Adirondack Sports June 2023

BICYCLING
Summer Tours
and Rides
By Dave Kraus
JUNE 2023 7
▲ WALLKILL VALLEY
RAIL TRAIL. DAVE KRAUS
There are few fitness activities as pleasurable
as riding your bike in the
warm summer months. But one thing
that can make your rides even more rewarding
is the knowledge that just by riding you
can contribute to worthy causes. This summer
and fall there are three different cycling
events that will let you do just that!
The first, from July 9-16, is the 25th anniversary
Cycle the Erie Canal to benefit Parks
& Trails New York, a non-profit founded in
1985 that dedicates its mission to working
to expand, protect and promote a network
of parks, trails, and open spaces throughout
New York state for use and enjoyment by all.
That includes a wide variety of projects and
services that help the public enjoy the state’s
trails, whether for cycling, hiking, walking, or
doing winter sports.
Up to 650 cyclists start their canal trek
in Buffalo, riding eastward along the historic
route of the Erie Canal for eight days
and 400 miles to conclude in Albany. Riders
cover between 40 and 60 miles per day on
the mostly flat terrain of the canal as it travels
across the state. About 85% of the route is on
the off-road Canalway Trail and the rest is on
public roads with good shoulders, almost all
are part of the Empire State Trail.
As riders head east, they pass historic Erie
Canal locks and aqueducts and stay overnight
in Buffalo, Medina, Fairport, Seneca
Falls, Syracuse, Rome, Canajoharie and
Schenectady in a tent city, with glamping
options with a service available to setup your
tent each night. Not a “tent person?” No problem!
There’s a variety of lodging and amenities
available, from national hotel chains
to B&Bs. The tour includes everything you
could need to have a great time on your bike,
including: indoor and outdoor camping with
hot showers; eight breakfasts and six dinners;
two daily refreshment stops; evening entertainment;
guided tours of the canal, historic
sites, museums, and other attractions; kickoff
reception and end-of-tour celebration;
baggage transport; SAG wagon and mobile
mechanical support; daily maps, cue sheets,
route markings; and more.
Paul Steely White, the executive director
of Parks & Trails New York, is looking forward
to riding on this 25th anniversary tour.
“We’ve always had some amazing events,
food, and celebrations on the tour. This year
we’ll be doing more trailside hospitality that
goes hand in hand with the increasing popularity
of the Canalway Trail and the entire
Empire State Trail. It’s going to be a celebration
of everything the Canalway Trail has
encouraged in the past 25 years.”
Cycle the Erie Canal has also received
longtime support from the Erie Canalway
National Heritage Corridor, New York State
Canal Corporation and New York Power
Authority. These organizations administer
the state’s canal system, protect and preserve
the corridor, and various sites that celebrate
its construction and importance in state
and national history. Canal Corporation’s
Director Brian Stratton has ridden along
with CEC riders in multiple years to help
serve as host for riders and hear their reactions
to their tour experience. “I’m excited
that we’re able to partner with PTNY on this
tour, and we’re looking forward to the Canal
Corporation supporting both this event and
Parks & Trails this year and in the future. It’s
a fantastic way to spend a vacation on your
bike, meet new friends, experience history,
and see some wonderful scenery.”
Spots for the eight-day tour are still open
and more information is available at: ptny.org.
This year also marks the premier of
another fully-supported multiday tour
organized by PTNY from July 29 to August
5. Cycle the Hudson Valley is a brand new
seven-day ride that will take participants
from the start line in Troy, heading south 200
miles to Manhattan following the Hudson
River section of the Empire State Trail, now
the longest multiuse trail in the nation.
The trail in the Hudson Valley is more
than 60% paved, with the remaining portions
stone dust and some on local roads. Longterm
parking for the tour is available in Troy,
and for an additional fee, riders and their
bikes can get a shuttle back at the end. The
tour includes: route support each day; one
or two rest stops each day; overnight camping
sites with hot showers; seven breakfasts;
four dinners (three dinners on your own with
shuttles to area restaurants; evening activities
and shuttles to area attractions.
Paul stated that Cycle the Hudson Valley
is a renewal of a ride the organization did
in the past, but much has changed in the
years since. “Today, since the advent of the
Empire State Trail with all its improvements,
we want to showcase the amazing things
that have happened to the trail in just the
last couple of years. Riding from the Capital
Region to New York City today is a very different
experience from only five years ago.
There’s more cohesion in the route, there’s
more hospitality, and above all it’s safe. It’s
◀ RIDE FOR MISSING
CHILDREN, 2022.
▶ CYCLE THE ERIE
CANALWAY. PTNY
come a long way in a
couple of years, and we
want to show the world
how it’s gone from being
a bit rough around the
edges to being a worldclass
trail. It’s a wonderful
ride, and I’m plan-
ning to ride both of these tours. That’s the
best part of my job.”
Information and registration for Cycle
the Hudson Valley is available at the PTNY
website at: ptny.org.
On Friday, Sept. 22, a different kind
of worthy cause will be getting attention
during the annual Albany Ride for Missing
Children, a 100-mile ride to be held in
Saratoga County in support of the mission
and programs of the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children. New York
rides are also held in Buffalo, Syracuse,
Rochester and Utica.
According to Albany ride chairperson
Fred Alber, this will be the 15th annual ride
in Albany following the establishment of the
first New York State ride in Utica 25 years
ago. It was started by among others, the
father of Sara Anne Wood, who was abducted
from near her home in Frankfort in 1993.
Mr. Wood and other community members
organized the first ride, to Washington,
DC to raise awareness for missing children
nationwide.
Last year 120 riders rode in this all-day
Albany area event, which this year starts
and ends at the Southern Saratoga YMCA
in Clifton Park, and visits five or six schools
along the way. At the schools, they make
presentations that emphasize child safety
and call attention to the nationwide problem
of missing and exploited children. Fred
says this is a particular highlight for many
riders who are often relatives of students or
employees at the schools.
He also emphasizes the event is a ride,
not a race, and riders pedal two abreast in
traffic, supported by Sheriff’s and State
Police officers, in addition to local police who
seal off intersections, and with coordinated
rest and lunch stops with provided food and
drinks. To prepare for the public 100-mile
ride, participants are also required to attend
at least two training rides, which are held
nearly every weekend over the summer.
With funds raised from the rides the
organizers are also able to reach out to provide
in-person education free of charge in
local schools and remote outreach to many
more. These programs are taught by former
law enforcement personnel and are
designed to teach children how to stay safe
in the community and when they are online.
Fred says that on event day riders can
expect to experience a wide range of emotions,
including excitement, joy, exhilaration,
happiness and sadness. They will laugh,
and many will be moved to tears throughout
the day as they complete this unique century
ride, many for the first time.
If questions, contact Fred at albanyrfmc@gmail.com
or text 518-847-6279. For
more info on the ride, orientation and training
ride schedule (June-Sept.), registration
as a rider, volunteer or to donate, go to
Facebook (Albany RFMC Ride Family) and
their website: give.missingkids.org/theride.
In addition to the “Early Summer Rides
We Love” in the April 2023 issue, here are
three more excellent options:
It’s the 10th anniversary of the Valcour
Brewing Company (VBC) Century Ride
Weekend in Plattsburgh on Saturday, July
8. Perks include a custom cycling jersey
(register early), shirt, lunch, and a beer.
The 50- and 100-mile supported rides are
organized by the Adirondack Garda Cycling
Club, with a 75-mile option. The routes travel
along the shore of Lake Champlain and into
the Adirondack Park. On Sunday, there will
be another supported 62-mile ride. Money
raised will be donated to Tour de Force charity.
Visit: active.com.
On Sunday, July 9, the Canals & Lakes
Century returns, presented by Adirondack
Ultra Cycling bike shop in Schuylerville.
The 100-mile paved ride is a rolling loop
through Saratoga National Historical
Park, Champlain Canalway Trail, Mohawk
Hudson Bikeway, and along Ballston and
Saratoga lakes. A 27-mile option is rolling to
hilly, through Saratoga National Historical
Park and by the Saratoga Monument. To
register, go to: adkultracycling.com.
Finally, the 22nd annual NY Capital
Region Road Race is in Ravena on Saturday,
July 15. Presented by Capital Bicycle Racing
Club, it’s also the NYS Bicycle Racing
Association’s Road Race Championship.
The fields include pro/elite, junior boys/
girls 9-14, men category 3/4, masters
40+/50+, category 5/citizens and juniors
(15+), women, and men category 4/60+. The
race is on a 21-mile loop that riders will do a
certain number of times, depending on the
category. New this year is a 13-mile race for
junior boys/girls with separate starts. More
at: bikereg.com.
Dave Kraus (dbkgrafik@gmail.com) is a
longtime area cyclist, photographer, writer,
and cycling tour guide who is looking
forward to another great season of cycling
in upstate New York. Visit: krausgrafik.com.