A trip along the Canal Trail

I went for a nice ride this afternoon along the Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which runs from Albany to Buffalo. At least, I think it does. That’s where the Canal runs. I probably should do some research on that.

Anyway, I rode from Clinton Ave (near Brighton-Henrietta Townline Rd) to Schoen Place in Pittsford, NY, a lovely town along the canal. Schoen Place is home to Towpath Bike, a very impressive shop with two floors full of bikes and goodies. I’d never been there before today, and I’ll definitely go back soon to write a review.

The canal trail is a fun ride. Lots of bikers, walkers, joggers and inline skaters. Not to mention recreational and business boats cruising the canal. At one point on the ride, I had to stop for a flock of geese (almost an 80s reference) that was crossing the trail. I also saw the ultimate multimodal panorama — a train crossing the canal next to a bike path.

• Here are the pictures from today’s ride.

On the way home, I ran into my friend Jack Spula, who was at the start of a 30-mile ride to visit some friends. That’s not exceptional for Jack, who bikes everywhere. What is exceptional is that Jack returned at midnight from a 700-mile trip across New York and Vermont. That’s right, he rode 700+ miles and didn’t even pause a day to rest afterward! Jack is really a shining example of how to live smart in the city. I’m going to ask him to contribute an essay about the bike situation in Rochester for this site.

While you’re on the Web, head over to My 45th Year, a blog by activist, mom, yarn enthusiast, educator and all-around hip Rochesterian Julie White. She’s got an entry today about the benefits of cycling.

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