Charity Ride Family Meeting Point Plan New York

When one family starts in Manhattan at 5:00 AM and others roll out from Wantagh at 8:30 or Blue Point at 10:00, the finish should be the part you coordinate first. Everyone can ride a different distance and still plan to reconnect at Smith Point.

Bike to the Beach’s 2026 New York ride is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, with 100-, 50-, and 25-mile options that finish together. The event page does not publish an official family meeting point, so treat your reunion location as a family agreement rather than an event-provided service. A simple plan can cover different start lines without asking anyone to guess where to go after the ride.

Register for the New York Bike to the Beach ride and give your family a start time to plan around.

Charity ride family meeting point plan for New York

A family meeting plan for the New York ride should begin at the finish. On Saturday, October 3, 2026, riders leave from three start lines. Manhattan is the 100-mile start at 5:00 AM. Wantagh is the 50-mile start at 8:30 AM. Blue Point is the 25-mile start at 10:00 AM. The shorter routes join the 100-mile route, so riders can finish together at Tiki Joe’s Smith Point, 1 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY 11967.

Review the three New York start lines and ride details with everyone before the event. The Manhattan start is at 450 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282, across from the Battery Park City Gourmet Market. The Wantagh start is at Long Island Racquet and Fitness, 3728 Park Avenue, Wantagh, NY 11793. The Blue Point start is at Corey’s Creek Park, 1 Corey Lane, Blue Point, NY 11715. Once each rider knows the correct starting location, shift the family conversation to where everyone will reunite at Smith Point.

Choose a visible landmark near the finish

There is no published official family meeting point at the finish. Instead, agree on one visible landmark near Tiki Joe’s Smith Point before ride day. Choose a spot that is easy to describe and away from the densest crowd, rather than relying on a particular table, vehicle, or person to be available. Then choose a backup spot nearby in case the first location is busy or inaccessible.

The Pediatric Pandemic Network’s large-gathering reunification guidance recommends a visible landmark away from the densest crowd and a backup meeting place. It also advises families not to rely on phones alone, since texts may work when calls do not. Write both meeting locations into each person’s plan, and make sure younger riders know how to identify them.

Keep the plan separate from the ride schedule

The three start times are useful for getting riders to their starting lines, but they should not become the family meeting plan. A rider’s arrival time at Smith Point may vary, and the finish area may be active with food, refreshments, music, and other event activity. Give every family member the same finish address, primary landmark, backup spot, and a simple instruction to go there after arriving. That creates one shared destination even when the group begins the day at different points on Long Island.

Match each person to a start, then to the reunion

Begin with the riders’ distances and the adults’ transportation jobs. The Manhattan start is the earliest and longest option: the 100-mile ride begins at 5:00 AM. That rider should not also be the person driving the support car. If your family is sending a car with the rider, make sure a second adult stays with the non-riders and can manage the return plan. Otherwise, let the rider travel to Manhattan independently while the support adult takes responsibility for the family meeting plan.

Wantagh is the middle option. The 50-mile ride starts at 8:30 AM at Long Island Racquet and Fitness, which has on-site parking. The LIRR Wantagh stop is about 0.8 miles away. Anyone using the train should check the current timetable and leave time for the last walk, bike ride, or rideshare. Blue Point is the latest and shortest start. The 25-mile ride begins at 10:00 AM at Corey’s Creek Park, which also has on-site parking. Use the family charity bike ride guide to choose a distance before you assign who goes where.

Separate the chase car from the family reunion

Relay teams have a different job. Relay riders coordinate their own exchanges and bring their own chase vehicle. That car is a moving meeting point for the relay team, not a dependable place for the entire family to reunite. Write down the exchange plan, who is riding each leg, and which adult is responsible for moving the car. Do not ask the person riding the earliest or longest leg to drive that vehicle too.

For everyone else, meet at the Smith Point finish instead of trying to cover all three starts. The ride details page lists the finish at Tiki Joe’s Smith Point, 1 William Floyd Parkway, Shirley, NY 11967. The page does not publish an official family meeting point. Choose a visible landmark away from the densest crowd, name a backup spot, and share both in advance. Do not rely on calls alone. Agree on a text check-in and carry the plan in writing.

A non-rider who would rather contribute than wait can review how to volunteer at a charity bike ride. Everyone else should confirm the reunion location, transportation home, and any current event instructions before ride day.

Use one card for every start line

Families do not need to follow the entire route to support a rider. They do need a clear plan for the correct start, the right arrival time, and where to reconnect after the finish. Save the address for your rider’s distance and decide who is responsible for transportation before ride morning.

Use one simple card or note for each rider. The details below cover the three New York starts and the finish reunion location.

New York ride start lines and family meeting details.

Start	Time	Address	Parking	What the waiting family should do
100-mile Manhattan.	5:00 AM.	450 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282.	Parking garages, including Icon and SP+.	Have the bike ready before arrival. No mechanic at this start.
50-mile Wantagh.	8:30 AM.	3728 Park Avenue, Wantagh, NY 11793.	On-site parking.	The Wantagh LIRR stop is 0.8 miles away. Allow time to walk, bike, or rideshare.
25-mile Blue Point.	10:00 AM.	1 Corey Lane, Blue Point, NY 11715.	On-site parking.	Confirm the drop-off plan. Keep the start address with everyone in the car.
Finish reunion.	After the ride.	Tiki Joe’s Smith Point, 1 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY 11967.	Follow current venue directions.	Agree on one visible landmark near the finish. Stay out of the densest part of the celebration.

These details come from the live New York ride-details page, and start, parking, and finish arrangements can change. Check that page again before the event, then share the final version with every driver and waiting family member.

Pack the handoff, not a second ride plan

The handoff works best when the rider and the waiting adult agree before the morning gets busy. Smith Point is the finish at Tiki Joe’s, 1 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY 11967. The ride page does not publish an official family meeting point. Choose a visible landmark away from the densest crowd. Decide what to do if that first spot is hard to reach. The Smith Point ride overview helps you picture the finish before ride day.

Keep phones in the backup role, not as the whole plan. The Pediatric Pandemic Network says a text may get through when a call does not in a crowd. Agree on the landmark and a backup spot first. Share that plan with the waiting adult and the rider before the start.

1. Name the finish landmark. Pick a specific, visible place near the finish. Do not say only “Smith Point.” A landmark you can describe from more than one direction is easier to find when the area is busy.
2. Name a backup spot a short walk away. Choose it in advance, and make sure both people know whether the rider or the waiting adult should move there first. This keeps a missed first meeting from turning into a search through the crowd.
3. Decide who carries the one allowed bag. Bag transport allows one backpack or duffel per rider. The bag must have the rider-number tag, weigh no more than 20 pounds, and have nothing strapped to the outside. Drop it at the start and pick it up at the finish. Do not plan on a separate gear-check service.
4. Put the rider number where the waiting adult can see it. Keep the required tag attached to the bag, and agree on how the adult will recognize the rider number at pickup. That gives the handoff a clear identifier beyond a phone call.
5. Set two check-in texts. Send one when the rider arrives at the start and another when the rider leaves the last rest stop. A missed message should trigger the agreed meeting plan, not an improvised search.

Write the landmark, backup spot, and bag plan down before leaving home. That small step lets the rider focus on the route and gives the waiting family member a simple, shared plan for the finish.

Decide the ride home before the start line

When family members begin at different start lines, decide how everyone will reunite before race morning. The cleanest plan for a non-rider is often a family pickup at the finish. That keeps the family together at Smith Point instead of sending riders back toward Manhattan, Wantagh, or Blue Point while someone waits alone. Choose a visible landmark near the finish, agree on a backup meeting place, and do not depend on phone calls alone. A simple plan matters more when a child, teammate, or caregiver is arriving separately.

Before making that plan, read the current New York ride details. The page encourages a ride with loved ones back to the start. That works when a family member is already driving and can pick up after the finish. It also lists an LIRR shuttle from the finish to Mastic-Shirley station from 12:00 to 5:00 PM. Bike transport is described as included with that shuttle. Families using the train should check the current timetable and match it to the rider’s expected finish time.

The starting-line bus needs extra attention. One paragraph says the bus leaves the finish at 5:00 PM. A later paragraph says one bus, with stops at each start, leaves at 4:00 PM. It asks riders to be at the loading area by 3:30 PM. Those times disagree. Confirm the 2026 bus time on the live page before you promise a seat. The page still shows a 2025 reservation deadline and prices. Do not treat those figures as the 2026 booking rules.

If several riders take the bus, decide where the family meets after it reaches the start area. The bus sends riders back toward the starts. It does not keep the family together at Smith Point. A pickup at the finish is simpler when someone is not riding. If a pickup is not possible, share the confirmed bus time, the loading spot, and a backup contact.

For route choices, start locations, and the bigger picture, use the New York charity ride guide alongside the New York event page. Then write down the return plan, including who is driving, who is taking the train or shuttle, and where the family will reunite.

Run the same five-minute check on ride morning

Keep the family meeting plan short enough to repeat before anyone leaves. The New York ride has three start lines, so make sure every rider and every support person is working from the same information.

1. Confirm each rider’s start. Read the list aloud: Manhattan at 5:00 AM, Wantagh at 8:30 AM, or Blue Point at 10:00 AM. Say the start location as well as the time so nobody relies on a vague memory of the route.
2. Confirm one Smith Point landmark and one backup. Choose a visible landmark in advance, then name a second nearby spot. Do not make “somewhere near the finish” the plan. The finish includes a photo spot, food, live music, and a resource fair. A random place in that crowd is hard to find. Review the beach finish celebration details, then pick spots beside the activity, not in the middle of it.
3. Confirm the driver and parking plan. Name who is driving to the finish, which vehicle they have, and where they will park. The driver should know whether they are meeting the group at the primary landmark or going directly to the backup.
4. Confirm the one-bag rule. Each rider gets one backpack or duffel with the rider-number tag. Keep it under 20 pounds, with nothing strapped outside. It is dropped at the start and picked up at the finish.
5. Send one start-line text. Each rider sends the same short message on arrival: “I am here.” That is the check-in. You do not need a stream of updates during the ride.
6. Agree what happens if someone is late. The waiting group stays at the landmark or moves to the backup. Do not roam the finish looking for one person. A late arrival checks both spots in that order and sends a text.

Five minutes of agreement before the starts can prevent hours of uncertainty after the riders reach Smith Point.

Save your New York ride spot before you finalize who meets you at Smith Point.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official family meeting point at the New York ride?

No. The live ride page does not name a family meeting point, a spectator area, or child care. Your charity ride family meeting point plan for New York is a family agreement. Pick one visible landmark near Tiki Joe’s Smith Point, 1 William Floyd Pkwy, Shirley, NY 11967. Add a backup spot a short walk away.

Can we meet at more than one start line?

You can, but most families should not try. Manhattan starts at 5:00 AM for 100 miles. Wantagh starts at 8:30 AM for 50 miles. Blue Point starts at 10:00 AM for 25 miles. The shorter rides join the longer route so people can finish together. Pick the starts your riders need, then put the reunion at Smith Point.

What if our phones do not work in the finish crowd?

Treat the landmark as the plan and the phone as a backup. The Pediatric Pandemic Network notes that a text may get through when a call does not. If someone is late, the waiting group stays at the landmark instead of roaming the celebration.

How do we get home if we started in different places?

A family pickup at the finish keeps non-riders and riders together. The ride page also lists an LIRR shuttle to Mastic-Shirley and a bus back toward the starts. Two paragraphs on that page give different bus times. Confirm the 2026 bus time on the ride-details page before you count on a seat. Do not use the 2025 prices printed there.

What can we send with the rider?

Bag transport allows one backpack or duffel per rider. It needs the rider-number tag, must stay at or under 20 pounds, and cannot have items strapped to the outside. Drop it at the start and pick it up at the finish.

Ready to lock the meeting plan to a start time?

Once each rider has a distance, the family has a finish landmark, and someone owns the ride home, the next step is a registration. The New York ride is Saturday, October 3, 2026, with starts in Manhattan, Wantagh, and Blue Point.

Register for the New York Bike to the Beach ride and share the confirmation with the person who will be waiting at Smith Point.