BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — More than 600 cyclists have set off on a 400-mile journey from Buffalo to Albany to get a tour of the Erie Canal like no other.
New York Parks and Trails' Cycle the Erie Canal is an annual, fully supported bicycle tour that follows the Erie Canalway Trail from Buffalo to Albany. Riders camp in Medina, Fairport, Seneca Falls, Syracuse, Rome, Canajoharie, Schenectady, and Albany while experiencing New York's history, culture, and scenic landscapes.
This year, riders come from 37 states and range in ages from 8 to 86. One of the returning riders is also one of the youngest.
"I've done the whole thing for 3 years and then a few years before that for shorter times," 14-year-old Zora Miller said. "My dad bikes a lot, so we bike a lot together, and I like biking because it feels like you can still be in the world and like looking around at everything around you, but you can also be thinking."
"If there are any kids who want to sign up next year, that would be great. We have different numbers, different years, but it's always fun to have younger people on the ride," Miller said.
Other riders are making the trek for the very first time.
WATCH: Hundreds of riders hit the road for annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour
"I did the Katie Trail last year, so then just with more research, I discovered this trail, so I asked her if she wanted to join me," Ingrid Allen, joined by Karen Fabianksi, said. "I've done the cross-Vermont and then the Cayuga River Trail. So this was kind of that stretch in between that I haven't done yet, so it's perfect."
The trail so far has been beautiful. Gardens along the trail side have been awesome, so it's been good," Fabianski said.
"Last year, the night that they were camped in Fairport, I live about a half mile from there, and I was driving by, and I saw all these tents, and I was like, 'Oh wow, what's going on?'" Matt Feldberg described how he learned of the tour. "I looked it up, and I learned about the Buffalo to Albany canal ride, and I was like, 'That sounds like something I want to do.'"
Matt is joined by his wife Desi.
"He's done some Ironmans and some half Ironmans, and you know, this year he said, 'I'm going to do the Erie Canal ride, you want to come?' And I'm like, yes, so here we are," Desi said. "It's a beautiful trail; you get to see everything downtown by the water in Buffalo too, like through all the towns and the parks and the canalways. It's really beautiful, and people are really into it. The energy has been great, the homeowners, the volunteers. It's a really good thing."
The tour is set to conclude on Sunday, July 19, with the schedule for the week as follows:
Here is the simplified list of locations and dates for the ride:
- Saturday, 7/11/26: Buffalo (Nichols School, 1250 Amherst Street, Buffalo)
- Sunday, 7/12/26: Buffalo to Medina (Medina Central Schools, 1 Mustang Drive, Medina)
- Monday, 7/13/26: Medina to Fairport (Center Park West, 1100 Ayrault Road, Fairport)
- Tuesday, 7/14/26: Fairport to Seneca Falls (Elks Lodge, 2221 River Road, Seneca Falls)
- Wednesday, 7/15/26: Seneca Falls to Syracuse (Burnet Park, 577 Burnet Park Drive, Syracuse)
- Thursday, 7/16/26: Syracuse to Rome (Fort Stanwix, 200 North James Street, Rome)
- Friday, 7/17/26: Rome to Canajoharie (Canajoharie High School, 136 Scholastic Way, Canajoharie)
- Saturday, 7/18/26: Canajoharie to Schenectady (Schenectady Jewish Community Center, 2565 Balltown Road, Schenectady)
- Sunday, 7/19/26: Schenectady to Albany (Quackenbush Square, 25 Quackenbush Square, Albany)
Join the Niagara County Community News Facebook group to connect with neighbors and learn about what's happening in your community.
