A bicyclist rides between members of the band Fogo Azul from Brooklyn during the Community Bike Jam hosted on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Olympic Oval in Lake Placid. The jam kicked off the Whoop Mountain Bike World Series. (Provided photo — Doug Haney)

Those who’ve experienced a Bike Adirondacks (BikeADK) event know — because I say it a lot — is that everything we do is designed to get more people riding bikes in the Adirondacks. The biggest way we do that is by featuring the landscape and communities of this special place in a way that showcases and raises money for those who care for both.

Since the BikeADK was launched during a global pandemic in 2020, our events and product sales have now generated over $220,000 for community groups and nonprofit organizations. Over $50,000 of that happened this year because of the generosity of the thousands of people who joined us for a bike ride.

Our first-ever event was ADK Unite, a virtual fundraiser for Adirondack community food pantries designed to get people riding, running, walking, hiking, paddling, anything to get active to fight hunger. It was a meager start and generated around $3,500 for eight different food pantries. This year, 151 people signed up and moved a collective 31,453.8 miles during May to help us raise $12,000 for 12 different food pantries.

I bumped into a participant the other day while dropping off some BikeADK online orders at the Saranac Lake post office. She was (of course) volunteering as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and said how much she enjoyed ADK Unite and that she was looking forward to participating again next year.

This happens often and my heart grows each time. So does my motivation to do more. BikeADK is in the business of sharing smiles and raising money to help people and our environment. Both of which provide me with a lot of smiles to give. It feels good.

Sure, we put on the bike events, but people made those numbers happen by signing up, buying an extra raffle ticket, a T-shirt or maybe making an extra donation. Hopefully, they went home with a better understanding of what makes the Adirondacks so special because of the stories told by these organizations through our rides.

In June, we hosted the first Adirondack Rail Trail Community Day to help promote the gift that is a 34-mile vehicle-free corridor connecting the communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Tupper Lake. There was a scavenger hunt, opportunities to clear culverts and huck brush and a wicked fun party with live music, local beer and the raffle of a $2,500 e-bike donated by High Peaks Cyclery. Every single dollar raised that day went to the good work of the Adirondack Rail Trail Association, which spearheaded the project with New York state over 12 years ago. Today, we’re all enjoying the love of that labor.

Those who joined Ride for the River definitely laughed at a “fish porn” joke by Ausable Freshwater Center Executive Director Kelley Tucker, but they also raised their hand during the live auction to bid on a case of wine donated by our partner Meadowdale Winery to help us raise some more money for the fishes.

If you Weekendered (it’s a verb) at Paul Smith’s College, then you likely met Anne Savage, executive director of the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC). She was riding bikes with us and gave an awesome fireside chat at sunset about all the good NYBC is doing to advocate for people-powered recreation and transport in the state. By riding bikes with Anne, you also helped us donate money to NYBC and to the Saranac Lake Youth Center, which staffed our rest stops for the weekend.

By joining one of the Great Camp Sagamore Gravel Experiences, guests not only got to learn about the history of this stunning property once owned by the Vanderbilt Family, but they got to roll a few frames in the one-of-a-kind open-air bowling alley and take out a boat on the private lake. Each experience gave a little back toward helping continue to preserve this special place for future generations to enjoy.

The Pat Stratton Ride celebrated its 25th year of pedaling in support of area youth programs. Homemade pies were enjoyed and raffled, while $18,000 was raised for the Saranac Lake Kiwanis Club to give away along with the hundreds of helmets they hand out each year at the annual bike rodeo.

The over 250 people who participated in Bike the Barns this year definitely scored with four incredible farms going all-out with hospitality. I’ve never seen so many people so deeply engaged in a conversation about sheep. All of it supports the Adirondack North Country Association’s efforts to boost local food systems.

Handlebarley Gravel Weekend riders enjoyed stunning views at Elk Lake Lodge, a unique preserve in the heart of the High Peaks. Some swam and a lot of selfies were snapped. It’s that kind of place. The next day, Penfield Homestead Museum opened the 1826 homestead just for us and riders gained some more knowledge while joining volunteers in rocking chairs on the front porch of the “Birthplace of the Electric Age.”

When the world came to Lake Placid for the Whoop UCI Mountain Bike World Series, we helped Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) host a Community Bike Jam under the lights at the Olympic Oval. Dozens and dozens of kids rode skills features as professional BMX riders put on a stunt show and a drum corps from Brooklyn provided the beat. Money and awareness of the incredible work BETA does for the local cycling and skiing community were raised.

Hundreds more enjoyed our new Adirondack Rail Trail shuttle service, dined in local restaurants, stayed in hotels, picked up goodies from shops and even rode the Adirondack Carousel. And when the cycling season was over, we decided that a good way to clear out our inventory of 2025 gear was to donate all the profit to North Country Public Radio. I listen to NCPR every day and know a lot of you do too. Why not leverage BikeADK to say thanks?

Every ounce of these experiences is a story. One we hope you experience with us again or for the first time next year. The reason is that there is nothing we love more than sharing the joy of riding a bike in the Adirondacks with friends.

Together, we’re going to do even more good next season. And we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.

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Doug Haney is a longtime resident of Saranac Lake.