Bike share pickup stations on Long Island in Amityville, Babylon and more

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.

Suffolk County's Regional Bike Share program rents out two-wheelers for $4 an hour. The Bethpage Ride service, sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, is a transportation option in Babylon, Huntington, Lindenhurst, Patchogue, Port Washington, Riverhead and Hampton Bays. PedalShare, the program's operator, sponsors locations are at Southampton, Bridgehampton and at Sag Harbor’s Long Beach. Using the PedalShare app at any of the program's locations makes it quick and easy to rent with just a credit card.

"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," says Patrick O’Donoghue, who co-founded PedalShare with his cousin and fellow Southamptonite Chris Dimon.

"If somebody wants to come to the village [of Babylon] by train, they can pick up a bike at the train station," says former village board member Robyn Silvestri, an avid cyclist and a "huge fan" of bike sharing.

HOW IT WORKS

Sign up at ridepedalshare.com, where you can download the app. At the pickup 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 per 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.

BIKE SHARE STATION LOCATIONS

Amityville at 9/11 Memorial Park, Amityville Library, Amityville Beach and Amityville Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station (Merrick Road and Bennett Place parking lot).

Babylon Village at Argyle Park on Carlston Place, Totten Place, Babylon LIRR station, Park Avenue Park, Babylon Village Pool (Fire Island Avenue South), Locust Avenue Park, Gilgo Beach and Cedar Beach marina.

Bridgehampton at Bridgehampton LIRR station, Ocean Road Beach, Sagg Main Beach, Long Beach on Noyac Road, Municipal lot at Montauk Highway and Ocean Road.

Farmingdale at Farmingdale State College at Campus Center, Orchard Hall and Nold Hall.

Hampton Bays at Good Ground Park, Ponquogue Beach, Tiana Beach and at the post office parking lot across from the Hampton Bays LIRR station.

Huntington at Mill Dam Park (Mill Dam and West Shore roads), Gerard Street parking lot, New Street parking lot, Heckscher Park (Prime Avenue entrance) and Paul H. Johnson Gateway Plaza on New York Avenue.

Lindenhurst at Firemans Park, Lindenhurst gazebo and Lindenhurst LIRR station.

Port Washington at Town Dock, Manorhaven Beach Park and Port Washington LIRR station.

Riverhead at Town Hall, Riverhead LIRR station, Peconic Riverfront near Peconic Brewery, River to Roots Garden and Veterans Memorial Park in Calverton.

Southampton at Southampton LIRR station, Town Hall, Coopers Beach, Gin Beach and Agawam Park.

WHERE TO RIDE 

Here are suggestions for scenic rides to take on routes ranging from leisurely to challenging with stops for refreshments or breathtaking views.

Argyle Lake loop pickup station at 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.

Belmont Lake State Park pickup station at Park Avenue Park in Babylon. There may be no better bike trail through western Suffolk’s greenway than along the shady path through the woods to the splendors of Belmont Lake State Park. Take a breezy spin around scenic Belmont Lake, rent a paddle boat, fish for bass (NYS fishing license required for anglers 16 and older) or Instagram the bubbly waterfall. On your return trip, dip your toes in Southards Pond.

Historic Babylon pickup station at Babylon LIRR station. This ride is best on a Sunday morning, when you can pick up fruits and pastries at the Babylon Village Farmers Market beginning June 4 before cruising over to Nathanial Conklin House (280 Deer Park Ave., Babylon), built in 1803 by the village’s founder and recently saved by local concerned citizens. Keep riding to historic markers on the sites where Guglielmo Marconi started the wireless revolution (Fire Island Avenue and Virginia Road).

Babylon waterfront pickup station at Babylon Pool (Fire Island Avenue South, Babylon). Cruise around the area to catch views of the Great South Bay and the soaring Robert Moses Causeway.

Huntington shoreline pickup station at Mill Dam Park. Distance: 1.6 miles. Start at the park at the corner of Mill Dam and West Shore roads 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 Battalion Beach Park. Where West Shore Road becomes Browns Road, stop for a look at a local landmark — the Chateau at Coindre Hall, a catering facility in a medieval-style mansion built in 1912.

Kerber’s Farm pickup station in New Street parking lot in Huntington. Distance: About 2 miles. Take a short trip with a big reward: The farm, founded in 1941, is beloved for its egg sandwich on a Cheddar buttermilk biscuit (gluten-free available), and, for dessert, crusty housemade pies bursting with fruit, says Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, a mountain bike rider. (Kerber's Farm, 309 W. Pulaski Rd., Huntington, kerbersfarm.com)

Coopers Beach pickup station at Southampton LIRR station. Distance: About 3 miles via South Main Street, Gin Lane and Meadow Lane. Throw your beach towel in the bike's basket and meet the elite on Coopers Beach, the sunny strand rated No. 3 beach in 2022 by ecologist Stephen P. Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach). The beach concession serves beer, wine and eats. Stay awhile for the Sunday concerts.

Downtown Southampton pickup station at Agawam Park. Agawam’s broad lawn with its monumental veterans memorial and calming fountain makes for an idyllic pre- or post-ride picnic stop. 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 Bake Shoppe (17 Windmill Lane, Southampton). 

With Dorothy Guadagno-Levin