Frequently Asked Questions

All routes start and end from the SRYMCA outdoor pavilion at 290 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Registration opens at 7:15 AM. There will be a brief rider meeting for the 75-mile route at 7:45 AM. The rider meeting for the 50-mile route will be at 9:15 AM and the meeting for the 30-mile route will start at 10:35 AM. Riders are free to head out whenever they are ready after the meeting. Ride at your own pace and enjoy the day but be sure to be back for lunch from 1 PM to 3 PM!

Riders can choose from 3 marked and SAG supported routes each day.  We’ll have bike mechanics available at the start.  After the ride enjoy a catered lunch at the YMCA pavilion.  All participants will get an event t-shirt and a YMCA day pass -  relax with a swim, sauna, HydroMassage (addt’l fee).  Then head downtown after the ride for a 10% discount at downtown restaurants & stores and our SFR Downtown Happy Hour!  Coming from out of town?  Check out our partner hotel deals! 

Each route follows local, mostly rural or semi-rural, paved roads.  Roads are not closed to traffic.  All riders must wear a certified helmet and are responsible for following New York State’s safety tips and rules of the road.  There are some gravel sections on the 75 mile routes, suitable for road bikes.

All routes are suitable for road bikes.  Mountain bikes, gravel bikes, recumbents and tandem bikes are welcome.  Class 1, pedal-assist, e-bikes are permitted.  Class 2 and 3, throttle-powered e-bikes are not permitted.

Of course!  On both days, all rides will stop at Saratoga Battle Monument, a 155 foot tall stone obelisk built in 1883.  Climb to the top for 360⁰ views of the Hudson River Valley!  Not up for climbing stairs?  Take a quiet stroll along the adjacent ½ mile trail in Victory Woods, the final encampment for British troops before they surrendered.  And we’ll let you in on a local secret  -- we’ll ride right by the site of the former Moon's Lake House, birthplace of the potato chip!  

On Saturday we’ll ride through some beautiful fields and farmland and stop at a local legend – the King Dairy farm store.  The King family has been farming in Saratoga County for 100 years!  And it’s never really too early for ice cream, is it?  Saturday’s 30-mile route will pass the Schuyler Farm’s Corn Maze – no fair using GPS to find your way out.  The 50- and 75-mile rides will follow the Hudson River on West River Road (a local cycling favorite!) and the 75-mile ride will come home on the Champlain Canalway Trail, part of the Empire State Trail. 

On Sunday, all riders will come home on Fitch Road, a beautiful stretch with multiple horse farms and gorgeous foliage.  Take a selfie at McMahon Thoroughbreds, birthplace of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide!  The Saturday 50- and 75-mile rides will go through the Saratoga National Historical Park on the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga.  

Yes, but not too steep!  The glaciers that formed Saratoga Lake and the Hudson River more than 10,000 years ago left us with beautiful rolling hills you’re going to love to ride.  Check in before the ride for our final routes, but here are the RidewithGPS elevations and grades for our preliminary routes:

Saturday  30 miles    -  886 feet, 4.3% max grade  
Sunday 30 miles  -  1,388 feet, 5.8% max grade

Saturday 50 miles     -   1,693 feet, 4.1% max grade    
Sunday 50 miles  -   2,325 feet, 6.1% max grade    

Saturday 75 miles -  2,888 feet, 8.4% max grade
Sunday 75 miles –  3,442 feet, 7.8% max grade

The Foliage Ride is a rain or shine event, so check the weather and bring appropriate gear.  The good news is that according to Weatherspark.com, there is, on average, only a 29% chance of rain in Saratoga Springs on October 5-6.  The average temperature at 8:30 a.m. is 49 degrees and the daytime high is 62 degrees. 

Peak foliage dates change from year to year, depending on temperatures and rainfall.  But foliage is generally at peak or near-peak during the first two weeks of October.  It should be gorgeous!

Entry fees are non-refundable.  You may, however, transfer your registration to another rider.  Go to your registration at Bikereg.com and follow the instructions. 

Net proceeds from the Saratoga Foliage Ride will go to Bikeatoga to support our programs, including our bike repair and recycling workshop where we repair used bikes and get them back out into the community, often to families of limited means, on a free or “pay what you can” basis.  In 2023, Saratoga families adopted nearly 700 bikes from the Bikeatoga workshop!  Grant funding also allows us to provide free helmets, locks and lights to community members who need them.

Our Mobile Repair Vehicle provides pop-up bike maintenance and safety gear giveaways at locations throughout the city.  In 2023, our MRV made stops at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Jefferson Terrace, the Saratoga Racecourse backstretch, Saratoga Pride event, and the Farmer’s Markets.

Each month from April through November, Bikeatoga leads a leisurely “Slow Roll,” a guided family-friendly group ride on Saratoga’s quieter streets and bike trails.  The year ends with a Pie Ride in November! 

Bikeatoga actively advocates for more public investment in cycling infrastructure. In 2021, Bikeatoga organized the Saratoga Safe Cycling Coalition, a group of 28 local businesses, institutions and non-profits that collectively support building the network of sidewalks and bike lanes in the Saratoga Springs 2016 Complete Streets plan.  Our coalition partners include institutions like Saratoga Hospital, Skidmore College, Saratoga Regional YMCA, the Saratoga Housing Authority, and the Saratoga Springs Public Library, nonprofits like the Saratoga Shredders, B.E.S.T. (Backstretch Employees Service Team), Catholic Charities, Franklin Community Center, Lifeworks and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, Sustainable Saratoga and Saratoga PLAN, and local businesses like the Henry Street Taproom, Impressions of Saratoga, Celtic Treasures, The Dark Horse, Four Seasons Natural Foods, Paint and Sip Studios, Grey Ghost Bicycles, Trek Bicycles Saratoga and Marshall and Sterling Insurance.  

Bikeatoga offers a variety of programs to educate the public and city leaders about the benefits of safe cycling and to advocate for construction of the bike lanes laid out in our Complete Streets plan.  In March 2024, we hosted a community forum at the Saratoga Springs Public Library with presentations from Saratoga Hospital, the Saratoga Regional YMCA and AARP on the public health benefits of building connected bike lanes, especially for seniors.