A lovely view from the trail in Montauk County Park (photo: GeorgePorge52679)
It turns out the Suffolk County Government invites cyclists to bike the myriad trails of their parks year-round. You can reserve a free spot in one of their bike hostels for one night. I suppose the idea is that you stay at one park each night of the weekend of your cycling excursion. To get access to these hostels and trails you must purchase a Suffolk County Parks Green Key Card which runs for about $40 for non-residents. The good thing is that the key card can be purchased on the spot and is valid for one year. That way, you can come back for more fun on a different weekend.
Cathedral Pines County Park is one particularly popular destination because it offers mountain biking. Other trails and bike hostels can be found in Sears Bellows, Indian Island, Cedar Point, and Montauk County Parks. Plan ahead for springtime fun and check out the Suffolk County bicycling page for details on making reservations.
A corny, but useful map displaying the advanced and novice climbs of the Cathedral Pines Mountain Bike Trail
--Krista Christophe