Recommend to me the best riding in the Eastern USA

[stien]

The soon-to-be Mrs Stien and I are planning a week long honeymoon of riding in July! We've decided to drive and ride instead of flying and renting, so we'd like to stay in the Northeast, or driving distance away.

What do you guys consider the best riding around? We've ridden in Western Mass and absolutely love it but are willing to try other areas. We were thinking possibly the Lake George/Placid/Adirondacks area would be really nice.

[wombatspeed]

Sounds like a great plan for a honeymoon!

The Finger Lakes region to me is road bike paradise. Endless small rural country roads. Lakes, wineries, ice cream stores. What's not to like.

Used to live in Ithaca. Check the finger lakes cycling club website for lots of possible routes. And the recent Paceline thread on the Finger Lakes.

also, there are lots of nice places to stay - might matter, too, for a honeymoon. After riding routes, of course ;-)

[parris]

As Wombat stated the finger lakes is a wonderful region as are several other regions of NY. What do you and your future wife enjoy outside of riding? That may help to narrow the choices a little.

I was born and raised in Utica NY but have lived for the last 20+ years in the Binghamton area. There really is a fantastic amount of great riding in this state.

Congrats :)

[Bradford]

It would require a ferry ride or some wet wheeling, but Cape Breton Island is the best riding I've experienced in the North East. Mountains and the ocean on the same ride. I did a camping trip with my wife on our tandem, but I'm sure there are inns to stay in as well. You can drive to Bar Harbor and take the ferry over from there.

Cape Breton is a good week-long ride. If you are looking for more riding, the run up from Bar Harbor to Campobello Island is beautiful. Plus, all of Mt. Desert Island and the ride down to Brooklin just south/west of it are great rides and great sight seeing.

These are somewhat challenging rides, so either be in great shape or don't plan super long days.

[Ken Robb]

Sounds like a great plan for a honeymoon!

The Finger Lakes region to me is road bike paradise. Endless small rural country roads. Lakes, wineries, ice cream stores. What's not to like.

Used to live in Ithaca. Check the finger lakes cycling club website for lots of possible routes. And the recent Paceline thread on the Finger Lakes.

also, there are lots of nice places to stay - might matter, too, for a honeymoon. After riding routes, of course ;-)
Les and I had a great stay/ride in Cannandaigua,NY. The Oliver Phelps is one of the best B and B/historic inns we have tried.Our own DBRK lives in the area. When we visited in October he assured us that the Summer was NOT mobbed with tourists and he was so right which is amazing considering how lovely the lake and town are.

[sandyrs]

Vermont is also amazing- the northeast kingdom is far from CT but dirt road paradise, and father south near Warren you can get in some amazing riding too. Check out the green mountain stage race courses. The one caveat is that basically all of your ride will be climbing or descending unless you stick to route 100, in which case the ride won't be that great.

[sweet_johnny]

Deerfield, Ma area into Vermont is a climbing/dirt road paradise. You can check out D2R2 (http://www.franklinlandtrust.org/d2r2-courses)'s cue sheets for routes.

[bewheels]

I know you know this...but you might want to narrow it down a bit given that there are so many great areas to ride in the east. Even if it is "includes the coast", "does not include the coast", "north east", "mid-atlantic", "south east", etc.

[tv_vt]

I would second Finger Lakes. Way better than Adirondacks for riding. Roads are really in good shape compared to lots of other places.

Vermont (my home state) can be great also. Champlain Valley (Middlebury area) could be nice, or the Connecticut River Valley around Hanover, NH is also great. Dorset VT (near Manchester) is also a good base and a nice little romantic village - try to catch a play at the Dorset Playhouse.

Cape Breton is also fantastic, but quite a long way to get there.

[soulspinner]

les and i had a great stay/ride in cannandaigua,ny. The oliver phelps is one of the best b and b/historic inns we have tried.our own dbrk lives in the area. When we visited in october he assured us that the summer was not mobbed with tourists and he was so right which is amazing considering how lovely the lake and town are.

this

[Tom]

OK - from Vermont so I pimp the place every chance I get, ride around the Adirondacks a fair amount so I know the place... rode the Highlander Century once...

Finger Lakes, hands down. I don't know what theater/music scene is there in the summer but if there's anything at all its the place to be.

I haven't gone back for the Highlander because there's generally schedule conflicts with the ADK 540, even if they're not the same weekend getting away for a couple weekends a month is not generally possible with work but I definitely want to ride it again. The roads were fantastic and just about empty of cars.

[tv_vt]

The other place would be Virginia. I've been on trips based near Wintergreen ski area along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Really nice riding.

But caveat - those trips were in April and traffic on the BRP was very light. May be different later in the summer.

So, Finger Lakes area at a nice B&B. Or maybe a nice hotel instead - if it's your honeymoon, you're going to need a bit more privacy than a B&B. :)

[verticaldoug]

As long as you are north of Merritt Parkway, the riding is pretty darn good, but you already know this....

I'd swing an arch thru Vermont/NY/Pa.

It's July so I want pools and lakes.
I'd start in Manchester/Dorset and stay at the Equinox Hotel. They have a nice spa/pool for after the ride. The town has some decent places to eat. And if you want to have a Breaking Away moment, go swim in the Quarry just outside of town. There are so many nice routes, plus you have the green mountains right there if you want to hike.

After a few days there, I'd go Finger Lakes region.

After a few days in the finger lakes, I'd swing down thru Binghamton to the West Branch Delaware River/Susquehanna River areas. It's a little bit more hillbilly in my mind, but a fun area with great riding.

Douglas

[nooneline]

Western Mass is terrific.

Finger Lakes should be great. Adirondaks should be great. I have always wanted to take my bike up to the White Mountains (North Conway) area, too. Most of Vermont would be pretty lovely.

I think you could make a decision based on what else you want in an area - since there are plenty of great areas to ride.

[Lovetoclimb]

Did the Rapha Gentlemen's Race in and around Hanover NH in July some years ago. Amazing rural gravel roads, mountains, valleys, small hamlets to roll through. Stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast on a mountainside just 10 minutes outside of downtown Hanover. Highly recommend it. Short drive from Burlington VT too if I recall correctly.

[carpediemracing]

I've lived in CT most of my life. I happen to live near MA now. If I were to go on a cycling vacation I'd go somewhere else.

MA - no shoulders. I'll sometimes ride in MA but I avoid it like the plague. No 3' rule, no shoulders, and upper limit speed limits (i.e. same road in CT is 35 mph, MA is 50 mph, and in MA the shoulder is less than 6", in CT it might be 2 feet).

Legal pass in MA (truck going 40-ish, we're going 20-ish, police agreed it was a legal pass):
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TbmplkIYLx8/TDuB-GoJ1pI/AAAAAAAAC7U/fIgeoUjCQZk/s800/Cape+Cod+Close+Call.jpg

CT is sort of better but not really.

In Maine I went for a few rides in the northern part (4 hours north of Portland). It's quiet, yes, but so quiet that it's a bit more rural than I'm used to. No local police (one state trooper on duty for 100 miles of highway and surrounding towns, literally zero local cops) and most people don't leash their dogs. Two dogs bit me on one ride. No police response, had to have the missus come pick me up (and it was tough getting a cell signal to call her), etc. It's fine until something happens.

I haven't ridden in VT or NH in forever. I haven't ridden in RI in a little less than forever.

My idea of cycling paradise is when I feel secure on where ever I'm riding, with few/no mosquitoes, no poison ivy, and no ticks. By definition that's not around here (we were absolutely inundated with poison ivy last summer although there were zero mosquitoes and I don't go into the woods so no idea on ticks). I really like riding in SoCal. Wide shoulders, nice views, some semblance of civilization.

[soulspinner]

I've lived in CT most of my life. I happen to live near MA now. If I were to go on a cycling vacation I'd go somewhere else.

MA - no shoulders. I'll sometimes ride in MA but I avoid it like the plague. No 3' rule, no shoulders, and upper limit speed limits (i.e. same road in CT is 35 mph, MA is 50 mph, and in MA the shoulder is less than 6", in CT it might be 2 feet).

Legal pass in MA (truck going 40-ish, we're going 20-ish, police agreed it was a legal pass):
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TbmplkIYLx8/TDuB-GoJ1pI/AAAAAAAAC7U/fIgeoUjCQZk/s800/Cape+Cod+Close+Call.jpg

CT is sort of better but not really.

In Maine I went for a few rides in the northern part (4 hours north of Portland). It's quiet, yes, but so quiet that it's a bit more rural than I'm used to. No local police (one state trooper on duty for 100 miles of highway and surrounding towns, literally zero local cops) and most people don't leash their dogs. Two dogs bit me on one ride. No police response, had to have the missus come pick me up (and it was tough getting a cell signal to call her), etc. It's fine until something happens.

I haven't ridden in VT or NH in forever. I haven't ridden in RI in a little less than forever.

My idea of cycling paradise is when I feel secure on where ever I'm riding, with few/no mosquitoes, no poison ivy, and no ticks. By definition that's not around here (we were absolutely inundated with poison ivy last summer although there were zero mosquitoes and I don't go into the woods so no idea on ticks). I really like riding in SoCal. Wide shoulders, nice views, some semblance of civilization.

Cringeworthy:eek:

[sparky33]

Did the Rapha Gentlemen's Race in and around Hanover NH in July some years ago. Amazing rural gravel roads, mountains, valleys, small hamlets to roll through. Stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast on a mountainside just 10 minutes outside of downtown Hanover. Highly recommend it. Short drive from Burlington VT too if I recall correctly.

Draw a line from Westfield, MA to Burke, VT. You can't go wrong turning anywhere left from that line.
Bring little gears.

[Likes2ridefar]

I would not recommend the Adirondacks, at least the high peaks region. For hiking the high peaks yes, but not for cycling. there aren't many roads and there are lots of cars and trucks buzzing you on the majority of roads in the area. There are times of great beauty and peace, but I think you can do better.

I do love riding up Whiteface Mtn...

The area around where I live in Litchfield County, CT (northwest CT) has fantastic riding. Some of the best I've ever ridden anywhere although it doesn't hold a candle to Taiwan, my personal favorite. It's really hilly and they are unavoidable so if not in good shape it can be a big suffer fest most the time. Lots of dirt and gravel and minimal traffic.

for casual riders it's all but mandatory to have a compact and 28T cassette. Most people will probably prefer a 32T in the rear.

I raced up to a pretty high level and at my peak I'd still never ride with less than a standard and 26T...and I was a GC rider that loved to climb.

[Likes2ridefar]

in NH I've only ridden around the Mt Washington area. I loved the dirt Gap climbs but otherwise would not pick that as a cycling destination. It's better for my motorcycle I think.

Like the ADKs, roads are few though nice and wide shoulders exist most the time. VT is quite similar. Lots of beautiful riding in the areas I've been but it was always racing and the traffic was controlled. I really like the area around Sugarloaf. Great food, b&bs, and the riding is nice.

my main complaint about VT and NH is it's so cold in the mornings!

[Likes2ridefar]

a few years ago I rode around lake george but otherwise have not ridden in the area. it was a little less than 100 miles.

I'll admit I was shelled by the finish, and that may have left me with my overall negative impression of the ride.

I did it on a fixed gear which was a bad choice...

anyways, there are LOTS of motorcycles that cruise the area. most of them are harleys that are ridiculously loud. I was constantly being passed by them, and once I was near bonking by the finish they nearly unraveled me.

[shovelhd]

Mrs. Shovel and I spent part of our July honeymoon on Block Island. We rented a tandem and spent a day riding from beach to beach. That's about all the bike riding I wanted to do on my honeymoon in July near the beach.

[druptight]

Mrs. Shovel and I spent part of our July honeymoon on Block Island. We rented a tandem and spent a day riding from beach to beach. That's about all the bike riding I wanted to do on my honeymoon in July near the beach.

I've vacationed and ridden on Block Island. Not challenging riding, but the beauty and general lack of traffic is great. You'll have to ride laps of the same route every day if you want to get any serious miles in.

[Johnnyg]

Asheville, NC is second to none but a bit south of the NE

[Likes2ridefar]

Asheville, NC is second to none but a bit south of the NE

especially on the mtb in the pisgah area! lonnnng drive from CT though.

[EDS]

I think the Finger Lakes is a great option. What sets it apart from many of the other venues in the Northeast is that you are rewarded with many wonderful views during a ride. The Climbs are not terribly long but are often painfully steep.

The other area I have really enjoyed riding in is the Catskills. In and around Woodstock has some fantastic, fantastic riding. Generally some bigger climbs than in the Finger Lake region.

[Bob Ross]

I've gone cycling in the Berkshires in Western MA every Memorial Day Weekend for the past ~8 years, when I first started cycling I was amazed by the quality of the roads & rides, but by now I find it Really Nice But Not Necessarily Recommendation-Worthy

Agree w/ the Vermont assessment (all up& down unless you're on Rt100, and then it's not a good ride) the roads there looked like they were paved with a harrowing machine.

Best riding I've done in the NE in recent memory was State College PA. All rolling farmlands with stunningly well-paved roads, decent shoulders, minimal traffic, and beautiful vistas. Not sure I could come up with more than 3 days of riding there, but it would be an excellent long weekend.

[djg21]

I've lived in CT most of my life. I happen to live near MA now. If I were to go on a cycling vacation I'd go somewhere else.

MA - no shoulders. I'll sometimes ride in MA but I avoid it like the plague. No 3' rule, no shoulders, and upper limit speed limits (i.e. same road in CT is 35 mph, MA is 50 mph, and in MA the shoulder is less than 6", in CT it might be 2 feet).

Legal pass in MA (truck going 40-ish, we're going 20-ish, police agreed it was a legal pass):
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_TbmplkIYLx8/TDuB-GoJ1pI/AAAAAAAAC7U/fIgeoUjCQZk/s800/Cape+Cod+Close+Call.jpg

CT is sort of better but not really.

In Maine I went for a few rides in the northern part (4 hours north of Portland). It's quiet, yes, but so quiet that it's a bit more rural than I'm used to. No local police (one state trooper on duty for 100 miles of highway and surrounding towns, literally zero local cops) and most people don't leash their dogs. Two dogs bit me on one ride. No police response, had to have the missus come pick me up (and it was tough getting a cell signal to call her), etc. It's fine until something happens.

I haven't ridden in VT or NH in forever. I haven't ridden in RI in a little less than forever.

My idea of cycling paradise is when I feel secure on where ever I'm riding, with few/no mosquitoes, no poison ivy, and no ticks. By definition that's not around here (we were absolutely inundated with poison ivy last summer although there were zero mosquitoes and I don't go into the woods so no idea on ticks). I really like riding in SoCal. Wide shoulders, nice views, some semblance of civilization.

The black fly is Maine's state bird!

You might think about Essex NY. It's a quaint town on Lake Champlain. When not riding, you can take the ferry to Vt visit Burlington, which is a great town (Go Catamounts!), or drive two hours to Montreal for an international experience, or drive up to Lake Placid. The roads on the NY side of the lake are much quieter than the Vt side, with a good mix of terrain.

[Mr. Pink]

The soon-to-be Mrs Stien and I are planning a week long honeymoon of riding in July! We've decided to drive and ride instead of flying and renting, so we'd like to stay in the Northeast, or driving distance away.

What do you guys consider the best riding around? We've ridden in Western Mass and absolutely love it but are willing to try other areas. We were thinking possibly the Lake George/Placid/Adirondacks area would be really nice.

I lived in Saratoga Springs, NY for three years, and did a ton of exploring.

I would avoid the ADK, as somebody just said above. Bad roads and scary traffic. Look just to the east at the farmland that drifts down into Champlain. Park in Essex, do a little climbing on the Ny side, ride the half hour ferry over to VT., and do some nice riding over there. There is a "two ferry" ride that one can do, using the Essex and then the Burlington. Pretty, mostly quiet, and a good workout.
The riding just south in Vermont near Middlebury is pretty good, too, and be accessed on the NY side by the shortest ferry across Champlain. It's cable driven.

I fell in love with riding around Cooperstown, so I never made it further west than that. There 's a lot in that valley. Check Amazon for a book of maps of the area titled Cranks From Cooperstown. http://www.amazon.com/Cranks-Cooperstown-Bike-Rides-Upstate/dp/0966263812/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428710347&sr=1-1&keywords=cranks+from+cooperstown Twenty or so years old, but, still valid. Things don't change much up there. But NY spends a lot of downstate money paving country roads, so surfaces are generally excellent. Minimal traffic helps, too.

Columbia And Duchess county can be excellent, but, eating and lodging is difficult. Great views of the Catskills.

My favorite place to ride close to home in Saratoga was Washington County, nestled in between the Hudson and the mountains of Vermont around Manchester. Hundreds of mies of beautiful, well paved roads that get progressively steeper as you approach the state line. God bless upstate farming, because it makes for awesome bike riding.

Saratoga race season starts third week of July and goes to Labor Day, so getting a room will cost you. It's a great party, though, if you can swing the bed. Lots of fun. Best town in upstate NY. Lake George is a crowded, tacky arcade filled mess. Stay away.

Have fun. Just had my knee scoped yesterday, hope to be discovering the Finger Lakes and Ithaca area when I'm strong, sometime soon. It's a great place to bike, the Upstate.

Btw, I am not a dirt rider. There is plenty of dirt up there, but much more in Vermont. If I lived in Vt., I'd definitely own a CX and a mountain bike, but, you don't need to just across the border. Plenty of paved roads. If you do like dirt, this is a well attended event in Washington County that has plenty of it, and when this event goes off, it's a lot of mud, too: http://www.tourofthebattenkill.com. Check out the downloadable maps.

Oh, and, Jimapco maps are your friend for a lot of this riding area. Very accurate.

[schwa86]

Very nice inn to inn experience, really good rides, met some cool other cyclists, great food. They basically customized for what we wanted. The evening of multiple single malts at the inn in Middlebury before climbing several gaps the next day was, however, a mistake.

http://inntoinn.com/vermont-bicycle-tours/self-guided-bike-trip/

PM me if interested in more detail.

[xjoex]

If you ride mountain bikes, you need to ride Raystown Lake / Allegripis trails outside State College PA. Great camping and amazing trails.

-Joe

[Ken Robb]

Best riding I've done in the NE in recent memory was State College PA. All rolling farmlands with stunningly well-paved roads, decent shoulders, minimal traffic, and beautiful vistas. Not sure I could come up with more than 3 days of riding there, but it would be an excellent long weekend.

And there is the ice cream at the PSU Dairy Department, isn't there?

[Mr. Pink]

And there is the ice cream at the PSU Dairy Department, isn't there?

Free for the little boys, I'll bet.



Sorry, couldn't help myself.

[likebikes]

July? Don't go south. Go north!

[CNY rider]

Mr. Pink is spot on about the riding in the Cooperstown area.
We have it so good its an embarrassment of riches.
Road, dirt road, we have it all.
Along with nice B&B's, baseball, Fenimore Art Museum, the opera and Ommegang.

I'm pals with the author of Cranks From Cooperstown.
Let me know if you need more info.

[thunderworks]

My wife and I have vacationed on South Hero Island in Lake Champlain near Burlington, VT. Wonderful place. I rented a good bike once in Burlington and took my own bike another time. I thought the riding around the area was fabulous. There are lots of nice paved roads with relatively little traffic, and the loop up to Smuggler's Notch on Mt. Mansfield is beautiful and considered one of those iconic, challenging loops.

[vav]

Mrs. Shovel and I spent part of our July honeymoon on Block Island. We rented a tandem and spent a day riding from beach to beach. That's about all the bike riding I wanted to do on my honeymoon in July near the beach.

Great memories.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=110258&highlight=block+island

[dcama5]

Nearly every post in this thread seems like home to me. I was born in the Finger lakes region - sister still lives near Ithaca, grew up near Lake Placid, moved and got married in Burlington, VT, moved the Syracuse, then Danville, PA, now in VA near the northern entrance to Skyline Drive. For riding, I like the finger lakes region, rolling hills and beautiful views, but my favorite is still northeastern PA around Bloomsburg/Danville area - similar views as finger lakes area but bigger climbs with better views from the tops. If you want a hundred mile challenge, ride the Skyline Drive from Front Royal to Waynesboro. Just have someone pick you up in Waynesboro and drive you north, or stay in a hotel in Waynesboro overnight and ride back up Skyline Drive the next day. A lot of long climbs but none real steep.

[shovelhd]

Great memories.

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=110258&highlight=block+island

Thanks for the reminder. Great photos.

[acorn_user]

The other place would be Virginia. I've been on trips based near Wintergreen ski area along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Really nice riding.

But caveat - those trips were in April and traffic on the BRP was very light. May be different later in the summer.



I love riding near the Blue Ridge (unless we're riding fast, in which case I wish it were flatter!), but it can be pretty hot in July. It might be better to go further North given the time of year. What about Quebec?

[JulRip]

I live in the heart, Watkins Glen. Have completed brevets most everywhere in the state. My first choice would be North Carolina. Brevard, Burnsville, Mt. Mitchell, Roan Mountain, Travelers Rest, SC, the parkway. Little traffic, awesome climbs. Much prefer this to Finger Lakes.

[benb]

Lots of great ideas in this thread, I've rode in a lot of these areas too having pretty much been in the NE my entire riding "career". I haven't biked down in/around the Blue Ridge Parkway, and that is "the south" to me anyway but I have motorcycled and driven around there and it is fantastic.

But you've got to be kidding if you're going to complain about roads in any particular area of the NE right now compared to any other part. After the winter we've just gotten over the roads are just terrible everywhere. Maybe a reason to look South.

For me Maine is the area I haven't explored enough.. I don't think many people get out there, but there has got to be a lot of great riding in Maine. (I did take a big motorcycle 400+ mile day through Maine years ago, it looked a lot like the White Mountain area to me, plenty of good riding.)

[redir]

Since I live in Virginia then I would recommend... Virginia :D

Appalachian specifically.

But seriously one one of my last rides going 45 miles in one direction I counted getting passed by 13 cars. Low traffic and beautiful roads.

I'm in the Blacksburg, Roanoke, Floyd county area and it's pretty much why I have not ever moved out. Not just sysling but more too.

Some one else mentioned Asheville, NC, I could not agree more. It's a cool city to stay in too. I'd also recommend the Greenville SC area as well as parts of Georgia.

I grew up in CT and I'll always be a New Englander at heart but there is a lot of traffic up there and lets face it, bad drivers :p

[Ken Robb]

There is a lot of great riding in the Southeast but since this ride is planned for Summer I think I would save that for a Spring or Fall adventure.

[Mr. Pink]

Yeah, I do a lot of riding near Baltimore, and, July and August are the months one must wake up at dawn to do a ride, because it's pretty much torture after 11am.

[MattTuck]

A few things to consider.

First, I'm going to limit my responses to two general areas that I know and feel that I can speak to with some authority.

Northern New England (Centered around Hanover, NH & Norwich, VT): This area is great, no shortage of secluded back roads with varied terrain. If you want some tougher stuff, there's Mt. Ascutney autoroad, or throw the bikes in the car and drive for an hour to the white mountains and do some climbing in the mountains there. There is enough to do off the bike in terms of culture and restaurants that you could be entertained for the entire week, I think. I live here, and if I had a week off, I'd just stay and ride here.

Finger Lakes: I went to school at Cornell, so did a bit of riding around there. There are some really terrific spots to ride and I'd consider it to have a few advantages as a vacation destination (as opposed to just pure riding). Advantage 1) Wine. If you like to drink wine, you can ride in the mornings and taste wine in the afternoons. 2) Picturesque Nature & Good Points of Interest (Lots of waterfalls, stuff around Cornell University, plenty of other stuff, Turning Stone Casino is nearby if that's your thing, etc.)

For my money, if I were truly going on a vacation, I'd think finger lakes offers more potential. For just riding, I'd stay home.

[GregL]

A few years back, my wife and I were in need of a fun cycling vacation. Since my mother-in-law's family came from the Champlain islands, we decided to make a loop around Lake Champlain and stop along the way for some family history research. The trip could not have turned out better! We used the Lake Champlain Bikeways website (http://www.champlainbikeways.org/) as a reference and plotted a route on quiet roads around the valley. Each night was spent in a different B&B since we wanted comfy beds as our "luxury" for the trip. We plan on repeating this trip someday.

- Greg

[weisan]

stien pal, congrats and good luck with the road trip, you might check out this website, I got some good ideas just from looking around their itineraries.

Look to the list of links/options on your right, they have both guided and self-supported rides for the different regions.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/guided-tours/self-contained-tours/

I like the fact that they break it up into "days" and the routes/destinations, sort of take the planning part out of the equation.


For example, this is what they have for "Finger Lakes"...

Day 1
We’ll meet in the afternoon at the Downing International Hostel in a historic section of Syracuse that contains many turn-of-the-20th-century mansions. You can explore the downtown area and the historic Erie Canal museum, which describes how this area was at the leading edge of transportation technology in the 1800s. This provides great background, as we’ll have the chance to ride several portions of the Erie Canal towpath during our tour. Back at the hostel we’ll share our first meal together, discuss the trip details, and divvy up the group gear.

Day 2
Syracuse to Moravia, 50 miles. Departing Syracuse, we’ll quickly encounter the beautiful Onondaga Lake, sporting a shoreline bike path that will lead us out of the city and westward toward the quaint town of Skaneateles. Later in the day, we’ll ride our first portion of the Erie Canal towpath trail near Camillus. There’s a great lunch spot on the shore of Skaneateles Lake, a bona fide Finger Lake. For many years, Skaneateles Lake was the water supply for the city of Syracuse, known as one of the purest water sources in the world. After lunch, we’ll head along the west shore of the lake, gradually climbing and then enjoying a steep descent into the town of Moravia, where we’ll spend the night at Fillmore Glen State Park, named for U.S. President Millard Fillmore.

Day 3
Moravia to Seneca Falls, 43 miles. Today we head up the east shore of Owasco Lake, gradually climbing to earn views of the lake and valley, and then descending into the small city of Auburn. From there we’ll head west to Cayuga, the largest of the Finger Lakes. Taking the sleepy little River Road near the north end of Cayuga Lake, we’ll pass the Cayuga-Seneca lock, which connects to the Erie Canal waterway system. The town of Seneca Falls is a great lunch spot, with its small shops and park located directly along the canal. There is much to explore in the town, including the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the homes of several prominent 1800s women’s rights activists.

Day 4
Seneca Falls to Romulus, 42 miles. Today’s riding starts out quite flat as we hug the northwest shore of Cayuga Lake, but the terrain gradually turns to rolling hills. A short side trip will take us down to lake level along a very quiet stretch of road that features a well-known winery. We’ll then head west and surmount the ridge separating Cayuga Lake from Seneca Lake, our next destination. There’s an Air Force and Navy Veterans Museum on the Sampson State Park grounds that may be of interest to war-history buffs.

Day 5
Romulus to Bluff Point, 54 miles. We’ll start the day by enjoying several miles of car-free travel along roadways once used by a World War II naval training station. Today, weeds sprout from cracks in the pavement of the abandoned roads. Working our way along the shore of Seneca Lake, we’ll pass a large winery and tasting room, and head toward the city of Geneva. Stately homes and mansions line our path as we trace the western shore of Seneca Lake, making our way to the hamlet of Dresden. There we’ll ride on portions of the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail toward Penn Yan, which lies at the northernmost point of Keuka Lake. We’ll gradually climb the center of the Y, where we will enjoy a spectacular view of the southern portion of Keuka Lake located hundreds of feet below before descending to lake level.

Day 6
Bluff Point to Watkins Glen, 46 miles. Today we will pass through the picturesque village of Hammondsport, located at the southern end of Keuka Lake. Sometimes referred to as “the cradle of aviation,” Hammondsport was the hometown of early aircraft engine designer Glenn Curtiss, who teamed up with the Wright brothers to build some of the earliest aircraft engines. We might take time to tour the aviation museum in the village, where we’ll learn that Curtiss was also a motorcycle and bicycle enthusiast. Also nearby are several wineries offering tours and tastings. Soon we’ll head out of town on quiet roads and loop around two of the least known and smallest Finger Lakes: Waneta and Lamoka. We will have a challenging climb up and over the ridge before enjoying a spectacular downhill into the town of Watkins Glen at the southern end of Seneca Lake. Watkins Glen became world famous as the site where Grand Prix auto racing took place through the streets of the village until a new hillside road race course was built in 1952. We will spend the night at one of the campgrounds in Watkins Glen.

Day 7
Watkins Glen to Ithaca, 44 miles. Today we’ll enjoy a section of the new Catherine Valley Rail-Trail before heading up into the beautiful hillsides. Heading east, we’ll ride through the tiny town of Odessa and past compact Cayuta Lake, before gradually climbing the ridge toward the much larger Cayuga Lake. Spectacular views of the longest Finger Lake and the city of Ithaca are ours to enjoy before we make the exhilarating 900-foot descent into the city. We’ll climb partway back uphill on a gracefully designed street lined with gingerbread-cottage houses, gardens, and a set of switchbacks rivaling San Francisco’s famous Lombard Street. Cornell University sits atop the hill, and we’ll call indoor accommodations close to campus our home for two nights.

Day 8
Layover day, Ithaca. Spend the day resting on the college campus and enjoying the public art museum, or swimming and hiking amid the gorges and waterfalls at nearby parks. Downtown Ithaca boasts a farmers’ market, lake cruises, a winery, and a variety of cafes and restaurants located on or near the Ithaca Commons pedestrian mall. Can’t stand to be off your bike for a full day? A 10-mile ride will take you to Taughannock Falls State Park and a waterfall reportedly taller than Niagara Falls.

Day 9
Ithaca to Cazenovia, 57 miles. Today’s riding follows some of the creeks that feed Cayuga Lake. Our route is surrounded by state forest land units with names like Donahue Woods, Peague Hill, Kettleball, and Morgan Hill. Our home tonight is at Cazenovia College, a small liberal arts college founded in 1824, and unusual for the fact that it was a co-educational institution from its beginning.

Day 10
Cazenovia to Syracuse, 38 miles. After packing our gear onto our bikes for the last time this trip, we’ll enjoy a day of riding that’s almost entirely downhill. From the upscale village of Cazenovia we’ll ride past Chittenango Falls. The falls drop into a valley that, thousands of years ago, was one of the Finger Lakes until its northern end gave way, permitting the lake to empty out. Soon we’ll arrive in the town of Chittenango, which played an important role in the development of the Erie Canal as many of the wooden canal boats were built and repaired here. We’ll have no problem finding a nice restaurant to host our final lunch together. After that, we’ll ride a section of the old Erie Canal towpath trail before returning to Syracuse and the end of our terrific 10-day tour.