I know, the weather out side is frightful but the fire is so delightful . I’d been off riding while repairing vandalism to my road bike (an old Schwinn) and now some of my pants feel tight. Repairs, however, a break in the weather Saturday morning and a steady stream of emails from some favorite cycling organization have got me going again. Here are four mass rides I plan to help put on. They all cost money to go on. And they are very different. Consider coming with.

Bike New York has already opened registration for the TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour . This 42-mile ride brings out tens of thousands of riders because it is truly closed cell. Vehicle traffic is completely shut down along the route. As a result, parents and children turn out in huge numbers. (The kids seems always to ride faster than their parents.) On Sunday May 3, it starts at the Battery in lower Manhattan and ends at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. Because I ride toward the end, fixing flats, handing out water & snacks, I plan to eat dinner in SI. Any suggested places?

Parks and Trails New York, a statewide group, puts on two multi-day rides which I highly recommend because they are meticulously planned and carried out: Cycling The Erie Canal is an eight-day 400-mile trip from Buffalo to Albany. It’s mostly flat along the Canal and much of it is car-free. This trip also draws many families. People camp out along the way. (luggage and tents arrive by truck) It’s an excellent way to see a fair amount of Western New York up close and personal. The Erie Canal Trip, this year will be July 12-19 . The second tour put on by Parts and Trails is the Great Hudson Valley Pedal which goes from Albany to NYC August 11-16th . This tour is shorter (200 miles) and somewhat more challenging. The route is hillier and none of it is vehicle-free. While I like both, the terrain of the Erie Canal ride is much more forgiving if you are not an experienced rider. (On the other hand, one bike-beginner friend of mine did the Hudson Valley Pedal twice. It was hard for her, but she pedaled every mile of it.).

Transportation Alternatives has opened registration for its September 13 mass ride The New York City Century No you don’t have to ride 100 miles – although you can. This is a very well organized mass ride with many options (15, 35, 55, 75, & 100 miles) good snacks and great views of New York City. It’s an open cell ride so that there is some irreducible competition between bikers and drivers but – as it turns out – 6,000 cyclists help vehicle drivers act fairly respectfully. The longer distances are quite challenging even for experienced riders.

See you.