Erie Canal bike ride: Seneca Falls to Syracuse

Look for the references to 19 in Seneca Falls —we spotted signs for the right to run 19 (that’s a 19k run) and had breakfast (and a great conversation with two locals) at Cafe 19.

The number refers to the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote … and the fight began 71 years earlier with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

We stopped at the National Parks site (and skipped any references to the other tourist draw — It’s a Wonderful Life), but mostly we rode. Rain early, no obvious place to stop for lunch. Much of our route was on roads or paved trail, and when it wasn’t we looked for a nearby road. Anything to reduce the grit that would cling to our bikes! Even if we risked being sprayed by trucks.

(With no newspapers in sight, I am once again using a hair dryer to dry my shoes.)

My rear tire had a verrrry slow leak and was flat in the morning. I think something poked through where I have a small cut in my tire. So I tried this trick to add some lining between tire and inner tube. It worked!

I’ve read how difficult it could be navigating through Syracuse, but the Empire State Trail (which includes the Erie Canal trail) has added some trail and then done a great job signposting it. It’s so new that it didn’t appear on Komoot’s map and therefore our Garmins, which made it kind of confusing. But so much better than having to cross all those busy roads.

We weaved our way through the state fairgrounds and over the highway to lots of fairgrounds parking, then down a trail to Onondaga Lake, past more industry and onto the Creekside Trail to downtown, cycling within spitting distance of Dinosaur BBQ and Apizza, two food recommendations we’d received. Just keep looking for those Empire State Trail signs.

Now if only the Empire State Trail would signpost the spur route to and from Seneca Falls.

Overall, about 55 miles. Some modest climbs, the toughest being on the way to where we are staying. The risk of leaving the canal.