Vermont motorcycle events, foliage rides and bike nights

Late spring (May): The season opens late here, with blessing of the bikes events and the first group rides once mud season is over. May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, and the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride runs worldwide each May.

Summer (June to August): Rally month comes first, with Laconia and Americade both usually in June. Then it's weekly bike nights, charity rides and long weekend runs over the gaps.

Foliage (late September to mid October): The signature Vermont event isn't an event at all. Clubs, shops and groups of friends run foliage rides on VT 100 and the gaps, and the roads fill with riders from all over the Northeast.

Late fall and winter: Toy runs and the last rides happen in late October and early November, weather allowing. After that, the calendar sleeps until spring. For the weather behind it, see the best time to ride in Vermont.

To Americade: Lake Champlain is the obstacle and the fun part. Ferries cross between Vermont and New York at Grand Isle to Plattsburgh, Burlington to Port Kent and Charlotte to Essex, and a small seasonal ferry crosses at Fort Ticonderoga. The Lake Champlain Bridge at Chimney Point links to Crown Point, New York, with no schedule to worry about. Some crossings run only in season, so check schedules before you count on one.

To Laconia: Head east across the Connecticut River. US 4 runs from Woodstock and White River Junction into New Hampshire, and US 2 heads east from Montpelier and St. Johnsbury toward the White Mountains. Make a day of it by crossing a notch or the Kancamagus on the way.

Vermont bike nights are smaller and spread out, which makes them easy to miss. Dealers, shops, diners, breweries and general stores host weekly meetups from the Burlington and Rutland areas to Brattleboro and St. Johnsbury, and many clubs run regular Sunday rides over the gaps.

Ask at the shop that mounts your tires, and check the events map. In Rippin', open Meets, set your area, and the nearest bike nights, meets and rides show first. RSVP so the host can plan, and start a group ride so your crew stays on one live map on roads where cell service comes and goes.

Any rider can post an event for free, from a Tuesday bike night to a Saturday foliage ride. Shops and clubs that host a lot can use Organizer Pro ($8.99/mo) for unlimited and recurring meets and official events on the calendar. A general store or cafe on a good riding road can also become a poker stop, so every rider who stops gets dealt a card. More on motorcycle events in Rippin', and the Vermont motorcycle rides hub has roads, laws and regions.