2026 Bike Adirondacks Event Schedule Announced
Mark your calendar! It's time to announce the 2026 Bike Adirondacks event schedule.
While registration won't open until January 15, it's time to announce the 2026 event schedule. BikeADK veterans will recognize most staple events, you'll also notice we've flipped both Bike the Barns and the classic Handlebarley ride to Saturdays so no one feels rushed to boogie home after the ride.
Also in the works are point-to-point tours of the Adirondack Rail Trail (see Phil Brown's story about Phase 3). There's a few more details we need to sort before officially announcing those dates. But rest assured, we're working on it. Hint: They'll be multi-day midweek events and include lodging and most meals.
2026 BIKE ADIRONDACKS EVENT SCHEDULE
Summary (descriptions & photos below)
May 1-31: ADK Unite - Virtual
June 20: Adirondack Rail Trail Community Day - Saranac Lake, Lake Placid, Tupper Lake
June 26-28: Adirondack Women's Weekend - Saranac Lake
July 11-12: Ride for the River - Wilmington
July 31-August 2: Weekender at Paul Smith's College - Paul Smith's
August 9-12: Great Camp Sagamore Gravel Experience - Raquette Lake
August 22: Pat Stratton Ride - Saranac Lake
September 5-6: Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival - Wilmington
September 6-9: Great Camp Sagamore Gravel Experience - Raquette Lake
September 12-13: Handlebarley Gravel Weekend - North Hudson
September 26: Bike the Barns - Location TBD
October 2-4: UCI Mountain Bike World Series - Lake Placid
October 9-11: Fall Adirondack Women's Weekend - Schroon Lake
Detailed Schedule
ADK Unite
Wherever you may be during the month of May, ADK Unite is a fun way to get out, get active and do good. This virtual run, ride, walk, hike - just get out and move - event that raises money for Adirondack community food pantries. Register as an individual or a team of five and enter your miles moved to a live digital leader board. Prizes are awarded to the top individuals and teams in the following categories: Bicycling, Running, Walking & Multi-sport. Since 2020, ADK Unite has generated over $47,000 for community food pantries.
Date: May 1-31
Location: Virtual
Mileage: As many as you can pack into a month
Participation Cap: Unlimited
Benefits: Adirondack Regional Food Pantries
Adirondack Rail Trail Community Day
During this celebration of the Adirondack Rail Trail, participants will have the opportunity to participate in stewardship projects, explore the trail with an interactive scavenger hunt and join various segment rides. The event culminates with a party featuring craft breweries, food vendors, live music and a raffle. New this year is the addition of shuttle service for those who would like to experience the entire 34-mile corridor one way. Best of all, proceeds support the Adirondack Rail Trail Association and their efforts to help people of all ages and abilities enjoy the landscape, history and natural beauty of the rail trail corridor and communities.
Date: June 20
Location: Saranac Lake
Mileage: As much as you want to ride
Benefits: Adirondack Rail Trail Association
Adirondack Women's Weekend
This weekend getaway hosted at the voco Saranac Lake waterfront hotel pairs some of the most stunning road cycling in the Adirondacks with delicious local dining in a postcard perfect ADK community filled with quirky shops, art galleries and stunning architecture. Best of all, we'll feature the vehicle free Adirondack Rail Trail for worry free riding through some of the most incredible (and relatively flat) terrain in the Adirondacks.
Dates: June 26-28
Location: Saranac Lake
Mileage: 25-35 miles/day
Participation Cap: 40 riders
Benefits: Pendragon Theatre
Ride for the River
Known as the most spectacular ride in the Adirondacks, Ride for the River showcases the lush Ausable River watershed while supporting the important conservation work of Ausable Freshwater Center. It also features one of the best post-ride parties in the business complete with lunch, live music, craft beer and all sorts of freshwater fun. Whether you make it a weekend or just ride the main event, this is event is a true summer highlight.
Date: July 11-12
Location: Wilmington
Mileage: 30 or 45 miles
Participation Cap: 150 riders
Benefits: Ausable Freshwater Center
Weekender at Paul Smith's College
This is the ultimate event to attend as a family or with a big group of friends. Whether you stay on campus, or in local lodging, the Weekender is all about relaxation and exploration, on and off your bike. Not only is the cycling amazing, but you have direct access to amazing paddling and hiking, plus the 2026 event will feature miles and miles of the newly opened and vehicle free Adirondack Rail Trail.
Dates: July 31 - August 2
Location: Paul Smith's College, Paul Smiths
Mileage: 30-45 miles/day
Participation Cap: 150 riders
Benefits: Adirondack Rail Trail Association
Great Camp Sagamore Gravel Experience
These multi-day, all-inclusive gravel events are hosted at historic Great Camp Sagamore and blend cycling with a modern mini-vacation that provides you with a true connection to the landscape and history of this special place. The cycling is fabulous, but staying at the historic wilderness retreat built for the Vanderbilt family is also quite a perk. Especially because you have access to canoes, kayaks and SUPs, miles of hiking trails and even an open air bowling alley. Registration is now open for these events.
Dates: August 10-13 & September 7-10
Location: Raquette Lake
Mileage: 20-25 miles/day with 2 days of riding
Participation Cap: 20/event
Benefits: Great Camp Sagamore Public Trust
Pat Stratton Ride
Named after local plumber and cycling enthusiast, the Pat Stratton Ride is a road cycling tour hosted by the Saranac Lake Kiwanis Club and featuring some of the most stunning scenery and terrain in the northern Adirondacks, plus fresh finish line pies! Since it began over 25 years ago, this ride has generated over $140,000 for area youth programs.
Date: August 23
Location: Saranac Lake
Mileage: 22, 49 or Century
Participation Cap: 300 riders
Benefits: Saranac Lake Kiwanis Club Youth Programs
Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival
The Wilmington MTB Festival is Labor Day Weekend celebration of bikes and community with on-site camping, live music, local food & beer, group rides for all abilities, shuttles, a kids MTB race, and 135+ miles of beautiful Adirondack-style singletrack. The event, which features the largest bonfire you'll ever see, is a major fundraiser for the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) and proceeds support the trails!
Dates: September 4-6
Location: Wilmington
Mileage: Guided Group Rides (varies)
Participation Cap: More the Merrier
Benefits: Barkeater Trails Alliance
Handlebarley Gravel Weekend
Hosted at Paradox Brewery in North Hudson, the Handlebarley Gravel Weekend features two incredible fall days of gravel riding in the southern Adirondacks. Best part is you can sign up to ride just Saturday, only Sunday, or make it a full weekend. Regardless of what you choose, you're in for some of the areas most incredible dirt, views and brews.
Dates: September 12-13
Location: North Hudson
Mileage: 20 & 43 mile options
Participation Cap: 150 riders
Benefits: Penfield Homestead Museum
Bike the Barns
You guessed it, this fall bicycling tour features farm stops, but what makes this event special is its ability to tell the rich agricultural story of the Adirondacks while experiencing the landscape by bike. You can see, smell and absorb so much more when moving by your own pedal power. Following the ride, we'll kick back with a fabulous meal, delicious craft beverages and live music while raising money for local food systems.
Date: September 26
Location: Champlain Valley
Mileage: 25-35 miles
Participation Cap: 250 riders
Benefits: Adirondack North Country Association
UCI MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD SERIES
For three full days, two Olympic venues set a gorgeous October backdrop for mountain bike racing in a festival atmosphere, complete with live music and great food. Together, these competitions make Lake Placid the only place in the country one can see Cross-Country and Downhill racing in a single weekend. Plus, Friday features a free Community Bike Jam hosted at the Olympic Oval by Barkeater Trails Alliance.
Date: October 2-4
Location: Wilmington & Lake Placid
Participation Cap: Unlimited
Benefits: Barkeater Trails Alliance
FALL ADIRONDACK WOMEN'S WEEKEND
Since the June Adirondack Women's Weekend sells out annually, we added an intimate boutique event for the fall with a maximum of 10 riders. And there's no better place to host it than the stunning Schroon Lake region and the incredible Lodge at Schroon Lake. Whether attending solo or with friends, this small group experience is all about fun, relaxation and having a great time, on and off your bike. Add in delicious dining, fun surprises and the blissful ease of knowing everything is taken care of and you've got a weekend of enjoying the best of the southern Adirondacks without the stress of planning. We make sure of that by providing professional cycling guides, fully stocked rest stops, a mechanic, and a support vehicle.
Date: October 9-11
Location: Schroon Lake
Participation Cap: 10
Benefits: Schroon Lake Association
