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JaneE
09-05-2008, 02:14 PM
We survived. :) Actually, we did much better than that. We had a ball and can't wait to get back on our bikes for another trip. We're already planning our next mini-tour. :D

First day's ride was around 48 miles, which took us to Holley, New York, where there is a beautiful canal-side "hike/bike/boat" campground that was, amazingly, FREE. Holley is a tiny rural village and it was very dark where we camped (no municipal lighting). The night sky was positively, stunningly, beautiful. You just don't see the stars in all their glory living in more populated areas.

Me and "The Big Apple" in Medina, NY, "to commemorate the contribution fruit growers have made to the economy of W.N.Y." Yeah. It's really big. ;)

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7041&stc=1&d=1220651137

The Erie Canal in Holley, N.Y.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7042&stc=1&d=1220651462

Day Two was only about 35 miles, which took us through the city of Rochester to the home of our friend (ex b-i-l) who offered to put us up for the night. Our sons (one of which is a student in Rochester) drove out from home and met us all for a fun get-together Sunday afternoon.

Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, north of Rochester, NY

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7044&stc=1&d=1220651627

Day Three was our longest day (54 miles, I think). We rode north from where we had spent Sunday to Lake Ontario and then west along the lake shore. The Monroe County towns of Greece and Hilton up on the lake were lovely. We stayed overnight at Lakeside Beach State Park, which was a beautiful park right on the Lake Ontario shore. There was a bald eagle soaring over the lake! Wasn't able to get a picture of it, unfortunately. :( We were there Labor Day night which meant that the park was almost deserted. Very quiet. We definitely want to go back there some time.

Sunset over Lake Ontario at Lakeside Beach State Park

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=7043&stc=1&d=1220651562

Tuesday's ride to home ended up being around 48 miles and was it ever hot! We rode due-west along the lake shore to the Village of Wilson, where we had a lovely lunch at a restaurant right on Wilson Harbor. That was our only "store-bought" meal the whole trip and it felt really good to sit in the shade on their patio, guzzle cold tea and be waited on hand and foot. ;) From there it was about a 13-mile ride, due south, to home.

The Erie Canalway Trail was OK. It was nice enough. Straight. Flat. Ultimately a little boring. It would be a nice route to take with kids. It was also very dusty and dirty (surface was compacted gravel and rock dust) and by the time we reached our destinations both days we were on the trail we (and our bikes and gear) were coated with dust. That was not so much fun. The two days riding home along the Seaway Trail were much more interesting: some rolling hills, beautiful scenery and Lake Ontario right next to us.

We had a couple of encounters with fellow bike tourists: a young man from The Netherlands who had started in Boston, MA, and was heading to San Francisco and a young woman who had almost completed the first half of her year-long tour around the country. She had started in Seattle and was heading to the east coast via the northern TA route and then planned to travel back west via the southern route. She figured she'd be on the road for around a year. Both of these people were traveling solo. We were impressed (being a devout coward, myself, I cannot even IMAGINE taking a trip like that by myself).

The only really negative experiences we had involved idiot people and their un-leashed dogs. Well, we weren't too crazy about riding through the city of Rochester, either (usual issues of being, apparently, invisible to drivers). First day out we encountered a woman walking along the canal with her dog (no leash in sight). She was chattering away on her cell phone...the dog was all over the path and first started after me. I hollered at her to control her dog...she ignored me. The dog then went after my DH. He nearly fell when the dog moved right in front of his bike. He yelled. The woman interrupted her phone conversation long enough to very thoughtfully suggest that we perform unnatural acts upon ourselves. Well! Good morning to you, too! Other parts of the canal trail were obviously heavily used as pooch-potties by the local gentry. We had to navigate a few mine fields along the way as we passed through a few little towns. Oh well. As we've so often said: people are funny, but not ha-ha funny. ;-)

We were very pleased with our new LHTs. In fact, we were thrilled. :) They rode like dreams. We were actually surprised at how well they handled hills. We expected we'd be walking up some hills but that was not the case until we were almost home and walked up a 10%+ grade coming back up the Niagara Escarpment. It was hot. We were tired. We were almost home. No shame in walking for a half-mile. ;) The new Speedplay Frogs worked out wonderfully, too. Very comfortable.

I have read that the real test for bike touring is whether you still want to get back on your bike the next day. That would be a big YES for us. We love our Surly's. :)

Guess for a "little report" this was pretty wordy. Thanks for reading. ;)

JaneE
09-05-2008, 02:16 PM
I thought I understood how to do the whole picture-thing. I have no idea whatsoever why the pictures all clumped together at the bottom of the post instead of being interspersed throughout the post.

Computer Genius I am not. :(

jobob
09-05-2008, 02:26 PM
Wow, great trip and great writeup!

Too bad about the stoopid woman and her dog. Good thing neither of you were injured or otherwise impeded.

And I'm glad you're raring to go again. :cool:

Bike Goddess
09-05-2008, 02:41 PM
Thanks for the write up and beautiful pics. Much appreciated! Sounds like you had a great time which is what is important. :D:D:D

Tri Girl
09-06-2008, 05:39 AM
I'm so glad to hear that you had a fun trip, and are looking forward to doing it again. I loved your write- up (and I'm glad it was more wordy than less wordy ;)). You traversed through some beautiful scenery! I can't believe there was a nice campground along the way for free. What a nice surprise.
Thanks for sharing with us! I look forward to reading more about your future adventures.

cosc
09-06-2008, 07:54 AM
I enjoyed your tour writeup and pics. Glad your loving your lht bikes. I'm looking forward to hearing about your next excursion.

mtkitchn
09-06-2008, 10:14 AM
Oh, fabulous! Nice write up and pics. I'm terribly jealous. :rolleyes:

shootingstar
09-07-2008, 04:04 AM
Try the Canadian side,...there are wineries along the bike route near Niagara Falls, Ontario...in Niagara-on-the-Lake town area.

JaneE
09-11-2008, 11:55 AM
Try the Canadian side,...there are wineries along the bike route near Niagara Falls, Ontario...in Niagara-on-the-Lake town area.

Yes, we've been to Niagara-on-the-Lake a number of times, though never on bikes. It's a beautiful area! We've actually dicussed riding our bikes there sometime and touring the area. If not this year, maybe next?

solobiker
09-11-2008, 05:26 PM
Thanks for the pics!! I grew up near Rochester NY so it was nice to see some familar sights.

Zen
09-11-2008, 05:31 PM
I notice you have only rear panniers.
Do you know how much your gear weighed?
Did you cook at all?

JaneE
09-11-2008, 05:57 PM
I notice you have only rear panniers.
Do you know how much your gear weighed?
Did you cook at all?

Yes, for the moment we only have rear panniers. We do plan on getting front bags, too. Christmas is coming. ;)

Honestly, I don't know how much our gear weighed. The bikes were pretty heavy, loaded, is all I know. We were concerned, starting out, that the bikes would be difficult to handle as a result but that turned out not to be the case.

We did some minimalist cooking which worked out great. We have an ultra-light weight alcohol stove (White Box Stove) which boiled water like a champ ( http://www.boundarywaterscatalog.com/browse.cfm/4,6689.htm ) and had our tea and instant oatmeal every morning (recipe from freezerbagcooking.com) and soup mixes/ramen noodles with added dehydrated veggies and beans and foil packets of chicken/tuna/salmon mixed in for dinner. Lunches were sort-of snacky: power bars, fig newtons, trail mix (with chocolate, of course :) ), granola bars. Deciding what to cook and cooking it was actually kind of fun. Between the convenience food aisle of the supermarket and our dehydrator there's a wealth of possibilities. :)

We do feel that it would be better to have front panniers to balance the load a little better, but all in all things worked out just fine.