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Ride leaders' individual contact info can be found on the site, but should not be published elsewhere. Thanks! If necessary, please contact me, Bob Nelson, fastnfab@yahoo.com or 917-658-9531, to verify any information in this e-mail or on the site. My information may also be published as the contact for any ride or other event.

READ ME FIRST! Our ride leaders are unique! Read each ride description to learn if weather might cancel a ride, what equipment is appropriate, and any other special considerations. Questions? Ask the ride leader. We care about your well-being: wear a helmet on our rides. Bring at least one filled water bottle. Even if you don't know how to fix a flat, bring a pump and a spare tube for your bike, or it's possible no one on the ride will be able to help you. Distances are usually round trip. Ask the ride leader about possible less-taxing ride options.

MAY 10, STATEN ISLAND: John Chapman takes us on a tour of the cultural icons to be found on this island of suburbia. We'll visit the Staten Island Lighthouse, explore art of the Himalayas at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art, and cruise the Bikeway that runs for several miles along Midland Beach. To top it off, there's the Alice Austen House, home to one of our very own. Ms. Austen is best known for her prolific work as a photographer of New York in the 1800s. She was also an avid cyclist in an age when women didn't usually indulge - a very special woman! After our visit, we can get take-out near the Alice Austen House and eat on the front lawn, which overlooks New York Harbor. We'll meet at the Staten Island Ferry in the lower level waiting area at 10:15 a.m. and catch the 10:30 ferry to Staten Island. (Just ask a security officer where the bicycle waiting area is.) We should be back by 3:00 p.m. Total mileage about 20.

MAY 11, BETHPAGE TRAILS: Dominic Lampasi takes the group on his fave trail hike in Bethpage State Park, where a mix of fire roads and singletrack provide a modestly challenging outing for the intrepid mountain biker. Those with less interest in trails and more interest in pavement can try the paved bike path that crosses Long Island down to Massapequa, a distance of about 30 mi. round-trip. Dominic will meet us on this spring Mother's Day (in case you forgot) at the Long Island Rail Road station (bring your bike pass!) in Farmingdale. If you're coming from the city, meet at Penn Station to get the 9:16, which gets us to Farmingdale at 10:09; otherwise meet in Farmingdale at 10:15 a.m. We'll ride for a few hours, grab a bite and then head back to the city.

MAY 18, CENTRAL PARK: For those interested in biking distances shorter than 65 mi., Robert Sinclair's Sunday Central Park ride is the ticket. Meet him at the Boathouse at 11 a.m. for three or four easy loops of the park -- that would be 18 or 24 mi. -- to be followed by a light lunch to be procured and consumed at the Boathouse. Everyone will need a bike lock to lock up to the racks while we're snacking and yakking. Precipitation or temperature below 40 degrees cancels the ride.

MAY 24-26, NEW HOPE: Fast and Fab pays a visit to this quaint town on the banks of the Delaware every Memorial Day weekend, rain or shine. As we've done a half-dozen times, we'll stay at the Weisel Hostel in Nockamixon State Park, Quakertown, Pa., about 30 mi. northwest of New Hope. We drop bags at the pickup truck in Manhattan Saturday morning, take the PATH or drive to Newark and then, with cue sheets and our truck as support, begin the 80 mi. to the hostel. En route, we'll have stops for food and fuel; the last pit stop is in New Hope; and yes, the pickup will pick up tired riders. There's horseback riding, a huge outdoor pool, canoe and kayak rentals and plenty of space for long runs, and some people go antique shopping in town. Monday we'll cycle back to Newark via a different route, avoiding Memorial Day parades where possible. To hold your place in the ride, write a check for $100 to Front Runners New York and mail it to Bob Nelson at 165 Seaman Ave. #3H, New York, NY 10034-1989. The $100, which is non-refundable after May 15, covers $36 for two nights at the hostel, truck rental and SAG supplies.

MAY 31, TEACH A KID TO RIDE: May is Bike Month, of course, and Bike New York and the New York City Parks Department once again are sponsoring a series of hands-on sessions to teach young children how to ride bicycles. Three of us from Fast and Fab trekked out to Staten Island last year to teach the kids, and really had a blast. The little gals and guys are so cute! Essentially you take the pedals off the bike and have the youngster scoot the bike forward, then s/he tries to balance while s/he is moving. Then you put the pedals back on and hope you have a brand-new cyclist. Fast and Fab has volunteered to work Saturday, May 31, the weekend after Memorial Day, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Inwood Hill Park at the northern tip of Manhattan. Volunteers who are unfamiliar with the "balance-first" teaching method are required to attend a training session on Saturday, April 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Recycle-A-Bicycle facility in Long Island City, on 46th Avenue at 5th Street, off Vernon Blvd. If you'd like to participate, reply to Bob Nelson at fastnfab@yahoo.com or 917-658-9531. Thank you guys, see you on the roads (or trails)!

Go to the Fast and Fab website (http://www.fastnfab.org) for more information on all rides.