Submitted by Jack Rimlinger:
The Can Am Rides were conceived by Niagara Frontier Bicycle Club member, Mary Alice Tocke, as a way to showcase the natural and historic beauty of the Buffalo-Fort Erie-Niagara Falls region. The 100 and 62 mile rides explore the Niagara Parkway, both sides of Niagara Falls (USA and Canada), Fort Erie and Buffalo. The 100 mile ride includes more northern areas on both sides of the border, including the scenic and historic towns of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lewiston (where Niagara Falls started more than 12000 years ago) and Youngstown. For the more casual cyclist, there is a 35 mile ride that stays on the USA side and takes in some of the historical and scenic gems around Buffalo and suburbs. Outside of encounters with the Niagara Escarpment on the 100 and 62 mile rides, the routes are very flat.
Last year’s event attached 233 riders from 2 countries, 11 states and 2 provinces. This event is a bicycle ride not a race, it offers rest stops and a nice lunch at the end of the event rides. The routes are great scenic routes that, while bicycling, you can really appreciate the fabulous views or stop along the way to take in the Falls or the Whirlpool areas.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
If you’d like to make a weekend of it, we have several options for Saturday. If you don’t mind riding in hilly terrain and can manage a 40 to 50 mile warmup ride before doing one of the Can Am rides on Sunday, at 9:00am, the NFBC offers a ride that starts about 20 miles south of the city at Chestnut Ridge park. The ride being offered that day is the Graycliff ride, so named because the ride passes by the Graycliff Mansion, a Frank Lloyd Wright creation currently being restored. The ride has some beautiful scenery on it. And some hills. To join in on this ride, just show up ready to ride at Chestnut Ridge Park near the park lodge. Locate the ride leader (where all the riders are gathered signing in), sign the waiver (mandatory, for insurance purposes) and let the ride leader know you’re riding as a guest. There is no extra charge to attend this ride.
For a more casual activity on a bike, you might be interested in touring many of the architectural highlights of Buffalo. Starting at 1:00pm at the Wright Boat House (same start as the Can Am rides), the tour ride will roll past significant buildings, through parks and down historic streets in Buffalo. While very urban in nature, the ride does follow a lot of bike trails and lightly trafficked side roads. Expect the 20+ miles of riding to take about 2 hours, assuming you stop and take in the sights along the way. There is no extra charge to attend this ride.
In the evening, starting at 6pm, we encourage you to stop down at the Wright Boat House as the Niagara Frontier Bicycle Club hosts a wine and cheese get-together. There will be beer and finger foods served. You can pick up your rider’s packet at the social. Bring your favorite ride stories to exchange with friends. Also, bring a camera (the good one, not your phone camera) as the sunsets at the boathouse are spectacular. There is no extra charge to attend this activity.
Sunday August 4, 2013
The Routes:
100 Mile Route:
Starting at the Buffalo/Fort Erie Peace Bridge, the route takes you down the Niagara Parkway, going through Niagara Falls, Canada. After the rest stop at the Brock Monument, you’ll roll over the Niagara Escarpment and down to the artsy village of Niagara-on-the-Lake. From there the route heads into some rural grape and fruit farming area. Back at the Brock monument for refreshments (after coming back up the escarpment), you next cross the Lewiston-Queenston bridge to the USA. From there, it’s on through the historic villages of Lewiston and Youngstown. The route, next, takes you through Niagara Falls, USA. The last leg is up the Niagara River along bike paths and roads that run close to the river, through the Tonawandas and back to Buffalo.
62 Mile Route:
The 62 Mile route is an abbreviated version of the 100 mile route. It takes in both sides of Niagara Falls, but does not go north of the Lewiston-Queenston bridge.
35 Mile Route:
This route does NOT go into Canada. The route rolls past (and through) some of Buffalo’s architecural, historical and cultural landmarks. While much of it is urban cycling, most of the route utilizes bike paths and side streets. There are plenty of places to stop and take in the scenery along the way.
For additional information and ride registration see www.canamride.com
or for information about the Niagara Frontier Bicycle Club see www.nfbc.com and Facebook.