If you’ve been envying the way Manhattanites cruise around on Citi Bike rentals, you, too, can pedal locally without saddling yourself with the cost of a bike.
PedalShare, a bicycle sharing company that rents its two-wheeler fleet for $4 an hour throughout Suffolk County, recently added new pick-up stations in Huntington, Bridgehampton and at Sag Harbor’s Long Beach, said Patrick O’Donoghue, company co-founder with his cousin and fellow Southamptonite Chris Dimon.
"We’re trying to give people the opportunity to get from a to b, to go to the beach and get a little exercise without having to get into the car," O’Donoghue said.
The service, called Bethpage Ride where it’s sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, is already a transportation option in Lindenhurst, Patchogue, Riverhead, Southampton, Hampton Bays and Babylon.
"If somebody wants to come to the village [of Babylon] by train, they can pick up a bike at the train station," said village board member Robyn Silvestri, an avid cyclist and a "huge fan" of bike sharing.
How it Works
Riders can use an app to rent their bicycles by the hour, the day or even sign up for annual membership. Pictured is a Bethpage Ride location at Argyle Park in the Village of Babylon. Credit: Morgan Campbell
Download the Bloom Bike and Scooter Sharing app on your phone, select the PedalShare option and sign up. (You’ll need a credit card.) At the pick-up-station, scan the QR code either between the handlebars or below the seat to unlock the bike. Leave the app open during your ride and make sure Bluetooth is enabled. To end your ride, park at any station in the area and lock the back tire. Open 24/7, May 1 through Nov. 1. Must be at least 18 years old. Only one bike can be rented per device.
FEES: $4/hour or $35 for 24 hours. A $59 annual membership covers an unlimited number of one-hour rides with additional hours at $4. Cyclists need to provide their own bike helmets.
INFO: 631-268-BIKE (2453), ridepedalshare.com
Here are suggestions for scenic rides to take, on routes ranging from leisurely to challenging with stops for snacks, liquid refreshments or breathtaking views.
Babylon Village (Bethpage Ride)
Pick up stations at Argyle Park, Totten Place, Babylon Long Island Rail Road station, Park Avenue, Babylon Village Pool (Fire Island Ave. S.), Locust Avenue Park
People along the scenic running, walking, and bicycling trail at Argyle Park in Babylon Village. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Argyle Lake loop
- Pick-up station: Argyle Park (NY-27A, Babylon)
- Distance: ¾ mile
Take a leisurely spin around Argyle Lake in the heart of town, then lock up for shopping and dining on Main Street. Downtown refreshment options include an iced latte at Babylon Bean Coffee House, ice cream at Sweet Sensations or a quick bite at a local eatery on Deer Park Avenue, Fire Island Avenue and East Main Street.
People riding bikes and walking at Belmont Lake State Park in West Babylon. Credit: James Carbone
Belmont Lake State Park
- Pick-up station: Park Avenue
- Distance: 6 miles
There may be no better bike trail through Western Suffolk’s greenway than along the shady path through the woods to Belmont Lake State Park. Ride the path around the scenic lake, rent a paddle boat, fish from the shore or Instagram the bubbly waterfall. Pitstops at rest rooms and food trucks prepare you for a return trip past Southards Pond where you can dip your toes on the shoreline.
The 4E Green Farm stand at the Babylon Village Farmers Market. Credit: Linda Rosier
Historic Babylon
- Pick-up station: Babylon LIRR Station
- Distance: Variable
This ride is best on a Sunday morning, when you can pick up fruits and pastries at the Babylon Village Farmers Market before cruising over to Nathanial Conklin House, built in 1803 by the village’s founder and more recently saved by local concerned citizens. (280 Deer Park Ave., Babylon). Keep riding to historic markers on the sites where Guglielmo Marconi started the wireless revolution (Fire Island Avenue and Virginia Road); America’s first professional African-American baseball team was formed (north end of Argyle Lake) and the local women’s suffrage movement took off. (101 Deer Park Ave., Babylon)
The Robert Moses Causeway bridge seen in the distance. Credit: James Carbone
Babylon waterfront
- Pick-up station: Babylon Pool (Fire Island Ave S, Babylon)
- Distance: Variable
Cruise around the area to catch views of the Great South Bay and the soaring Robert Moses Causeway bridge.
Huntington (Bethpage Ride)
Pick up stations at Mill Dam Park (Mill Dam and West Shoe roads), Gerard Street parking lot, New Street parking lot, Heckscher Park (Prime Avenue entrance) and Paul H. Johnson Gateway Plaza, New York Avenue (Route 110) between Henry and Olive streets, Huntington Station.
Huntington's Mill Dam Marina. Credit: Danielle Silverman
Huntington shoreline
- Pick-up station: Mill Dam Park
- Distance: 1.6 miles
Start at the park at the corner of Mill Dam Road and West Shore Road and across the street from Mill Dam Marina. Then take West Shore Road, north along the scenic Huntington Harbor shoreline. (Stop outside the park at the Gold Coast Surfside Delicatessen on West Shore Road for sandwiches, snacks and beverages.) Follow West Shore Road around the shoreline to Gold Star Beach Park, for a swim or view of the Huntington Harbor light. West Shore Road becomes Browns Road for a look at another local landmark -- the Chateau at Coindre Hall, a catering facility in a medieval-style mansion built in 1912.
Kerber's Farm in Huntington. Credit: Marisol Diaz-Gordon
Kerber’s Farm
- Pick-up station: New Street parking lot
- Distance: about 2 miles
Cyclists prize the farm founded in 1941 for its egg sandwiches on a cheddar buttermilk biscuit and its fruit pies, says Huntington town councilman and mountain bike rider Ed Smyth, 50, of Lloyd Harbor. (Kerber's Farm, 309 W. Pulaski Rd, Huntington, kerbersfarm.com)
Bikers and walkers share the paved paths that stretch through the wooded areas of Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve in Lloyd Harbor. Credit: Ian J. Stark
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve and Joseph Lloyd Manor House
- Pick-up station: Gerard Street parking lot
- Distance: 5 miles via West Neck Road
Best for experienced cyclists, this twisty, hilly route passes stately mansions and a stunning waterfront on the way to the Joseph Lloyd Manor House (1 Lloyd Lane, Lloyd Harbor), where enslaved Jupiter Hammon lived while becoming one of America’s first published African-American writers. A few more pumps take you to the entrance to Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve, home to the Lloyd Harbor Equestrian Center and Henry Lloyd Manor house built in 1711. (25 Lloyd Harbor Rd., Lloyd Harbor)
Southampton (PedalShare)
Bethpage Federal Credit Union will sponsor the ride-share program that will be operated by Southampton-based PedalShare. Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
Pick-up stations at Southampton Long Island Rail Road station, Southampton Town Hall, Coopers Beach, Gin Beach, Agawam Park and A Butlers Manor B&B, 244 N. Main St., Southampton.
Coopers Beach in Southampton is consistently ranked as among the best beaches in the naton. Credit: Randee Daddona
Coopers Beach
- Pick-up station: Southampton Long Island Rail Road station
- Distance: About 3 miles via South Main Street, Gin Lane and Meadow Lane
Throw your towel in the basket and meet the elite on Coopers Beach, the sunny strand rated number one beach by ecologist Stephen P. Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach). The beach concession serves beer, wine, “really delicious rubs and chicken,” O’Donoghue said.
Visitors fishing at the Shinnecock Inlet. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Meadow Lane
- Pick-up station: Coopers Beach (268 Meadow Lane, Southampton)
- Distance: 3.6 miles
Get ready for jaw-drops on Billionaire Lane where astonishing mega- mansions cling to a beachfront strip on the Atlantic. Catch your breath and cool off in the surf at Shinnecock East County Park – where the road ends at Shinnecock Inlet.
Lobster rolls at The Shinnecock Lobster Factory in Southampton. Credit: Shinnecock Lobster Factory
Shinnecock Indian Nation Reservation
- Pick-up station: Southampton LIRR station
- Distance: 2.5 miles via North Main and Hill streets
The Shinnecock Lobster Factory’s lobster rolls are reason enough for a bike ride to the Shinnecock Nation Indian Reservation (42 Montauk Hwy., Southampton).
Anglers fishing on Agawam Park Pond in Southampton. Credit: John Roca
Downtown Southampton
- Pick-up station: Agawam Park
- Distance: variable
Agawam’s broad lawn, monumental veterans memorial and calming fountain form a perfect picnic backdrop. A 0.2 mile-spin to the village founded in 1640 leads to Jobs Lane’s trendy shops, the venerable Southampton Publick House, (62 Jobs Lane, Southampton) and the cheese Danish and crumb cake at Ye Olde Bakeshop. (17 Windmill Lane, Southampton).
