Hi {{contact.first_name}}, August is the sweet spot up here. The days are still long, the mountain roads have burned off their spring grit, and once you clear the city sprawl the Hudson Valley air turns clean and cool under the trees. This is the month to point the bike north and stay out past dinner. Here is where to ride, what to watch for, and the local intel that matters if you swing a leg over a bike around here.
Ride of the Month: The Mohonk and Shawangunk Run
The ridge road that riders drive up here for
Head west across the river to New Paltz, then climb Route 299 out of town and swing onto Route 44/55 where it starts to climb the Shawangunk Ridge. This is the run people mean when they talk about the Gunks. The road switchbacks up past the Trapps cliffs, hangs a hairpin under the rock, and opens onto ridgeline views that stretch clear across the valley to the Catskills. The pavement is tight, technical, and worth every mile of the ride out.
Crest the ridge, drop the far side toward Kerhonkson, then loop back through Gardiner on the quiet farm roads that thread the base of the mountains. Stop in New Paltz on the way home to fuel up, grab a bite on Main Street, and swap notes with whoever else found the Gunks on a clear August morning.
If you want a longer day, run Route 9W north through the river towns to Kingston, then take Route 28 west into the Catskills and let it unwind through Phoenicia and the Esopus Creek valley. For a shorter after-work loop, the Old Mine Road along the Delaware on the Jersey side of the river gives you smooth, empty tarmac tracing the water, and the Skyline Drive up High Point hands you the highest views in the region without a crowd.
Late-Summer Safety: New York Edition
The ridge and river roads reward a rider who plans ahead. Ride smart and the best month of the season stays fun.
- Peak tourist traffic. New Paltz, the Gunks trailheads, and the Catskills draw heavy August crowds. Cars slowing for a view or a parking spot do not look for bikes, so leave yourself room and expect the sudden stop.
- Sun glare on east-west roads. Long August evenings put the sun low and straight into your visor on the ridge runs. Carry a tinted or clear shield to swap, and slow down when the light blinds you into a corner.
- Farm dust and gravel at the edges. Late summer means tractors and hay wagons pulling out of fields onto the Gardiner and Ulster County back roads, dropping dirt and gravel right in your line. Trust nothing on a blind rural corner.
- Deer at dawn and dusk. The wooded stretches through the Gunks and the Catskills fill up with deer at the ends of the day, exactly when you want to be out riding. Cover your brakes and scan the tree line through the forest sections.
Know Your New York Law
- Helmets are mandatory for everyone. Under Vehicle and Traffic Law section 381, every operator and passenger must wear a DOT approved helmet, no exception for age or experience. New York is a universal helmet state.
- No-fault does not cover you on a bike. New York no-fault PIP benefits expressly exclude motorcycles. That means you are not boxed in by the serious injury threshold, and you can pursue pain and suffering directly. It also means you carry more of your own risk, so load up on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
- New York is pure comparative negligence. Under CPLR 1411, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault but you are never barred, even at high percentages. The flip side: a defense lawyer will argue a helmet or gear point to shave the number, so the story you tell early matters.
- You have three years. CPLR 214 gives you three years from the date of the crash to file an injury claim. Evidence disappears long before that, so move early.
Ride Nation New York
The local chapter is where riders post weekend miles, call out fresh gravel and road conditions on 218 and the park drives, and share the photos worth putting your helmet on for. Post where you rode this month and tag us. It is your scene, run by riders who actually ride it.
Still Time for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are on this list because you entered, which means you are already in the running for 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, drawn December 10. Got a buddy who would want a shot? The entry page is open and free.
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A car turning left across your lane. Gravel on a park corner. A distracted driver who never saw you. If you ever go down, you want a NAMIL-credentialed rider's attorney in your corner.