1 My favorite ride is hardly a discovery—the Loop in Central Park. But the when makes it different: My friends and I ride after midnight, when even the hard-core joggers have gone home. There's a stillness perfect for meditation: no cars, no cell phones, just trees. Ugly scenes (like the ostentatious Tavern on the Green) look beautiful by moonlight. Plus, it's the perfect time to see who's willing to brave the park (gay dudes, couples making out, Rollerblading teams, idiots like me) without fear of getting stabbed. That's usually my goal for any bike ride: to not get stabbed, and to see the city differently. What a perfect way to end the day.—Michael Freidson, editor

2 Living near Central Park is a wonderful thing, but when you try to bike the Loop on weekends, you're bombarded with too many Rollerbladers and tourists. For an alternate six-mile ride that's considerably less crowded but still full of green space, try this course from the Upper East Side to Randalls Island.

Enter Carl Schurz Park at 88th Street. Head to the side on the water and make a left uptown. The park will turn into a bike and pedestrian path that follows the FDR Drive. The path continues up to the Triborough Bridge, but you want to take the footbridge at 103rd Street. (It's open from 6am to 9pm.) It allows direct access to the island. Once you cross over, you can go left or right and circle almost all of the island. There's a newly constructed bike path if you go left, but I always turn right toward the area called Ward’s Island Park. Continuing around the water, you'll come upon plenty of green fields and amazing views of the Queens and Manhattan waterfronts. As you curve north, you'll have to get on the main roadway (I-278), but the traffic is so minimal, you'll feel like it's your own oversize bike path. This stretch leads you to the north park areas and around several baseball fields. As you curve around and head back toward the footbridge, keep an eye out for the Randalls Island driving range. There you can stop to play minigolf, hit some balls long distance or try out the batting cages. Continue south, you'll see Icahn Stadium on your right. Just past the stadium hang a right and look for a small entranceway to a wooded area. There you'll find the bike path that will lead you right to your starting point at the footbridge.—Adam Fulrath, design director

3 I live in East Williamsburg/Bushwick (and, yeah I went to art school and ride a fixed-gear—go ahead and make your stereotypes), and I always start in this neighborhood. I don’t do too many excursions, but I do a lot of sprints through the city. My friends and I will start at Fish (280 Bleecker St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, 212-727-2879) for the happy-hour special that includes a glass of red or white wine or PBR, with six oysters or six clams, for $8. Properly sated, we shoot down Bleecker, left on Bowery and head straight up Third Avenue to 82nd Street to a friend’s apartment. This usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. Hydrate.

Then we’ll do a sprint to Bohemian Beer Hall in Astoria. When you approach the Triborough Bridge from Manhattan, it’s a fairly steep incline, but only for about a quarter mile. Gun it and cruise down the long downhill toward the bottom of the bridge. After the bridge, make a left on 27th Street. Go right on 37th Avenue where the street dead=ends and make a quick left on 29th Street. Sprint down all the way to 30th Avenue and make a right. Veer left on 31st Street and head to 24th Avenue, then make a left. Skid about half block to the Beer Garden. This takes 15 to 20 minutes. Hydrate.

The combination of riding, drinking and smelling the grill pit will have you salivating. I don’t eat at Bohemian Hall, because their food makes me shit sideways. Instead, I head back into Brooklyn. Go right on 24th Avenue and left on Crescent Street. Crescent takes you all the way down to the bridge area, and you can make your way to the right, over to 21st Street, using little local streets. Cruise down to 46th Avenue and make a right. Then make a left at 11th Street and ride over the Pulaski Bridge. Catch some speed on the downhill, but watch out at the exit. The bridge turns into McGuinness Boulevard, which continues into Brooklyn; since I got hit on that street last week, I’ll be making a right on Freeman Street and a left on Manhattan Avenue. Manhattan intersects with the BQE, so my crew will ride underneath and do some flat-ground jamboree. Then onto food! Follow the BQE to Metropolitan Avenue, make a left on Marcy and a right on Grand Street to Taco Chulo. This place uses fresh ingredients and free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and has a good number of vegan and veggie options.

When we're done here, it's on to the macabre of the evening rides…—Atsu Saisho, designer

4 There's a great annual ride called Tour De Putnam. They do several different courses through Putnam County, ranging in distance from 15 to 100 miles. You can get there via Metro-North (or drive), and it's well worth it. The scenery is really beautiful up there. This year's ride is on August 24.—Marci Weisler, digital business director