Erie Canal Trail Bike Tour, Part 1: Niagara Falls, ON to Rochester, NY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2023
- In early September, during a scorching heatwave, I set out to ride the Erie Canalway Trail - West to East. The trail starts in Buffalo, New York (NY), but I started at the Canada/US border in Niagara Falls, Ontario. A journey of 620+ KM (385+ MI). As the trail was mostly flat, I decided to ride on my Brompton folding bike. I packed it up with all the gear I'd need to ride self-supported, and off I went. In this video, you will follow my ride from Niagara Falls, Ontario to outside of Rochester, New York. An easy-going, three-day journey, in which I discovered how capable the Brompton was as a touring bike.
#cycletouring #EmpireStateTrail #ErieCanalwayTrail
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![Biking New York: 65 Miles on the Empire State Trail [Hudson Valley section]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bH1rFg_uHAU/mqdefault.jpg)
This was EXTREMELY well done. I enjoyed every moment and I will do my best to find Pt 2. I’m Canadian and did bike touring in the US in the 1980’s. The U.S. has so much to offer the cyclist. But I’m chasing 80 and just had a triple bypass so my bike riding ( once I recover ) will be reduced to local trails here in Toronto. I too ride a Brompton, but mine is a P Line Electric. And I love it!
Again…….great job!
Great ride
Excellent video of New York. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, having spent much time hiking and fishing in upstate NY, one could never get enough of what New York State has to offer. Looking forward to part 2 🙂
You are so awesome! What a trip and you rode through my city🤙🏻
Looking forward to this adventure. The more I think about it, for me, a smaller bike is the way to go. The Brompton has long proven it is capable of touring. Slow and steady…….👏👏👏✌️🇺🇸🇨🇦✌️
Exactly right. It's a very flexible bike and can also carry everything that's needed, but not the extras. I was also able to take the train back, and the bike was just carry on luggage.
so cool, I live off the canal in Rochester and am planning to ride the entire canal next year. Loved seeing you riding sections I ride every weekend.
You're so lucky to live close by. It truly is a wonderful trail. Well taken care of and thought out. I hope you enjoy the experience when you ride it yourself.
The best Erie Canal Bike trail video I have seen to date. Thank you.
I love your videos, you're so upbeat and positive. I really like that. God bless, love from Wales
Thank you! Bicycle touring is something I like, so it'd be difficult to be upset while doing something I enjoy.
Lovely area for a bike travel. I always appreciate riding along rivers on longer multiday journeys. Looking forward to the upcoming parts 🤗
Great video, glad I came across this. Would love to see the rest of the journey! Parts of the canal aren't very far from me and it's lovely to see it from this perspective!
Thank you for watching. You're lucky to live close to the canal! What a beautiful trail. Part 2 and 3 will come out in the fall most likely.
Well this looks like a relaxing lovely little journey! Looking forward to seeing the rest of the trip!
It was! Such an easy going ride. I loved it.
Looks like a great ride… thanks for sharing
It was. Thank you for watching.
Absolutely gorgeous! Heavens what a superb treat for all the senses, Agnieszka! Cheers!
Thank you for watching!
Glad to see you touring again! How cool that you can just slip the bike inside the tent!
Right?! Folding bikes are great. Also much easier to carry over trees.
Love this! I can’t wait for part 2! I just finished bike touring the C&O/GAP rail to trail towpath, which was AMAZING!! I didn’t do it on my Brompton but on my Cinelli touring bike. I’m planning to go back and do the GAP on my Brompton next year. It’s very doable as it is mostly flat. It’s such a beautiful trail! I encourage you to add it to your bike touring journey’sI totally LOVE my Brompton!!
Hi, I'm a Brazilian cyclist, I got to know your channel through searches for cycling trips on yt, I confess that I'm dazzled by the landscapes and places you show, especially in Canada as I'm moving there next year, so good luck on your adventures, congratulations on the channel.
Thank you for finding the channel and for watching, I appreciate it. I hope you get to see a lot of the places I show in my videos, in person. Good luck with the move!
Really enjoyed your video. I think we were about three days behind you and we did the trip on Tern folding bikes. We went all the way down to Manhattan and took the train back to Toronto, great trip.
It would've been amazing to have met you. I saw a couple of people ride folding bikes in the opposite direction. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Going all the way down to Manhattan sounds excellent and very doable - even on folding bikes.
Erie Canal Bike Trail? ........Where has this trail been all my life? Thanks Lovely Bike Lady for doing this video tour.
The trail is incredible and I highly recommend it. You can ride the Empire State Trail, Erie Canal is part of that trail, all the way to NeW York City.
Wonderdul video. Thanks so much.
Great video! I enjoyed seeing points of interest along the way that I recognized, including your campsite at Red Rock Ponds RV Park :) I was also impressed by how many watercrafts you saw along the way! Looking forward to Part 2 :)
Thanks for watching! Now you see where I camped in comparison where you set up your tent when you were there. Did you see the two tiny homes while there? I toured one of them.
@@WheelsonaBike Yes, exactly! Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to tour around the campground much, so must have missed the tiny homes. Something else I remember from the segment of canal I did between Holley and Rochester was that one of the homeowners had set up a hydration station (a yellow water cooler with cups) on the edge of their property for trail users to use. I was watching intently to see if that made it into you video lol.
@cjhoyle No, I didn't spot a hydration station. I was riding pretty late in the season, so maybe it's a case of "seasonal trail magic".
Excellent video. i cycled around lake Ontario from Markham and through Rainbow bridge took the Erie Canal trail route, then to passing the border into Wolf island. Took the ferry to Kingston and back home in Markham. I'm sure you must have enjoyed your trip. I'll do it again.
That sounds like a great route! I was originally thinking of riding north, but didn't have enough time and ended the trip in Albany. Erie Canal Trail was fantastic to ride on. So pleasant.
Great video. your canals are smoother than our UK ones. Can get very jolty ona Brompton.
I'm based in Canada, not the US, this was a US trip. And yes - the trail was very smooth. There were some sections with chunky gravel though, but mostly rideable.
Very interesting, I never heard about the Erie canal before, I like trial from time to time, the Erie canal will be on my wish list, from what I understand you took 5 days to get there and 5 days to come back.
It's a great trail. It took me 10 days to ride from Niagara Falls to Albany, NY. I took the train back.
Always love your content and video. Love from India
Thank you!
Bonjour l'amie , c'est encore une jolie vidéo merci . J'ai moi même voyagé un peu avec un vélo pliant , c'est effectivement très pratique , mais il n'y a pas beaucoup de rendement a cause des petites roues , ceci dit j'ai gardé ce vélo pour les petits trajets de la semaine . Bonne continuation . 👍
Yes! I really enjoyed this bike for this trip. Thanks for watching!
Awesome bike ride I live in canastota near the canal
Lucky you!
Thank you so much for this video! In August 2022, I had planned a similar tour with my son. We were planning to take our folding bikes on an Amtrak train from NYC to Buffalo, ride to Niagara Falls and then to Syracuse via the Erie Canal Trail and the return by train. Unfortunately, Amtrak failed us. The train service was suspended for several days and we didn't have any flexibility with the dates, so it didn't happen. We had another opportunity in September 2022, but since we had fewer days available we did a shorter tour from Richmond, VA to Norfolk, VA and it was fantastic we had fabulous luck with weather and everything else. But I have not forgotten all the planning I did for the Erie Canal tour and I am going to make it happen eventually. BTW, I'd love details on your touring setup and how you've customized your Brompton. I bought an M6L but I later added the rack. I replaced the stock tires with Schwalbe Marathon Plus (not one flat to date). I added a handlebar bridge like you have. I also replaced the stock seatpost with Joseph Kuosac telescoping seatpost. I don't need the extra extension but it allows me to share my saddle between all my bikes because the upper section is 27.2mm. It also allows me to extend the upper extension without unlocking the mechanism that keeps the bike from unfolding making it easy to push while it's folded. And I also have the large Borough bag as well as an older smaller bag without the rolltop which I use for my commuting setup. I have a Brompton compatible luggage block on my other bikes so I can share bags. And on another note, I just bought a Kona cargo bike today. Review to follow.
Oh, you should still do the ride, especially since you've already done the research. I'm glad to hear that your other trip worked out with great weather and all.
I already have a video out which goes over my setup. Here it is th-cam.com/video/pe51cVoEBaY/w-d-xo.html.
Thank you very much for sharing yours as well. It's amazing how functional the Brompton is as a touring bike.
A Kona cargo bike?! I'll look forward to hearing more about that one.
Bravo 👏👏👏👏
Watched a third time and had already subscribed.
No balance here, but think small folders are neat.
Thank you for subscribing. I'll be releasing the next episodes most likely in late spring.
I guess we'll be seeing your tent lit up as well in the next video😂
Nope. I never quite understood why some tent manufacturers sell tens with built in lights. But seeing this man's lit up beauty, I understand!
@@WheelsonaBike oh really,you can buy them that way? Thought that was a one off, oh well,to each their own!
@arjanbrugman824 Yes. Big Agnes has a model with integrated lights and I always thiught that was weird, because why?! But then I saw this setuop and it clicked. He went all out with these lights, but it created a lovely ambiance.
Really enjoyed watching this adventure 👍 really nice countryside. Was wondering is there going to be a part 2? 🤔
There is going to be two more parts coming out. I'm on tour right now, when I get back, I'll work on publishing the end of that series.
Thank you for sharing, super insightful for my planned similar trip next summer.
Are you planning to post other parts until Albany?
Cheers
Glad you found the video valuable. Yes, I'll be sharing the rest of the trip.
Where is rest of the Erie Canal trail videos? Love first one and need more!
I've not published them yet. I have to finish the cross Canada tour videos yet. One more video and I'll go back to the Erie Canal tour videos.
Quite pleasant to watch you videos. Would you tell us where did you get your straight support for your Brompton H handlebar, please?
Thank you. I bought the bridge from Etsy. Here's the seller's info www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1309019966/premium-m-or-h-handlebar-extender-bridge?click_key=5f68157e3ff6d746b5baa5e16d63cf2ed4f4d99b%3A1309019966&click_sum=bd548400&ref=shop_home_feat_2
Great trip and great video! Have you uploaded part 2?
Thank you. No, I have not. Decided to finish my cross Canada tour videos first before continuing with this trip.
@@WheelsonaBike Would be interested to see what you think of the villages just east of Lock 32 - there's plenty to see & eat in the next two villages east of there (Pittsford and Fairport).
@juliuscheng5788 I LOVED Pittsford. It was stunningly beautiful. Will be posting part 2 and 3 of the adventure in the future.
Great video!! Where is Part 2???
Parts 2 and 3 are forthcoming.
Oh Agnieszka! Thanks so much for this! The Erie Canal trail is on my bucket list and now thanks to your excellent video, I get to pre-view it!! Did you also use physical maps? Any guide books you would recommend? Love the idea of taking the Brompton! Reminds me of Tim Moonie ofThe Pedalshift Project Project podcast. He often rides the C&O trail. Love this diversion
It's such a wonderful trail and depending on when you go, there'll be lots of people riding it. There's a guidebook you can purchase and many people say it's a great reference book to have. So if you have time, I'd order it and review it to prep. I missed many attractions along the way, because I just didn't prep enough. But that's ok. I can do it again. I did not use physical maps and really, the trail is so well marked, you don't need any maps. Just follow the signs. They are that good. This trail was perfect and had I known how capable of a bike the Brompton is, I would've pushed the daily limits to more of my regular distances and had ridden to New York City. But... I'll leave that for next time.
I’m September 2024. Your content is helpful.
Did you see many stand up paddleboards on the canal?
No, none. I did see many people kayaking. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did. It's a wonderful trail.
Going to give this a try next summer. Any chance you can talk about navigation and how you figure out which locks/campsites have what amenities?
There's a site that shares the full map. There's also a print guidebook that goes into A LOT of detail about camping options, including camping at lock stations. Technically speaking each lock station should have access to potable water and washroom facilities. 32 did not have easily accessible water. Here are the sites I used to plan my accommodation options:
Site 1 www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/plan-a-trip/places-to-stay
Site 2 www.ptny.org/cycle-the-erie-canal/camping
@@WheelsonaBike thanks. I appreciate the info.
Looks like a nice trip
Cool video! I found your channel after getting into folding bikes about a month ago and I'm excited to watch the rest of the series. When camping at the lock, did you call ahead or just show up and camp?
Glad you found the channel. I did not call ahead, I just showed up and spoke with the lock master. It's suggested that you call ahead, but I didn't have a US number, and as I was riding in an off-season, I knew staying at a lock station would not pose a problem.
Hiya from Michigan. One of the best videos on Erie ive seen , did the same route in 22' (and alot of rain ), but leader had us doing too many day miles so liked yours better. 1) do you mind sharing where you stayed each stop? And 2) are you putting out video of second half? Thank you in advance. Audrey
Thank you. This is an amazing trail but what I loved most about it is enjoying it slowly. Because I rode on a folding bike, I gave myself "permission" to take it slow and not worry too much about daily distances. I will be publishing videos with the rest of the journey, but not for a while. For detailed info where I stayed each night, please follow me on Instagram (Wheels on a Bike). My posts from that period (September 2023) have all the info you're looking for.
@@WheelsonaBike fantastic! And keep doing what you're doing, cheers
Another great video of the East! Outlets to charge your devices were hard to come by in BC and AB. Are outlets hard to come by in Southern Ontario?
Yes, as there are long distances between places like restaurants and rest stops tended to be more of a "wilderness type" ones. But truth to be told, because I had two power banks with me, I didn't worry about power. I had plenty.
But just to be clear, this video was of my trip to the US. This is not Canada.
@@WheelsonaBike yes, I see that this was a new long-weekend trip to the US. We worry about power, but thankfully have never run out of power with two power banks. Do you use a solar system?
@joshandjamesvosperfromhere6887 This was a 10 day trip, I couldn't had ridden 600+ KM in a weekend. I would've injured myself.
I carried a solar charger in BC and then sent it back as I wasn't using it enough. There wasn't enough sun for me to use the charger and it was heavy. I'm assuming you're asking about my cross Canada tour here. I did not bring a solar charger on this 10 day tour.
@@WheelsonaBike 10 days!!! Awesome, wish we had some more time to bike this fall. Thanks for the Solar info...that is why I asked about the outlets in Southern ON. Now that we have the insta360, we find that we a lot more power. Instead of a Solar panel I think we may just buy another battery bank. Always good information here thanks Agnieszka!
What happened to your cross Canada trip? I was looking forward to seeing the Maritimes.
Working on Quebec now. It's a lot of footage to work through. Episodes are coming, slowly but surely.
Hello from Indonesia ❤❤
Hello! Thank you for watching.
@@WheelsonaBike my little sister is living in New Jersey.. hopefully can go there again. 2008, already visited NY DC and Long Island. But with current currency much more difficult for me to go there, as Pensioner 😄😄. Always wait your new vlog ✌🏽
this is one of the bike tours I have been seriously researching. I have so many questions!!! Do you have an email I can contact you through? Im looking forward to seeing the next episodes.
This was a wonderful tour. There are many resources available and you can also join a more "organized" group tour as well. There's a printed guide book which many speak of highly. But basically, this ride is easy!
Yes, I can be reached at wheelsonabike @ gmail.com (actual email is without the spaces).
Czy dobrze zrozumiałem po akcencie Agnieszko jesteś Polką?Pozdrawiam.😊👍
what's your height? do you use M or H handlebar?
I'm 5'4" and I have the H handlebars as I prefer a more upright riding position.
@@WheelsonaBike thanks 😊
I forgot to ask, when you were camping at night next to the Erie Canal, did you get an eerie feeling??…….😬
Considering that I used to spell Erie, Eerie, not reely. 😉
its pronounced medeana
Too late for a pronunciation lesson now. Thank you. If you watch my next video, where I ride through the province of Quebec, you'll have to cover your ears. I'll be butchering those town names as well.
😂🤣😂😂you crack me up@@WheelsonaBike
Roch/Finger lakes area is the land of odd pronunciations, good luck with Charlotte. Btw Matthew , as far as I knew Medina, as in the name Dina.
It's silly that you had to line up with the cars on the bridge, considering the amount of cyclists that cross daily why not let them move right to the gate or at least the pedestrian crossing. I'm sure 99% of drivers would have no problem with a cyclist going ahead of them. Why no ride the Kona? Hey I just bought my Kona Surta SE :)) today!!! 56cm. I'm picking it up this week with the remaining money owed. Hope to get some rides in before the salt hits the pavement because I certainly do not want to ruin my bike with that nasty salt!
The pedestrian crossing has a revolving door on the other end. I'm not sure how I'd fit a bike through there, but then again, how do people with strollers do it? It wasn't a big deal.
I didn't ride the Sutra, because I wanted to try touring on my folding bike. Also took the train back and just folded the bike and paid no extra fees.
Congrats on your purchase! Enjoy the bike.
thank you :) oh I'll keep the revolving door in mind. Maybe I'll stand it upright and squeeze my way around the revolving door, lol. @@WheelsonaBike
@lv2keepfit493 You will not be able to get through the booth with the bike. There are signs all over the place that bicycles are not allowed on the pedestrian bridge.