Last Sunday 5:30 AM found me biking to the Battery where, with a few hundred others, I helped put on BikeNY’s Five Borough Bike Tour. My main job was to ride very slowly, fix flats, gears & chains, hand out water, snacks and encouragement to 30,000 riders. In a previous post I suggested low-key NYC rides you can still go on. Below, I suggest somewhat more adventuresome multi-day rides in order of their physical demands.

When I was a very young teen, I rode on multi-day bike trips organized by the 92nd Street Y and American Youth Hostels. We carried our gear and food; rode 30 or so miles a day on fairly unforgiving 3-speed English touring bikes. I loved it. Heavy duty exercise, lots of unsupervised time on the road for making out, group meals. My dream – never achieved – was to lead those trips.

Fifty years later, in the course of courting, I’ve been getting my wish. On a dare, a couple of years ago I signed up to help put on a multi-day bike ride in the Adirondack Mountains. I practiced and practiced until I could get up the steepest hill in Central Park without collapsing. (Of course, in the Adirondacks, most every hill was steeper and longer than those in Central Park.). Since then, I’ve been on a number of multi-day rides and I want to invite you along.

The following three rides – sponsored by non-profits --, in order of increasing difficulty, are managed by the same person: Al Hastings whom I’ve gotten to know and respect for his organizing ability and his judgment. What can wrong on a mass ride? Cyclists can reach rest stops long before snack does, routes may be mis-marked, rider & luggage may be lost, bikes can break and so can bones. While no ride is perfect, Al's planning accounts for many difficulties.

1) Cycling The Erie Canal is an 8-day, 400 mile tour from Buffalo to Albany July 6-13, 2008. While 50 miles a day average sounds like a lot, it’s not hard because the route along the canal is fairly flat and largely auto free. When I worked on it last year, very young (7-8) and very old (85) pedaled without heart-break or pain. We camped in school yards either with our own tents (carried in a truck with our luggage) or in rental tents which were already pitched when cyclists arrived. (some stayed in nearby hotels, but I recommend that not.) Most breakfasts and dinners were included. Lunch was on our own. This is a good ride for cyclists of moderate ability – like me. While most used mountain bikes or hybrids because large sections of the path are dirt and stone, I used a road bike and never had a flat. There were about 500 people on the ride. It was never exhausting and often a lot of fun.

2)The Great Hudson Valley Pedal from Albany to NYC at 6 days and 200 miles is shorter, hillier and is almost all on trafficked roads. For us NYC dwellers it’s a great ride because we’re home at the end of it. The Hudson is very pretty. 135 riders last year. Because the hills are higher (including Bear Mountain for the truly devoted), it's tougher but the rewards of the Hudson are greater, too. I definitely plan to ride it again this year.

3) The Bon Ton Roulet (Cajun for the French “Bon Temps Roulez”; let the good times roll) is a Finger Lakes ride. This will be my first year. It is said to be quite challenging because, the Finger Lakes are at the bottom of deep gorges. People who do this ride have to be prepared for serious up hills and – scarier for me – serious down hills.(Very few people get hurt on the way up even if they walk their bikes, but on the way down wipe-outs are not unheard of). People tell me this is a wild party ride.

These sorts of rides are quite memorable. I've made serious & casual friends and met people I'd never would have otherwise. I am, however, dreaming about the next fancier rides – from bed & breakfast to gourmet dining spot or a barge & bike tour through Provence.