The rest of NY
 

The rest of New York, where are you riding to take advantage of the changing colors.

I regularly ride the Catherine Valley Trail from Horeseheads to Watkins Glen and Back. It's beautiful.

I want to ride someplace different. 20-30 miles with no monster hills. I am looking from the Hudson valley to north and west.

I like to go up to Syracuse and ride the Erie Canalway between Dewitt and Rome. I think it's about 70 miles round trip, but you could shorten it up quite a bit if you want. It's pretty flat, so no killer hills to worry about.

http://www.eriecanal.org/OECSHP.html

As far as foliage I believe it's hard to go wrong just about anywhere north of the Bronx.

This reminds me of a time on a ride when we stopped at a farm stand near Ticonderoga NY, a stones throw from Vermont. Foliage was at peak and all around us were glorious colors. The couple who owned the stand were getting bored. The woman turned to the man & suggested "Why don't we close up early & go to Vermont to look at the leaves?"

I like Seven Lakes Drive in Harriman Park, but that has some hills. For flatter the Westchester and Putnum trailways are great in the fall.

Thanks for the ideas.

I love riding in Cuse. I did the CNY Tour up there this year. in June, what a killer. It was freezing cold in the 40's and windy. I swear a headwind the whole entire way.

If the weather is nice this weekend, I will head out that way and hit the Erie Canal, I am in no shape to ride 70 miles but if it's flat I can do it one way.

Harriman State Park has some killer hills. I often ride the Heritage trail from Monroe to Goshen and back. That is a super simple ride, but it's very nice and fun.

New Paltz west (Libertyville and Albany Post Rd.) along the Schwangunks to Uhlstervile and and back? That would be mile 20 to 38 on this map:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/16195132

Out and back on the Harlem Valley Trail?

Also in New Paltz, Wallkill Valley Rail Trail if you dont mind some crushed stone. Goes through some orchards and rolling fields. Kingston to NP is 15 miles one way or all the way to Walden is 30 miles.

And if you don't mind some hills and riding a MTB or hybrid, Minnewaska is great But go midweek when the leaves turn. On a nice weekend you'll be waiting to get into the parking lots.

My folks live in Wallkill, the Wallkill rail trail is a real snoozer. Lol

Well in fairness. I have only done the section from CE Penny Drive to Walden and Back.

That is one heck of a ride, did you do that? Wow, that seems like an ungodly amount of climbing. Great word, if that was you.

Can we do a

Rest of New York, Good ride today? or a New York, good ride today.

Something for us non Long Islanders.

I grew up near New Paltz and the Shawngunk Valley. Back then the area was largely agricultural with farms everywhere. It is no longer mainly agricultural but there are still many quiet country roads for fine riding. I get back to my home town about once a year to see family who are still farmers. From New Paltz to Highland and then over the old railroad bridge, now a MUP with a great view of the Hudson would be a fine ride.

It's very flat. I was thinking about heading up Saturday, but the weather station is calling for 90% chance of rain.

Go for it... New York is a big state.

My daughter went to college at SU and my son at SUNY Geneseo, so once when heating pizza I said the " New York pizza is better". My daughter said "we're in New York" and I replied "we're closer to Ohio than NYC".

No offense intended, up state has awesome places, parts and scenery... just not good pizza.

Upstate has awful pizza.

My daughter goes to Suny Potsdam, and I want to try riding up in the St. Lawrence valley sometime, or maybe across the Adirondacks on the road we usually take from Lake George and across past Long Lake and Tupper Lake. I can't say that I've ever seen any bikes other than the kids in the towns. The first thing my daughter will eat when she comes home is the local Brooklyn pizza.

It's the water that makes NYC pizza so good. I grew up in the Morris Park section of the bronx, boy do I miss really good pizza.

Endicot, is there any good rides, trails down your way?

Just spent a week in the Dak's. Saw many roadies, just one cyclotourist though, at Lake Eaton in Long Lake where we (and he) were camping. Late in the year for touring. Saw a few roadies down in the Old Forge area as well as tons in Lake Placid.

It's a long way between towns, thus mostly touring folks in summer. Lots of loops up in the Lake Placid/Saranac/Paul's Smiths area. Most other areas are out and back road rides due to no other roads.

Good off road and gravel riding in the Moose River Plains area, just east of the Old Forge/Inlet and SW of Indian Lake region. This area is being promoted for mt. and dirt road riding. There was a write up in touring a year ago from a guy who did a 2 day, camping in one of the free sites on the Cedar River Flow/Limekiln road. He was going Burlington to Utica in 2 days, mostly on dirt.

Then in a few years the state will have (hopefully) built the Lake Placid to Tupper Lake rail trail, a 34 mile one-way trail on the old Remsen-Lake Placid railroad. It'll pass thru Saranac Lake as well and I suspect will see a ton of use. Maybe will help get some tourist trade to Tupper.

Long, long ago I was in lower Manhattan with my then girlfriend who was from the Bronx. She made me drive all the was uptown to the Bronx for takeout pizza and it was worth the trip.

Boy, that brings me back.....I spent many an October night in the Moose River Plains. Back then, MTB riding was kind of a new thing, I don't think I even had one yet. I believe there is or was a MTB race held in there called the Black Fly Classic, which is enough to scare me off. I'd love to get back in there now. I believe the "wild forest" land classification specifically allows MTB use.

One year we were camped down where the road crosses Otter Creek. I hiked alone south into the West Canada Lakes Wilderness (no bikes there), where I had a big 8 point buck charge me like a bull going after the matador. I had to drag him by myself about 3 miles back to camp.

Joe, you and I have many of the same experiences, at different times it seems. Wish my ankles could tolerate carrying a pack.

I hiked the Northville Placid Trail back in the 70's, spent a cold night at West Canada Lakes, which is one of the highest lakes in the Dak's. That's when I learned what a cool area this is.

The state is promoting cycling in this area big time. Saw a few mt. bikers and tons of folks camping.

This was the ride report from bmike, of a trip he did 5 years ago. I know you saw this post as you replied on it.

http://www.bikeforums.net/touring/76...overnight.html

This was from a 2nd trip Mike did in 2015

http://littlecirclesvt.com/2015/10/adk-bkpk-2015/

Fascinating rides.

Steve,

Thanks for that link. You're going to laugh but the whole thread made me so nostalgic I boiled up some eggs.......on my Svea! Wife is at church, so I avoided the Shaking Of The Head.

Equipment has gotten really light.....work on them ankles!

Oh, a SVEA !, my first stove. Killed it one day in Maine on the AT when I though it would be a good idea to use an MSR full wrap around aluminum wind screen. The reflected heat blew the safety valve. Instant blow torch. Had to toss it in a stream to put the fire out. Never worked the same again.

And no, the ankles are toast, so says my PT. Too many decades of torn ligaments and nerve endings. Makes balancing on things like rocks problematic (and can no longer X-country ski). Biking, canoeing and swimming is enough.

Not really. There are a couple in PA I'd like to try that are sort of close, but the only trail that's actually local for me is the Vestal Rail Trail. Right now it's around 4 miles long one way.

And there is good pizza upstate, you just have to look for it.

@lost_in_endicott I went to SUNY Binghamton and am from the Bronx. The Bronx does have some of the best pizza anywhere but I have to say that I did and still do like Nirchi's sheet pizza, a local specialty. I went up for a reunion this April and it was as good as I remember and my brother and I brought our bikes to boot. I really enjoyed riding in the Southern Tier and the fall foliage and scenery is spectacular. It can be quite hilly though.