Yes, it is freezing cold right now. But before you know it, the slow-cooked, snow-covered days will be over and bike season will arrive.
Will you be ready?
These 10 fun, fortifying rides welcome a wide range of skill levels. You can choose to do the country’s only all-urban 100-mile bike tour, take a scenic leisure ride on flat Long Island roads or enjoy a Finger Lakes cycling festival that ends each day with a massage. Get fired up for a climate change-driven ride from NYC to DC or be among the first to pedal New York’s inaugural Gran Fondo.
To prepare for the long, undulating roads ahead, consider joining the New York Cycle Club (just $30 for a year membership) and registering for their SIG (Special Interest Group) weekend training rides that run from March to May. Registration opens February 1. In addition to offering great perks, from free beer to snazzy swag to kids ride free, each bike event caters to car-free entrants with easy public transportation directions and opportunities to carpool. Have a nice ride.
Mark Your Cycling Calendars:
1. TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour | Sunday, May 1 | $112
2. The North Fork Century | Saturday, May 16 | $100 – $175, free for children
3. Gran Fondo | Sunday, May 8 | $319
4. Brita Climate Ride | Friday-Tuesday, May 13-17 | $75
5. Bike the River Valley | Sunday, July 17 | $82 – $102
6. Tour de Brooklyn | Sunday, June 5 | $5 for Transportation Alternative members, $10 for non-members
7. Tour de Franklin | Sunday, April, 26 | $49
8. Discover the Hudson Valley | Sunday, May 3 | $112
9. 2011 Bon Ton Roulet Tour in the Finger Lakes | Sunday-Sunday, July 18-25 | $775
10. The 26th Annual Escape New York! | Saturday, September 26 | $49
Photo: Courtesy of Katie T
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram