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Here's the route including stops and sights I had in the description. ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730. The section between Pittsburgh and the state line is mostly trails, and is mostly downhill to the river. Once you cross the river into OH, you'll be on an up-and-down roller coaster of hills. If you have the time, stop in to Zoar to see what it's all about. It was all closed when I rolled through early in the morning. AND, let me know how it goes!

Appreciate the kudos - wait until you see the puns I make staying at the Amsterdam castle in part 2 of the trip :-). I chose to drive to Buffalo from Atlanta because it was far more convenient to get Kath's eBike to the starting point. There are restrictions with the eBike battery when flying. I can ship the bike domestically via Ground but can't fly with it. Coming back on the train we don't have those restrictions. When shipping, I've used Bikeflights successfully in the past. I have several routes planned for 2025 so maybe I'll end up shipping the bike for one of them at least. Cheers!

@@AdventuresWithPaul absolutely.

True. I should have belted out a show tune!

Electric power plant stacks...

Ah, that was it. I can always count on the distributed knowledge of the internets to come up with the answer. Thanks.

It looked completely dead, and the trail routed around it. What you said makes sense as the parking lot was completely overgrown. Even their website says visits are by appointment only. I was going to get closer to see if any life was there, but there were people hanging around a picnic table near a RV travel trailer. Maybe seasonal workers, maybe caravaners. But I decided to keep my distance to avoid trespassing.

Nice. Growing up in upper NY state must have been unique. Small town living

That’s some pretty cool history you have with the town. It’s interesting because you don’t expect something large like that in a small (ish) town like Canajoharie.

Thanks a bunch. It was a great trail to ride. Got to see some new sections this time around.

That was an inn-to-inn tour. Specifics - Cleveland - Renaissance downtown; Akron - Blu-tique; Millersburg - Millersburg Hotel; Mt Vernon - Comfort Inn; Columbus - Courtyard downtown; Xenia - Deerfield Inn (not recommended)

Glad to see you honor the time-worn practice of calling "COW!" We caught the train in Albany after passing over the Hudson (I had to research that detour as it seemed to be somewhat confusing). We took the train to Croton-Harmon station, and then rode 22 miles to Yonkers, overnighted in hotel, and then 23 miles into Manhattan the next day. I think I'll make a video about touring with Kath's eBike because there are some nuances around the adventure, most likely around trying to find electric outlets and range.

@@AdventuresWithPaul Well to bore you with another Canjo memory, that was also where our local creamery was located. I remember making the trip daily with my Dad or brother in the old pickup truck, filled with cans of milk in the back, delivering to the creamery for processing. I was probably 5 or 6 at the time. I doubt that creamery is there anymore.

@@BobInVT Very cool. Thankfully there are still those of us who remember things like that and can pass those down to younger generations....

I would suggest starting off with a formal bike fit at a shop. And make sure you let them know what you're looking for out of the fit - comfort, racing, time trial, etc. When I had my fit, I found out my saddle was about 1.5" too high. My saddle of choice is a Brooks - takes some time to break in but I can ride on that for hours. I use chamois cream at home, and when I'm adventuring, Body Glide (it packs better and far easier to manage the application of the product if you know what I mean). Enjoy the channel and adventures and let me know if you venture off to new places! Cheers!

Nice video Paul, alway enjoy and look forward to the rest of your trip. I did 2 days on the Erie, Newark to Brockport and back next day. Next year perhaps the entire Erie Canal Trail? I live the other end of Seneca Lake. Lot of people say the trail is hard to follow in places? What say you?

@@thegreatexaggerator9077 There were some detours that didn't agree with the route I planned via GPS and it took me a few wrong turns to get through, especially around Buffalo. Getting out of the canal side area there must have been a sign/map missing since it took me an awhile to find the path. I also researched the detour over the Hudson going out of Albany because I heard that was confusing. The detour sign seems to point in the wrong direction so I looked up the path on the Albany bike advocacy site and found how to navigate the crossing. Other than that, I went with a GPS route and followed the line across the state. Cheers!

Ah, thanks...I'm good at riding bikes and making videos; not so good at identifying fauna from far away. Or even up close. I see a red bird and I'm like "Cardinal" thinking cardinals are the only red birds. Cheers!

Ah, my friend @FollowThomas - good to see you here. Glad you were able to catch the Buffalo section, albeit virtually through this video. Stay tuned for part 2 as we take the trail to Albany, and then catch a train to Westchester to ride 50 miles into NYC and the Moynihan train hall.

@@AdventuresWithPaul looking forward! 😄

I really liked it there. Great overnight stop. You have the railroad museum, the hotel (and the shirt factory eatery), AND a great spot for breakfast in the morning! Love that place!

It really is. NY has done a good job of linking the route together using the old Erie Canal, rail trails, and I found a lot of new sections since my last ride in 2017.

Luckeeeee! It was such fun returning to the area after more than a decade and riding the trail through the scenery. I enjoyed it so much I rode it again after hiking a peak the next day. Enjoy the new section - there was a "trail closed" sign I probably could have gone around but chose to make my turnaround on the second day at that sign. Let me know if you post a video on the newly opened section.

A bikepacking journey in a heat wave is better than an air-conditioned workday any day :-D

After thousands of miles touring I think it pretty-much suits my lifestyle. Minimal but comfortable (at least for me) :-). Cheers!

Hey - thanks for watching! I rode my Niner RLT 9 that trip. The bike comes in a drop bar configuration but I converted it into a flat bar as I was looking to try out different bike positions. It’s a great-riding bike although I do tend to to use my newer (drop-bar) bike these days. Didn’t really have any areas that I felt unsafe, although I did want to get out of the Deerfield inn in Xenia as soon as I could - not the best hotel IMO

Thanks for that. Your video has inspired me to ride this same ride. Just looks great to me - the riding surfaces, the country surroundings, not a lot of people and the smaller towns. Will be getting a new bike this fall and am planning on doing this ride next year. ps I live on the east side of Cleveland and did not know of these trails in the greater Cleveland area. Most awesome! Thanks again and be safe out there.

That is awesome, amigo! LOVE that it gets you out there to do the route. Make the trip yours and make memories on the way! Thanks for letting me know as I LOVE the feedback that in some small way I had something to do with your inspiration to get out there and enjoy the adventure.

Headwinds are like the phantom menace. They can be brutal and you can't really see it so you just dig in and go. I'm detouring through center of Rochester so we can pass High Falls and the sunken garden at Warner Castle. I was also going to get a garbage plate at Nick Tahou's but residents I spoke with said it's not worth it. And yes, squirrels are unpredictable and will dart out with no regard for their (or your) safety - that's why none of them has ever gotten a driver's license.

One of my favorite stores, REI. I've had this one for years and a quick search at Sea to Summit shows you can get one, too. seatosummit.com/products/ultra-sil-day-pack?variant=42126722400429

You'll find as you start on the trips each trip you'll need less and less. But then I'm a minimalist by nature. After each trip, figure out what you needed that you didn't have, and what you packed that you didn't use. By doing so you figure out what your core list is. Cheers!

100% on the money - when they get wet, it takes time for them to dry. I tried cycling in lightweight trail runners. They dried quicker but weren't as "solid" on the pedals. When the sole pair of shoes (get it? "sole" pair?) gets wet, I'll stuff them with towels in the hotel room and set them over the A/C or heating unit. That tends to dry them about 80%. Then, I find they dry the next day just from wearing them. The smart wool socks keep my feet warm even if the shoes are wet. Now, if it's 45 degrees out and starts raining THEN I have other things to worry about :-)

@AdventuresWithPaul Keene sandals work for me, very open and dry easier. Not the hight of fashion though.

Ha- I've never been one to be the essence of fashion either.

50 points, eh? That puts me solidly in 3rd place :-D. What's funny about pop culture references is they have an expiration date, and you have to understand WHY it's a joke, or why it's funny. The crazy thing is, when talking about shoes, she was the first reference to come to mind.

I'll put it this way - it's more of a passive suspension that an active suspension like a thud buster or a lot of other suspensions that use a spring or a elastomer. To be fair I haven't used an active suspension seatpost so my thoughts on this one are purely related to what came with the bike. When I purchased this one over the less expensive model, the seat post and future shock 2.0 were part of the package, so I paid more for the bike because, hey, this seat post was $250 itself alone. More on the seatpost at www.specialized.com/us/en/roval-terra-seatpost/p/187099

@@AdventuresWithPaulthanks. I appreciate the info.

Wonder what you do when your one pair of shoes gets soaked,I've found them hard things to dry in wet conditions.

Good to hear from you! MO was a good trip. We're heading off in a week to ride from Buffalo to Albany, and then catch the train to NYC where we'll ride it home in the sleeper car back to Atlanta. Now that I followed Kath into retirement, there's nothing stopping us from being fully adventurous. If you subscribe to the channel, you'll see the video(s) for the upcoming trips. I'm so excited!

I'd so mostly crushed limestone from Lake Placid, turning into asphalt as you get into the village of Saranac Lake. Kath's bike has 700x35 and they were fine. Don't know if you plan on riding smaller than that. Heck, my road bike has 700x25 and I'd still give it a go. I'd probably be more concerned with all the dust kicked up into the drivetrain than anything else :-)

The only paved part is in the village. 90% is hard pack but is good for skinny tires. It will be finished all the way to Tupper Lake next fall.

It's a great trail network to ride if you ever decide to do it. Just don't choose 5 days within a heat wave :-)

I just saw something come across my FB feed that it's completed the next 10 or so miles, so you can continue riding west from Saranac Lake. If you check it out let me know what it's like - cheers!

@@AdventuresWithPaul will do

The route is really good - you'll love it.

Well, rats! Those pesky mispronunciations. Just wait until you watch how I butcher Bolivar and Cadiz in my 2024 video - th-cam.com/video/isY9koGon_U/w-d-xo.html. But, to be fair, a bartender in Cincinnati gave me the pronunciation guide so maybe she was just putting one over on me :-)

@@AdventuresWithPaul ha, nice plug. I have been enjoying watching your adventures.

Sure can. It's listed publicly at ridewithgps.com/routes/33830022. I called it "backyard" because I took this tour during COVID in my backyard - the area where I live in GA.

@@AdventuresWithPaul ha! its also my backyard, Im in Woodstock. I was so curious where you were riding, because I assumed it was all busy roads.

Sure did! I figured that would be more of an adventure than the bridge at Crown point.

Cool! Gives me a reason to return to the area. I hadn't been in LKP for about 14 years after we sold our house there. So this was quite the surprise seeing the old ADK scenic railroad converted into the rail trail.

Agreed. Last time I was on the trail it was 2017 and I finished my ride from Buffalo to Albany by riding up through VT specifically to ride this trail. Loved it then, and now in retirement I have the time to return with my wife. It was a good day trip, albeit a long drive from GA.

One of my most favorite towns in the great USA! Will you get to ride on the Missisquoi or Lamoille Valley Rail Trails? Both nice rides but some flooding problems along the Lamoille and a couple of closed sections. Always enjoy your content! Enjoy Vermont!

I'm going to have to put those on the list - I didn't know the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail was 93 miles in length. That's a good several-day trip. It's going to be a while before I return to New England, but maybe it can be a side trip next year when Nova Scotia is on the planning calendar.

Glad you enjoyed it. If you've ridden the trail, you know how much fun it is. If you haven't, it's definitely an experience to remember.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm always looking to try new approaches. I ditched the music a while back because I didn't feel it added to the "you are there" experience. I now try to make them as if you're riding and talking with me.

Appreciate it! That was such a good trip and a good route. The New England coast is so nice

Thanks - I have Pine Creek on my list for this summer so I'm looking forward to that. Doing a thru-ride in a day so hopefully I won't be embroiled in a heat wave during that one :-)

Try zooming in on ridewithgps.com/trips/192812509. It shows I took Unionvale Rd. And let me know how your ride goes :-)

@@AdventuresWithPaul Thank you for a different link but it's not set as public. Haha, I guess you consider me the general public. 😜

Maybe you can try and resend when you get time.

Ah, yes - good call. I see it but then I'm not general public 😃. I un-privated the ride from Cadiz OH to Coraopolis so you can see exactly what I rode. ridewithgps.com/trips/192812509.

From the Microtel, I headed east along Unionvale (ridewithgps.com/trips/192812509). Yeah, I think I mentioned the hills once or twice :-) but I tackled this section in two ways - one, I went out early which means people still weren't out and about, and two - any grade above 6% I decided to walk it. That worked for me until I hit the river. Right around mile 19 you'll turn onto Salt Run. It's dirt and gravel on the downhill and really remote. You'll feel like you're the only person around for miles, and then you start passing some residences closer you get to the river. You'll accompany coal trucks along the river on 7E but they all gave me plenty of room and it was only a 1 mile stretch.

@@AdventuresWithPaul This is very helpful and is easing my anxiety about my first USA bike packing trip. I always try and travel on separate bike paths...like in the Netherlands!

Netherlands is on my planned list of destinations, probably 2026. Hopefully I can get some insider knowledge before I go. or if you want to cycle around with my wife and I, that would be cool, too.

@@AdventuresWithPaul Haha! I'm laughing at the thought of my husband and me riding with 2 strangers... Although, it could be fun! I have some planned routes on Komoot if you'd like to follow me I would definitely share them with you! We rode the ViaRhôna - France last May, too.

No worries. I just like meeting people. When we're getting closer to planning I'll reach out and get the "must see" sights. I really want to ride through the tulip fields in the spring

Was that cold water at that point in the trail amazing or what? I think we chose the hottest week of the year for that trip but it's just such a great trail it was worth it. How did your ride along the GAP go?

@@AdventuresWithPaul it was amazing to get some cold water there. The weather was definitely hotter than we expected. Our trip went well. We were super excited to see you posted the video of your trip!

Glad you had a great trip. GAP is one of my all-time favs and happy to roll along again. I'm going to look to some new destinations over the next few months and years so keep on riding and enjoying your adventures!

I have a lot more raw footage of the C&O that didn't make it into the final clip. Some of the footage I captured was about the history of the cemetery, talking about the hiker/biker sites and their locations on the trail, etc. I figured some of the footage was captured in my last thru-ride and for some other topics, covered in other videos. Trying to tell a story of 5 days riding in 25 minutes without making it look like watching someone's slide show of their vacation can be a challenge. Sorry you didn't see what you were looking for but thanks for tuning in - hope you found the other aspects of the video enjoyable :-)

@@AdventuresWithPaul yes, loved it, great video, makes me want to ride again, and I just got back :) I'll look on your channel for the C&O footage Thanks!

Oh, man when it rains it pours. So sorry to hear about both. I had cancer surgery earlier this year and I'm coming back from that with an outlook on life. But getting hit by an SUV? That sucks even more. I hope you'll make a full recovery and get back on the bike in short order. The trail will be there when you return. Perhaps a fall thru-ride? You won't have to face the heat wave I guess. Cheers!

@@AdventuresWithPaul Thanks, man. Be safe out there, friend!

@@AdventuresWithPaul To Morrow today, is a running joke around here. Where're you guys riding to? To Morrow. No I mean where are you riding to today? To Morrow. Nice trip!

Thanks for letting me know I tapped into the local zeitgeist of "to Morrow". I thought it was just my dumb dad-joke sense of humor, but it's a thing. I feel like a local now, and I even ate at "Fresh to Morrow"

That's awesome! Love running into others along the trail. If there were oscars for TH-cam vids, I'd put you in for "Best rider crossing paths with filmmaker at Morrow" :-). I'm guessing you were in the orange coming off the bridge? And you survived that heat waves as well - holy mackerel!

@@AdventuresWithPaul Yes, that was me in the toasty orange.

Oh, no - not at all. I'm assuming you're talking about how "e-biker guy" flew past me. My comment was more around the show of force passing me at high rate of speed and then having to take a break as I just kept on rolling through. His intent was more to show me how he could go faster than I could, zooming past to show dominance but then needed a break because his display of speed was beyond his capability. I'm a fan of e-bikes. Absolutely. They have so many advantages - pennies to operate, can help extend a rider's range, better to commute to a job than one more car on the road - I could go on. One of the biggest is it gets MORE people onto trails to be able to enjoy them. And my mission is to get more people out enjoying these things. My wife rides an eBike and though she still pedals it vastly helps her smooth out the hills and extends her range. It also enables adventures together as there's a big discrepancy between our capabilities and the eBike evens it out. If you ever see me on a trail come up and ride alongside and say "hi!" I'd be happy to chat about all things adventures and riding. Cheers!

@AdventuresWithPaul thays cool we did see video where u riding with an ebike rider on Creeper trail! Look we watched all u videos lastnite they all good ones thank u

Cool! Kath (my favorite e-bike rider) and I plan to do the island line trail in Burlington VT and the Adirondack rail trail later this year. Stay tuned :-)

Entire route downloadable GPX at ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730.

@@AdventuresWithPaul , thanks!