Erie Canal Forum

I am planning my trip and this site and the PTNY site differ regarding this route/area. This site says the trail goes south out of Clyde and takes 372 to Rt 31. The PTNY map shows the route as going east out of Clyde following Rt 31 and turning south in Savannah

Who is correct?
Which is the better route?

John -- both I and another couple that I met along the trail shared that we got off the "trail" in this area. Here's what I remember...
The trail coming out of the Clyde is marked and takes you into Savanah and then out on Rt. 31. Just when you get going out of town there is a considerable up over a railroad (steep for the the Canalway anyway and one of the first you encounter heading east). On the other side as you are heading down - there is a new large "Hi-Vis Green" Crosswalk sign (with arrows) as well as an "Empire State Trail" Logo sign. It looks like you should take the crosswalk and go down on the other side of the Bridge to a cinder road. **DON'T DO IT!** The EST sign is merely telling you that you are on the trail (Rt 31).

If the above is the PTNY map -- it's prbly more current. Rt 31 isn't too bad to ride here, but both this route and the map here on this site end up on Rt 31 heading over to Montezuma (where Rt 89 shows heading west). This is quite close for bike/road travel. There is limited shoulder and a guard-rail for a fairly long distance -- your're pretty much riding the white fog line. Rather high-use road, but most vehicles gave clearance space.

I'd give consideration to taking the back-road route listed here. I hadn't noticed the mapping difference and was just following routing signs while riding. Savanah didn't' really offer anything special.

FYI - pretty current info here as I just rode the first of the month (June). Also, I hadn't read the maps too closely as I had been on parts of the Canalway Trail before and followed signage without issue. So, if I was ever in doubt about anything - I'd take out my phone and use Google Maps (Bike Route mode) and get decent routing info, so don't stress too much about routing issues -- for the most part it's pretty easy and straight forward. Canalway Signs are more informative than the Empire State Trail signs (which I believe are merely "Here it is" signs -- not directive).

Hope this helps. -bubba

Thank you! It helps a lot.

I hate being out on the road and wondering "Where am I?"

A self guided tour starts in Newark, goes to Fairport, then Brockport and ends in Lockport
4 days riding plus 3 nites in the road

Is this a good itinerary? We’d like to bike 20 to 30 miles a day
We know nothing about Newark
How is the Canal thru Rochester?

Thank you!

As I've posted before, locals have told me riders have been mugged going through the Rochester area. Ride with others

KD from Redding:
Frankly, the itinerary is not aggressive at all. It beckons the question "What is the point of your tour?" If you are planning to enjoy each destination town then it's fine. However, if your goal is to bike the Canalway, you are going to have a lot of extra time everyday. At 10 miles per hour riding (not very aggressive) you are only looking at three hours of riding. What are you going to do with the other hours in the day?

Newark is a typical small town along the Canal -- an easy Google will fill you in on anything there of interest. I'm not sure from your post if you are planning to camp or seek lodging during your "3 nites on the road" so it is difficult to provide helpful info.

The Canalway through Rochester is great. It follows along the Canal and is paved. What's nice is that there are many places to detour into the city if you want a closer look (if you don't mind some city-street cycling), but Rochester is a small city that doesn't take long to get around in. (For the most part ignore BobtheBuilder's negative comment here - simply be safe and smart in your travels.) I bike all around Rochester.

Maybe provide a bit more information here about your intent and we can give you better, more informative responses.

Thank you for ur response
We do plan to do some touring of interesting places
Plus it’s hot and we don’t plan to be too aggressive doing
mileage but it sounds like we’re doing not enough!

We can start anywhere East of Rochester (Palmyr) or in
Rochester. Just need to be in Lockport on the 5th day

Thanks again

While in Rochester, I highly recommend a side trip up the Genessee River Trail to see High Falls. It's about 5 or 6 miles from the canal trail to the falls, well worth the ride.

https://bikeeriecanal.com/genesee-riverway-trail.aspx

Right by the falls, there's a trendy entertainment district on one side of the river and the old Genessee Brewery on the other side.

If you have more time and ambition, follow that trail for 13 miles to see Lake Ontario.

KD - You are probably fine. If you bike 30 miles (~3 hours) a day you'll have plenty of time to see things on your itinerary. Ride early and you'll miss the heat plus much of the canalway trail is under some tree canopy. Again, not knowing your intent for overnight accommodations, do plan on at least 1-1.5 hours to break camp, pack and get on the road... if you are camping (I was surprised that it took me this long each day).

I agree with psychlist -- lots of good things to see in Rochester if you haven't been there. His suggestions are spot on and there is a lot more. Tony D's restaurant is one of the best Italian places I have ever eaten, you can take a tour of Mt. Hope Cemetery (however guided tours have been cancelled for the year), George Eastman Museum depending on reopening phase of NYS Pause.

I'd work my way back from Lockport and figure a good starting spot. Taking a closer look at the map, if you want to hit Fairport, Brockport and another night out before Lockport... then Lyons to Lockport is 100 miles. So that's 25 miles a day -- easy ride for doing some sightseeing. No need to go further than Lyons because after it you'll be on highways and back roads pretty much all the way to Weedsport. In Lyons either Lock 27E (at Leach Street) or Abbey Park out on the outskirts of town would be great to start.

Sounds like a fun and trip with plenty of time to find interesting places to visit with easy, little stress on the bike ride aspect. Enjoy.

Hi KD!
I am originally from Bethel and wondering if you ride with any of the local clubs in the Redding/Ridgefield area. Also when are you planning your trip?
We are trying to plan a trip departing at the end of July for 5-6 days.

We plan on riding the entire Erie Canal in 4 days and Katy Trail in 3 days in 2021. From what I understand, mid-October would be a good time to ride the Katy Trail. Therefore, we were thinking about riding the Erie Canal at the end of August so that we would have about 6 weeks of recovery time in between the two rides. Is the end of August a good time to ride the Erie Canal, or is too humid/hot? When is a good time to ride the Erie Canal? Another option is to split the two rides and bike the Erie Canal this fall and Katy trail next fall. Thank you!

Not sure there is really a bad time to bike the Canalway Trail!
You do not state where you are from, so I'll assume that you are not familiar with upstate NY weather, but IMHO... June and July are the best weather months as far as warm, sunny weather. By the time the 2nd week of August comes 'round, the weather has already stated to get a bit chillier. THe end of August OR the beginning of September would probably be a perfect time to ride the Canalway. Typically you shouldn't have to worry about hot/humid in late August, however the weather can certainly do it's own thing at any time. No controlling Mother Nature!

PS - 6 weeks recovery from a rider who is comfortable planning 90 miles a day seems excessive.

Thanks for the input! I am not familiar with upstate NY weather. I was also thinking earlier today that 6 weeks is excessive, so it's good to have affirmation.

If you're doing the whole Erie Canal in 4 days, that means that you are going through the cities and towns at an amazing pace, not much stopping or sightseeing on your calendar (which is fine).

So with "speed" your main goal, I'd suggest late July until the end of August because that's is when there is the least amount of rain. Because rain means soft ground and soft ground means slowing you down. And wherever there is stone dust (which there is a lot of), mud is right below the surface in rainy conditions.

John from Cobleskill, thank you for the insight! We are both in our 40s and I just started biking serious miles 3 years ago after I discovered how fun it was. My husband, on the other hand, has been riding ever since he was a kid. There are so many great gravel trails to ride all over the US, and we want to zip right through them while we still physically can. I guess in a way, it is me trying to make up for lost time in my 20s and 30s. Once we retire, we will do some sightseeing during our rides, as everyday will be a biking day, which will be so fantastic! But for now, our focus during our rides is just speed.

John from Cobleskill, thank you for the insight! We are both in our 40s and I just started biking serious miles 3 years ago after I discovered how fun it was. My husband, on the other hand, has been riding ever since he was a kid. There are so many great gravel trails to ride all over the US, and we want to zip right through them while we still physically can. I guess in a way, it is me trying to make up for lost time in my 20s and 30s. Once we retire, we will do some sightseeing during our rides, as everyday will be a biking day, which will be so fantastic! But for now, our focus during our rides is just speed.

I'd concur with John from Cobleskill regarding dates from a rain standpoint. Late August & Sept might bring on some rain -- but that's always a crap shoot anyway. Also... don't be too hard on us "older" guys. I just completed the trail living off my bike in 7 days with no stress or concerns. I was also out with a 40 yo friend this past weekend for a 25 mile hilly ride and was up some hills faster than him.

If you're in your 40's, you still have many wonderful years of biking in front of you. I am turning 60 in a few days and I am still at it and will be doing 60 mile days when I do the Erie Canal trip soon.

But on the flip side, I'm retired so I can afford to take 6 days "off" where you might be pressed for time due to your work schedule so I understand the need for speed.

@John from Cobleskill -- Spot on.

How much of the Weedsport to Port Byron portion of the Erie Canal Bike Trail is on busy streets? We started in Jordan hoping to go to Port Byron and back but we stopped in Weedsport when the Trail took us to a fairly busy road.

Most of it.

Did this yesterday, like a mile of it is on State road 31 and there wasn’t a lot of traffic.The shoulder/bike lane was wide and free of gravel.

Started at Camillus Viaduct, There were several interesting historical markers and articles like a canal boat. If I lived nearer, I would walk the trails there, the state has done a really nice job creating little bridges and detours. The trail goes through a charming town named Jordan. Gorgeous and well maintained period buildings. Excellent NYC style pizza at Tow Path Pizza, they have outdoor tables. Commiserated with the owner for a bit , I wish it was easier , I hope more people using the trail stop at his place. There were nice , well stocked antique stores in the town too. Enjoyable ride to Port Byron, on the way back we stopped at a brew pub in Weedsport, Lunkenheimer., they have kick ass Kolsch and many other selections. The main street is actually a block off of the Rt. 31 trail. There were three beautiful murals celebrating the canal that I noticed on this route . Lots of wildlife on the trail including a number of turtles, deer, chipmunks, bunnies and a variety of birds. 42mi round trip.

Rode from Dewitt to Canastota last week. Paved section was very nice along the canal, ended around Green Lakes SP spur. The rest of the way was crushed stone, easy enough to ride on but the contrast is notable. Noticed a nice variety of birds along the way and fragrant honeysuckle. Not much open in the town of Chittenengo, maybe that will change in the upcoming weeks. It is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of Wizard of Oz books and there was a yellow brick road! There was a bike tire pump and a nice sitting area on the trail in Chittenengo. A food truck was parked nearby that wasn't open at this time. There was an interesting looking brew pub, Erie Canal Brewing in Canastota, not open except Friday and Saturday. I would of loved a pint and will surely check it out next time.

When they going to fill up the canal

July 4th is the schedule. Google NYS Canal Corporation

I've seen a number of boats east of Brockport. Bridges are all down other than Spencerport, which is a major mess (there's no roadbed) do to repair work stated last fall. The water blocks "don't know what to call then" have one door down from Greece to Hulberton.

are e bikes ok ?

Not sure but have seen several. Many go to off mode when approaching others on the trail.

Is there any chance of thru bikers camping at Lock 8 ?

Is there any chance of thru bikers camping at Lock 8 ?

Does anyone know if the restrooms or the campgrounds along the canal are open? I didn't see any "official" Erie Canal status info on this site of the NYSP web site.

Officially, not open in state areas but most tiwn & village parks are ooen and facilities are unlocked. Besides... there are many places to stop -- namely gas stations and restaurants now open to outside dining have open restrooms. Im on day four --> no issues at all.

Bubba.....can't wait to hear your recap!

Hey Bubba, I'll be waiting for your recap too!

For sure! I've been taking notes. Here is the FB Fubdrauser link to my trip. I post daily updates.

https://www.facebook.com/donate/568936390678105/?fundraiser_source=external_url

My family is considering flying to Buffalo and biking to Albany. Don't know if we can Rent bikes one-way or at least catch a bus or train and return them to Buffalo. Any ideas? Than you, Bill

Bill in CA - Try this page from Parks and Trails New York (PTNY): https://www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/plan-a-trip/bike-shops

Click Buffalo and the ones with asterisks next to their name rent bikes. I'm not familiar with rentals but I'm sure someone does it and they may even deliver you and the bikes to the starting point.

Not sure how to get the bikes back. You will need to check with Amtrak with their drop off points. You might have to box your bike from what I've read as roll-on, roll-off is either non-existent or limited/sold out. There was a thread in this forum a month ago where someone had an issue getting the train to unload bikes, I don't recall all the details but have a look in the rest of the forums. Perhaps there's a bike shop in Albany with a shuttle that goes back to Buffalo?

I was lucky in that I did the Cycle the Erie Canal event they organize so the buses returning were all organized for me.

John

Cardtronice

Cardtronice

Cardtronice

Beware! The number of Canadian geese on the section from Lockport to Rochester is a hazard. I counted an army of 97 today swimming together! They aren't very friendly when you try to pass either. They've been chasing me and have been super aggressive.

Are the restrooms open?

When they going to fill up the canal

I am planning a trip from Buffalo to Albany beginning this July 11th. Just wondering what the chances are at this time ,that there will be enough services open to support this plan ?

@M Fluke
I think you should be fine. Restaurants may not be open for dining, but most services are available now in Reopening Phase 2. I take off Saturday and am not planning on too much difficulty. I was in a ROC bike shop Monday -- very open and also had a spoke repair at REI Roc. Called, curbside service done in 15-min. Food from take out or grocery or convenience stores depending on how you are outfitted. Travel safe. I'm in the Bflo/Roc area if you need anything give me a shout.

If everything goes according to plan, all services should be open. Access to those services might be limited but you won't have any problems...if things stay on schedule.

btw, I'm doing it and leaving July 9th, Buffalo to Albany.