Originally Posted by
Champlaincycler
So long as shifting works than all is good.
lake George is about 100 miles south of me. I did live in Vermont for 30 years. There is no interstate west of the Green Mountains, so most heading to the Albany region, or south to New York proper take rt 4 to rt 149 to get on the NYS Thruway heading south, commercial traffic included. Not a route I'd choose to cycle on. Seems you got poor route advice. Sorry for your poor experience.
There is really no alternative to Rt4 between Whitehall and Ft Ann. I knew what I was getting myself into there, I just chose in the end not to do it, being a little wiped out by the first 75 miles and 5500' of climbing (lots of up and down). That's still a good day's riding.
Looking at Rt4 in street view it doesn't even look that bad, it has a wide shoulder where I looked, and it is marked as a bike trail.
I'll never get to try it again. I see how much my fitness dropped off on the trainer from where I was 5 years ago at age 63. It isn't getting any easier.