Thanksgiving season in Doylestown starts on two wheels this year.

On Sunday morning, riders will roll out of Broad Commons Park for the 14th annual Bucks County Cranksgiving, a charity bike ride with a grocery list.

The idea is simple and a little bit brilliant.

You ride, you stop for groceries along the way, and everything you buy goes to people in our own community who need it.

This year's donations go to the food pantries run by the Bucks County Housing Group.

Cranksgiving began years ago as a bike messengers' food drive in New York City, and it has since spread to towns across the country.

Here, it's presented by Bike Works, and it has become one of the friendliest traditions on the local calendar.

The full ride is 8.4 miles, with about 340 feet of climbing.

That's a comfortable Sunday spin, not a race.

Organizers bill it as family-friendly, so this is a great one to bring the kids or grandkids along for.

Registration is free.

You can sign up online ahead of time or on site the morning of the ride.

What you will need is a budget for groceries.

Riders are asked to spend somewhere between $25 and $100 on non-perishable food to donate.

Think canned vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, cereal and the other pantry staples that run short as the holidays approach.

A backpack or a bike basket will make your life much easier.

On-site check-in runs from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m., and the ride sets off at 9:30.

Broad Commons Park is at 10 Doyle St., right by Borough Hall, so it's an easy place to meet up with friends before you start.

The timing matters more than you might think.

Food pantries feel the squeeze every November, just as families start planning holiday meals.

A morning like this one puts real food on local shelves right when it counts.

The weather should cooperate, too.

Early forecasts call for Friday's rain to clear out, leaving Sunday mostly sunny and crisp, with a high in the mid-50s.

Dress in layers, since it will be chilly at the 9:30 start and warmer by the time you're loading up on canned goods.

Don't forget a helmet, a water bottle and a lock if you plan to head into a store.

If you haven't been on your bike since summer, give the tires a pump and check the brakes on Saturday.

And if biking isn't your thing, you can still help by cheering riders on or dropping off a bag of groceries at a local pantry this month.

Either way, it's hard to think of a better way to kick off the season of gratitude than spending a Sunday morning outside with your neighbors, doing a little good.

See you at the starting line.