No advance registration is required to participate in the A-STS series but you must be a NYCC member to participate. Please sign up for individual rides in the Upcoming Rides section of the website.
The A spring training series (A-STS) program was started over 20 years ago by cyclists who wanted to enjoy challenging weekly Saturday rides through the spring. Our experienced "route masters" find beautiful, adventurous, and safe routes, from classic ride destinations to less well-known countryside locations in upstate NY, CT, and NJ. The program starts in March and includes weekend rides on spectacular routes that progressively increase in both distance and elevation. We always finish our rides with a social and a nice meal to share our road experiences.
Although we have a supportive and social team environment, we realized that the A-STS is a very challenging program. As one of the co-captains of the A-STS once said, "even if you train, these rides are challenging." To tackle the challenge head on, weekday training is recommended to help cyclists increase their fitness to successfully complete the weekend rides.
Starting Saturday, March 18, we begin a 12-week series of rides that will cover around 950 miles. In March we ride locally at moderate speeds over shorter distances (50-60+mi) with limited vertical gains of 2000-3500 ft. In April we increase the mileage to 70-80+, the gain to 5000-6000 ft, and we introduce trains to reach the epic riding north of the city. In May we'll visit New Jersey, the Harlem Valley, Connecticut, and the Catskills on 90-100 mile routes featuring gains in excess of 7000 ft, finishing the series with a centurie through Connecticut and 9,000+ feet of climbing. We encourage you to browse this season's exciting routes:
|
Date |
Ride |
Name |
Miles |
Feet |
|
18-Mar |
1 |
Pearl River |
52.9 |
2,769 |
|
25-Mar |
2 |
The Knot |
61.7 |
3,627 |
|
1-Apr |
3 |
Woodland Start Roller Coaster |
63.2 |
3,797 |
|
8-Apr |
4 |
Greenwich to Westport |
73.8 |
4,656 |
|
15-Apr |
5 |
New Hamburg to Southeast |
79.1 |
4,894 |
|
22-April |
6 |
GT to Beacon via Storm King |
74.5 |
4,928 |
|
29-Apr |
7 |
Poughkeepsie to Beacon |
73.0 |
6,209 |
|
6-May |
8 |
GT to Denville via Greenwood Lake |
84.1 |
4,582 |
|
13-May |
9 |
Morristown - NJ Medio Fondo |
85.5 |
6,303 |
|
20-May |
10 |
Southeast - Red Barn Ride |
90.9 |
6,757 |
|
3-Jun |
11 |
Dover to Morristown |
94.5 |
6,687 |
|
10-Jun |
12 |
Kent -Purdy's to Southeast with 4 climbs |
100.0 |
8.075 |
Participating in the A-STS does not require you to register for the series or to ride every week. Come and go as you please. You don't have to be a SIG graduate to join the A-STS. You should be able to follow a cue sheet or route file, be comfortable in a tight pace line, and be self-sufficient if necessary. We value camaraderie and friendly support above all, but we expect everyone to possess the fitness and skills required to safely and cooperatively ride with the group. Always remember that everything you got, is not something you give, until the very end of the ride!
A word about ride dynamics and pace. By mid-season the baseline pace is A-20. On the road, we like to keep the groups to a maximum of 12 people, so we usually end up with three or four main groups: an A23 group, one or more A21+ groups, and an A19+ group. We do NOT have a "no drop" policy. We regroup regularly, and many but not all rides have bailout points. Garmin files are available for all routes.
Sign up for weekly rides on the NYCC website where you'll find a link to the ride's Garmin file.
Helmets are mandatory. Aero bars, electric bikes, and earbuds are not allowed. The A-STS is a cooperative effort. We always welcome input, feedback and anyone willing to lend a hand. If you might be interested in helping, or have questions that weren't answered above, please contact Felipe at a-sts@nycc.org">mailto:a-sts@nycc.org" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" target="_blank">a-sts@nycc.org, or felipediazgriffero@me.com">mailto:felipediazgriffero@me.com" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);">felipediazgriffero@me.com.
