... andhow about "Upstate New York"

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

My only rides up in Columbia County have been the past two years of the Farmer's Daughter...

Whats your handle on Strava?

SPP

Tim C.

I think we've ridden a lot of the same stuff in the north Westchester/Putnam Co. area.

[SlowPokePete]

Originally Posted by tctyres

Tim C.

I think we've ridden a lot of the same stuff in the north Westchester/Putnam Co. area.

No doubt on that...

Requested a Follow...

SPP

[parris]

Estilley my uncle went to Colegate and when he retired he and my aunt settled in Hamilton. Having grown up in that general part of the state I've been lucky to have ridden many of those roads.

[paredown]

Originally Posted by estilley

Agree with this.

I grew up in the PNW and went to college at Colgate (Hamilton, NY, Madison County).

It's seriously cloudy. Seriously snowy as well.

I come from the land of the clouds so it wasn't terrible but add the cold temperatures and abundant snow and you have some burly weather.

I ran outside pretty much every day for the track and cross country team. Makes Portland seem like perfect running weather all year.

I had the same reaction when I ended up at Rochester for grad school, even after living in Vancouver. I could not believe the number of grey days! (Not to mention the cold--holy crap!) Then when it finally warmed up, you got humidity. Pretty much the worse of all worlds I thought.

I hate it less now...to be truthful, I like it a lot--but if we move upstate, I think it is likely to be Milford PA--lower taxes and you are reasonably close to a train route (Port Jefferson) into the city.

I do like the spring-fed pond though--we are overlooking a pond now, and I love pond life--everything from the ducks, geese (and their babies), fawns getting dropped close to the pond, snapping turtles, visits from herons, the local owl...it is a treat.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by estilley

Agree with this.

I grew up in the PNW and went to college at Colgate (Hamilton, NY, Madison County).

It's seriously cloudy. Seriously snowy as well.

Chenango Valley guaranteed snow in September and May!

A gorgeous place to spend four years...or more... Always difficult to leave when Reunion is over!

[benb]

I went to RPI in Troy... and have biked up there a lot in the summer/spring/fall when I was visiting.

I never really biked much in college because my bike was stolen freshman year and I didn't get another one till after graduation.

It is truly an amazing place to bike in the spring/summer/fall. The Saratoga area is fantastic, and so is the area west of Albany. My fraternity has a reunion every spring out at Thatcher state park west of Albany and I've always loved to ride out to that park. Lots of climbing and gorgeous, never really had any trouble with traffic/drivers out there.

But it is a long/cold/gray winter up there. Quite a bit worse IMO than here in the Boston area. There is a good reason it seems the #1 winter sport up there is drinking lots of alcohol.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by parris

Estilley my uncle went to Colgate and when he retired he and my aunt settled in Hamilton. Having grown up in that general part of the state I've been lucky to have ridden many of those roads.

Yes, lots of great riding in that area. Little traffic, friendly farmers, wafting smell of cows....

I led a summer cycling gym course at Colgate. Had a great 20 mile loop that was *all* down hill.

Left campus to the north and east, headed downhill to Poolville, south to (I don't remember), crossed 12B, then headed north on side roads.

The rolling downhills were striking, the very casual climb in the other direction wasn't noticeable, at least as a 20 YO. So it *felt* like it was all downhill.

Note...the last time I rode that loop, many years later, the casual climb *was* noticeable.

[wc1934]

My youngest daughter went to Hamilton College (Clinton, NY). The winters are cold and gray. But the spring, summer and fall riding is great - a bit of everything, rolling hills, great climbs, and great scenery with little traffic. But in the middle of nowhere!

[parris]

WC I grew up in Utica and spent a ton of time riding through and around the Clinton area. My father was a farmer so it was "homebase" until I married.

C40. I've lived in the Binghamton area for 27 years.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by parris

WC I grew up in Utica and spent a ton of time riding through and around the Clinton area. My father was a farmer so it was "homebase" until I married.

C40. I've lived in the Binghamton area for 27 years.

Nice. So you have a much better appreciation of the area than I.
Some nice craft breweries in the area too.

[parris]

WC my appreciation for the area has grown since I've been away. It's the typical familiarity breeds contempt that we all can fall victim to without much thought.

The thing about upstate NY is just how shockingly beautiful the places are in different ways that are all quite close when it comes down to it. AND one of the few advantages of the high taxes is that the roads generally have enough room for both cyclists and automobile traffic.

I'm a fan of the Saranac Brewery due to the fact that it's been family run for several generations. They've had some VERY challenging times and could've easily closed up but have fought to keep it up and improve what's already a decent product. They also give back to the community.

[batman1425]

Originally Posted by fbhidy

I currently live about an hour west of Hamilton, outside Skaneateles NY. The finger lakes region is a great place for cycling when you are able to avoid the rain. The season is shorter than much of the rest of the USA (other than the northern central states and northern New England.) Though the scenery is well worth the sacrifice.


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Originally Posted by estilley

Agree with this.

I grew up in the PNW and went to college at Colgate (Hamilton, NY, Madison County).

It's seriously cloudy. Seriously snowy as well.

I come from the land of the clouds so it wasn't terrible but add the cold temperatures and abundant snow and you have some burly weather.

I ran outside pretty much every day for the track and cross country team. Makes Portland seem like perfect running weather all year.

Originally Posted by parris

Estilley my uncle went to Colegate and when he retired he and my aunt settled in Hamilton. Having grown up in that general part of the state I've been lucky to have ridden many of those roads.

Colgate class of '07, I helped run the cycling team there for 3 or so years. Loved the riding out there - when the weather cooperated.

[parris]

Batman one of our regular rides would be from Clinton out on rt 233 to 12b out to Hamilton and back. We would then decide in Hamilton what route we wanted to take back to town. It was generally Rt 20 to Rt 12. If we wanted to stretch things we would stay on 20 to Rt 8 and take that back to Utica.

It's funny how at the time those were mid distance training rides. Today that would be a long ride for me.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by batman1425

Colgate class of '07, I helped run the cycling team there for 3 or so years. Loved the riding out there - when the weather cooperated.

'82. See you at a reunion! Will probably be there in 2 years, at my, um, oh never mind!

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by SlowPokePete

No doubt on that...

Requested a Follow...

SPP

Here's my heatmap for your neck of the woods, fwiw. That route up in the upper right is the D2R2 long course from last year.