Gravel NY – For cyclists who want to ride gravel in the NY Metro area.

Welcome to Gravel NY

GrNY is an informal club for gravel riding in the New York metro area. Rides involve dirt and paved surfaces, since it is difficult to string together continuous dirt routes in our area. The goal is to get away from traffic and seek gravel where we can find it.

Join us for rides that emphasize:
– Fun exploration
– Non-competitive atmosphere
– No dress code (whether lycra, MTB baggies, or flannel)
– Some members enjoy challenging rides, but the goal is the experience, not speed/stats
– Pacelining on dirt roads is strongly discouraged.

Important information:

– How to Join GrNY

– GrNY Guidelines

– How to Contribute to GrNY

We expect everyone to read and agree to our guidelines before joining us on a ride. You can find our guidelines in the links above.

Disclaimer: GrNY rides are completely informal. You ride at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety. You are expected to be self-sufficient. We cannot guarantee the condition or safety of roads and trails. Nor can we control the behavior of other riders. Our rides are not supported events. We expect everyone to be an experienced cyclist who can repair a flat, carry appropriate food and hydration, and navigate independently if they lose the group. We do not offer training or bicycle education.

2026 Spring Gravel Series!!! April 18 to May 16

We are happy to announce Gravel NY’s fifth annual Spring Gravel Series! We have planned five weekends of gravel rides, starting on April 18, 2026. Each ride will have three “pace groups”, which will differ in speed, distance, and intensity of climbing. There will be a common hangout location after each ride, so all groups can socialize over food and drinks. Participating in all five rides will take you to all of the major gravel riding zones in our region – a true gravel tour! We hope you can join us!

Questions? You can email Steve at track.smart@gmail.com, but please read all of the information below first.

SCHEDULE OF RIDES*

Saturday, April 18: Katonah, NY. Ride some of the best and most scenic rural roads in Westchester County.

Saturday, April 25: Dover Plains, NY. The picturesque dirt-roads of Dutchess County. It is worth the drive or train ride!

Saturday, May 2: Cold Spring, NY. Much of the ride is near Fahnestock State Park, with lots of fun and challenging climbs.

Saturday, May 9: Far Hills, NJ (Natirar Park). Spectacular ride that goes through the Teetertown Ravine and above the Lockwood Gorge – worth the trip!

Saturday, May 16: Pawling, NY. We will spend much of the ride in gorgeous Litchfield County, CT. The NY/CT border has some of the nicest gravel riding in our region.

* For all rides, the default rain date will be Sunday of the same weekend. We will generally start each ride around 8:30 – 9:00 am, with adjustments for train schedules. Ride schedule and routes are subject to change or cancellation due to weather or other factors.

PACE GROUPS

Long (60-65+ miles, faster speed, and killer climbs): These rides will be led by Steve. >17+ mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo rides); >14MPH average on gravel rides with 80-100ft/mile of elevation gain.

Medium (45-55 miles, moderate speed, skips some of the deadliest climbs): Kathy will lead these rides, which will still be challenging, but travel at a moderately slower speed. Pace expectation: >14 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes); >12 MPH average on gravel rides with 80-100ft/mile of elevation gain.

Short (40-45 miles, no-drop within some limits): This group will stop more often to rest, take photos, and enjoy the scenery, riding at a friendly, no-drop pace. That said, this should NOT be your first ride over 40 miles and with over 3,000ft of climbing. All riders should be confident enough to navigate the route solo if they lose the group. If an individual rider is traveling far below the average group speed, walking the hills, and generally suffering, they should take a shortcut back to the start. Everyone can still hang out after the ride. Pace expectation: 12-13 mph (“Strava speed” on paved solo routes); ~10 MPH average on gravel rides with 80-100ft/mile of elevation gain.

“Strava speed” = actual recorded average speed for long, solo paved rides on relatively flat terrain (i.e., not group rides with drafting).

PACE EXAMPLES FOR EACH GROUP

It is difficult to describe pace for rides that include dirt, pavement, and substantial climbing. You can compare these examples to your own gravel rides over similar distances and elevation gains. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE ELEVATION GAIN. THESE WILL BE HILLY RIDES.

Long: 63 miles, 6300 ft climbing, >14 MPH.
– Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/9023394582

Medium: 52 miles, 4800 ft climbing, >12 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/11234727321

Short: 40 miles, 3700 ft climbing, >10 MPH.
-Example: https://www.strava.com/activities/11234424900

[These are NOT the routes for this year.]

RIDE ORGANIZATION

We will have at least one place to buy food and drink on each ride, but we are only doing grab-and-go during the ride itself (e.g., gatorade + portable snacks). Each group will have a few “wait for everyone” stops. That said, the Long and Medium groups will not wait for riders who are considerably behind the pace. The Short group will be no-drop – with some limits. If you are walking the hills and suffering, even at the slower ride pace, please take a shortcut back to the start and tell the rest of the group to travel without you. We can all hangout after the ride.

THREE REQUESTS

1) Please choose a ride group based on your riding speed, not distance. We want the groups to finish around the same time, so we can all hang out post-ride. We understand you can go the longer distance, but it will be more fun if people ride together (rather than get dropped) and then hangout for food and drink after the ride.

2) Ride safely! Please read our ride guidelines: https://grny.org/guidelines. Key points:
– Control your speed when traveling downhill. Racing downhill is how many serious injuries happen. If you’d like to ride hard, save it for the climbs! Then wait at the top.
– Being predictable to other riders and cars will keep everyone safer. Never pass a rider on the right. If you want to pass, call out, and then pass on their left (like a car).
– You need some form of off-line navigation and should have a backup navigation plan. Why? Many areas won’t have cell coverage. And phone batteries can die during long rides. Examples of offline navigation: Dedicated bike computer (Garmin, Wahoo, etc); Phone with paid subscription to Ride with GPS or Strava and remembering to download to route for offline usage before the ride; Paper map + cue sheets.

3) Don’t blow up your pace group.
– If one or two riders are traveling much faster than the group leader, others will chase them. Then everybody will get strung out riding alone.
– If you are faster than the group average, wait at the top of hills and after major road crossings.
– If there are big speed differences within a group, the group will subdivide at the first catch-up stop. This way everybody will have somebody to ride with.

End of “Regular Season” – Recap

Thanks everyone for joining us yesterday in Westchester! This post includes photos from yesterday’s ride (“Wolves of Waccabuc: Season Finale?”). You can find more photos and a quick ride recap on Steve’s Strava post, here.

Was this our Season Finale? We’ll see if there are more warm-weather weekends ahead that don’t conflict with holidays and travel. Steve will ride through the winter, so Long Distance riders (i.e., our faster group) who are cold-tolerant should make sure they are on his email list. Our other ride leaders tend to call it ‘done’ once temperatures drop into the 30s in the mornings. Whether this is the finale or not, it’s been a fantastic season, and we enjoyed riding with all of you!

Season Recap:
We hosted 20 “three pace groups” gravel rides over the past 30 weekends (i.e., since our first Spring Gravel Series ride). Each of these gravel events had at least three different route options, so everyone could finish around the same time and socialize together. We only repeated the same routes twice during that time. The number of GrNY rides climbs to >30 this calendar year if we include:
– Winter rides (often sent out via email by Steve to ‘regulars’ in our long-distance group)
– Special challenge rides like our October Mountain Gravel Century, Mt Riga and the Berkshires Gravel Century, and Columbia County Gravel Century
– Trips like our three-day weekend in Vermont (long distance riders by email invitation).

OVERALL: A big thanks to everyone who joined us on these adventures! Your company is what makes these rides fun. And a huge thanks to everyone who contributed a few bucks to help us cover our insurance costs for the club and/or those big coolers full of snacks and drinks for post-ride picnics! We look forward to starting it all over again next year with new rides, new adventures, and opportunities to make new friends along the way!

Long Distance (faster) group on the dirt.

Golden leaves near the Cross River Dam.

Mountain Lakes Park, just before the rugged climb up the park road.

Our Long Distance group having fun on the road.

Wolves of Waccabuc: Season Finale? (Nov 15, 2025)

Will this be our Season Finale? We’ll see how quickly things get cold! Steve will ride through the winter, so long distance riders who are cold-tolerant should make sure they are on his email list. Our other ride leaders tend to call it ‘done’ once temperatures drop into the 30s in the mornings.

About this ride: Did you know there are wolves in Westchester? They are safely housed at the Wolf Conservation Center. We won’t be visiting any of the Ambassador Wolves during this bike ride, but we’re naming the route in their honor! The first part of this route is similar to our “Westchester Dirt” route from 3.5 months ago, but the second half contains a lot of new roads. Come ready to explore some new dirt and revisit some old favorites!

ALL THE LINKS:

RSVP here on Strava
Short Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53199142
Medium Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53199007
Long Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/53196946
Start Location is the MTA Commuter Lot next to Paulie’s Deli in Katonah, NY. Here’s a Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/wV9GVPCvHk4VsgSS9
QUESTIONS? You can email Steve at track.smart@gmail.com

*** The Strava App is no longer parsing links within Club Events. We’ve reported this problem. Strava has acknowledged it. We have no idea when it will be fixed.

Ride Report: The Tunnel

Thanks for joining us on The Tunnel ride! It was excellent ride on a gorgeous fall day! All of the pace groups tackled very challenging routes – possibly our most challenging “Medium” and “Short” distance routes given the steep grades and total elevation gain. The payoff was beautiful riding along streams, across scenic ridges, and over peaceful wooded roads – including some exciting dirt descents. We traveled through Steep Rock Preserve, which is home to the (locally) famous tunnel and is always a highlight. Some of us gathered at Housatonic River Brewing after the ride for some food and drinks, which were much needed after the day’s exertions. A big thanks to everyone who joined us today! You’ll find Steve’s activity post on Strava here.

Some post-ride notes:

1) Great job to everyone who got out there and rode, whatever the distance! As we forewarned, today’s routes were especially challenging.

2) Next week’s ride will be a ‘normal’ GrNY ride, rather than an extra-challenging version. We hope to see you next week! You can RSVP for that ride via Strava, but be sure to read all of our ride guidelines first!

3) For first time GrNY riders: You picked a really tough day to get started with us! Our ‘regular’ rides are difficult, but these Tunnel routes were especially challenging. If you survived today, you should have an easier time on most of our other rides. And we’ll try to forewarn you if the routes are more challenging than usual. We hope you’ll join us again!

Photos from yesterday’s ride are below. The group photo is at the top of this post.

Entering the Steep Rock Tunnel

Great views from our route.

A short visit to the shores of Lake Waramaug gave us a temporary respite from all of the climbing.

Through the woods.

TWO upcoming gravel rides: Saturday Nov 8 & Nov 15

Join us while we’ve still got nice autumn weather! We’ll be riding this Saturday and the following Saturday (weather permitting for both). Beyond November 15, we’ll have to play it by ear given colder weather, holidays, etc.

As always, GrNY rides are free and open to all experienced cyclists. Just make sure you are 1) up for the distance and the climbing and 2) that you’ve read all of our ride guidelines carefully!

Saturday, Nov 8: THE TUNNEL (New Milford, CT)
This route is a favorite for Kathy and Steve! You’ll travel to the famous tunnel in Steep Rock Preserve. Spectacular riding, lots of dirt, and challenging climbs from start to finish. We might even see some goats on the trails. We’ll hang out at Housatonic River Brewing after the ride! Their kitchen is now open and has all kinds of good stuff. RSVP at this link on Strava
Saturday, Nov 15: Wolves of Waccabuc (Katonah, NY) – Season Finale???
Did you know there are wolves in Westchester? They are safely housed at the Wolf Conservation Center. We won’t be visiting any of the Ambassador Wolves during this bike ride, but we’re naming the route in their honor! The first part of this route is similar to our “Westchester Dirt” route from 3.5 months ago, but the second half contains a lot of new roads. Come ready to explore some new dirt and revisit some old favorites! RSVP at this link on Strava

Pawling Gravel Ride (AKA Kathy’s Birthday Ride) – Nov 1

This ride is over, but we’ve got two more scheduled: Nov 8 and Nov 15! Check them out on the group’s Strava page.

Ride Report for Pawling (AKA Kathy’s Birthday Ride): Great ride with a fantastic group! We had such perfect fall weather, traveled excellent dirt roads, and had a fun post-ride hangout at the pub (including lots of amazing baked goods courtesy of Kathy). Below this post, we’ve added a few photos. You can find Steve’s activity on Strava, here: https://www.strava.com/activities/16324750642

ORIGINAL POST: In honor of Kathy’s birthday, join us for a beautiful ride on the dirt roads and trails of Litchfield County, CT! We’ll be starting from Pawling, NY so folks can join us by train if they choose. This is always a great route.

RSVP Link on Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/513005/group_events/3414051696942464518

QUESTIONS? You can email Steve at track.smart@gmail.com, but be sure to read all of the information in the Strava post and the group information on the GrNY.org website first.

==
DISCLAIMER: This is totally informal. You ride at your own risk and are responsible for your own safety. You are expected to be self-sufficient. We cannot guarantee the condition or safety of roads and trails. Nor can we control the behavior of other riders. This is not a supported event. We expect everyone to be an experienced cyclist who can repair a flat, carry appropriate food and hydration, and navigate independently if they lose the group. We expect all riders to have signed the club’s waiver form before the ride. We also expect that all riders will abide by the group’s guidelines.

PHOTOS FROM THIS COMPLETED RIDE! What a great time!

Group photo at the ride start (missing some riders as always!)

The view at Mud Pond.

Part of the Medium Distance crew at a regrouping spot.

Some of the Long Distance group cruising the dirt roads of Litchfield County, CT.

Dutchess Roubaix – Saturday, Oct 11

This ride is now over (and was a lot of fun!) We’ve included some photos from the ride at the bottom of this post.

We’ll have another ride on Saturday, November 1. We’ll see about the weekend prior to November 1. It might not be in the cards for our ride leaders. Look for the November 1 ride to be posted soon to the Strava group.

Original Post: Join us for a ride on the dirt and paved roads of Dutchess County. The long route is based on a past version of MHBC’s Clinton Roubaix Route. Last time we rode this (2023), it was an MHBC-GrNY collaboration (thanks Jeff D!). We are revisiting these routes again after a two-year hiatus – and keeping our streak of new routes alive – we still haven’t repeated the same set of routes this entire season. But don’t worry, we’ll revisit some of our favorite routes soon.

RSVP Link: https://www.strava.com/clubs/513005/group_events/3410816259538220254

Photos from the ride on Saturday, October 11, 2025 (Dutchess Roubaix)

Photo at the start of the ride. We missed a few riders as always.

Long Distance crew at the Top of Tower Hill Rd. You can see the Catskills Mountains in the distance.

Some of the Medium Distance crew (minus Kathy our photographer) on the other side of Tower Hill Rd.

Dirt roads through the woods (Long Distance crew).

Far Hills, NJ – new routes! (Sept 20)

[This ride is over, but there will be more rides this fall!]

A return to NJ, but with fresh routes! This area of NJ has some of the nicest gravel riding in our region: Dirt roads through woods, forests, and along peaceful streams; Ridges and hills with beautiful pastoral views; Quaint small towns with General Stores. You’ll probably find at least one cooler in the woods with local maple syrup and an on-your-honor jar for depositing money.

Once again, we’ve got new routes for everyone. We still haven’t repeated a set of routes this season. Compared to our Spring Gravel Series routes in this area (3.5 months ago), we’ll have some new dirt roads, and for repeated roads, we will be traveling in the opposite direction – with the exception of the Teetertown Ravine – which is always better to climb than bomb down on a rigid bike.

RSVP Link: https://www.strava.com/clubs/513005/group_events/3402883109718443554

Post-ride wrap-up: We could not have asked for more perfect weather! We traveled through beautiful farms, forests, streams, and more. Lots of great people showed up to ride and made it a fun time. We had a well-attended picnic with snacks and cold drinks at the end. Thanks everyone for joining us!

Photos from the ride:

Starting the climb through the scenic Teetertown Ravine Nature Preserve.

Long Distance group on the road.

Sept 13: Unofficial “Ride the Ridge” + Fall Festival! (GrNY and MHBC)

[This ride is over, but we have more planned, including for this coming Saturday, September 20th. Look for the post on Strava or click the link in the prior sentence.

SUMMARY OF RIDE THE RIDGE: We had an awesome day out there. Big turnout, lots of fun dirt, and all of the hills! Not to mention some enjoyable post-ride hangouts at Fishkill Farms over food and drinks. These courses were more challenging than their distance suggested – which we had forewarned folks about in advance – but everyone was up for the challenge. You can see a quick summary and some photos on Steve’s Strava activity: https://www.strava.com/activities/15801061584.

We’ve also included a few photos at the bottom of this post.]

Ride the Ridge has been cancelled for 2025, but the unofficial version by way of MHBC and GrNY will be just as epic! We have gotten permission to park at Fishkill Farms, which has all kinds of tasty delights: Apple cider donuts, burgers, jerk chicken, a hard cider bar, two food trucks — and even some live music. It should make for a great post-ride celebration! It will be a Fall Harvest Festival weekend at the farm.

You can RSVP on Strava: https://www.strava.com/clubs/513005/group_events/3398729324363976264

*Thank you to Jeff D. for reaching out to us about this opportunity for collaboration!*

QUESTIONS? You can email Steve at track “dot” smart “at” gmail “dot” com, but be sure to read all of the information in the Strava post and the group information on the GrNY.org website first.

PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT:

Great turnout today. This is most of the group at the start of the ride.

Long Distance (faster) group on the dirt.

Great views from Fishkill Farms at the end of the ride.