Frequently Asked Questions

You can get your registration packet and t-shirt on Friday evening or the morning of your ride.

Come join us at the rider meet-up on Friday night, 6-8 PM, at Whitman Brewing, 20 Lake Avenue.  They’re kinda famous for their Detroit pizza. This is an optional, informal event – a chance to meet riders coming to the SFR from throughout the Northeast.  Rider packets and t-shirts will be available Friday night for early pick-up. 

Rider packets and t-shirts will also be available on Saturday and Sunday mornings at the SRYMCA outdoor pavilion at 290 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Registration and packet pickup opens at 7:00 AM.

All routes start and end each day from the SRYMCA outdoor pavilion at 290 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs.

In response to rider requests, we’re now offering two start times for each distance. In addition to the regular start time, there will be an early start for those who want to ride at a more leisurely pace or to spend more time at the rest stops.

The goal is to help everyone have a great ride and get back to the YMCA for lunch, which starts at 1 PM and ends at 3 PM. Note that if you leave early for the 75 mile rides the first rest stop may not yet be open.

There will be a short rider meeting before each start to go over the route and give you any last-minute information you need to have a safe ride. We’ll gather about 5 minutes after the meeting for those who want to leave in a group, but you’re free to leave at any time.

The early start rider meeting for the 75-mile route will be at 7:15 AM. The regular start rider meeting for the 75-mile route will be at 7:45 AM.

The early start rider meeting for the 50-mile route will be at 8:45 AM. The regular start rider meeting for the 50-mile route will be at 9:15 AM.

The early start rider meeting for the 30-mile route will be at 10:00 AM. The regular start rider meeting for the 30-mile route will be at 10:30 AM.

Ride at your own pace and enjoy the day but be sure to be back for lunch from 1 PM to 3 PM! Riders who maintain at least a 12 MPH pace should be back in plenty of time. Slower riders who wish to leave even earlier than the early start time are free to do so but please check in with the Ride Director before you go.

Registration for the 2026 Saratoga Foliage Ride closes on October 8th at 5 PM. We don’t permit same day sign-ups. We spend a lot of money on catering and t-shirts and if we permitted same-day signups there’d be no way to plan for those costs.

On Saturday and Sunday, 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).  And a coupon for free chocolate milk from King Dairy!

Then head downtown after the ride for a 10% discount at downtown restaurants & stores and our weekend SFR Downtown Happy Hour!  Coming from out of town?  Check out our partner hotel deals! 

Each route follows local, low-traffic, 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. E-bikes are also welcome! For the safety of everyone, we ask that e-bike riders limit their motor-assisted speeds to 20 MPH. Riders should arrive with batteries fully charged and ready to go. Electric outlets for charging will not be available. SAG drivers are not trained to work on e-bikes and our insurance does not permit us to work on them, so there will be no SAG assistance for electric e-bike components. Assistance with non-electric components may be limited, depending on the difficulty of the repair and the need to assist other riders.  Riders who need transportation back to the start may have longer waits until a vehicle that can carry heavier e-bikes is available. Riders are responsible for obeying all NYS laws pertaining to e-bikes.

Of course! 

On Saturday we’ll ride through some beautiful fields and farmlands 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 50-mile route will pass the Schuyler Farm’s Corn Maze – no fair using GPS to find your way out. 

The Saturday 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.  

Saturday 50- and 75-mile riders 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.

On Sunday, all riders will stop at Fort Hardy Park, where you’ll find an encampment of 5 regiments of Patriot and British Revolutionary War re-enactors.  Expect musket and cannon fire! 

The Sunday 50- and 75-mile rides will go through the Saratoga National Historical Park on the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga.

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!   

And we’ll let you in on a local secret  -- on both days we’ll ride right by the site of the former Moon's Lake House, birthplace of the potato chip! 

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    -  937 feet, 4.9% max grade 

Sunday 30   -  1,329 feet, 6.8% max grade

Saturday 50   -   1,602 feet, 4.7% max grade   

Sunday 50  -   2,539 feet, 5.8% max grade    

Saturday 75 -  2,631 feet, 9% max grade

Sunday 75  –  3,376 feet, 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 10-11.  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 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 2025, Saratoga families adopted  777 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.  Last year, our MRV made stops at the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Jefferson Terrace Housing, the Saratoga Racecourse backstretch, Saratoga Pride event, and the Farmer’s Markets.