August 25, 2021
Canastota to Syracuse
The Erie Canal route has many great signs. At each junction they show which direction to turn, then have another sign after the junction to confirm the route. The trailheads are clearly marked with large signs. Occasionally I see a sign that isn’t necessarily focused only on cycling.
I like the interesting historical facts found on the interpretive signs along the route. An amazing amount of engineering was involved in building the Erie Canal.
Upon checking out of the hotel in Canastota this morning the manager was telling me about the new bike lane in Syracuse. It is two-lane, runs down the center of Erie Blvd, and is separated from car lanes by a grassy berm on each side. They also have bright green paint at the intersections as well as bicycle traffic signals.
As I approached Syracuse, I met Mark and Frank and an intersection. They were waiting to cross the street to pick up the new bike lane. I crossed with them and visited with them while riding together for a couple of miles.
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3 years ago
At my turn for tonight’s destination we all stopped and talked for a few more minutes. I had to get their picture and, especially, Mark’s 1970s-era Schwinn Le Tour.
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I told them I need to find a bike shop and they highly recommended Syracuse Bicycle about a mile ahead on the left.
After checking into our hotel for tonight, Rose and I unloaded our panniers and pedaled to the bike shop. Mack did the troubleshooting on my front wheel situation. The conclusion is that I need a new fork. The problem is that the fork dropouts are damaged and the front wheel will not stay tight when pedal assist is used. Riding unpowered is easy enough since we are mostly out of the hills.
My bike is a 2007 Trek 520 and, like so many things, the designs keep changing. My specific fork did not seem to be available from Trek. Another employee, Paul, researched other brands and located one that would work beautifully. Since ordering and shipping take time, the weekend is approaching, and we are continuing to ride west, he recommended Bert’s Bikes in Rochester and Buffalo.
I called to the Williamsville store near Buffalo since we will be in that area by next Wednesday. A guy name John listened to my story and looked into fork availability. He agreed that the one Paul recommended would work and we placed the order. I’m feeling relieved and am looking forward to having it installed.
We rode our bikes to FedEx for a couple of errands then to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. The end to a productive day.
Rose writes:
Kim and I rode to the hotel parking lot entrance and readdressed her front wheel before heading to the trail. I found the trail via google but didn't see the 3" curb. Words of a sailor escaped my mouth.
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The ride into Syracuse on the trail ofter the curb incident was good. Once we arrived at the hotel, the AC was welcoming. It was a hot one today. 90 degrees.
We ran errands and made great progress on her bike at Syracuse Bike shop. I met Banana dog out side. Such a great dog!
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Dinner at Texas Roadhouse was very filling and a good end to another day on the Erie Canal!
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Today's ride: 25 miles (40 km)
Total: 549 miles (884 km)
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Have a great ride on the rest of the canal.
Racpat
3 years ago