Biking the Erie Canal Trail, NY - Self-Supported 646 Miles of Cycling and Camping

[@VarietyVibes-r7n]

Rome brings back memories when I was stationed there in 1978 at the former Griffiss AFB.

[@MA-dg1qr]

My wife and I have been researching the Erie Canal Trail for a bike tour perhaps in the summer of 2022. Brian Smith's video journal has answered most of the questions and concerns in helping us plan for this trip. This is one of the most comprehensive and professional You Tube videos I have ever seen related to a self contained bicycle tour. Thank you Brian.

[@briansadventures]

What an incredibly nice comment! I hope you and your wife have a great ride along the canal next year!

[@Waldijohnson]

Did you end up going?

[@alanwilliamson6421]

The Erie canal always a great time

[@briansadventures]

Yes it is! I'd like to ride that trail again soon.

[@BIJOSEBASTIAN]

I am planning to have a trip to NY-city from Niagara Falls on a brompton this year.. great video…thank you

[@briansadventures]

People love Bromptons. I have not tried one yet. I trust Niagara Falls to NY City will be a great ride for you!

[@greenbikescom]

Loved the video! My wife and I had this planned from Albany to Cleveland in 2020 but it was canceled due to covid. We are now scheduled to do it end of May 2023. After watching your video we are truly excited.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! This was one of my favorite trips, including both the canal and riding to Cleveland and home. I hope you have a great ride as well!

[@nancyrose1762]

I was watching this and you went through my home town newark ny

[@vtownpaddy517]

This is an excellent video! I found the maps I need to go San Francisco to Huntington Beach, California. Your bicycle set up is key.---VTown Paddy Patrick

[@jolive3743]

You are great at this Brian, thanks i really enjoy watching

[@briansadventures]

Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate it.

[@kateandjosh]

Looks like a fun trip, I really liked your editing/narration. This makes me want to go out and do it. Now to just find the time.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! I'm sure you will enjoy it, but yes, finding time is always the trick.

[@RideAlongAdventures]

nice video! thanks for sharing.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you too

[@FollowThomas]

I'm planning to ride this trail next year. Thanks for heads up. UPDATE: Now it's official, riding the Erie Canal Trail in August, got the tickets to Buffalo. Thanks for the video. 👍

[@MaryH-tp3ht]

Thanks for this video. I’m doing this trail west to east with Woman Tours. This gave me a good idea of what I’ll encounter on the way. The tour starts really soon, on July 22. I’m going to take another look at Adventure Cycling to see what they offer these days. Thank you.

[@briansadventures]

I hope you enjoy the trail, I did.

[@MrMicrogravity]

Your travel videos are very informative and really give a sense of the trails. I've wondered about an Erie Canal and or GAP/C&O trips, this video and your others sure have a lot of information. Thanks!

[@briansadventures]

Thank you. Other KZbin videos helped to inspire me to take some trips and I hope mine might encourage else to get out on their bike. (For example kzbin.infofeatured and kzbin.info/door/OI3W06oluIwvFoVD31Rdwg and kzbin.info)

[@dondonner1095]

I enjoyed this, very well narrated and interesting. Thank You for taking us along.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you Don! I appreciate that.

[@kimlittleton4943]

This was awesome !!! Great video.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you!

[@falcoperegrinus82]

Hoping to do the trail from NYC to Buffalo. This is very informative.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! I hope you have a great trip

[@stevebarratt3158]

Thanks Brian, a great video , full of facts, perfect for helping in my research.

[@GamerKidEdits]

Great content, thanks for letting us ride along.

[@thegreatexaggerator9077]

Great video Brian, I will add this trip to my bucket list. You have more guts than I do riding along the roads and highways! 😬😬

[@briansadventures]

This is top on my list to ride again

[@trnrbrnr]

Very nice!

[@amirman6]

What a beautiful small town america in New York, enjoyed watching yr video.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you!

[@sct5566]

Great trip and video. I have ridden the trail from Buffalo to Albany and I really enjoyed seeing the video of the canal trail and the little towns along the way. Well done Brian.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you Scott!

[@Scott-ph2yk]

Nice video, very good production quality. A great touring trip.😊

[@briansadventures]

Thank you very much!

[@tknow9298]

Great video.

[@briansadventures]

Thanks!

[@jetsmon3367]

Good vid Brian , thanks

[@briansadventures]

Thank you!

[@jsky2udonkey]

Thanks for the exelent video! I wasn't aware that you have such great bike routes in the US. Good to know that you can download the tracks. Maybe I'll make the trip in the near future. Greetings from Wesel am Rhein/Germany Jörg

[@martindonelan9339]

G' Day Brian. I have watched 100+ Bike Packing Vids. This is the best. Love your modest but educational commentary. Scenery was great. As an Aussie, I Love seeing dozens of small towns as well as the bike trails and canals. Nice back ground music. Quick question? I am guessing some of your video is shot with an extension selfie stick. If so what brand ? and is some of your footage shot with a drone?

[@briansadventures]

What incredibly nice feedback. I use an insta360 X3 camera and selfie sticks.

[@fredb1495]

I live along the canal / bike path near schenectady and I’m retiring this June 2023 and plan on making a run from schenectady to Oneida Lake in Rome and then back to schenectady along the path sometime in June. This is a very helpful video in planning that trip. I also purchased the cycling the Erie Canal booklet. One question I have is there any area where you had issues following the path? I know you said it was well marked I’m hoping that is the case. It seems to me ( after reading the booklet) that ilion and Rome seem like there may be some issues staying on the path. One difference I’m not into staying in a tent. So I’ll be staying at local hotels. Figuring on riding 60 to 80 miles per day. Thanks for posting this very interesting and informative video👍🏻

[@briansadventures]

I do not recall any difficulties following the path, though I did use a Garmin for mapping that was helpful through cities. However, the signs were pretty good throughout the cities. I hope you enjoy your trip this summer, it sounds fun!

[@GeezerBoy65]

This is my favorite bike travel video this year. Excellent narration and camera work.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

Neat video, thanks. I've ridden a bunch of rail trails, and this one is coming up for June, 2023. I'll be on my Midnight Special, set up with 700cX42 wheels/tires and 2x11 to get low gears. Looks like a great trip, hoping to go slow and easy. I've used tubeless on my hardtail mtn bike for several years, how did you like tubeless for touring? I've always used Schwalbe Marathons with tubes for touring.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! I use Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tires. Over the past few years, I've only had two punctures that caused me to stop. It did not take long for them to seal without the need to patch or plug anything. For long trips, I still carry a spare tube and a little extra sealant to be safe. I don't have any scientific data, but it seems to me that running tubeless has almost eliminated punctures. I think the drawback to tubeless would be that, if you did have to take the tire off - maybe to put a tube in during a roadside repair - the tubeless tires can require some wrestling. However, they have worked well for me.

[@Mike-vd2qt]

@@briansadventures Agree w you, thanks for feedback. I've had great luck with tubeless 29" for mtn bike, even in the Southwest desert. Gravel bike size 700x38 I've had a hard time mounting tires sometimes. I always carry a tube and extra sealant, duct tape and plugs. Happy trails!

[@michaelnicholson572]

Great video. I got to relive my 2018 Buffalo to Albany ride with the extra bonus of Buffalo to Huron. Thanks for sharing.

[@christianhuber4054]

Thanks for a great video! Im from MI and thinking about doing this route in late spring of 2022. Was hoping for a bit more elevation change but it looks awesome regardless!

[@uhu69]

Great video and nice Surly Midnight Special. What type of tubeless tires? I'm hoping to do Lockport to Rochester and back on my Giant Defy with 32mm Schwalbe Tubeless tires.

[@briansadventures]

I have been using Specialized Pathfinder Pro 2Bliss Ready tires. They have been great. Just enough tread where I have needed it.

[@uhu69]

@@briansadventures Thanks Brian! I heard great things about those tires. (Fast, durable...perfect for gravel).

[@dianayount2122]

Really enjoyed this video. Appreciated the useful information you provided regarding your trip.

[@Name-vu1kn]

In Buffalo you were about 3/4 of a mile away from the finish that you were looking for.

[@briansadventures]

I just rode through Buffalo on my way around Lake Erie. It's all torn up. Hoping they are making some great improvements.

[@Name-vu1kn]

@@briansadventures it’s construction season! Next time you ride through there ride on Fuhrman Blvd from the Coast Guard base and the lighthouse past Charlie’s Boat Yard. It’s the best riding in the city. Access off of Ohio Street.

[@Iliketoadventure]

Excellent video! Interesting and informative! Thanks for sharing your great videos!👊🏼🚲😎

[@TravelingThru222]

Looks like a great ride.

[@philiporourke7896]

Great vid, did you have any dog trouble?

[@briansadventures]

I do not recall any dog trouble on this trip, though it isn't unusual to run into some during trips. My approach has always been to talk to them, "Hey Buddy!", to let them know I'm not a threat. There was a detour on the Natchez Trace trip last summer where the were dogs around every bend running up. They did not do anything beyond running and barking, but it was a little tense for a few miles.

[@philiporourke7896]

@@briansadventures yea, they say Kentucky is the worst for roaming dogs.

[@KentuckyCycling]

Nice job on the video. Appreciated all the voiceovers. I am also curious about your Insta360 One X2 setup and what the learning curve is like on the editing?

[@briansadventures]

It's easy enough to learn. If I can do it most can. It works best to first edit the video from a phone or laptop. So there are extra steps, which can add more time. But it's great to know you are not missing anything outside of the view of the camera and I think adding panning is nice too. Here is a KZbin video that convinced me to try it. At about 22:40 into his video he gets into editing the videos. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXTFZIF7bcaJnKM

[@JonEckerle]

great video.... FYI correction you never went through Westlake Ohio. Westlake begins south of your route. That said you do a great job.

[@briansadventures]

Thank you! I did spend the night at the Courtyard by Marriott in Westlake

[@kinguvclubz1]

Do you know if the locks campgrounds have electricity to recharge things ? I’m planning to ride on my ebike next year and will need to recharge at night time as I rest.

[@briansadventures]

I do not know the answer to that. The camp sites themselves do not have electric. There might be outlets at the lockhouses that one might get permission to use.

[@steveo6034]

Yea there's actually quite a few outlets along the canal. We ride our electric unicycles from Brockport to Fairport and have no trouble finding charging.

[@juansandoval4808]

Hi how many miles is that trip

[@briankimmel1349]

Any chance you could share a link for the group that has the maps/routes for Buffalo to Cleveland?

[@briansadventures]

www.adventurecycling.org/

[@thuggooch1776]

Did you have to train yourself up to be able to go 50+ miles in a day?

[@briansadventures]

Taking the trips does encourage me to ride more, though I'm not sure if I would call it training. I look at it more as broken up bike rides. A bike ride in the morning, then a break for lunch. Then another bike ride in the afternoon with maybe another break. Then a third bike ride to finish out the day.

[@alklesczewski1207]

@@briansadventures This is a great video, and lots of great pictures along the way. How long do you typically spend in the saddle before you stop and take a picture, or walk around, or basically take a break? I normally ride a couple of hours and then I need a "butt break" (LOL).

[@briansadventures]

@@alklesczewski1207 I agree. I like to take at least a brief break every hour to two. It's nice to get a relief from the saddle, but also for my hands, wrists, neck, feet etc... It prevents small discomforts from becoming bigger problems. Also, some of my favorite moments from trips are from those breaks, maybe sitting by a river taking it all in.

[@kinguvclubz1]

At the locks do they have electricity/power to recharge things up as well?

[@PatDulak]

How did you recharge the camera battery during the trip?

[@Brian_Smith]

I carry a battery pack. I have found that it is at least as important to get one that you can charge quickly, as it is to get one with enough storage.

[@TyhlerNovac]

Putnam's are Related to the Hemingway's some Putnam are from Syracuse New York my Aunt Maureen is a Putnam married to Alan Hemingway's aka Fergie

[@spaceghost8995]

Why go west though? Wind is typicaly from the west.

[@briansadventures]

That is true. I wanted to be able to take a rental car to the beginning of the trail and ride home. Since my home is west, I road west. I do not believe the wind was much of a problem most days, but I do agree that prevailing winds are from the west.

[@spaceghost8995]

@@briansadventures Glad not too windy for your trip. You have more stamina than I do at 58 but I love biking. Just did Great Allegheny Passage trail last fall.

[@briansadventures]

@@spaceghost8995 That is a great trail!

[@spaceghost8995]

Doing this trip in spring of 2023!

[@jkbordersful]

Coming from Ohio, you sound exactly like ex attorney general, Barr. You must share an accent from the same area.