Trip Wrap Up and Response to Questions

 The 6 day bike ride was a wonderful and fortunately went according to plan. No accidents (except for one minor spill) and no mechanical issues. You should be prepared since bike shops are not abundant in these small towns we travel through.

The bike traffic was light with some occasional self supported riders encountered during the ride. With the ride conditions so good and the difficulty low I'm surprised that we didn't encounter some commercial operations during the ride (Trek Travel, Backroads, Intrepid, Butterfield and Robinson). 

Trip Arrangements:

If we had the trip to do again, I don't think that we would have changed anything. Mike had planned the accommodations, I routed the trip and Colleen drove the support vehicle. We were responsible for making our own travel arrangements and hotel reservations at the locations that Mike had planned. Chris and me flew into Buffalo while Mike and Colleen plus Keith and Melinda drove from the Midwest. 

For shared expenses such as gas and picnic food we used an app called SplitWise which made the calculation of shared expenses such as support vehicle gas and picnic supplies very easy.

Support Vehicle:

We were very fortunate that Keith and Melinda offered their SUV as a support vehicle and that Colleen volunteered to drive it each day. Had Colleen not driven it, we would have taken turns each day driving it. Each morning we would load our bags, ice chest and picnic supplies into it and be on our way by 8:30 or so. One day with morning showers, we delayed our start by about and hour or so to allow the rain clouds to pass.

Bike Shipping:

You can ship your bike via your plane flight or via a shipping service. I shipped my bike via Bikeflights. Bikeflights makes arrangements with UPS to ship your bike. They make it pretty convenient. Using their website you enter the box size, weight, starting destination and final location. You print out the shipping label and pay them with your credit card. The cost with tax was $152. The recommenced shipping time was 7 days though my bike was in Buffalo within 5 days. I had them deliver the bike to the hotel where I was staying in Buffalo. I also call the hotel to make sure that they would accept it. I've done this numerous times previously and have been successful every time.

Bike Packing:

There are various shipping containers that can be used for shipping your bike including; hardshell bike cases,  soft sided bike travel bags, and cardboard boxes. I have almost always used cardboard bike boxes. I get them for free at the local bike shop and they fold up compactly in your support vehicle. If necessary, you can find a bike shop at your final destination and repeat the process to ship the bike home.

To pack your bike, you can have a bike shop do it for you, or you can do it yourself in less that 45 minutes. I have set of printed instructions on how to do it or Bikeflights also has a set of instructions as well.

Recommended Bikes:

Almost any multi-speed bike will work for the ride. We were often be on hardpacked gravel paths as well as asphalt paths and roads. The newer style gravel bikes would be ideal, but I used my trusty road bike with skinny 23cm tires with no issues. Keith had a more substantial touring bike with fenders that proved useful on the single day that rained and we had puddles on the hard packed paths. Melinda brought her electric bike that using the lower power setting allowed her to do each day without running out of juice.

I also gotta say that we weren't trying to set any speed records and took morning coffee breaks, lunch stops and when we could find them, afternoon ice cream stops. 

Stage 6 - Amsterdam to Albany

 Last day of the trip. At the start the temperature is a cool 60 degrees and the weather forecast calls for zero percent chance of rain, wonderful conditions for a ride.

In various places we followed the obsoleted canals with their hand carved stone block locks, now abandoned. In other locations we followed the current canal on the Mohawk River. It's much broader that the canal that we've been following the past couple of days often with wide dams that allowed for locks to be built along side of the dam. I expect in a manner that you may have heard of "fish ladders" that are built near dams that allow fish to bypass dams on their way up stream to spawn.

Our coffee stop was in Schenectady about 18 miles into the start at a coffee shop called "Arthur's Market", a building that is over 225 years old and is located in the Stockade Historic District. I highly recommend the breakfast sandwich.

The bike trails are the best ones so far. Well marked and in many places fairly new asphalt surface. Just a please to ride through the shady tree lined trails. It was rare when we weren't on a dedicated bike trail and on roadways. In addition, since it was a Sunday, there were few cars on the road.

We had a picnic lunch in Colonie Town Park over looking the Mohawk River where we tired to finish up the trip's leftovers.

The mileage for the day was slightly less than 50 miles and we arrived in Albany early afternoon and started preparations for making our travel preparations. For me, my brother Ed was driving from New Jersey to pick me up and bring me back to Fayson Lakes NJ. Chris was heading the airport hotel for a flight back to California. Mike and Colleen were catching a train back to Buffalo where their car was waiting for them. Keith and Melinda were staying overnight with plans on touring upper New York state before heading back to the Midwest.

It has been a wonderful experience traveling the roads with friends. None of them I would have know if I had not taken up biking.

 During the trip, I have revived many questions regarding bike tours. If this trip blog has raised questions, please send them to me at; brian@coxintl.com and I'll try to answer them.

Today's Photos

Happy Biking,

Brian Cox

Stage 5 Utica to Amsterdam

Thunderstorms rolled through the area starting late afternoon yesterday with rain continuing until early this morning. Under threatening skies, we headed out not knowing if the conditions would be rainy or sunny today. Fortunately by 10AM it had become a nice sunny day with white puffy clouds and temperatures cooler than yesterday in the low 70's.  

To stay off the soggy gravel paths, for the first 16 miles it was mostly on the quiet roads until coffee at Herkimer.  After the break we continued on with most of the trip on asphalt trails. The weather was cool in the 70's and the wind was mostly to our backs.

Lunch was at a marina in Saint Johnsville midway in the ride. We also had an ice cream stop at 59 miles at Karen's Ice Cream with about 6 miles to the end of the ride.

Today's Photos

All the best,

Brian

Stage 4 - Syracuse to Utica

 Gorgeous day for a bike ride. Blue skies and just a couple of clouds as we weaved our way out of Syracuse this morning. It's always a bit tricky to navigate your way in a city and a bit more tricky when the route you are following are based on a set of Google maps when you were making the route 2 months before in the comfort of your home 3 thousand miles away. Everything worked out and within 5 miles we were back on the canal bike trail zipping along to our first coffee stop. As a side note, everything revolves around the next stop. Typically it's coffee and danish about 1/4 of the ride followed by lunch at 1/2 of the ride and ice cream 3/4 of the ride. What a diet!!

Today the coffee stop was in a small town of Cittenango. As we pulled into the town, I spied an ice cream joint call "North Pole". That brought up the question; "Is it ever too early to have ice cream"? After a short discussion it was decided that it was never too early for ice cream, so we headed to the North Pole!! When we got there, it was closed, so I guess there are times when it's too early for ice cream.

Today's Photos

Brian

Stage 3 - Palmyra to Syracuse

 The journeys continues. Today was 70+ miles. when I had laid out the route, I had expected that the route would be mostly on state highways, route 31 specifically. However as we made our way we found some very well marked trails. So we kept choosing the trails over the highway alternatives. At the 10 mile mark, we stopped in Newark for a quick coffee at the Grind-On Coffee company. They had an unusual selection of scones including double chocolate and french toast. I had the french toast scone. The lunch was going to be at the 40 mile mark, so the coffee and scones would need to hold us for the next 30 miles. 

Lunch was at a old set of obsolete locks that have been turned into a museum. The predicted rain started shortly after we got there, so the museum was a handy place to wait out the rain.

After that, it was more trail riding. A lot of the riding were on the shady trails that kept us more cool that if we were exposed on the highway.

Today's Photos

Stage 2 - Albion to Palmyra

 Off to a slow start today. Lots of threatening clouds so we decided to delay our 8AM start until the weather clears a bit. After an hour of looking at the sky and looking the RADAR images and some of the showers to pass, we finally mounted the bikes and started out to breakfast in the town of Albion. We stopped at a coffee shop called "Village House Restaurant".

We were on the road by about 10AM when the skies had cleared and the sun was out. We hit the crushed gravel tow path on to Palmyra. We were concerned about the tow path conditions following the rain, but for the most part, the tow path seemed to had drained pretty quickly leaving a damp surface with occasional puddles that we needed to navigate around.

About 15 miles in, it was time for coffee. The ride is loaded with little quaint towns that make the ride very pleasant. After a 30 minute stop or so, we were back on our way. It was now getting warm and humid but as you rode, the air helped to cool you off. It would be when you stopped you could feel the sweat rolling down your body. To be expected for a summer ride.

Link to daily photos

Stage 1 - Buffalo to Albion

 

So the ride starts. Breakfast today at the hotel followed by packing the car at 8AM. We were on the road by quarter past the hour heading the the start of the bike path less than a mile away. On the way photos were necessary, first with Nikola Tesla statue and second with the Shark Girl. You need to take a look that the photos to understand.

I was then on to the location where the Erie Canal meets up with the Niagara River. Three WWII ships are docked there as well as a WWII submarine. It was then off to Albany.

It was a good thing that yesterday I had scouted the way out of town. Based on the experience from yesterday, we were able to navigate easily through the various turns before we exited the city limits and were on the bike path.

We had a wonderful tail wind that pushed us North beside the Niagara River. The sky was a overcast, the temperature was 78 degrees with a 30% chance of rain.

A typical biking day is start the ride, about 15 miles in, find a place for coffee. 30 Miles, lunch stop then ice cream at 45 and a beer at the end of about 60 miles. Today’s coffee stop was in the town of Tonawanda where Coleen had find a place that besides having coffee, also had a selection of scones.  I had the pineapple coconut scone. Never had heard of such a scone, so of I order one up. 

Onward we road. The surface was asphalt and in good condition. With the wind still to our backs, we made some good time to lunch in Lockport. Coleen had set up the stop in the parking lot of Steamworks Cafe. Sandwiches, fruit, drinks and other snacks were available. After lunch we followed the route that took us just feet away from the canal for the rest of the day. Other bike traffic was not excitement. 

As you ride on, you start realizing the engineering challenges of building the canal. We had just left Lockport where multiple locks raise the height of the boats. The part we were currently riding, the canal banks needed to be were incredibility level for the water to flow correctly. In 1817 when the locks were designed, the tools we use on a daily basis, had not been invented. Neither were the power machinery we use in building today.  Every thing was manual.

Today's photos

Happy Biking,

Brian

Stage 0, Buffalo

 Arrived safely on a red-eye from LA to Buffalo. Take off was delayed until 1:15 AM. I climbed into my window seat and put in the ear plugs and eye shades determined to get almost 5 hours of sleep until landing. Not all worked out as planned. The plane bounced around during the entire flight like a cat playing with a ball suspended on a string. Landed at about 9AM local time, caught a taxi into town to the hotel. They had my bike and a room as well. Had breakfast at a local coffee shop and then started to re-assemble my bike. As a checkout ride, I decided to scout tomorrow's ride. Turns out that it was a smart thing to do. It's one thing to route a ride while sitting at home at your computer and another thing when you actually are riding. I found several bike paths that were not on the map and incorporated them into tomorrow's route (link).

Got back by 4PM. Time enough to shower, upload photos and met the other riders before heading off for dinner.

The city of Buffalo is a very pretty city. The architecture is from a bygone error when no expense was spared to display a company's wealth.  Maybe I should have arrived a day or so sooner to get more exposure to this city. As you walk around, you will note many references to both electricity and Nikola Tesla.  November 16, 1896 inventor Nikola Tesla flipped the switch that made Buffalo the first electrified city in the world. At the time, he was in fierce competition with Thomas Edison in what is now called the "Current Wars". Would Edison's DC current or Tesla's AC current be the future. Edison could light a single Manhattan block with his DC current, but Tesla could power an entire city. Many industries were born in this city for that reason. It's interesting that the automotive company, Tesla, has a Gigafactory here in Buffalo producing the power of the future, solar power.

Today's photo Album

All the Best,

Brian

The trip begins

The trip begins. The bike was shipped and arrived Friday at the hotel. I had called the hotel in Buffalo mid week to let them know that it was on the way. Friday I received a notice that it had arrived and called the hotel to confirm. The front desk confirmed it's arrival. One item crossed off the check list.

With my bike on it's way to Buffalo, I borrowed a bike from a biking friend, Marc. Nice light carbon bike that I used the rest of the week with the last ride this morning on the club's "go to breakfast" ride.  Returning home, removed the peddles and tool bag and started the final process of packing. With the flight being a red eye taking off almost midnight, I had time to pack everything with time to spare.

I did have difficulty with getting an Uber to the airport, Recently I got a new mobile phone and the new number confused the Uber data base so badly that several hour working with user support failed to fix the problem, so in the end I need to download the Lyft app and set up a new account. In the end, I got to the airport with all my luggage in tow on time. Arriving at the gate, found out that the flight has been delayed by 90 minutes. Shouldn't be much of a problem. The flight is direct from LAX to Buffalo, so I'll arrive at about 9:15 am instead of 7:45. Good thing I brought some snack bars with me. For sure, Jetblue will not be serving breakfast on the plane!

Whenever I travel, I only relax when the plane doors close. At that point, there is no need to worry what you may not have packed or not. As long as you have your credit card, you'll be ok.

All the best and happy trails,

Brian

The Clock Is Ticking...

 Seven Days out and the clock it ticking.... All the motel reservations are made, plane reservations completed and now the final packing is in progress. This morning I dropped off my bike with UPS. I made the shipping arrangements with BikeFlights. They said that if I ship today (Monday 8/2/21), then I have one day of margin before I need the bike Monday (8/9/221).

I'm getting excited to depart. The Erie Canal bike trip will the first event in a 2 event trip. First will be the 6 day Erie Canal bike trip, the second will be a SCUBA trip to Bonaire with my two brothers and the Cedar Grove Dive Shop located in New Jersey.