As summer heat gives way to cooler fall temperatures, a simple bike ride can be a great way to spend the day. To start, leave the crowded streets of Manhattan to the bike messengers and pedicabs and try the oft-overlooked Queens. In addition to sweeping waterfront vistas and an existing greenway connecting parks and green spaces, it also offers interesting cultural institutions and great food.Helen Ho, member of Transportation Alternatives' (TA) Western Queens Committee, recently scouted a ride through Queens. TA, a New York City-based group advocating cycling and car-free transportation, often organizes borough-wide rides.The ride takes advantage of Queens' green spaces, starting at the carefully manicured Gantry Plaza State Park, just across the East River in Long Island City, and ends at the historic Fort Totten, covering some 25 miles. With a great deal to see, it is worthwhile to take frequent stops both along the waterfront and on inland forays.The ride starts off at Gantry State Park in western Queens, where the Astoria and Long Island City waterfront boasts a string of seven parks, each different in character. Gantry State Park used to be the site of a shipping dock, with the gantries now serving more of a decorative purpose. And though relatively small, Rainey Park stands out, with its undulating hills, simplicity, and amazing views.More well known places along the way are Astoria Park, which sits between the Triborough and Hell Gate bridges, and Socrates Sculpture Park, which used to be an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite before it was turned into an open outdoor studio and spot for concerts and performances.Build It Green, along the way at 26th Avenue and 4th Street, shouldn't be missed. All kinds of salvaged materials from deconstructed buildings can be found at this non-profit retail outlet for salvaged and surplus building materials.The waterfront ride is a treat. One highlight is the road that runs along Flushing Bay to the World's Fair Marina. Veering off inland past the airport gets you to Flushing, where you can stop for a meal, and a visit to the Queens Museum of Art or the Queens Botanical Gardens. A good option is to fill your belly first at one of the many good and affordable Chinese establishments in the neighborhood before visiting the botanical garden or the art museum. Eating light, though, is recommended-there are hills awaiting you past Flushing.Something very interesting is afoot at the Queens Botanical Garden. The visitor and administration building is designed to attain a high environmental rating, with features such as planted bio-swales to catch runoff water, and a wing-like roof to capture rainwater.A visit to the restrooms also reveals interesting features-upstairs you'll find showers, and state-of-the-art composting toilets. The theme here is visibly water and trying to keep it and re-use it on-site.On your way out of Flushing, you'll pass a large community garden, mostly tended by the Korean community, and flourishing with many kinds of vegetables central to Korean cooking.