...600 miles Across New York.

This is the third revision of my tour. Due to my schedule, I only have two weeks in July to do this. I figure riding around the PTNY organized tour wouldn't work, unless we pushed to 60-80 miles a day and by doing that we won't have much free time to see any interesting sights along the way. So.. with some exception, we'll be doing the whole thing self-sustained! The first 300 miles in one week (7 days) and the last 300 miles the following week with a 2 day break in between.



Day one: Grab a bite to eat, some sightseeing, in Niagara Falls then ride from the [border to Mwdina, NY (37 miles)
Day two: Medina to Rochester (45 miles)
Day three: Rochester to Seneca Falls (60 miles)
Day four: Seneca Falls to Syracuse (42 miles)
Day five: Syracuse to Rome (45 miles)
Day six: Rome to Fort Plain (54 miles)
Day seven: Fort Plain to Schenectady (43 miles)
Day eight: Schenectady to Albany (18 miles)
Day nine & ten: Rest days
Day eleven: Albany to Hudson (30 miles)
Day twelve: Hudson to Hyde Park (40 miles)
Day thirteen: Hyde Park to Garrison (34 miles)
Day fourteen: Garrison to Nyack (27 miles)
Day fifteen: Nyack to NYC (31 miles)

Google Maps (I'm still working on it, including putting in POIs)

My packing list:
- 2 pair padded shorts
- 2 jerseys
- 2 set of casual clothes (for when I'm off the bike)
- dome tent (rolled up small enough to fit on a rack with a duffel bag)
- travel blanket (not going to bother with a sleeping bag in late July)
- folding bag for granola bars, trailmix, gatorade mix
- 2 water bottles + 1 camelback
- camera
- saddle bag with tools, spare tube, chain link, spoke, spare batteries
- U-lock
- 1 headlights/2 tail lights (hopefully I won't need)
- 1 headlamp (with strap to attach to my helmet or head)
- travel bottle of hand sanitizer, some hand wipes, roll of TP
- 11" Chromebook (weighs the same as a notebook and the battery will last 6+ hours on low performance--I'll keep my maps and itinerary saved locally in case I need to check them en route)
- Cash, credit card, passport (I plan on riding into Canada for lunch and to sight-see), emergency contact and insurance info, and business cards

Too little or too much?

Having only 1200 miles under my belt, I admit I have zero experience in bike touring/camping. Between now and July 20th, I've got a couple century rides I want to complete to prepare myself for the long haul - including one ride which I plan on being completely loaded. Generally speaking I won't be speeding through, this is my vacation and I'd like to see as much as possible.If anyone has ridden this round trip before, and can give any advice on what's worth seeing or recommended places to eat along the way I'd love to hear from you.

Some sort of headlamp or flashlight?

Mattress?

U-lock AND and a cable lock??

Patch kit?

Two weeks is more than enough time. I do think the return trip might be very ho hum. I have done the canal twice and both times have taken the Amtrak from Albany to Buffalo. We never did get to Niagra Falls and we/I don't regret that. I posted both my rides on CGOAB HERE

My saddle bag contains a multi-tool that includes a mini flash light/pliers/knife plus I'll have my bike lights, I don't think I'll need much more. The only thing I'm going to do at night is sleeping. As well as the spare tubes, I also have a patch kit I just didn't mention it on the list.

No mattress, roughing it the entire way - I'll find flat ground at dusk to pitch my tent on. And I'll just use my duffel bag as a pillow..This may sound weird but at the end of a hot riding day I doubt I would need a 5 star resort to be comfortable

As for the two locks, maybe it's a bit much or I'm just overprotective of my bike, but I've always rode with 2 locks on my bike. Are you saying most tourers only carry one or no lock? I would think if you were touring miles from home that you'd want to try to deter a thief from stealing your only means of transportation if you stop to explore.

One thing I thought of looking at the route and the PTNY guidebook, is the fact that some towns are spaced apart where I may be riding awhile before coming into a town or the town being so small where there's no businesses (or only one gas station..) so I had thought about food. I'm sure I'll pass grocery stores to stock up every now and then but I'll probably throw in some extra granola bars, beef jerky, zip loc bag of dry cereal, candy bars, can of beans for when I get hungry with no town in sight to buy some.

Self-supported sounds a lot more fun to me. Remember the crushed limestone will slow you down 2-3 miles mph so 80 a day might be ambitious but certainly doable if you like long days on the bike. Don't miss the great free (donation) camping at Holley and Middleport.

A rain suit would be good.

Will you be bringing a smart phone? It's good to have to locate bike shops if you should need one...

Thanks for the tip on the free camping spots. I was aware of free camping at most of the locks which I was going to use as destinations each night. Also a friend of mine mentioned free or cheap tent camping at some marinas that I may stumble on. I was also advised that the trail can go on for miles between towns, and most of it is so secluded that I probably wouldn't have a problem with local law enforcement if I needed to pitch a tent right off of the trail if it came to that.

I knew I was forgetting something.. rain gear! Thanks mm718 I had thought of pants and a sweatshirt in case of cooler nights (not that it would get too cool in the peak of the summer) but somehow rain gear slipped my mind.

I won't have a smart phone but I will have a regular old cell phone in case of emergencies. I may keep a list of bike shops for the towns I'm riding through along with recommended restaurants, grocery stores, and tourist info centers

MikeRides-

Sounds good. I may see you out there. I live nearby and have trips planned for June and August but may go in July too. Have a great trip!

P.S. If you find you like touring keep the Finger Lakes in mind for a future tour. They can be done on their own or combined with a canal trip.

Two years ago I took a lock with me and used it maybe once over 20 days. Last year I don't think I even took a lock with me at all. Learn to pay attention to where you are getting off the bike at and you shouldn't have much in the way in trouble. Don't plan on going in downtown Harlem, NY and expect to get away with leaving the bike...unlocked, err don't plan on leaving the bike...period. In other places just use your heads up mentality and learn to pay attention and you shouldn't have any real problems. I love the way this world operates...everything/everybody is out to get you. Kids can't play in their yards anymore the scary guy across the street is going to kill them, the unlock bike is the perfect target for theft. Gee, I be more worried about them steal the stuff in the panniers as compared to stealing the bike. Just make it look bad and they will leave your stuff alone. If you ride a $10,000 bike they'll steal it...if you ride a bike that looks like its worth nothing, more than likely they will leave it alone. A $600 bike performs as good if not better than a $10,000 bike. I love the video on youtube that talks about the insanity of spending so much money on a bike. I'm rambling...I'm outta here.

Sleeping pad!

AMEN to that! I'm bound and determined to get the best money can buy before I set out. This 71 year old carcass I pack around needs GOOD REST! Do you have any recommendations?

I second the headlight thing. I find great value in strapping one to my head in the evenings as I'm setting up camp, cooking, etc. Hands-free.

You must have a sleeping pad! I don't care what your age. You will be sorry...

I'm standing by my decision of not carrying a pad/mattress. I'll just make sure I don't stop in heavily wooded areas hence no roots, or pitch my tent on gravel/rocks.

An one pound item may make all the difference in the world. Try a few test nights on the ground prior to your tour before you write a pad off.

Sage advice. It takes a hardy mountain man to get a decent night's sleep on the ground sans pad.

Leave at least one set of bike light home and take a headlight. It can also serve as a bike headlight in a pinch.

The new generation of lightweight air mattress from Thermarest, Big Agnes, Klymit, etc. are amazing. I have a 72 in plus pillow Inertia matress from Klymit that so far has lasted about 30 nights without a leak, is very comfortable, weighs 12 oz, and rolls up to about the size of a 20 oz coffee cup.

Also, an ultralight hammock is a nice option to take, even with a tent. You can use it if it's too hot in the tent, or just as a seat instead of a chair. An ultracomfortable seat that is a real pain to have to get back out of at the end of a long day....why don't I just sleep here?...OK...zzzzz...zzzzz Until the rain starts.

If it happens to turn chilly you can lose a good deal of heat sleeping on the ground without a mattress. A mattress also helps with less than soft ground. At not much more than a pound, it's worth it to me.

No. I have never heard of anyone taking two locks. I crossed PA solo last September without one lock. Looks like I will be heading to MT in June for 10 days of riding. I probably will bring a medium cable and combination lock to deter crimes of opportunity since I know that a couple of days I will be staying in places where I will leave my bike unattended to walk into town. One of those places is easily visible and accessible to the public, and the town is somewhat sketchy. But when I am in a BLM campground off a dirt road nearly a mile from the nearest highway, I won't need a lock. Also, the thing about u-locks is that they are great for places like cities where there are poles and parking meters and bike racks, but it's kind of hard to use one to lock your bike to a tree or picnic table.

If you plan to eat canned goods make sure you have an opener. No all cans are pull top.

Yep. It all good and fine to say "I'll just use my hand-held light." But you can easily find yourself in a situation where you would benefit from directed light and two free hands.

A sleeping pad is about insulation from the ground more than cushiness. I realize you're carrying a blanket but that may not be sufficient. You owe to yourself to at least try at least one night with a pad and then one without. Do this test before your trip or you may end up being very sorry, as others have pointed out.

I learned this the hard way when I began backpacking at 15. When I realized everyone with pads woke up fresh while those without did not. I quickly bought an ensolite pad that was thin, light, and economical, but that was sufficient. After using it have never looked back. By the way, most of my early backpacking was done in upstate NY.

Yes. More examples are changing a tire in the dark, etc.

Or do like I do, leave the pad at home and sleep like a baby in your hammock.

Personally, I would take just one set of street clothes and one set bike clothes. You can occasionally wash/rinse one set of clothes while wearing the other. Bike clothes usually dry pretty fast. Street clothes do the same if you spread them out under bungie coords and ride like that for a while.

It's a personal thing. I find it gratifying to stink just a little bit

A valid concern. I think one lock is plenty though. For short stops I don't bother with it at all though. My bike is pretty heavily loaded. If a novice grabbed it, they would be hard pressed to just jump on the bike and be gone quickly. They would probably be pretty intimidated just to roll it around and keep it from getting away from them. If an experienced tourist were to steal my bicycle, that seems highly unlikely, and at least they'll rot in hell for it. I'll just take it as a lesson-learned and move on.

Seriously, for every person who has suggested a pad of some sort, there is probably a story about how they learned that the hard way. Experience will be the best teacher on most gear, but getting those experiences can be painful.

A closed cell foam pad will be bulky but cheap. Its possible to sleep on the ground, but not as restful as it could be. I am a tough guy myself, but found out that I am also a princess when that one pea sized rock kept poking me in the but all night.

do what you think is best. there is no substitute for experience.