Central Park Cycling Heads-Up: Mon May 18 – Sun May 24

Hey cyclists,

Sunday-evening edition, looking at the week starting tomorrow. No organized races or rides on the calendar all week — including no CRCA crit racing Memorial Day Saturday. The road is yours. The catches: a Tuesday 93°F heat peak, a Wednesday storm front, and a wet Memorial Day Saturday.

Weather this week

Hot and sunny through Tuesday with Tuesday peaking at 93°F, Wednesday-evening thunderstorms, then cool damp Thursday onward with rain showers likely Saturday and chance of rain Sunday. Dawn lap days Mon–Tue (no loop shade), Wednesday’s bisected by the front, Thursday–Friday are the makeup window, Saturday is likely a rest day.

Mon May 18 — dawn laps recommended

86°F. Best ride window: 5:30–7:30 AM before the heat builds. Bethesda Fountain Terrace party 6–9 PM — minor pedestrian spill onto 72nd Cross Drive at the Bethesda underpass, easy to ride around.

Tue May 19 — 93°F, no events, treat it like August

Hottest day of the year so far. Ride before 6:30 AM or after 7:30 PM. Two bottles. Lower park has the most shade on West Drive between 72nd and 96th.

Wed May 20 — morning ride, storms by evening

Hot morning (high 80s), thunderstorms after 4 PM. Morning is the ride window. Watch the radar.

Thu May 21 – Fri May 22 — best lap days of the week

70°F then 66°F. Light winds. No events all week. This is the makeup window for any rides you bailed on Mon/Tue. Long ride, hill repeats, whatever you’ve got.

Columbus Circle Food Market opens Thu 5/21 and runs through Sun 5/24 (Memorial Day extension; usually Fri/Sat/Sun only) at Merchants’ Gate, 9:30 AM–9 PM. Slow your line through Columbus Circle on those days.

Sat May 23 — no CRCA, rain likely, heavy south-end foot traffic

No CRCA crit racing this Saturday (Memorial Day skip — first absence of the series this season). Rain showers likely all day. Most riders will bail; if you go, it’s a slow social ride.

The south end is crowded with pedestrians despite rain:

• Skate Circle at Dead Road North, 2–7 PM (cancels in heavy rain, but setup spillover regardless)
• That Guitar Man at Hernshead, noon–6 PM — audience on West Drive 75th–78th
• Salsa Dura Social at Bandshell, 5–7:30 PM — Bandshell season opener; audience plaza is on the loop
• Columbus Circle Food Market, 9:30 AM–9 PM
• Mineral Springs party, 3–6 PM
• Model Yacht Racing at Kerbs, 9 AM–3 PM (rain-dependent)
• East Meadow closed

Slow your line everywhere south of 86th on the afternoon laps.

Sun May 24 — Memorial Day Sunday

71°F, chance of rain showers.

• Folkdancers at King Jagiallo, 11 AM–7 PM (Turtle Pond east — not a loop issue)
• Skate Circle at Dead Road North, 2–7 PM
• Mineral Springs picnic, noon–5 PM
• Food Market at Merchants’ Gate, 9:30 AM–9 PM
• East Meadow closed

Morning ride beats afternoon crowd.

Quick recap

Mon 5/18 eve — Bethesda party (minor)

Tue 5/19 — 93°F, no events; dawn-only riding

Thu 5/21 + Fri 5/22 — best lap days of the week No events. Cool weather.

Sat 5/23 — no CRCA + rain Likely a rest day; if you ride, slow line south of 86th.

Sun 5/24 — Folkdancers + Skate Circle + Food Market

Thu–Sun — Food Market at Merchants’ Gate Slow line through Columbus Circle.

Tailwinds, The Central Park Guide