Northeast - Road Cycling in Ithaca, NY

My husband and I are considering going to Ithaca this summer to ride for a few days. My questions are:
1. What is the road cycling like in the Ithaca area?
2. What is the best month to go if we hope to avoid rain and cold weather?
3. Does anybody know a great place to stay?
Thanks so much.

The riding in and around Ithaca is great if you don't mind hills. Very pretty but definitely plenty of up and down around there. Lots of waterfront scenery.

You could get rain any month, can't help you there. Any month from late spring to mid fall should be warm-ish.

There's lots of hotels, motels, campgrounds in the area but I can't honestly recommend any particular place.

Cycling in the entire Finger Lakes region and around Ithaca is as good as it gets, and as the bumper stickers say, "Ithaca is gorges." There are several commercial tour companies that offer trips in that region and their routes frequent the area between the lakes past the wineries and farms. A few miles from Ithaca you have the roads pretty much to yourself. The county roads are deserted and the state roads lightly travelled. I did the Bon Ton Roulet a few years ago and the route that year started in Cortland, went to Ithaca, then north along Cayuga Lake on 89, west on county route 128 and then south on 414 to Watkins Glen - all very nice. If you haven't seen Taughannock Falls State Park it is well worth a visit. The best riding in that section of the state would be June-September and even into mid October (fall foliage). July is the hottest. I've stayed at the Rogue's Harbor Inn, which was very nice, but contrary to its name is not on the lake and there isn't much around it. Classic Adventures stays at the Taughannock Farms Inn. There are many other hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts to choose from.

Thank you Thulsadoom and danacf. Both responses very helpful. Are the hills rolling or brutal or a mix?

I'd say a mix with the accent on rolling, if that makes any sense.

I'd say a mix with the accent on rolling, if that makes any sense.

Perfect sense.

Cayuga Lake is listed at 382' above sea level and Seneca at 440'. The terrain around the northern sections is actually quite flat. The climbs out of lake basin from the cities/towns of Ithaca, Watkins Glen and Hammondsport are quite steep and challenging. The area between Cayuga and Seneca Lake, once you get out of the basin, turns into slightly rolling. The elevations of Ovid, Trumansburg and Mecklenburg are all between approximately 1,000 and 1,200 feet. That decreases considerably as you go north. My recollection is that the area between Seneca and Keuka Lake around Dundee and east of Ithaca toward Cortland is pretty much the same story. During the first 3 days of the Bon Ton Roulet from Cortland to Hammondsport we climbed 9,500' over 212 miles, not flat but not overly difficult either.

beautiful, wonderful biking. the climb out of downtown ithaca can be gradual or steep, your choice depending on the route. The roads have nice shoulders, in general there's not too much traffic. Weather's really nice in June through August, occasional rain but overall great. The hills tend to be rolling, though if you like big climbs you can find them.

In terms of place to stay, all kinds of places here ranging from bed and breakfasts to campgrounds, depends on what you like, how much you want to spend.

If you tell me what kinds of rides you like -- terrain, roads, distance --I can suggest some for you.

Chipg5 your description sounds perfect. I think we like rollers but a climb here and there is ok. I imagine we will stay in town unless you or anyone else advises otherwise (I want to eat at the Moosewood Cafe!). We don't like bed & breakfasts nor campgrounds so I guess we are looking for a hotel. We will bring our travel bikes. I don't know how to respond regarding terrain. I have a feeling everything around there is beautiful. I love trees, woods, water. Any or all of that. Thanks so much for your help.
danacf thank you for your information also. I need to look at a map so I will know where those lakes are.

I'm also from Ithaca, if you have any idea for routes, feel free to bounce them off any one of us. I live out near taughannock park, so I have gotten pretty familiar with the area between the lakes and below ovid.

I'd be happy to help you find a flat[ter] route from place to place if you need help with that. If you want to head right out of your door and into some nice riding in Ithaca, you might want to check out the best western at east hill plaza (either ellis hollow or judd falls road). There is some great riding from there.

I'm also from Ithaca, if you have any idea for routes, feel free to bounce them off any one of us. I live out near taughannock park, so I have gotten pretty familiar with the area between the lakes and below ovid.

I'd be happy to help you find a flat[ter] route from place to place if you need help with that. If you want to head right out of your door and into some nice riding in Ithaca, you might want to check out the best western at east hill plaza (either ellis hollow or judd falls road). There is some great riding from there.
Thank you for the Best Western idea. We had no idea about the best location to be able to go out the door and ride. I may contact you regarding some routes also.

If you stay in Ithaca, and want a really nice meal, go to Cornell University's hotel, The Statler which is on campus. Northern Italian.

If you stay in Ithaca, and want a really nice meal, go to Cornell University's hotel, The Statler which is on campus. Northern Italian.

Thank you for the recommendation. A nice Italian meal will be perfect after a beautiful day of riding. We will go. Is the Moosewood Cafe still there?

Yes, moosewood still exists- it's downtown, which means bit of a vertical ride up to campus from there. There are some great places to eat in Ithaca, be sure to check out Bandwagon brew pub as well. The beer is decidedly average, but the food is a notch above. If you're in for tapas and outdoor seating, be sure to stop in a Just a Taste. All three of these are downtown, off the commons.


Thank you for the Best Western idea. We had no idea about the best location to be able to go out the door and ride. I may contact you regarding some routes also.

As far as true hotels go, you'd be hard pressed to find a better location to start your rides. Every other notable hotel is either downtown or up by the mall.

If you're looking for a house rental instead of a hotel/bb in the trumansburg area, I can probably line that up as well. I have a friend with a wonderful little house right on main street.

Can you tell me approximately how far Trumansburg is from Ithaca?

8 miles.

Be sure to check out Montezuma Wildlife Refuge at the North end of Cayuga Lake, when I was an adolescent we would do Rt 34b to 90 and then back down rt 89. Beautiful.

If you hit Trumansburg, the way I used to do it to see a friend of mine every summer weekend was rt. 96 one way, rt 89 on the way back. Hit the Glenwood Pines on Rt 89 before you get to toughanock state park for a Pinesburger.

In my opinion, the best hill-riding to be had from town would have to be on the other end of town - 327 & Bostwick out to Tremen state park in a loop, Stone Quarry & Sandbank can be looped together to hit Buttermilk State Park. These wooded, curvy slopes are like something out of a luxury car commercial. The rides are shorter, but you can elongate out to the Finger Lakes National forrest or even Watkins Glen on Seneca lake if you want something a little longer.

I always found mid to late June to be the best month for riding.

If you need a bike mechanic to go over things try Glenn Swan. His house/garage is literally a bike mechanics shop.

If you need a bike mechanic to go over things try Glenn Swan. His house/garage is literally a bike mechanics shop.
That is great to know. We bring our Ritchey travel bikes and sometimes things break during travel. Where is he located and do you happen to have a phone number?

Glen Swan works at Cornell University in the Engineering dept. but don't bother him there. That's his day job.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/swan-cycles-inc-freeville

IthaDan, I would like to know about your friend's house just so we can consider another option. Would that be Main Street in Ithaca? I like the idea of a house even though the location of the Best Western sounds perfect for riding out the door.

No to jump in late, but depending on what you are looking for, I always found the east shore nicer riding than the west, especially once past Lansing. Roads are quieter on that side, you aren't close to the lake but you get the hill top views rather than the cliffside. Genoa and Locke are nice areas to buzz through, and a trip up to Moravia and Owasco lake is always nice.

Also, heading out toward Slaterville and Brooktondale bring in some nice rolling terrain. I used to loop out that way, then up to Dryden and Freeville, and there are some idyllic back roads that you won't see a sole on. Riding from Dryden to Virgil, Marathon, and back toward Ithaca through Richford are great rides. All depends on what you want for terrain and lake views.

Good luck. I would offer place to stay advice but I haven't lived down there for many years and it seems to change rapidly. Joe's was the best place to eat when I lived there, but now it is a different Joe's, and YMMV.

IthaDan, I would like to know about your friend's house just so we can consider another option. Would that be Main Street in Ithaca? I like the idea of a house even though the location of the Best Western sounds perfect for riding out the door.

Main street Trumansburg. Ithaca doesn't have a "Main" street, rather the upstate surrogate- state street.

The trumansburg house is currently on the market, but it should be available over the summer (I think she might be asking a little much) I also know of a place on sheldrake point if you want to fully commit to the winery region of cayuga lake. (Sheldrake if home of the vineyard, the driftwood inn, if you wants to get googlin'). Email me if you'd like to see a realtor link to the tburg place. (crcj04 gmail...)

We stayed at Ellis Haven just a short couple of miles from the campus in Ithaca. I think her name is Sheri Ellis.


ELLIS HAVEN
CHECK AVAILABILITY414 Snyder Hill Rd.,
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-277-6515
ellishaven@gmail.com
http://www.ellishaven.info
Number of Rooms: 1 BR Apt.
Season: Year Round
Pricing: $75-$85/night

Our guest apartment includes private entrance, kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. On lovely land with distant views and swimming pond. 2 1/2 miles to Cornell, 4 miles to Downtown Ithaca and 5 miles to Ithaca College.
Facility: Child Friendly, Kitchen / Kitchenettes, Major Credit Cards Accepted, Participate in "Green" Practices, Private Bath
In-Room Entertainment: Internet Access (wireless), TV (in-room)
Proximity: Boating (within 5 miles), Cayuga Wine Trail within 5 miles, Colleges within 10 minutes, State Park within 5 miles

Snyder Hill Rd. puts you out toward Slaterville, with some very pleasant cycling. Ellis Hollow Road, Turkey Hill Rd, Midline Rd. all nice riding areas, depending on what you seek.

I was visiting and rented a bike from Glen Swan, his old Cannondale. From his house to Snyder Hill was this hill, Turkey Hill Road. I wish I would have taken a picture of it. It looked steeper than it felt.

I used to do Turkey Hill Rd. multiple times per week, but usually not the steepest portion of it. I lived in McLean, and would ride to Judd Falls Rd five or six days a week to work at a bike shop there. Great memories. I don't know if they still have the bike path connecting Game Farm Rd. to Judd Falls and State St, but it was a great way to fly in and out of town with no Cornell traffic.

I also tried Buffalo St. once on a fixie. Once.

Here's the bike tour of the Finger Lakes (http://bikenewengland.com/finger_lakes.html)we did a couple of years ago, including route maps and cue sheets.

I used to do Turkey Hill Rd. multiple times per week, but usually not the steepest portion of it. I lived in McLean, and would ride to Judd Falls Rd five or six days a week to work at a bike shop there. Great memories. I don't know if they still have the bike path connecting Game Farm Rd. to Judd Falls and State St, but it was a great way to fly in and out of town with no Cornell traffic.

I also tried Buffalo St. once on a fixie. Once.

I used to do Buffalo St. almost every day for two years on a front-suspension mountain bike.

Never again have I had to rest before the top of any hill from the rockies to the palisades.

I used to live in the area and it is a great place for cycling. Some of the accommodation in Ithaca is a bit pricey for what it is, but if you are cycling you might want to find a nice B&B outside of the city proper - Trumansburg has several nice ones. Also, check out the maps for the 'sunday rides' at the Finger Lakes Cycling Club: www.flcycling.org . One of my favorites there is the Honeypot-White Church, but it is a bit hilly. Another favorite is to start in Trumansburg and take county Rt. 1 over to Seneca Lake, and then take some back roads to Rt. 79 and finally back to Tburg by some other back roads. A lap around Keuka Lake is nice, but a bit further away from Ithaca. A lap around Cayuga Lake (Ithaca is at the southern tip) is just shy of a century.

I'll be following this over the next few months; in the fall I'll be a freshman at Cornell. I'm going to need to know where to bike :)

I'll be following this over the next few months; in the fall I'll be a freshman at Cornell. I'm going to need to know where to bike :)

Dude, when you hit town, come hang out with us at RIBS. (http://velonet.org/ribs/)

Yes, moosewood still exists- it's downtown, which means bit of a vertical ride up to campus from there. There are some great places to eat in Ithaca, be sure to check out Bandwagon brew pub as well. The beer is decidedly average, but the food is a notch above. If you're in for tapas and outdoor seating, be sure to stop in a Just a Taste. All three of these are downtown, off the commons.



As far as true hotels go, you'd be hard pressed to find a better location to start your rides. Every other notable hotel is either downtown or up by the mall.

If you're looking for a house rental instead of a hotel/bb in the trumansburg area, I can probably line that up as well. I have a friend with a wonderful little house right on main street.

IthaDan, the Best Western would probably be fine but I would like to hear about the house rental in the Trumansburg area (not that I know where it is but I assume it's close to Ithaca). If you could email me at kcurry53@gmail.com I could appreciate it. Thanks.

Garfield Cat, Could we ride right from Ellis Haven? In other words, would that be a good home base for good riding? Would it be as good or better than basing at the Best Western on Ellis Hollow Road? Since I don't know the area I have to ask these stupid questions. Thanks for your help.

Garfield Cat, Could we ride right from Ellis Haven? In other words, would that be a good home base for good riding? Would it be as good or better than basing at the Best Western on Ellis Hollow Road? Since I don't know the area I have to ask these stupid questions. Thanks for your help.

Best Western is close to Ellis Haven but near to the main traffic. Ellis Hollow Road is more country type road. Go on Google Earth and you can see the proximity of Best Western and Ellis Haven. Very close.

We cooked and bought our own food (morning coffee) from the supermarket Wegmans in Ithaca. That's why we did not use Best Western. If the 2 of you are riding, then Ellis Haven might get crowded. I parked the bike in the laundry room. The second bike will have to go in the living and dining area against the wall. What I didn't like with Ellis Haven is the small shower and the inability to use their washer/dryer. I washed my bike clothes in the bathroom sink, then hang dried outside on their clothes line.

My wife contacted Ithaca chamber of commerce and they will give you a list of guest homes for rent.

Cornell's academic year ends in May so that means rentals are booked for graduations going on.

Just a note on weather - I generally do one tour every year in the Northeast (NY/NJ), always in late September/early October and always lucky with the weather.

I found a place called Taughannock Farms Inn at 2030 Gorge Road, Trumansburg, NY 14886. Would that be a good location for us to stay?


Best Western is close to Ellis Haven but near to the main traffic. Ellis Hollow Road is more country type road. Go on Google Earth and you can see the proximity of Best Western and Ellis Haven. Very close.

We cooked and bought our own food (morning coffee) from the supermarket Wegmans in Ithaca. That's why we did not use Best Western. If the 2 of you are riding, then Ellis Haven might get crowded. I parked the bike in the laundry room. The second bike will have to go in the living and dining area against the wall. What I didn't like with Ellis Haven is the small shower and the inability to use their washer/dryer. I washed my bike clothes in the bathroom sink, then hang dried outside on their clothes line.

My wife contacted Ithaca chamber of commerce and they will give you a list of guest homes for rent.

Cornell's academic year ends in May so that means rentals are booked for graduations going on.

Hey everybody, I just found a place to stay in Newfield. Would that be a good location as a base for riding? Thanks so much for your help.

Trumansburg is nice, you can go up the west shore of Cayuga or over to Seneca Lake. Traffic is lower than Ithaca proper.

Newfield is kind of tough. You can ride into Ithaca, which would mean significant hills going back. Or you ride south toward Danby, Candor, or Elmira, which is nice riding but no lakes, and most of the roads are 55 mph rat races.
The only real plus of Newfield, IMO, is Robert H. Treman State Park, which is an absolute gem to hike. Trails were built as part of the post-depression labor pool, and they are amazing.

Of all your choices, the Best Western in East Hill Plaza is a very nice choice. You can go all directions from there, and it is close to Cornell Plantations, which is another one slick outdoor area in Ithaca. Of course, I spent the night of my wedding in that Best Western, so marital bliss depends on me talking it up. :lol:

Thanks. You answered my question perfectly. Best Western it is.
Trumansburg is nice, you can go up the west shore of Cayuga or over to Seneca Lake. Traffic is lower than Ithaca proper.

Newfield is kind of tough. You can ride into Ithaca, which would mean significant hills going back. Or you ride south toward Danby, Candor, or Elmira, which is nice riding but no lakes, and most of the roads are 55 mph rat races.
The only real plus of Newfield, IMO, is Robert H. Treman State Park, which is an absolute gem to hike. Trails were built as part of the post-depression labor pool, and they are amazing.

Of all your choices, the Best Western in East Hill Plaza is a very nice choice. You can go all directions from there, and it is close to Cornell Plantations, which is another one slick outdoor area in Ithaca. Of course, I spent the night of my wedding in that Best Western, so marital bliss depends on me talking it up. :lol:

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Thanks to the helpful people on this forum, my husband and I have booked our trip to Ithaca.

THANK YOU EVERYONE! Thanks to the helpful people on this forum, my husband and I have booked our trip to Ithaca.

While in Ithaca try their "Gimmie Coffee !" brand.

Sorry I didn't get back to your email fast enough. The house in Trumansburg was out of the question anyway- my girlfriend sold it! You will like the location of the best western- it's near a lot of the cornell campus and there are a ton of flatter rides that can start from there.

Be sure to check in when you're in town, I'm sure we can find something bike related for the two of you to do. :)

We are going to stay at the Best Western. Would a local bike shop or bike club have some routes we could follow? Thank you everyone for your help.

Can anyone post a link to bike routes for us? We are staying at the Best Western in Ithaca so will be starting rides from there. We generally like to do 38-50 mile rides. Thanks for your help.

I don't have any links to rides, but I can tell you a couple of general ideas, and maybe others will kick tips. My warning will be I haven't ridden the areas that I am describing in 20 years, so road condition and traffic may vary from my time frame.

Ride #1
Go down the hill into downtown Ithaca (make a right out of Best Western, then go straight) by going down State Street Hill, go right on Cayuga, and take it out to 34. Left on 34 gets you a long climb to Lansing, busy road but only way out of town that side. In Lansing, right on 34B, bear right to stay on 34B, and then a left on VanOstrand, which is the first left after the 34/34B kerfaffel. Take that until it ends, then go right on N Lansing School Rd / cty rte 100. At this point you can take any left, then right, with the goal of getting to Locke on the intersection of 90 and 38. From Locke, go east on 90, huge hill climb leaving Locke, 90 is nicely rolling hills, take a right on either Salt or Lick st, they run parallel, and take them all the way back south to Peruville Road. Right on Peruville, descend down to junction of 38 and 34B. You have two options: straight ahead big hill climb, take a right on the top of the hill on N Wood Rd., or turn right on 38, then right on W Dryden road, then left on Wood Rd. Either way puts you on Wood Rd, which you take til it ends on Lower Creek Rd. Turn right, and take that all the way until it hits 13. This is a great road, tree lined and shady, but it has many blind curves, so be wary of traffic. Cross rt 13, continue straight as it turns into Hanshaw. Take a left on Freese Rd, which is a fun twisty descent, that has a one lane bridge at the end. This puts you in Varna, where you are close to your starting point and have many options. I would go straight across from Freese, up Mt. Pleasant, left on Turkey Hill, and right onto Ellis Hollow. You could go right in Varna, left on Game Farm, and right on Ellis Hollow. Either way brings you back to the Hotel.

I can do more descriptions like this, but please let me know if this is even helpful before I do. I don't know mileage, and don't really have a good tool to do it. Check this out on Google Maps, and let me know if you would like more routes.

Cue sheets for a bicycle tour of the Finger Lakes that goes through Ithaca are at http://bikenewengland.com/finger_lakes.html (http://bikenewengland.com/finger_lakes.html).

Thre's an interactive map of bicycle rides throughout New York State at http://cyclingnewengland.blogspot.com/2012/01/interactive-cycling-map-of-new-york.html (http://cyclingnewengland.blogspot.com/2012/01/interactive-cycling-map-of-new-york.html)



Can anyone post a link to bike routes for us? We are staying at the Best Western in Ithaca so will be starting rides from there. We generally like to do 38-50 mile rides. Thanks for your help.

Thank you for taking the time to write that route.
I don't have any links to rides, but I can tell you a couple of general ideas, and maybe others will kick tips. My warning will be I haven't ridden the areas that I am describing in 20 years, so road condition and traffic may vary from my time frame.

Ride #1
Go down the hill into downtown Ithaca (make a right out of Best Western, then go straight) by going down State Street Hill, go right on Cayuga, and take it out to 34. Left on 34 gets you a long climb to Lansing, busy road but only way out of town that side. In Lansing, right on 34B, bear right to stay on 34B, and then a left on VanOstrand, which is the first left after the 34/34B kerfaffel. Take that until it ends, then go right on N Lansing School Rd / cty rte 100. At this point you can take any left, then right, with the goal of getting to Locke on the intersection of 90 and 38. From Locke, go east on 90, huge hill climb leaving Locke, 90 is nicely rolling hills, take a right on either Salt or Lick st, they run parallel, and take them all the way back south to Peruville Road. Right on Peruville, descend down to junction of 38 and 34B. You have two options: straight ahead big hill climb, take a right on the top of the hill on N Wood Rd., or turn right on 38, then right on W Dryden road, then left on Wood Rd. Either way puts you on Wood Rd, which you take til it ends on Lower Creek Rd. Turn right, and take that all the way until it hits 13. This is a great road, tree lined and shady, but it has many blind curves, so be wary of traffic. Cross rt 13, continue straight as it turns into Hanshaw. Take a left on Freese Rd, which is a fun twisty descent, that has a one lane bridge at the end. This puts you in Varna, where you are close to your starting point and have many options. I would go straight across from Freese, up Mt. Pleasant, left on Turkey Hill, and right onto Ellis Hollow. You could go right in Varna, left on Game Farm, and right on Ellis Hollow. Either way brings you back to the Hotel.

I can do more descriptions like this, but please let me know if this is even helpful before I do. I don't know mileage, and don't really have a good tool to do it. Check this out on Google Maps, and let me know if you would like more routes.

Going through campus to get to stewart which becomes cayuga heights road might be a slightly more pleasant/quieter way to get out to 34 past most of the traffic.

A nice little loop is going out ellis hollow road either to Thomas rd, or just follow it all the way out to 79, then get onto thomas on the other side of 79, turn right on brooktondale road and take that back up to 79, turn left and take 79 until you hit pine tree road and turn right to get back up to the hotel.

You should know that State St (79) will be closed between Stewart and Quarry for construction; there's also no shoulder on 34 because of construction. In any case a much better route from where you are staying into town would be the back way via Cornell campus:
Best Western to Downtown via Cornell (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=42.4432568,-76.4702006+to:42.4433661,-76.4809809+to:42.448946,-76.4926009+to:N+Tioga+St&hl=en&ll=42.442556,-76.486602&spn=0.01593,0.02635&sll=42.441733,-76.499004&sspn=0.007965,0.013175&geocode=FUmNhwIdGElx-w%3BFfihhwIdSChx-ykzKQrG8IHQiTGfjtzrpN8JAQ%3BFWaihwIdLP5w-ykdRZSVjIHQiTEcQXFUg4Vpsw%3BFTK4hwIdyNBw-ylVHc21h4HQiTGWvWB16v-Qig%3BFbGYhwIdEsBw-w&mra=dme&mrsp=4&sz=16&via=1,2,3&t=m&z=15)

As for getting up to Lansing, again here's a much better route, without having to go downtown and avoiding the ripped up shoulder on 34 down by the lake:
Best Western to Van Ostrand Rd via Cornell & Cayuga Heights Rd (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=42.4430265,-76.4789538+to:42.526102,-76.479982+to:42.551504,-76.4685014+to:Van+Ostrand+Road,+Groton,+NY&hl=en&ll=42.582664,-76.475916&spn=0.031788,0.0527&sll=42.527278,-76.483727&sspn=0.031816,0.0527&geocode=FUmNhwIdGElx-w%3BFRKhhwIdFwZx-yktbvE_84HQiTEHU41XYO_Lzg%3BFZbliAIdEgJx-ykLsr-nyoLQiTGn7EEf9DQp5A%3BFdBIiQId6y5x-yn7TOb8b53QiTEkvM_CAdjdBQ%3BFdmWiQId_itx-ynBVOodm53QiTHySiSiAWLT7Q&oq=van+ostrand+&mra=dpe&mrsp=2&sz=14&via=1,2,3&t=m&z=14)

Also you should know that Creek Rd headed into Locke is torn up, it's been milled for repaving and I don't think they're done yet. Also if you can avoid Peruville Rd you should, the shoulder is pretty bad in places and there's a fair amount of traffic.

On this bit:
Right on Peruville, descend down to junction of 38 and 34B. You have two options: straight ahead big hill climb
Don't go straight. Peruville Rd east of 38 for a few miles has no shoulder at all, the road is not in very good shape, it's an uphill climb, and there's fair amount of traffic. You can turn right here on 38 and ride to Fall Creek Road in Freeville, turn right, and follow Rt 366 to Upper Creek Rd, right, then keep following Lower Creek Rd (there's a left turn to stay on it), crossing Rt 13 as mentioned above, straight onto Hanshaw, left onto Freese. Going straight up Mt Pleasant is a pretty big set of climbs, if you love climbs go for it, otherwise you may want to avoid that and turn right onto 366, right onto Forest Home Rd, which is a beautiful forested quiet road right along the creek, then back in, here's the whole route suggestion based on RollCNY's route:
Best Western to North Lansing School Rd, back in along Fall Creek, 39 miles (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=42.4430265,-76.4789538+to:42.526102,-76.479982+to:42.551504,-76.4685014+to:Van+Ostrand+Road,+Groton,+NY+to:42.6039147,-76.45541+to:42.5621165,-76.392252+to:Old+Peruville+Rd+to:42.4785653,-76.4031073+to:42.4719145,-76.435425+to:Forest+Home+Dr+to:42.4520488,-76.4644457+to:42.44851,-76.48281+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=42.505515,-76.427765&spn=0.254619,0.4216&sll=42.445818,-76.475015&sspn=0.015929,0.02635&geocode=FUmNhwIdGElx-w%3BFRKhhwIdFwZx-yktbvE_84HQiTEHU41XYO_Lzg%3BFZbliAIdEgJx-ykLsr-nyoLQiTGn7EEf9DQp5A%3BFdBIiQId6y5x-yn7TOb8b53QiTEkvM_CAdjdBQ%3BFdmWiQId_itx-ynBVOodm53QiTHySiSiAWLT7Q%3BFYoVigIdDmJx-ylxpZBj_3XaiTFQrJXBw8UbaQ%3BFURyiQIdxFhy-ymftY6S53baiTGQ4H3pxG7FbA%3BFbdAiQIdwspy-w%3BFeUriAIdXS5y-ylFx8dPB3naiTHTya5NZyLBqA%3BFeoRiAIdH7Bx-yk1o_mVknjaiTHaKxEKOdf38A%3BFa7LhwId3V1x-w%3BFVDEhwIdwz5x-yl_EIz4A4LQiTEmLnlOgpYnjw%3BFX62hwIdBvdw-ykTs9JkioHQiTHStA6xhI4AQA%3BFa-MhwIdMklx-w&oq=van+ostrand+&mra=dpe&mrsp=12&sz=15&via=1,2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12&t=m&z=11)

Here's another suggestion headed out east from where you're staying:
Best Western out to West Creek Rd and back (https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=1020+Ellis+Hollow+Road,+Ithaca,+NY+14850+(Best+Western+University+Inn)&daddr=42.44199,-76.44877+to:42.441731,-76.421224+to:NY-79+E%2FSlaterville+Rd+to:County+Rd+208%2FCounty+Rd+708%2FW+Creek+Rd+to:42.328922,-76.287104+to:42.365074,-76.343831+to:Central+Chapel+Rd+to:Brooktondale+Rd+to:42.394586,-76.4187348+to:Ellis+Hollow+Rd&hl=en&sll=42.392403,-76.424503&sspn=0.031885,0.0527&geocode=FfmEhwIdrUdx-yFdl0URHkmvvg%3BFQadhwId_ntx-yl5kznBU3_aiTFpJsMh6vt0zw%3BFQOchwIdmOdx-ykFYqu6Mn_aiTHN-gsHBYw5uw%3BFSzhhgIdoPty-w%3BFT3whQIdQpV0-w%3BFVrjhQIdgPNz-ymXLlo2w4faiTFeVG1oslyKkg%3BFZJwhgId6RVz-ykB2omB7X3aiTH8hZN74b-0Uw%3BFfKEhgIdFPFy-w%3BFbC0hgId1Tty-w%3BFdrjhgIdUvFx-ymzR17Lr3_aiTEGEVYGFlYOIg%3BFUaFhwIduERx-w&mra=dpe&mrsp=9&sz=14&via=1,2,5,6,9&t=m&z=14)
Ellis Hollow Creek Rd is a nice forested road, it's got a bunch of rollers, then at Slaterville where there's a store and ice cream place, you head east on 79, there's a nice shoulder, traffic usually not bad, ride about 6 miles then turn onto West Creek Rd, head into Speedsville, a small store there, then onto Old 76 Rd -- it's a bit trick here, be sure to head straight at the stop sign (park to your left), old 76 also turns left, but you want to continue straight. You should check to see if there's construction on Old 76 though, I think they plan to repave this summer. Then Central Chapel to Burn, nice downhill into Brooktondale where there's a little market, along Brooktondale road, up to 79 and back in, about 35 miles.

Anyway if you like climbing I've got some excellent hill climbing rides too, and if you want longer rides checking out the lakes let me know (for example riding up and around Owasco Lake is about 70 miles total from Ithaca) these are the roads I ride all year round, I know them real well, and they're beautiful!


Thank you for taking the time to write that route.