Best area in the Finger Lakes Region for biking

[hermit]

Best area in the Finger Lakes Region for biking and hiking

I was thinking about heading West to the Finger lakes region in a few weeks for some road biking. I haven't been in that area since 1973 when I attended a concert at Watkins Glen.I was wondering if anyone could tell me the best spot to take a 40 to 50 mile ride,where I won't have too much traffic to deal with , or an area that has a decent shoulder to ride on.I would also appreciate any info. on mountain bike trails by the lakes,and decent places to stay over night,motels etc.I tried some web sites,but the information was kind of vague.I don't care which lake I go to,I just want to be spending more time biking and less time looking for a good spot.I would also like to check out some of the hiking trails. Thank's in advance for any info. Ralph

 

[Rick]

Hermit -
I used to bike those areas a bit and now usually bike a lot around Hammondsport now.

A good resource is "20 bicycle tours in the Finger Lakes" by Mark Roth and Sally Walters.

A very nice ride of that length is around Keuka Lake. Starting at Hammondsport, Head North on route 54 to Penn Yan. Turn Left on 54A and follow to branchport, through poultney and back down to Hammondsport.

Route 54 has very nice wide shoulders and the grades are splendid.
Route 54A shoulders are also good, but not as wide as Route 54.

If you wanted to add a dozen miles to it, you could also circle the bluff (or ride to the top and out to Bluff Point)

a nice ~20 mile ride is around Honeoye Lake - Head South from Honeoye on West Lake road and take the first left at the end of the lake, through the lowlands and then turn left on East Lake Road, back up to Route 20A and left into Honeoye.

The reason I like both of the rides is that the roads hug the lakes and do not go high onto the hills like the Canadaigua, Seneca, Hemlock or Cayuga, where there isn't a lot of shade as you are riding.

Hope this helps
Rick

 

[JimB]

Ralph, we ride a lot at Bear Swamp state forest which is near Skaneateles Lake. The trails are varied and have everything from crazy downhills to sweet singletrack to truck trails. There is only about 500 feet of elevation change overall so the hills don't become a real drag. Maps are available locally at the DEC. Shindagin Hollow near Cayuga Lake is listed yearly as a "destination" by national mt. biking magazines. The terrain is a little steeper and includes an Area 51(or something like that) with man-made stunts in case you like to act like a kid and want to get hurt real bad . These areas are all in the eastern part of the FL's. As far as road rides, any of the smaller lakes make a great trip of riding around them. Seneca and Cayuga are real long so you might want to do any of the others. Traffic is usually not too bad and all the lakes I've circumnavigated had nice roads and smooth shoulders. Have fun.

 

[Oldsmores]

Check out:
Finger Lakes Cycling Club
Elmira area

 

[Rik]

Be careful of all the wine drinkers driving their cars on the roads you are biking!

 

[Jay H]

That's where the bike mirror is handy!

Heck, what about drunk cyclists...

On your righ..I mean lef... I mean... *sic*



Jay

 

[hermit]

Thank's everyone for the links and info.. I think I will be putting on some serious mileage out there. Hey Jay,didn't I take that avatar pic. of you?I heard that the wine is quite good in the area also.Normally I don't drink but I haven't been normal lately. Jay,I am looking forward to hiking in the White mountains with you and the other folks in Aug.. It's been 32 years since I was there also.

 

[mavs00]

-HERE- is a nice "road ride" loop that is pretty moderate and not too crazy. It's in Geneva, and pretty much sticks between Seneca & Cayuga lakes.

It's actually the bike portion of a 1/2 Ironman so it's 56 miles (as done on the map). You can add an delete section to make it longer or shorter. I've done it and it's not bad, and I suck at biking (its the worst of the three). Wide road for the higher trafic areas and lightly used country roads the rest of the way.

Hope it helps.

 

[Jay H]

Ralph, yes, that was from my Escape the Escarpment hike!

Back to biking in the finger lakes:

http://www.bontonroulet.com/

These guys send me a brochure every year, if you download their PDF brochure from the link above, it probably lists this year's route again. You could use that as a base for looking at rides...

Jay

 

[WBB]

I would suggest:

Finger Lakes National Forest www.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/ which is a part of the Green Mt. National Forest and sits above Seneca Lake south of Geneva NY. There is no bike trails but I would think that the roads, most of which are unpaved, would work. There is camping: http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/gmfl/fingerlakes/recreation_management/camping.htm The network of hiking trails is quite nice with some excellent views of the lake. The Finger Lakes Trail ( FLT ) cuts through the south portion of the forest.

 

[wolftone]

Seneca Lake Booze Tour

The east coast of Seneca Lake is a great ride. Start in Wakins Glen and go uphill ~25 miles to Sampson State Park. Rest and have lunch. The way back is almost entirely downhill and populated with some surprisingly good wineries.

The truly decadent way to do it is to have friends drop you off in Ovid and act as support-and-wine-carrying vehicle all the way downhill to Watkins Glen.

Just remember to stay hydrated or you'll get tipsy really, really fast.

Be sure to stop at Lamoreaux Landing (http://www.lamoreauxwine.com) and sample their Gewurtz.

-k

 

[AMF]

One of the nice things about biking the core of the Finger Lakes area is the way the roads are laid out on a grid. If one is too busy, there is sure to be a parallel road that's more of a country ride. I usually just take a copy of the DeLorme atlas for the area & set out. If you try & follow the numerous back roads that skirt natural drainage paths down to the lakes, you'll find waterfalls in just about every hollow.