We'll take an extra ride out to Oyster Bay. It will take place after Memorial Day and before Pride Ride. It involves more urban riding than the other weeks, and a bit less structure overall. 

 

 

Lots of options for all types of riders. Sign up today.

Price

*Included with 2023 Peloton, Breakaway, and Beyond Memberships.
Members, sign in to RSVP for rides.

Not a Season Member? Join OutCycling now or sign up for the series here.