Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour Guide
Seneca Lake Winery
In a few weeks, winter 2008-09, is a season to remember. Today, March
12, I completed compiling the Cyclotour Guide Books/New York Bicycling Coalition Major
Bicycling Events in NYS Calendar. The Calendar lists 41 major bicycling
events, of all types, in the NYS Finger Lakes Tourism Region. Rides, road races,
criteriums, bmx, cyclocross, and commercial tours bring bicyclists from all over the world
to enjoy the wonderful cycling conditions in the Finger Lakes. In addition to these
events, the three major recreational bicycle clubs in the region conduct club rides almost
every day of the week from April through October. Wow!
You can enjoy watching event cyclists ride by your b&b, campground
or motel after using our Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour Guide to roll around the
Finger Lakes Region on your own or with your own touring group. Order a copy today.
Winter is a beautiful time of the year in the Finger Lakes. The
bountiful harvest of delicious fruits, vegetables and grains from 2008's perfect spring,
summer, and fall weather is past. Our wonderful glacial derived, nutrient rich soil
produces grapes and other agricultural products of outstanding quality. The vintners say
that the 2008 grape harvest will result in a magnificent vintage.
Winter in the Finger Lakes is a wonderful time. The hills surrounding
the Lakes are covered with a brilliant mosaic of evergreens interspersed with the white of
snow and glistening shimmer of ice on the Lakes. Trees standing leafless like sentinels
along the hillsides. Wineries greeting visitors with special tours. There are winter
events for hikers, walkers, skiers, and folks who just need a day or two in the country.
During the 2008, cycling season we encountered more cyclists pedaling
around the Lakes than in previous years. Many of these intrepid bicyclists are following
routes from our book Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour Guide. They are enjoying
riding on main State roads circling each Lake with their wide (min. 4 ft./1.2 m.) paved
shoulders white striped from the automobile roadway. Other individual cyclists are using
our Finger Lakes Bicyclist’s Tour Guide to go off the beaten path on to
beautiful paved rural roads; to climb high and bicycle along the ridges surrounding the
Lakes. There are many local resident cyclists commuting to work or going to stores on
their bicycles.
Oh! The joy of clear air! The joy of viewing sparkling water and
hillsides dancing with wildlife. The joy of stopping at farm stands; of encountering a
local festival with grape pie as the featured treat! You'll find all of these wondrous
Finger Lakes adventures during the main bicycling season.
New York State’s Finger Lakes provide outstanding road and off
road touring. Our book, Finger Lakes Bicyclist’s Tour Guide provides the key to enjoyable
road touring around and between the 11 Finger Lakes.
64 routes covering 1186 mi./1909 km. are provided in
the Tour Guide. A circumnavigation route for each of the 11 Finger Lakes
plus 3 connecting routes between adjoining Lakes. The routes around two smaller erosion
formed Lakes also are included.
These glacial formed lakes run North to South. The longest, Cayuga, is
40 mi./64 km. long but only 3.5 mi./5.6 km. wide. The smallest, Canadice, is 3 mi./4.8 km.
long.
There is much to see and do in the area. With over 70 wineries the
region abounds with tasting rooms and friendly vintners.
Delightful small villages dot the Finger Lakes allowing you to stop and
enjoy a historical site or museum. Go antiquing at shops and garage sales. College cities,
Ithaca and Geneva among others, offer a bit of diversity in the form of high culture
events.
The Woman’s National Historic Park; Sampson WW II Naval Air Museum
(Seneca Lake was used as a Navy Training base during WW II, including submarines); Glenn
Curtiss Museum; Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge; are just a few of the major tourist
attractions for you to visit.
The rural landscape and State parks provide secluded get a ways from
the rigors of sometimes climbing as much as 1400 ft./426 m. in less than 3 mi./5 km.
Although some of the routes between the Lakes demand such severe climbing most routes have
easily negotiated rolling hill terrain. A few, such as the circumnavigation route around
Conesus Lake, are down right level!
For bicyclists who hike to relax their muscles, the Finger Lakes Trail
(generally closed to bicyclists), the State parks and the Finger Lakes National Forest
provide ample opportunity to stretch those muscles while viewing the wildlife, glens and
gorges.
A touring bicyclist is still a rarity in the Finger Lakes. The four
bicycle clubs in the area have scheduled rides traversing the Lakes well into December.
You are welcome to join the club members on a ride.
You might see a few cyclists scurrying along the road as part of a
charity ride or professional road race. The Bon Ton Roulet, Tour de
New York, Hardcore 24 hr. MTB Race, and Highlander, as well as the 37 other
bicycle rides, races and tours are yours' to watch or participate in the Finger Lakes!
"The most demanding randonneur in North America, the QuadZilla,"
ribbons around each of the 11 Lakes in 48 hours. The QuadZilla only occures
once every two or three years.
It's the time to plan your bicycle tour to this natural wonderland
theme park rather than going to a contrived attraction theme park this spring, summer or
fall!
Our Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour Guide provides extensive
information on 64 routes goin' round and between the 11 Finger Lakes. Some routes have
challenging ascents and descents. Other routes provide wonderful rolling hill cycling
along the gentle edges of glacial drumlins. And then there is the almost flat
circumnavigation of Conesus Lake. Something for every level of cyclotourist from novice to
highly experienced rider.
The 2nd Edition includes all the 64 routes described in the 1st Edition
plus Chautauqua Lake and a few other goodies.
284 pages. 26 maps. 30 illustrations. 11 Elevation graphs.
Finger Lakes Bicyclist’s Tour Guide, 2nd Edition, US$25.95
Click here: cyclotour@cyclotour.com
to send an email to order 1 or more of our tour guides.
Click on the icon below to use a credit card &
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Click
here: Order Form to order Finger Lakes Bicyclist's Tour
Guide.
Go to these Tourism Bureaus for great information Don't for
get to tell them, Cyclotour Guide Books referred us to you!
Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance: http://www.fingerlakes.org, 800 548-4386
Seneca County: http://www.fingerlakescentral.com/,
800 732-1848
Tioga County: http://www.visittioga.com, 800 671-7772
Yates County: http://www.yatesny.com,
800 868-9283
Bicycle Shops in the Greater Finger Lakes Region
Alfred Station: Bicycleman: www.bicycleman.com
Canandaigua: RV&E Canandaigua: 585
393-5680, www.rvebike.com
Geneva: Geneva Bicycle Center 315 789-5922: http://www.genevabikes.com
Ithaca: There are several bicycle shops in
Ithaca.
Lodging in the Finger Lakes Region
Black Sheep Inn, 8329 Pleasant Valley Rd.,
Hammondsport NY 14840, 607 569-3767, www.stayblacksheepinn.com
Desired Haven Bed & Breakfast, 9138 Dugway Rd., West Bloomfield NY 14469, 585
624-3904, www.desired-haven.com
General Information
Travel Maven Blog: www.travelmaven.wordpress.com
Monroe County & Rochester Tourism: www.visitrochester.com
Livingston County Tourism: www.fingerlakeswest.com
Info Rochester: http://www.inforochester.com/bike.htm
Click here: To read about our Erie Canal Bicyclist & Hiker Tour Guide.
Go to Great Lakes to read
about Tour Guides describing circumnavigation routes around Lakes Ontario, Erie, Michigan,
& Huron.
Go to French Canal
Biking or New Zealand Biking for other wonderful
places to tour.