Planning 4 day, 3 nite trip

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.