2006 Weekend Trips Archive

If you didn't go on a trip listed here, then you missed it.

Click here for the list of upcoming weekend trips.

A new twist on the 5BBC’s springtime classic
MONTAUK CENTURY WEEKEND
May 20-May 21 (depart Saturday morning, return Sunday evening)
Trip No. MCW
Space Available: 12 people
Deposit: $150. Full price: $225
Transportation: van
Lodging: motel; double accommodations
Trip Rating: B
Mileage: 140 miles over two days, mostly flat
Leaders: Wentworth Price and Ken Williams

For years, cyclists from across the Northeast have come together to ride a springtime classic, the 5BBC Montauk Century. And no wonder: the ride is flat, the support superb, and the scenery among Long Island’s most picturesque. Still, not everyone is up for biking 140 miles from Manhattan to Montauk in one day. Now, we’ve got your solution – do it in two! You’ll start peddling east from Manhattan Saturday morning. Your leaders won’t be biking with you like a traditional 5BBC ride, but they’ll back you up in a private SAG van, which will also tote your overnight bag. At about the 80-mile point, we’ll gather for a fine dinner together, then bed down for the evening at a motel. Sunday morning, we’ll join the throng for the rest of the route out to Montauk, about 65 miles, enjoying all the tour’s services along the way. After you arrive, just hop in our van and we’ll take you, and your bike and gear, back to New York in style.

Memorial Day Weekend in Amish Country
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH TREAT
May 26-May 29 (depart Friday morning, return Monday evening)
Trip No. PDT
This trip is fully booked! Please select another weekend trip.
Deposit: $150. Full price: $350
Transportation: van or carpooling
Lodging: farmhouse; shared rooms, double or triple accommodations
Trip Rating: B
Mileage: Moderate, 40 per day on rolling hills
Leaders: Steve Sakson & Andrea Mercado

Step back to a simpler time during our trip to bucolic Lancaster County, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country. We’ll ride up and down rolling farmlands, through lush pastures, and over historic covered bridges, accompanied by the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages and the friendly smiles of Amish farmers. We’ll visit a working grist mill, and picnic on the site of an early settlement village. We’ll lodge at local B&B, home to a working dairy farm, where we’ll experience the country life, first hand, including a chance to milk the cows. Dinner will be a unique experience every night. One evening, we’ll be guests at the home of an Amish family. We’ll also partake of a traditional Penn Dutch all-you-can-eat smorgasbord, and we’ll cap off the weekend with an elegant dinner at a historic colonial inn. Great for singles and couples.

Trek to Lake Tiorati
BEAR MOUNTAIN-HARRIMAN STATE PARK
May 27-May 29 (depart Saturday morning; return Monday evening)
Trip No: BM
This trip is fully booked! Please select another weekend trip.
Deposit: $100. Full Price: $135
Transportation: Self-contained
Lodging: Cabins/Dorm rooms
Trip Rating: A
Mileage: Hard, 50 each way with some very steep hills
Leaders: Ira Najowitz and Manny Sanudo

Our host for this adventure-filled trek is the idyllic Camp Thendara, an 85-year-old mountaintop lodge, complete with stone fireplace, on Lake Tiorati in Harriman State Park. We will cycle 50 hilly miles from midtown Manhattan on Saturday, going “self contained,” meaning we’ll carry all our gear on our bikes. Sunday offers a variety of options: you can swim or boat on the lake, hike the trails, bike in the park, or just relax. We’ll work up our own home-cooked breakfasts and dinners, and trail lunches, all included in the price. Guests at Camp Thendara prepare their meals together and perform light clean-up chores. On Monday, we’ll bike home along our well-scouted route, with plenty of quiet back roads. For more information on the camp go to www.thendaramountainclub.org.

Vineyards of the North Fork
BIKE-BOAT-WINE-DINE
June 3-June 4 (depart Saturday morning; return Sunday evening)
Trip No: BBWD
This trip is fully booked! Please select another weekend trip.
Deposit: $150. Full Price: $200
Transportation: carpooling
Lodging: motel; double accommodations
Trip Rating: A/B/C
Mileage: Various, mostly flat but hillier on Shelter Island
Leaders: Ted Kushner and Sharon Behnke

Join us for a weekend on Long Island's serenely beautiful North Fork. Our trip features mostly flat biking, lush vineyards, scenic coastlines, a lighthouse or two, and an optional excursion to Shelter Island. On Saturday, we'll tour some of the area’s finest wineries and sample their vintages. We’ll lodge at the Mattituck Motel, a short walk from town and the beach, and we’ll have an incomparable dinner experience at Connie’s Café, a charming “touch of France,” featuring cherry wood décor, homemade baked goods, and an herb garden out back. On Sunday, we’ll join our friends at the Suffolk Bike Riders Association for their annual Bike-Boat-Bike Century (www.sbraweb.org), offering distances from 25-125 miles, rest stops, sag support, and ferries to Shelter Island for the longer routes.

New Trip: A Taconic Treat
BASH BISH BASH
June 10-11 (depart Saturday morning, return Sunday night)
Trip No. BBB
Space available: 15 people
Deposit: $100. Full price: $145
Transportation: Metro-North Railroad/Self-contained
Lodging: budget lodge (semi-private rooms & communal bath)
Trip rating: A/B
Mileage: flat-to-hilly, 100 miles in 2 days
Leaders: Jim Zisfein and Ed Ravin

This 2-day tour through Dutchess and Columbia Counties features spectacular mountain views and rolling country hills. On Day 1, Metro North takes us to Wingdale in the Harlem Valley, where we will ride rail trails and rural roads between the majestic Taconic and Berkshire mountain ranges. Striking views await us at Summit Rock in Bash Bish Falls State Park, Mass. On Day 2, the mountains give way to rolling hills. We’ll pass a ranch, where we’ll watch Belted Galloway cattle graze, and a few miles later stop at a restaurant to find out how they taste. Finally, we’ll make our way to Poughkeepsie, where we’ll hop the train home. Most of the ride will be level to moderately hilly; one steep mountain climb is optional. Our ride is self-contained so you should be comfortable traveling 50 miles per day carrying panniers or a backpack with your clothing and supplies. We have additional information here.

New Trip: Paddling in the Poconos
LEHIGH VALLEY PEDAL & PADDLE
August 4-6 (depart Friday evening; return Sunday evening)
Note: this is the new date
Trip No. Lehigh
Space remaining: 6 people
Deposit: $150. Full price: $360
Early discount deadline: July 21; discount price $325.
Transportation: van or carpooling
Lodging: motel, double accommodations
Trip Rating: B; Off-road ATB Biking
Mileage: Moderate, 25-30 hard packed trails; rafting includes challenging Class III rapids
Leaders: Ted M. Kushner and Lee Ann Van Wyck

One of our favorite mid-summer adventures returns, but with a new destination. We'll travel to the Lehigh River Valley, one of the Northeast’s most exhilarating whitewater rafting regions. This jam-packed trip includes gorgeous off-road biking along the river gorge, and you don’t even need to own or bring an ATB bike because this amazing package includes bike rentals! Next we’ll take a thrilling 4-5-hour rafting trip down the river. (Note: We’ll go 5-6 people on a raft, and some of these will be Class III rapids, which have large waves and some drops or ledges. Prior rafting experience is not required, and life jackets are supplied, but you will get wet!). The weekend also includes buffet-style breakfasts, packed lunches, and a fine dinner Saturday night. Join us for this close-to-home adventure that you’ll not soon forget. We have more details about Pedal & Paddle here.

We regret that Lehigh Valley Pedal & Paddle, a weekend trip with off-road bicycling along river gorge plus whitewater rafting, has been cancelled for this year. Please check back next year, and in the meantime check out one of the great alternatives listed below.

East Chop lighthouse, Oak Bluffs,
Martha's Vineyard

New Trip!
ISLAND HOPPER
Thurs, Aug 10 thru Wed Aug 16 (7 days, 6 nights)
Trip No: IH
Space remaining: 6 people
TRIP COST: $575.00
DEPOSIT: a $375.00 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit.
Last chance: We must receive your deposit or payment in full no later than Monday, August 7th!
TRANSPORTATION: Van to ferry connection. Must be able to carry panniers/saddlebags between van, ferry and hostels.

Do you want to beat the City's summertime heat? Want to visit spectacular island paradises? Well, this August is your chance to join your 5BBC friends for a special affordable 7-day, 6-night cycling extravaganza to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket! These two great islands feature wooded bike paths, quiet harbors, dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, beautiful old mansions and gardens. We'll be staying at two of the best hostels in the US. On Martha's Vineyard, the hostel is centrally located in West Tisbury between the island's Gay Head Clay Cliffs, Menemsha Fishing Village, and Oak Bluffs "Ginger Bread" Cottages, all of which we hope to visit. On Nantucket, the hostel was built as a Lifesaving Station in 1873, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is across the street from Surfside beach. Come join us for this fantastic, affordable week-long getaway. Cost includes ferries, van (with possible car-pooling option), lodging, and all meals. Leaders: Ted Kushner and Brian Hoberman. We have more details about Island Hopper here.

Lancaster's Crown Jewel
COVERED BRIDGES RIDE
August 19-20 (depart Saturday morning, return Sunday night)
Trip No. CB
This trip is fully booked! Please select another weekend trip.
Deposit: $150. Full Price: $220
Early discount deadline: July 19; Discount price: $180
Transportation: van or carpooling
Lodging: motel; double accommodations
Trip Rating: A/B/C
Mileage: Various, on rolling hills
Leaders: Sharon Behnke and Andrea Mercado

Discover some of Pennsylvania’s most famous rural scenery and best biking as we join 3,000 other riders in the 28th annual Covered Bridge Metric Century. This major Northeast biking event, produced by the Lancaster Bicycle Club (www.lancasterbikeclub.org), offers the choice of 62-, 31- and 15-mile routes, with a maximum of seven different historic covered bridges, followed by a post-ride party at a brook-side park. You’ll get a free T-shirt for doing the ride and will be rewarded with a traditional Lancaster County smorgasbord dinner on Saturday night.

Labor Day Fun
CAPE ESCAPE
September 1-4 (depart Friday morning, return Monday night)
Trip No. CAPE
This trip is fully booked! Please select another weekend trip.
Deposit: $150. Full Price: $310
Early discount deadline: August 1; Discount price: $280
Transportation: Van
Lodging: hostel, dorm rooms
Trip Rating: B/C
Mileage: Easy to Moderate, 30-40 per day, flat with some rolling hills
Leaders: Clyde Eisman and Sharon Behnke

Maybe you’ve been to Cape Cod before, but seeing it by bike can’t be beat. The Cape is criss-crossed by gentle, immaculate rail trails, with occasional rolling hills, and our lodging in Eastham, Barnstable County, is located right near a brand new trail section. In nearby Provincetown, the dune trails are breathtaking. Whale watching, lighthouse climbing or maritime museum hopping are also good bets, or enjoy sunbathing at beach. The package includes all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts, a 4-hour kayaking trip, and a home-cooked lobster dinner. It’ll be a perfect es ”cape” for first-timers and old-timers alike.

Bucks County Beauty
PEDAL TO PENNSYLVANIA
September 2-4 (Depart Saturday morning; return Monday evening)
Trip No. PENN
Space remaining: 8 people
Deposit: $100 Full Price: $170
Early discount deadline: August 1; Discount price: $150
Transportation: Self-contained
Lodging: Hostel, dorm rooms
Trip rating: A
Mileage: Hard, 75-80 each way
Leaders: Ira Najowitz and Jesse Brown

You, your trusty bike, and the open road – all the way to Pennsylvania! We'll depart early Saturday morning on the PATH train to Newark, then bike through the western New Jersey countryside, cross the Delaware River at Washington's Crossing into Bucks County, PA, and then on to Tyler State Park Hostel in Newtown. This is a self-contained trip, so we’ll carry all our gear for the weekend on our bikes. The terrain varies from rolling to steep, so to enjoy this trip, you should comfortable biking 75 to 80 miles a day with a loaded bike. That’s exactly what we’ll be doing on both Saturday and Monday, when we return. Sunday will be for hiking or hanging out at the 1,700-acre park, or doing a scenic ride in the area.

True Blue Tahoe
LAKE TAHOE & SIERRA FOOTHILLS
9/2 - 9/11, 10 days w/8.5 days cycling. Meet Saturday, depart Monday.
Trip No. LTSF
This trip is fully booked! Stay tuned for next year's adventure.
Price $985; deposit of $300 required. Participants arrange own air transport to Sacramento/SMF, and out of Reno/RNO (“open jaw” in airline talk) or Sacramento (talk to Susan first to pick flights with viable transport connections) Current airfares approx $400 RT.
Transportation: Free wheeling cycling point-to-point (luggage always transported on bicycling days). Bikes can be shipped/reassembled in advanced at Sac. LBShop (recommended) OR transported with you on airline flight.
Lodging: Victorian mansion hostel, motel, condo, B&B
Trip rating: A/B
Mileage: 30-75 miles/day (“lite" & “energetic" versions for some days)
Leader: Susan Rodetis

Breathtaking vistas and terrain, awesome experiences, and lots of fun await us. Start cycling in Sacramento environs, including historic Old Town on the river, holiday festivals, Fort Sutter (supplied early settlers), the scenic Sacramento River delta. Then roll along the lovely American River Bike Trail (greenway) to the Sierra foothills. Tour Gold Rush country (and spelunk a gold mine), cycle past (plus visit) lush vineyards, pedal through awesome valleys and along gorgeous lakes and rivers, and soak in one of the many natural hot springs. Breathtakingly splendid views as we follow emigrant trails & Pony Express routes. End with 2 days in beautiful Lake Tahoe, capped by the Tour de Tahoe, termed one of the most beautiful rides in America. NOTE: This is a most wonderful 1-time trip, and is a terrific value with 50% more days cycling, at about ½ the daily cost, of available tours. Includes lodging 9/2-9/10; breakfast/dinner 9/3-9/9; daily cycling & cue sheet with 5BBC leader; plus Tahoe cycling event, t-shirt & patch; winery & gold mine tour fees. For additional info or ?s, pls. contact Susan Rodetis directly srodetis@earthlink.net. CLICK THIS LINK FOR FULL TRIP DESCRIPTION & BROCHURE.

Click here for the list of upcoming weekend trips.