A New Adventure Begins: Across New York

After a successful journey from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. last fall, I was eager to plan my next cycling trip. It wasn't a day or two after my return that I started searching for what would come next.

What looked perfect was Cycle The Erie Canal Annual Bike Tour. In its 25th year running, the tour starts in Buffalo, NY and over eight days the riders make their way across the state to Albany, NY.

There are some differences from my last ride that come with being a part of such a large group ride:

Campsites are all taken care of. Knowing where I'll need to get to and that reservations are taken care of is a relief on planning.

Breakfast and dinner most days. Lunch is on my own, but every day (minus two dinners) breakfast and dinner are provided at the campsite.

Luggage transportation. Yes, I still have to pedal every bit of the way, but this really lightens the load considering I had to have all my gear loaded on the bike for my last trip.

The weather is looking OK for the start of the ride. A bit of rain expected morning one, but clear for the next few days. It's the second half of the trip that has me a bit anxious. I'm hoping things end up better than what is forecasted, but that's just part of the adventure.

I'm all checked in, fueling up and hydrating, then getting a good night's sleep. It'll be an early start tomorrow.