Today more than 500 cyclists will gather in Buffalo to participate in the annual Cycling the Erie Canal Tour, that leaves from Nichols School tomorrow.
The riders embark upon the 400 mile cross-state scenic tour en masse. Along with huffing it along the Erie Canalway Trail, riders get a chance to camp along the way. It’s a very personal and gratifying way to explore the great outdoors while learning about the canal and its communities along the way. “The 16th annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour is a wonderful way to explore the Erie Canal and Upstate New York. Plus it’s fun, healthy, and good for the economy,” says Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin. “We have cyclists aged 9 to 90 from 35 states and as far away as Israel and Australia, and they all get to experience what makes the Erie Canal and Upstate New York so special.”
Each day the cyclists log in between 40 and 60 miles a day. The trail from Buffalo to Albany is now three-quarters complete and will soon be the “longest multi-use trail in the United States.”
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR BUFFALO:
Saturday, July 12–Buffalo–Pre-tour activities- registration, reception, orientation
Tent City Location: Nichols School, 1250 Amherst St, Buffalo
Sunday, July 13–Buffalo to Medina
7:45am – Brief kick-off ceremony at Nichols School
8:00am – Start of ride
8:30am – 12:00pm – Morning Rest Stop, Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village (formerly Amherst Erie Canal Museum)
Image courtesy of The Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse, N.Y. | Organized by the statewide nonprofit Parks & Trails New York.