Bicycle Rte 5 Revisited

Tuesday, October 7:  Egypt to Baldwinsville

Today was a day worth waiting for – NO ADVERSITY!!!  Cleared the hotel by 8:30 (Rob let Diane sleep in), rode about five miles, and had a very satisfying breakfast at the Macedon Family Restaurant, and cleared by 10:00.  Over the next 60 miles we enjoyed a very good road , NY 31/Bike Route 5.  We had traversed a portion of today’s ride back in 2003 when we biked across America, from Westport, WA, to Provincetown, MA.  Although road surface and condition changes with each county, most of the time we had  8-foot shoulders, smooth and debris-free.  Traffic was light, with few trucks.  There were hills, but just enough to challenge us (i.e., get our heart-rate up).  Another good thing about the day was the opportunity to meet Patricia and Martin, long-distance cyclists (the REAL kind that camp instead of luxuriating in motels/hotels/B&Bs).  They are from Austria, and began this trek in Iceland in the first week of August, and are headed to North Carolina.  It was fun to spend a little time with them as we reached the crest of a hill going in opposite directions.  We encouraged them to bicycle Washington, and visit us along the way.

New York state has done an excellent job of designating bicycle touring routes across the state.  We will be on designated bicycle routes for the rest of our time in the State.

We flew down Route 31. And had lunch with an old friend in Clyde, NY. (We used this same park in our 2003 trip.)

 

 

Some Routes look better on paper.

Monday, October 6:  Corfu to Egypt, NY

This should have been an easy ride.  Rob’s wrist/hand was swollen and painful, but he taped and wrapped it, which helped.  Again, we waited for the rain to clear, and pushed off at 10:00.   In that first hour, we covered 13+ miles, getting through Batavia with ease.  But then, Rob had a flat rear tire.  He switched out the tube (to be patched at the next hotel), and put in enough air to walk the bike to a tire shop across the road (Diane had spotted) for good air .  We were off again, but not for long, because Rob had a second flat.  Fixed and on our way, again finding good air, and then he got a third flat.  Luckily, we again found good air, and on we went. 

Even with all the flats, we expected to be our hotel by 5 o’clock.  Not to be.  The road we had planned to take during our last 10 miles turned out to be a nightmare (Definitely, my bad - Rob) , made worse by rush-hour traffic. (And you know you have really made a bad choice when Google Map's bicycle function starts giving you directions to "go thru the Wendy's parking lot and then take the service road behind Home Depot."). 

Recalculating, we added about five more miles to our day, by heading on to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail, which we biked for several miles, then onto the Rochester-Syracuse and Eastern Trail, which took us within about a mile from the hotel.  These trails are mostly stone-dust, comprising crushed limestone.  Not the best surface for road bikes, but manageable.  But in that last hour, darkness befell us, and then came the rain.  Fortunately, in that last mile, the highway had a wide shoulder.  It was a great relief to arrive safe and sound!  Another good fortune was the Thai restaurant next door!  And our room was modest but functional.  Rob repaired the three tubes, and readied the bikes for the next day.

You don't take many photos when the day's ride starts going sour. Mostly you try to get back on track.  Especially when you have seemingly painted yourself into a corner. Which is what we did as we tried to make NY Route 252 work as a way to avoid Rochester, NY.  Faced with an unrideable  4-lane overpass during rush hour, we improvised by walking the bikes up the median.  Once past this obstacle we threaded our way through the back of a strip mall on to a somewhat safer road.

It was with some relief when we hit the Erie Canal Trail, but the next task was to get to our motel before sundown.

There are times when Diane rides with a certain grim determination - usually at the end of day and especially as the sun  begins  to disappear.  Here Diane is zipping down the trail trying to beat total darkness. As most of you know, Diane really is a most considerate person, but when you are between her and a warm motel room - the other Diane appears. Not too long after this photo, she hollered at a WWII veteran using a walker, "Get over! I am coming through on your left!"

Nope not abstract art. After you patch a tube, it is very good practice to test your work by partially inflating the tube and passing it slowly through a sink partially filed with water. If you have done a good job there will be no telltale bubbles signifying you still have a tube leaking air. Above are the three newly patched tubes ready for their bath.

A Blustery Sunday

Sunday, October 5:  Dunkirk to Corfu

When we awoke at 7:00 (didn’t set an alarm) it was raining and cold.  We waited out the rain while doing all the routine things—breakfast, repacking and the like.  We expected to ride in rain at least some of the day, so extra precautions were taken to make sure our belongings were properly sealed in various sizes of zip-lock bags.  The rain abated, so we were almost ready to move on.  But first, Diane had to protect her head from the potential of cold rain:  first, one of her handkerchiefs tied on to cover head and ears;  next, a plastic bag over the  handkerchief;  then, her helmet; and last, her rain jacket, with hood tied on over the helmet.  Then we were ready to roll.  It was 9:55 a.m. and we had some 70 miles to travel.  Diane needed leggings, however, so at Silver Creek, about ten miles down the road, she got a pair of black pants at Dollar General.  The roads were rather good and the route reasonable, and we had a favorable wind most of the day, but it was cold, cold, cold.  This slowed us down.  Fortunately, except for intermittent sprinkles, our day was rain-free.  It was a bit of a contrast with our Kitty Corner USA trip where we took shelter from the sun under overpasses, and today, where we took shelter from the rain as we quickly lunched under an overpass.

We started our ride how we ended it the day before, biking along the scenic highway with several views of Lake Erie.  It was mostly trouble-free, except that Diane’s chain jammed during an inartful shift, and she couldn’t release it.  Mechanic Man unjammed it. 

Early in the afternoon Rob unsuccessfully attempted to transition from the road to a poorly designed and executed bicycle lane bypass at a roundabout.  The bike refused – ricocheted off the curb, and launched Rob to the ground.   No broken bones, but his left wrist was badly sprained, and his right knee scraped.    

We traversed a number of  different roads, always moving east or north.  One was memorable, first for its long climb over a ridge, somewhat like parts of the eastward climb to White Pass, followed by “roller hills” (the kind Diane really likes, where the fast downhill allows one to ascend a good portion of the next hill with little or no effort.  Again we passed houses, farms and fields – last of the grape vineyards, corn and soybeans, and several pumpkin fields.  A number of homes had Halloween displays and/or pumpkin displays.  Some also had  “on your honor” stands for pumpkins and bouquets in a variety of colors.  Tomorrow we revisit the Erie Canalway Bicycle Trail as we continue east.

Diane imitates a Smurf  to keep her head warm. 

                                            A shot early in the day of the Lake Erie shore.

A couple of interesting signs. (The bike didn't like the implication.)

 

 

BBQ chicken? How good of fishermen can they be?

 

One of many pumpkin patches. 

 

Most importantly the bike isn't hurt.

 

 



Diane Loves a Windy Day

Saturday October 4 –Conneaut to Dunkirk

A very day of strong cycling with Diane crushing it. The magic numbers were 77 miles in less in 6 hours of biking.  Plus we started pedaling in Ohio, literally blow through Pennsylvania and ended the day in New York.

We arose early, and had a quick bite in the hotel room.  Diane had an instant Starbucks espresso, a yogurt and some almonds; Rob slurped down cold peaches and chocolate pudding. 

We were on our bikes by 8:00 a.m.  It was partly cloudy and 47 degrees with a Southwest wind blowing 15 to 20 miles an hour. We set off to beat the probability of rain and take advantage of the favorable wind.   The plan was to get in an hour of biking before sitting down for breakfast in some café up the road.  Rob assured Diane there would be such an opportunity, since we were passing through one town after another.  Wrong!  After two hours and 22 miles of houses, farms and fields, we found Teresa’s Deli.  No breakfast fare, so Rob had a piece of pizza and a Mug root beer (the breakfast of champions) and Diane had a salad topped with bacon, hard-cooked eggs, cheese and olives plus a hot cup of cocoa.  Diane also bought a Starbucks Frappuccino for later in the day; when lunchtime arrived, she had that, plus more of the salad. 

We were biking the scenic Seaway Trail highway and occasionally had great views of Lake Erie.  Roads were good all day, no challenging hills – instead a few sharp dips down to the lake level and then returning to the ridge running parallel to the shore, fairly light traffic, plus we continued to have that fabulous  tail wind.  We were biking though wine country, and but the most interest vineyards were concord grapes which gave off a heavy “Welch’s grape jam” aroma – and it was harvesting time.  The fragrance of the grapes was almost overwhelmingly rich.  

Can’t say the day held any particular joy, though.  It was just very solid biking from Point A to Point B.  The wind is even stronger now.  And the forecast for tomorrow is the same - cold, windy and probable rain.  We intend to beat the odds again tomorrow.

Its 47 degrees out there, I hope 3 layers proves enough.

 

But Diane remains warm by flying by grape vineyards and climbing out of the few "dips in the road" that punctured the day of fast riding.

 

The ride also included a few trout streams and views of Lake Erie under a threating sky.

But our constant friend of the day was a strong favorable that audibly rustled the leaves in the trees and bent the grass toward the Northeast.   

 

 

A Glass Half Full Day

Friday, October 3 – Warren to Conneaut  

A late start – 9:00, by the time we got our provisions for the day. About 4 miles (of very smooth pavement and low traffic density) from the hotel, we began our 40+mile ride on the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway Bike Trail.  As we sped north on the path with a 20 mph tailwind there was the constant sound of cracking and popping as our wheels rolled over autumn leaves and acorns.  It was GLORIOUS! 

At least until the pouring-down rain began, about two hours after joining the trail  It rained continuously until we reached the end of the trail at Ashtabula. But with the heavy tailwind we were able to maintain 14 mph average speed.   As we left the trail the rain abated and by the time we reached Conneaut, we were semi-dried, except for our gloves and shoes. 

Our bikes await riders and another day on the road.

 

The bicycle trail was a carpet of dry leafy delight.

 

And just before the rain began we stopped in Orwell, Oh to mail stuff home.  While there Diane visited the local grocery store.  The parking lot had its own parking section for Amish patrons.

 

 But then the rain began. And we had no choice but to ride on.

 

In the middle of ride we rode through a tunnel under the interstate.  The first dry spot that afternoon.

 

Finally at our motel, Diane improvised a way to dry our shoes enough to use the next day.

 

Canton? Bet we can.

Thursday, October 2 – Bolivar to Warren

Having changed our route the day before we now had to go north towards Canton, Oh. The morning was marked by bad roads—very steep hills, fog, and high density traffic (with trucks thrown in the mix for good measure). This didn’t keep Diane from screaming down one of the hills at 40 mph trying to crest the next slope.  But to no avail.  Both she and Rob stepped off the bikes to walk to the top.  

Coming into Canton, we missed our turn off and biked through the middle of the Marathon Oil refinery.  There is a kind of ironic protest in cycling through a refinery.  But “big oil” won out when Rob’s front tire picked up a chard of glass and went flat a half-mile down the road.  He quickly repaired the tire using an old patch kit with a new tube of old glue (this would haunt him later in the day). 

We continued our ugly journey through Canton, and came to a stop light.  Rob looked to the right, saw it was the central bus transfer station, and an outbound bus to Alliance (which was on our route to Warren) was soon to depart.  The bus ride was about 20 miles.  By the time we got to Alliance, the tire had lost its air because the new old glue didn’t adhere.   This time, Rob used a new tube and stowed the “repaired” tube for a later “redo.”

The 30 mile ride from Alliance to Warren was composed of fast roads with heavy traffic and semi-rough country back roads with little traffic.  Sort of a reality that characterizes our ride through Ohio.  Once in Warren we headed for the Best Western, where we had reservations, but just short of the motel we came upon a bike store, Thumm’s Bike and Clock Shop.  It had been in operation since 1909, and was being operated by one of the original owner’s descendant and his wife.  They were a fun couple and true cycling enthusiasts.  They even gave Rob a never-used Suntour AG rear derailleur, and Rob bought a new tire repair kit and replaced his dysfunctional tire gauge.   

The Best Western proved to be a great choice.  Downtown, across from the courthouse square, lovely setting.  Dinner at a local favorite, The Sunrise Inn, was only so-so, but met the need for protein and carbs. Tomorrow we are looking forward to long quick ride to Lake Erie on a rails-to-trails path.

Road surface makes a big difference in the quality of the ride.  You can ride faster, climb quicker and you simply smile more when riding a smooth road.  Below are two examples of two "just ok" roads and an example of great country road.

 

No sure why but we always take a picture of our first flat on a tour.  Go figure.

 

And I am still trying to get that one photo of my bike which embodies the tour. I am pretty sure this not it.

 

 

A Carefree Ride

Wednesday, October 1 – Coshocton to Bolivar

Got what we wished for!! A fast, care-free ride.  Honest!!  Ok, it was a bit cold, but THERE WERE NO HILLS!  Thanks to Rob’s ingenuity, we changed our itinerary, avoiding Carrolton, and landing in Bolivar, Ohio instead.  On our new route followed the historic Ohio-Erie Canal system.  For the most part we followed the Tuscarawas River upstream for some 50 miles.  It was a scenic, tree-lined ride through the river valley.  Leaves of a variety of colors, a flock of geese southward bound, and a red-tailed hawk, marked the day.   We registered at the Sleep Inn, took showers, and  ate dinner across the street at Georgio’s Grille, picked up goodies at the Giant Eagle grocery store, and came back to the hotel for the night.

Early in the day we ran Hwy 36 a flat four lane road with a wide smooth shoulder. While we prefer a good country road, cruising 15 mph down the road is sometimes joy enough.

One of those great country road with Fall colors becoming more evident.

 

 

One of the many historical markers found along this American Scenic Byway route.

 

As you may remember, Diane took a tumble off her bicycle and cracked a piece on the right left rear of her helmet. One bike shop owner said the helmet was still ok and another disagreed. Diane bought a new helmet.  Now she is easily one of the most visible bicyclist on the road. (Also check out the new gloves.)