Ken Robb
07-15-2006, 12:26 PM
Leslie and I just got back from a week in the Finger Lakes Area. We stayed at Oliver Phelps B+B on Main St. in Canandaigua and recommend it highly: built in 1812, comfy, and the hosts couldn't do enough for us. The breakfasts were superb every day.
Les was on a Riv Romulus with 700x27 Ruffy Tuffy tires. I had a wonderful Richard Sachs cross bike with 700x37 Vittoria Randoneurs. The RS is a superb all-rounder with none of the drawbacks that I find in some other cross bikes.
We rode a couple of days on the Erie Canal tow path and another day on the Lehigh Valley gravel rail/trail out of Mendon. Most of the Canal path we rode was smooth gravel though there are paved sections too. You could do these on 700x23 tires but 700x27+ is better. It was neat riding through the historic towns and sites along the way. It would be cool to leave a car at your planned finish point and then take another to your start point to avoid the out/back route. OTOH, going out on the path and returning on the nice country roads is good too.
DBRK and I rode West Lake Rd. yesterday. It was hot and humid but Douglas let me set the pace so I didn't die. It's a great ride with views of the lake and lovely countryside. The Sachs has XT crank with 46-36-26 (I think) and RD and 12-26 9spd Centaur cassette and RD operated perfectly by Campy brifters. Paul canti brakes.
We never met anyone all week who wasn't nice and polite. We ate very well in many different restaurants. The roads are very well maintained. We will be back.
I got a Ford Freestyle from Hertz and was very impressed. It easily swalloed two bikes w/o removing any wheels, was comfy, handled fine, and got 24mpg. The cvt transmission works well. Rochester Airport is close and very easy for passengers to use.
If you think even a little that you might want to do the Ramble: GO!!
Les was on a Riv Romulus with 700x27 Ruffy Tuffy tires. I had a wonderful Richard Sachs cross bike with 700x37 Vittoria Randoneurs. The RS is a superb all-rounder with none of the drawbacks that I find in some other cross bikes.
We rode a couple of days on the Erie Canal tow path and another day on the Lehigh Valley gravel rail/trail out of Mendon. Most of the Canal path we rode was smooth gravel though there are paved sections too. You could do these on 700x23 tires but 700x27+ is better. It was neat riding through the historic towns and sites along the way. It would be cool to leave a car at your planned finish point and then take another to your start point to avoid the out/back route. OTOH, going out on the path and returning on the nice country roads is good too.
DBRK and I rode West Lake Rd. yesterday. It was hot and humid but Douglas let me set the pace so I didn't die. It's a great ride with views of the lake and lovely countryside. The Sachs has XT crank with 46-36-26 (I think) and RD and 12-26 9spd Centaur cassette and RD operated perfectly by Campy brifters. Paul canti brakes.
We never met anyone all week who wasn't nice and polite. We ate very well in many different restaurants. The roads are very well maintained. We will be back.
I got a Ford Freestyle from Hertz and was very impressed. It easily swalloed two bikes w/o removing any wheels, was comfy, handled fine, and got 24mpg. The cvt transmission works well. Rochester Airport is close and very easy for passengers to use.
If you think even a little that you might want to do the Ramble: GO!!