About Us

BTCNJ is a recreational bicycling club run by volunteers

Bicycle clubs are social organizations that schedule bicycle rides for members. These group rides have a leader to follow and, often, a "sweep" (a person who follows the group). The leader will stop periodically to regroup (let people catch up). You'll get support/help from the other riders (the leader, especially) and learn about new places to ride. Some of the rides take an hour or two but most are longer with a stop midway for lunch. People usually drive to the start of the ride.

Every year, BTCNJ schedules over 2,000 rides for different riding abilities/levels. We are a very active club.

The rides are mostly in Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic counties in NJ and Rockland county in New York. But we also have rides outside of these places.

We have rides for new riders and families all the way to experts. So, whether you prefer fast or relaxed (it's all good!), there's a ride for you. But, if you are new to riding with a club, start with a ride you think will be easy.

Other activities

We run also organize multiday trips (weekends and longer) in places all over the US (and, sometimes, in other countries too). These are hotel-based and don't generally require you to carry your luggage on the bike. Weekend trips use one hotel as the base to do loop rides from. Some longer trips are run the same way but, sometimes, these involve riding from one hotel to another.

We also have non-riding events like monthly meetings with presentations, happy hours, picnics, and a yearly anniversary party.

We run the Ramapo Rally, typically on a day in August, with 600-1,000 people (not just members) riding organized routes of 12 to 125 miles, all with support and food/refreshment.

We have a diverse membership of about 1,300 (novices to experts) sharing a common interest in bicycling.

If you want to become a better cyclist, being a member of a bycling club can be one of the most effective ways to do that.

BTCNJ (Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey) was established in 1978 and is a non-profit, all-volunteer bicycling organization. The club is a member of the League of American Bicyclists (LAB), a national organization dedicated to bicycle advocacy, education, and recreation.