New York’s biggest multi-day bike tour departed from Buffalo on July 9, to arrive in Albany eight days later on July 16. 750 cyclists from 40 states and Canada are taking to the trail as part of the 25th anniversary of the Cycle the Erie Canal tour, organized by the statewide nonprofit Parks & Trails New York (PTNY). Covering between 40 and 60 miles a day, cyclists will travel along the now 85% off-road Erie Canalway Trail, the east-west leg of the 750-mile Empire State Trail.On the third day of the tour, cyclists pedaled from an overnight tent stay in Fairport,  leaving behind the flat, open expanses of Western New York and moving into the rolling hills of the northern Finger Lakes. 

The first half of the day took cyclists through the charming canal communities of Macedon, Palmyra, Newark, Lyons, and Clyde, providing riders with plenty of opportunities to take in the history of the region, and water and snacks along the way.

The welcome for riders was especially celebratory in Newark this year, as the village was selected by PTNY and the New York State Canal Corporation as an Empire State Trail Town for 2023.  After lunch, cyclists headed south through farmlands and rolling hills to overnight in Seneca Falls. Riders capped off the day in the birthplace of the Women’s Rights Movement with time to explore and enjoy dinner at local eateries in town.

Cycle the Erie Canal, now in its 25th year, is an exceptional tour accessible for cyclists of all levels.

“It’s more than just a tour. Like a magic loom, Cycle the Erie Canal weaves people and experiences together as they move through the landscape. Every year we’re not only welcoming upstate New Yorkers, we’re hosting folks from all over the United States and the world,” said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York. With more of the Erie Canalway Trail completed year after year, and an even greater sense of celebration and joy from the towns and cyclists, Cycle the Erie Canal truly just keeps getting better and better.”