Erie Canal Forum

Ray:

There are recurring questions on the forum such that I've stopped posting to repeat my previous comments. Is there a way to redesign the web page to encourage newcomers to search for previous posts before they post a query?

For example:
1. Camping on the trail.
2. Parking overnight at various locks and POI.
3. Riding east vs west.
4. What are the sections of on road riding like?
5. Use of a road bike with skinny tires on the trail.

The forum is great...these are suggestions.

MY thoughts exactly ! Most forums have that option. This one is so frustrating to search .... manually!

There is so much broken glass on the trailway over Bridge Street in Solvay that there is no place to navigate... And the glass is for the entire length of the bridge from side to side...

I am planning a trip for two of us to bike Buffalo to Albany. We will be flying into Buffalo to begin our journey. We will be doing about 50 miles per day and will be staying at hotel/motel/B&B. Is there bike rentals in Buffalo, that I can rent for 8 days? Is there a service or how would I have our carry on luggage transported daily to the next overnight stay? Is there transportation from Albany back to Buffalo with the bikes? Thank you

Michael R: No offense, but you have a lot of research to do regarding riding the Erie Canalway. IMO, the easy answer here is (1) Look into Parks & Trails NY (PTNY.org) regarding their annual organized ride across the Canalway. You can buy in at various levels (food, accommodations, support, etc.) and this may very well be your best option. (2) If you want to plan your own tour, know that most riders carry their own gear. Then, you have your choice of how you overnight -- camp, B&B, or motels. The PTNY website interactive map (as well as the one on this website) offer information about lodging and logistics. PTNY also offers a newly edited Guide that you can purchase (and I would highly recommend it for planning purposes).

Regarding bike rentals -- I do not know if such is available, but some conversation with local (Buffalo) based shops may find the answer. Here are a few of the top shops: Tom's Pro Bike, Campus WheelWorks and Bert's Bikes. PTNY may offer some advise on this topic as well.

Good luck planning out your adventure.

Yes I do have to do a lot of research and that is why I submitted a post on this site. Having never bicycled in New York I am just now putting pieces together. Figuring out options. Thank you for your information. I appreciate it.

Michael T: Good luck with your planning. I'm new to this forum and am also planning to ride Bflo-Abny in early June. On the question of bike rental in Bflo, I have no knowledge to share. On the second question of transporting your luggage from stop to stop, I have a suggestion based on my hiking 4 caminos (France, Portugal & Spain) and 4 biking trips (1 each along the Moselle, Rhine and Danube rivers and 1 from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP and C&O canal.) I did all of these trips independently, i.e. without using any oufitter or travel agency. I carried everything in my backpack (hiking) or my panier (biking). This solves the logistical issue of transporting luggage from place to place. It's a really liberating experience to take only the absolute bare minimum, and only the lightest and least bulky items that are quick dry (so they can be washed by hand and dried in a few hours.) I should say that my hiking and biking trips had been either in the spring or autumn which translate into no need for bulky and heavy winter garment, boots and gloves. The total weight of my panier/backpack was always kept to 11-12 pounds, including the pach/oanier, tools and spare inner tube... The Danube river trip covered 5 countries in about 5 weeks. Even if you have carry-on luggage, you can always leave these at your hotel in Bflo and only take what you really need for your 8-day biking trip. I'm interested in the solution to your question number 3. Please share it as I'm facing a similar issue: how to get my bike back from Albany (to Rochester where my son can pick me up.)

Michael R: Hey, I realized I missed your last question about getting back to Bflo. Not an issue, but takes advance planning. Outside of renting a van or other rental options, to the best of my knowledge there is not a shuttle service operating. Most opt to take the Amtrak train back. The issue is that there are only a limited number of bike "racks" available on any train (like 6 or 8), and they sell out fast. Online, when you purchase a fare, a second screen displays where you can Add On -- here is where you purchase a spot for your bike ($20). If a rack is available it will say how many are available, if not it says SOLD OUT. Also, roll-on bicycle service is only available at manned stations, so coming back to Bflo you use the Buffalo/Depew station as the Exchange Street station is not manned.

Another completely different option mentioned on this forum quite some time ago was to purchase bikes in Bflo and sell them in Albany. Not kidding, evidently it has been done. Solves the problem of transporting bikes.

Post if you need more info or how things go with your plans.

WNYBubba,

If the bike racks sell out, will Amtrak sell you a bike box at the station, which forces you to do the removal of pedals and the twisting of handlebars? Do they accept bike boxes at Albany? I did this at Union Station in DC after a GAP ride and it was all pretty smooth (putting a bike back together at midnight in downtown Pittsburgh wasn’t that fun after exiting the train but that’s another story). This was before roll-on, roll-off service was implemented.

Will they unload my bike BOX at Exchange St. or do I still need to get off at Depew?

Thanks,
John

John W: I believe that your experience in DC is the same in any "manned" station. AMTRAK does sell the boxes and, as you said, you need tools to accomplish the task. I know some have posted about not wanting the additional weight of tools to carry, but I don't see any other option.

Regarding loading/unloading... not sure. If the bike box is a "checked item" then yes, you would have to be at a manned station. However, if it is treated as carry-on luggage, then you'd be fine at any station. I'm just not sure how they handle the boxed bike whether there is an option of taking it aboard or not. The AMTRAK website says that there is not "checked service" available on the Empire Service train, so who knows what that means! It does say that you can have a boxed bike in lieu of a piece of baggage, but do they consider luggage as something that is checked rather than carry-on. It's all a bit confusing, huh? I'm sure a phone call to AMTRAK [800-USA-TRAIN] will provide some clarification. It would be nice to be able to finally sort these things out!

Exchange is a spot on the track with no facilities, definitely 'unmanned.' The Lakeshore train doesn't stop there.

Thanks WNYBubba and Yankee John.

I can deal with the box option is that’s all that can be purchased. Now I have to pick a week to go!

I'm considering renting a car at ALB airport to transport myself & bike back to Corning at the end of my Bflo-Alby ride. Is it possible and safe to bike from the end of the trail to the car rental center at the airport? If so, what's the approximate distance? Thank you.

Planning to ride a long weekend Rochester to Buffalo and back on the canal, but I want to camp! It doesn't appear to be an easy task. Can anyone help? Offer advice?

Not going to be a big help here. I've seen tents setup along the north side of the canal from time to time. Coming from Hulberton NY to Greece.

There's spots at Henpeck park in Greece before Rochester for tents. But I don't know if it's allowed. Stealth camping my be order of the day most of the way.

On the big July ride I believe they do 50 miles a day. Which get's you to Rochester on night two..

Not an easy task... Not really!
Can you provide more information on the plan? How many miles are you planning to ride in a day, what is your timing, etc.?

ROC - BFLO: For most, this is more than a days ride (93 miles or close to an 8-hour bike ride), so are you planning on an overnight on the way to, an overnight once in Bflo and then another overnight on the return? If so, that's three nights on the trail. Next, where do you want to camp? A private campground, in a Canalway "semi-designated" camping area or trailside? All are possible. I stayed right off trail on a lawn (with permission) near Medina without any plan. However, just looking outside of Medina (a bit east), right at Bates Road the trail goes up and over the roadway and back down. Just to the west side is a boat launch area and you can see a large grassy area close by and another decent area further down the trail. Either looks ideal and somewhere near 1/2 way.

I "found" these by using Google Maps, went to Street Level and looked around. I couldn't get to the Conservation Club (Identified on the map) or the Launch but saw the sign on the road. So I went into the Satellite mode and -- wow... you can see that this would be a nice place to bivouac for the evening. Next morning you're right in Medina for breakfast (unless you want to prepare at camp) and on the trail into Bflo in about 4 hours -- you'd be there by noon.

Where you would camp in the Buffalo area might be a bit more difficult. I'm sure you could find campgrounds. Trailside after Tonawanda would probably be difficult, but around that area might be something. Nothing says you can't call the City of Tonawanda or City of North Tonawanda (either side of the Canal) and ask the police department if there was a park or anywhere you might be able to set up camp. Also, there is a hostel in downtown Buffalo.

Lastly, as you will learn while riding, there are a multitude of places trailside that can accommodate an overnight tent. The hard part here is that you don't know exactly where they are. But, once you feel you are nearing where you want to stop, start looking for a spot that would work. The trail is pretty rural between the little towns along that way. Also, when you are planning, think about your time planning -- for instance, leaving Rochester afternoon on Day 1 puts you near Medina 4-ish hours into a ride. In other words, enough time to get dinner and set up camp. Leaving early morning puts you half-way by mid-day, but then you have time to visit places, take a swim, relax or whatever. You just need to think it through.

If you need more info, just post or give us a better idea of how you are looking to pull this off. All fun and all doable.

Whoops, managed to misread the trip destination.

Call the town offices along the canal. You may get permission to camp at town parks

I plan to ride Bflo to Albany in May on a regular road bike. My wife will join me for parts or all of the way on an ebike (class 2.) We plan to camp most of the time. Would appreciate any information you can share about charging the ebike battery overnight. Do the locks and camp grounds have electrical outlets? Should we forget the ebike idea altogether? Advice please. Thank you.

I'd first think, how far can she manually pedal it if she had to? A mile, 10, 20. That's the limiting factor. Or you, if you could swap bikes with her.

How much would you be willing to pay someone to let you charge it at their place?

My wife and I are in our mid-70s and in relative good health. She's really a novice rider. The only long distance trip she has done was the roughly 200 miles on the Moselle river in Germany with me, nearly 3 years ago. Since then she has not biked but a handful of times, perhaps 2-5 miles each time. Due to the pandemic and winter weather, we have just begun training for this trip. With that as the background, I would estimate that she can pedal on her own (i.e. no electric assist) for 15-20. Please explain the connection between daily distance under one's own power and recharging the battery. I am a bit thick up there. Thank you.

In case you can't find a place to charge the battery nearby and she has to pedal her dead bike until you do.

Of the twenty-five miles of canal I ride fairly offend. I can't think of a single place I've seen electrical outlets along the way. Of course there are houses and stores at the towns the canal crosses. If you don't mind knocking on doors for help.

Thank you Bop from Rochester for your suggestions. My wife's ebike is relatively new to us so we're still learning about its capabilities. One thing we know for sure: it takes 5-7 hours to fully charge the depleted battery. Thus it requires charging overnight, in other words, charging during the day's ride isn't an option. BTW, so far the bike has about 50 mile range pedaling with motor assist on fully charged battery.

So, planning 50-mile ride days isn't too bad of an option (if the e-bike can do 50 miles... or even 45 miles might be fine). So my advise is to go ahead and plan away and figure out where you are going to overnight and start making phone calls to the camp grounds that you will be camping at and make sure you'll be able to charge your bike. As far as camping at Locks, the Canalway will not be opened in May and Locks will not be manned, so that option is not viable. The only place I found power at a Lock (given I didn't stay at many) was Lock E2 in Waterford which had a live outlet on a close-by out-building near the lock/park area and a live outlet on a phone post in the far corner of the park (easy to find).

I have no knowledge, but, are there any solar charging options for charging while riding? That may help with distance. Otherwise, trying to find random places to charge is pretty risky. On my ride last year I had a solar panel that would charge a battery during the day and charge my phone at night. One day the charging plug came unplugged and I found I was nearing depleting my phone charge (and had no back-up). Luckily outside of Schenectady I happened upon a township maintenance garage and was allowed to charge my phone for the 30 to 45-muinutes that I needed to charge. I can't imagine being in a situation where you needed to charge an e-bike for many hours without a plan.

If you were just planning to camp at locks or trailside, clearly... you would simply not have very many options to find charging. If I'm missing something here... let me know and I'll try to help a bit more.

Thank you bop and wnybubba for your suggestions. wnybubbap and others on the forum mentioned that the locks do not operate until June. Therefore I've decided to start my ride in early June (instead of mid-May). One advantage of this later start is the warmer weather thus I can bring a lighter and less bulky sleeping bag!

My wife now decides that she will only accompany me for 2 or 3 days of riding. We will stay at hotels during her time with me. Therefore I no longer need to worry about how & where to charge her ebike battery since hotels have electrical outlets. At this point it looks like we will spend the first night in Medina and the second night in Rochester, averaging about 45 miles/day, well within her capability and the battery range. If she decides to go for the 3rd day, from Rochester we will proceed to either Lyons or Clyde. My younger son lives in the Corning area so he can pick her up either in Rochester, Lyons or Clyde, all equidistant from his home. I will then continue on my way, camping mostly, to Albany. I will look into the forum for suggestions on camping places.

BTW, wnybubba brought up the idea of using solar panels to supplement the charging of the ebike's battery. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, I converted a small Nissan NV200 van into a campervan. In the process I learned a little bit about solar charging. I do not believe that any solar panel on an ebike will be sufficient to make a difference. Additionally, solar power is not reliable on cloudy or rainy days. That's why we will stay in hotels while my wife rides with me. Besides, we have been married 49 years and I do not want to change my marital status (or partner!)

Thank you bop and wnybubba for your suggestions. wnybubbap and others on the forum mentioned that the locks do not operate until June. Therefore I've decided to start my ride in early June (instead of mid-May). One advantage of this later start is the warmer weather thus I can bring a lighter and less bulky sleeping bag!

My wife now decides that she will only accompany me for 2 or 3 days of riding. We will stay at hotels during her time with me. Therefore I no longer need to worry about how & where to charge her ebike battery since hotels have electrical outlets. At this point it looks like we will spend the first night in Medina and the second night in Rochester, averaging about 45 miles/day, well within her capability and the battery range. If she decides to go for the 3rd day, from Rochester we will proceed to either Lyons or Clyde. My younger son lives in the Corning area so he can pick her up either in Rochester, Lyons or Clyde, all equidistant from his home. I will then continue on my way, camping mostly, to Albany. I will look into the forum for suggestions on camping places.

BTW, wnybubba brought up the idea of using solar panels to supplement the charging of the ebike's battery. Last year, during the height of the pandemic, I converted a small Nissan NV200 van into a campervan. In the process I learned a little bit about solar charging. I do not believe that any solar panel on an ebike will be sufficient to make a difference. Additionally, solar power is not reliable on cloudy or rainy days. That's why we will stay in hotels while my wife rides with me. Besides, we have been married 49 years and I do not want to change my marital status (or partner!)

wanderingsoul... just to be clear, my comment was they wouldn't be open in May because last year the Canal delayed opening due to the pandemic. Here is the official 2021 statement:

Mariners are advised that, conditions permitting, all portions of the New York State Canal System are scheduled to open Friday, May 21, 2021, at 7:00 a.m. for the 2021 navigation season. This proposed schedule of operations could be impacted by the COVID pandemic and/or the need to repair critical infrastructure. The public will be notified accordingly through the Notice to Mariners system if this occurs. There are no tolls or fees for recreational use of the Canal System in 2021.

Wnybubba: your comments have neen most helpful with my planning. I'm now planning to depart Bflo the first or second week of June. Thank you.

@wanderingsoul: Thanks. Have a fun and safe ride. Nothing completely nailed down yet, but my plans mimic yours as far as dates. I'll be bike-packing once again with hopes to continue on into NYC. wnybubba@gmail.com get you directly in touch with me. Feel free if you need any help at my end or if you want to try and co-ordinate some of the ride together.
-bubba

This topic has probably been discussed previously. However, I cannot find it with the search function. Aplogy for possuble redundancy. Please advise on what Amtrak train number or name going from Albany (or nearby) to Rochester that will take a bike. Also, how many such trains in a day, which day(s) of the week? I will probably need to do this at the end of my Bflo-Albany ride, finishing mid June. Originally I was going to rent a minivan, 1-way, from Albany to my son's home in the Corning area but the rental fees have really exploded with the pandemic and car rental companies shrinking.

Wanderingsoul: There have been many posts regarding Amtrak service over the last year which seem to reflect that availability of bicycle transport on the Empire Service trains is 'in transition.' Amtrak does not officially acknowledge that bike transportation is available on these trains, but people have posted on this forum that they were able to bring their bikes on an Empire Service train.
The Lake Shore Limited, train #49, is certain to take bikes, but only has room for 6 bikes. You need a reservation for you bike, and it costs $20. Unfortunately there is only one train per day, leaving Albany about 1330, arriving in Rochester about 2330. I took my bike on this train last summer. It was easy to check my bike and get it back off again, I would recommend this service. After getting to Rochester at almost midnight it was a short ride on well lit city streets to a downtown hotel. I started my ride the following morning.

Correction: The Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak Train #49 from New York to Chicago, leaves Albany-Rensselaer Station at 1810(610PM) and arrives Rochester Downtown Station at 2315(1115PM), it only runs Wed/Fri/Sun. The Amtrak website states that bikes can't be loaded at the Albany Rensselaer station, but can be loaded at the Schenectady station. The Schenectady station has been renovated has new parking.

It seems COVID has affected Amtrak, hopefully the schedules will be back to normal this summer.

Wow - this is really getting confusing! Seems to me that previously the Empire Service offered roll-on bike service. But, the search I just did shows that it is the Lake Shore service that now provides bike service. (I'll post that previous comment below). Meanwhile, not that long ago, I had a couple calls with AMTRAK and was assured that any station that had attendants could handle roll-on service! Granted that would mean that you still would have to have made a "rack" reservation, but loading/unloading stations are quite numerous. Also, for the record, if you bag your bike, any train can then accommodate it -- but you have tools and be willing to take it apart, etc.

Yankee John provides some current info above, but for reference,
Here is the post from September 2020:

Yankee John from Braintree, VT on 09/06/2020 06:46 PM:
There is currently no bike service on the Empire Service trains, but there is bike service on the Lake Shore Limited that runs once/day to Chicago. I just rode the Lake Shore Limited #48/49 from Schenectady to Rochester with my bike. The train was on time, an Amtrak staff person put loaded my bike on the baggage car without difficulty and returned it to me in Rochester undamaged. The only hard part is that the short distance Coach seats are at the front of the train, and the baggage car is at the back, so it's a long walk with your panniers after you drop off your bike. You need to have a reservation for the bike because the baggage car holds only hold 6 bikes. It costs $20 for the bike. The train arrived in Rochester at 2315, and it was an easy ride to the downtown hotels on well lit streets.

The Lake Shore Limited does not stop at the Exchange station in downtown Buffalo, only at the Depew station, and it arrives after midnight. The hotels hear Depew are all dull big box airport hotels. The Lakeshore used to skip Rome, and was 30 minutes faster, but apparently the tracks on the direct route the omits Rome are bad so all of the trains go through Rome even if they don't stop there. There are rumors that the tracks repairs will be completed by next year so the trip will be shorter and the train will arrive earlier. It's not expensive to reserve a taxi van in advance that can transport you to a hotel from Depew, but it will only hold 2 bikes. There is not a continuous trail along the water from downtown Buffalo to the trails leaving Buffalo north to the Erie Canal, so if you stay in a downtown hotel you will have to ride on city streets at the start of your trip. Buffalo has some great architecture, so the ride is actually quite pleasant if it's not rush hour.

We are considering doing a bike trip with our family. Does anyone have any suggestions for portions of the bike trail that don't include any 'on road' riding, and limited hills? Or any other suggestions for a route. We would look to ride from near Amsterdam NY.

Jen, check out this map from Parks and Trails New York:
https://www.ptny.org/bike-canal/map/

Look for the Map Display (legend) and click it to reveal the trail colors. You basically don’t want grey “on-road” lines. Looks like anywhere on either side of Amsterdam is paved trail.

No hills other than the little dips up and down the areas near the locks. I would go towards Buffalo (west) first, get the little lock hills out of the way and turn around and come back east towards Albany and enjoy those small little plunges.

Sounds like a fun ride!

dose any one know if the Erie trail goes to the Adirondacks ? i heard it was extended ?

The state of New York recently completed the "Empire State Trail" which includes a section from NYC to the Canadian border. The Albany to Canada section runs along the eastern part of the Adirondacks.

Even though the Empire State Trail encompasses the Erie Canalway along with the new sections, don't expect the Albany to Canada section to look like the Erie Canal. A good part of that section is essentially more of a bike route, with a good percentage using roads and highways.

You can see the road vs trail proportions in this map, where road is yellow and trail is green: https://empiretrail.ny.gov/map

And here is a more interactive map on our sister website for the Empire State Trail: https://bikeempirestate.com/empire-state-trail-map.aspx

May, 5, 65 and older ladies, rent bicycles from your shop and ride them for 4-5 days to Fairport? Can you pick up the bicycles there or do they need to be returned to you by us? Any ideas? Need more information?

We would be arriving around Sept 14, 2021 and use the bicycles until the 18th.

Hi Paula, you left your question on a public discussion forum for the Erie Canalway. The folks from the bike shop may or may not see it here. I'd highly recommend that you call them directly.

Happy trails - enjoy your ride!

I am riding the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Albany in May and I can't seem to find any camping after Lock 15 going west to east to Albany. Can I just pitch a tent beside the trail anywhere?

Some info here below might be of use to you. Others may chime in with stealth camping options.
Also, consider contacting some schools, volunteer fire depts, etc. in locations where you’re hoping to stop for the night but nothing is available.

https://www.canals.ny.gov/trails/camping.html

https://www.canals.ny.gov/maps/index.html?layer=lodge

David, there are always plenty of options to throw up camp. Most Locks offer an option (not formally) but in general it's not an issue. I'm assuming you are looking at Lock 15 because Fort Plain is a targeted (identified) place, but I had a fine camp at Lock 12 in Fort Hunter/Tribes Hill that you haven't considered because it isn't mentioned anywhere. From Lock 12 I headed into Waterford and camped at Lock 2A, the first lock from the Hudson and finished the next day going into Albany.

If you search through this Forum's previous posts you will find other discussion about options for camping along the trail and how to use Google Maps in street mode to look around for potential camping spots. Admittedly, as you get closer into the Capital Region places to bivouac along the trail diminish, but options can still be found or permissions given.

It's hard giving advise not knowing how much daily mileage you are interested in doing. Fort Plain to Waterford could easily be a day tour for some, but a two day trip for others. Let us know where you would ideally like to find a place and maybe I or others can give you more pointed answers...

Lastly, traveling in May is way before the Canal is officially open for boats. Facilities at locks (like Lock 15) will not be open that early, so please be taking that into consideration in your planning process. Most Locks will not even be attended at that time, and if so, it will be for maintenance purposes. And, one last thought, the best laid plans can change quickly with a break-down or bad weather so make sure you are flexible with your planning as well. I felt the best weapon I had on my tour was the knowledge I gained by studying the Canalway and maps ahead of time and Google Maps as my assistant.


Oh, just look at the recent post below about Lock 7 Park. There's info about using Google Maps and right there at that Lock is certainly an option for setting up camp.

I read that you are planning to bike from Buffalo to Albany this May. I am also in the process of planning a 6 day/ 60 mile+-a day trip during the same timeframe. I'm curious which towns are you planing to stop in along the way and what have you targeted for camping or hotels?

We are planning a 60 mile to 80 mile days weather and conditions permitting. So about 5 1/2 day trip. Plans are to camp at Red Rock Ponds at mile 60. Then at Twilight Erie RV Resort night 2 at mile 108, then at mile 190 Green Lakes State Park, then Lock 20 for a shorter day, then a camp along the trail somewhere and on into Albany the next day. We have looked at Hejemada campground too if our plans don't work out and then primitive camping along the trail as needed.

One other question. I want to park my car in Albany near the trailhead. The guide says the Amtrak Station Parking but it is across the Hudson River. Is there an easy way to get across the river from the Amtrak Station to the Trailhead in Albany?

The Dunne Memorial bridge has a bike/ped bridge not far from Amtrak
that crosses the Hudson

David -- Nice that you shared your plans. Looks great. I just did a tour (Google Maps, Street View) of Lock 20 and I was thinking that I didn't remember seeing it on the trail! Not sure, but it looks to be on the opposite side of the Canal, so it figures. However, when touring, Google showed signs for the trail, so I'm a bit confused, but no big deal. It is a *really* fine looking spot. Good to know.

The other thing that I wanted to mention was that Lock 2A in Waterford was a great place to tent camp as your last stop before hitting ALB (you're about 14 miles out). There are not any facilities (although there are two places to plug in for electricity). But a few blocks away there is a convenient store and restaurants. It worked great for me. Picnic tables along the Canalway locks on grass with a line of trees along the sides of the park.

When I was at Waterford in Sept. the toilets were open and I believe boaters can get a shower there. Weekends (usually) there may be a farmers market. If you head towards Peeples Island you may be able to get water and toilets. Nice and flat all the way tp Albany from there. New off road path along Broadway by Watervilet Armory