Biking Along the
ERIE CANALWAY TRAIL
I highly recommend biking along the Erie Canal. The Erie Canalway Trail is mostly a mix of asphalt gravel and stone dust surfaces and very easy to ride on. Major segments near Rochester and Syracuse are nicely paved and suitable for rollerblading. There are
a number of very historic small towns along the Erie Canal where you can stop to eat or rest; as well as occasional B &B's for overnight lodging. If you are interested in camping along the Canal, there are five Hiker-Biker-Boater campsites with potable water, picnic tables, grills, and toilets. Current sites now open include locations in Waterford (near Albany), Lock 15, Lock 20, Lock 30, and in Holley (west of Rochester).
Here's a short "movie" I made documenting a trip I took last summer from Rochester to Lockport, New York. It may take a few moments to load, but it's worth the wait...
I should also mention that the Erie Canalway Trail is a great place to bike if you are interested in history. While biking from Rochester to Pittsford recently, I took the time to read some of the historical information posted near Lock 32 (at Culver Road) and discovered that the Erie Canal near Pittsford, NY was used for shipbuilding during World War II. This really surprised me because how could you build something large enough to be called "a ship" at an inland location such as Pittsford -- but they did.
I also discovered an old lock about a mile north of the Erie Canalway Trail in the middle of nowhere. If you live in Rochester you certainly know that the original Erie Canal flowed right though downtown Rochester, but as the city grew, it was later re-routed south of the city. Old Lock 62 is a remnant of that early Erie Canal route, and can be accessed either from the Erie Canalway Trail, French Road or, if you prefer, from behind the Pittsford Plaza. Here are some pics:
