PORT BYRON - There is a lot to be said for a bicycle built for two.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Dennis Berry, of West Chester, Pa., rides through Port Byron on a leg of a Buffalo-to-Albany ride. About 600 riders participated in the ride through Cayuga County Wednesday.
Dennis Berry, of West Chester, Pa., rides through Port Byron on a leg of a Buffalo-to-Albany ride. About 600 riders participated in the ride through Cayuga County Wednesday.
“We get there at the same time,” quipped David and Diane Kimmerle, of Toronto, during a rest stop at Port Byron Middle School Wednesday morning during the 10th annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour.
The couple, along with their two sons and friends, the Mosterts, also from Canada, were among the 575 riders that started the journey along the canal trail on Sunday in Buffalo and will conclude in Albany this coming weekend.
The ride began as a means to help promote the Erie Canal Trail, which runs the width of New York state.
Riders spend much of the ride along the tow-paths of the original canal, where they can see all the sights, from the historical homes and villages that grew up along the canal to the diverse environments and wildlife that are all along the canal path.
The eight-day, 400-mile ride was created by Parks & Trails New York.
“We're an advocacy group,” said Mike O'Neil, assistant ride director. “The idea is to help promote the canal and what a great resource it is.”
Over the past decade, the ride has garnered more participants. This year, with 575 riders coming from 35 states as well as Canada, is the largest and most impressive turnout, exceeding the ride coordinators' expectations.
“We were aiming for 500,” O'Neil said. “But we got a lot of registrations at the last minute and we were more than happy to accommodate them. This is the most people we've ever had, we're very happy.”
People similar to the Kimmerle family were drawn to the ride for a number of reasons.
David Kimmerle said he and his family had taken part in similar rides in Canada along the Trent Canal and saw this as a wonderful opportunity to participate as a family, as he and his wife are making the 400-mile trek on their tandem bicycle.
“It is a great family outing,” David said. “The people are all so nice, there is a wonderful camaraderie among all the riders here and this is something that we can do with our sons Tristan and Jordan.”
Along the way, David said he and his family have enjoyed the closeness with other riders and the ever changing surroundings as the ride stopped off at various schools and other locations to rest and camp for the night.
“You are in a different place every night,” David said. “Camping, good food, the kids have made a lot of friends and they go swimming and play football, it has been really fun all along the way.”
For the Kimmerle's son, Tristan, 12, this ride is the longest he has ever taken part in and he has been impressing himself with his abilities as a rider.
“I got up to 61 kilometers per hour (about 38 mph),” Tristan said. “The whole ride has been a lot of fun.”
According to O'Neil, the intent of the ride is to create this kind of atmosphere, where everyone feels welcome and to ride at their own pace and take in all the sites the ride has to offer.
“We have a slightly older crowd,” O'Neil said. “The average age is about 50 and we have a lot of people riding together with their families. The idea is to do the ride and have a good time.”
That's an idea Doug Cyr, of Westbrook, Conn. has taken to heart. Cyr and his son Matt, 11, decided to make the ride a true family outing with Cyr's brother and his two sons.
“We ride a lot around where we live,” Cyr said. “But we had never done an overnight ride, so we thought this might be a good ride for us all to do together.”
Cyr said that he was drawn by both the historical significance of the ride and the way it is planned out.
“I've never been along the canal before,” Cyr said. “It has been really interesting seeing it and learning about it. Matt really liked the locks in Lockport, he took a tour and went down into the caves, it has been really interesting. And a lot of it is off the road, so you don't have to worry about the kids riding in traffic, it is a really interesting ride for the history and it is safe.”
Matt has also been impressed with the ride.
“The first day I was a little sore in the legs,” Matt said. “But it has been a lot of fun, riding and learning about everything that we get to see. I really like this ride.”
The couple, along with their two sons and friends, the Mosterts, also from Canada, were among the 575 riders that started the journey along the canal trail on Sunday in Buffalo and will conclude in Albany this coming weekend.
The ride began as a means to help promote the Erie Canal Trail, which runs the width of New York state.
Riders spend much of the ride along the tow-paths of the original canal, where they can see all the sights, from the historical homes and villages that grew up along the canal to the diverse environments and wildlife that are all along the canal path.
The eight-day, 400-mile ride was created by Parks & Trails New York.
“We're an advocacy group,” said Mike O'Neil, assistant ride director. “The idea is to help promote the canal and what a great resource it is.”
Over the past decade, the ride has garnered more participants. This year, with 575 riders coming from 35 states as well as Canada, is the largest and most impressive turnout, exceeding the ride coordinators' expectations.
“We were aiming for 500,” O'Neil said. “But we got a lot of registrations at the last minute and we were more than happy to accommodate them. This is the most people we've ever had, we're very happy.”
People similar to the Kimmerle family were drawn to the ride for a number of reasons.
David Kimmerle said he and his family had taken part in similar rides in Canada along the Trent Canal and saw this as a wonderful opportunity to participate as a family, as he and his wife are making the 400-mile trek on their tandem bicycle.
“It is a great family outing,” David said. “The people are all so nice, there is a wonderful camaraderie among all the riders here and this is something that we can do with our sons Tristan and Jordan.”
Along the way, David said he and his family have enjoyed the closeness with other riders and the ever changing surroundings as the ride stopped off at various schools and other locations to rest and camp for the night.
“You are in a different place every night,” David said. “Camping, good food, the kids have made a lot of friends and they go swimming and play football, it has been really fun all along the way.”
For the Kimmerle's son, Tristan, 12, this ride is the longest he has ever taken part in and he has been impressing himself with his abilities as a rider.
“I got up to 61 kilometers per hour (about 38 mph),” Tristan said. “The whole ride has been a lot of fun.”
According to O'Neil, the intent of the ride is to create this kind of atmosphere, where everyone feels welcome and to ride at their own pace and take in all the sites the ride has to offer.
“We have a slightly older crowd,” O'Neil said. “The average age is about 50 and we have a lot of people riding together with their families. The idea is to do the ride and have a good time.”
That's an idea Doug Cyr, of Westbrook, Conn. has taken to heart. Cyr and his son Matt, 11, decided to make the ride a true family outing with Cyr's brother and his two sons.
“We ride a lot around where we live,” Cyr said. “But we had never done an overnight ride, so we thought this might be a good ride for us all to do together.”
Cyr said that he was drawn by both the historical significance of the ride and the way it is planned out.
“I've never been along the canal before,” Cyr said. “It has been really interesting seeing it and learning about it. Matt really liked the locks in Lockport, he took a tour and went down into the caves, it has been really interesting. And a lot of it is off the road, so you don't have to worry about the kids riding in traffic, it is a really interesting ride for the history and it is safe.”
Matt has also been impressed with the ride.
“The first day I was a little sore in the legs,” Matt said. “But it has been a lot of fun, riding and learning about everything that we get to see. I really like this ride.”
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