The wind was at their backs but the temperature and humidity were soaring on Monday, July 9 when close to 500 bicyclists pedaled their way along the banks of the Erie Canal. The faces of the bikers as they slowed down at the lift bridge in Spencerport ranged from tired, to joyful (that could have been because of the idea that lunch was close at hand) but they all appeared happy to have signed up for the trek. Jackie McDowall and Aaron Dorfman were on a trip of their own which they began in Chicago and happened upon the bikers on the canal bank. "We will actually go close to 6,000 miles before we get back home," Dorfman said. The couple are musicians who will be playing at various locations along the way to pay for meals and board. When asked why they decided to make the trip, McDowall said, "We really didn't have anything better to do right now. And we're getting ready for a cross country trip in Europe next year." They plan to be back in Chicago by October. A group of Boy Scouts was part of the 500 bikers. Edward Dobyns, one of the Scouts said, "This trip is awesome. The people are friendly." None of the Scouts said they had any special training for the trip and Andreas Conrad said it was all about the "passion of cycling." There were two flat tires along the trip, they said, but they were easily and quickly fixed. Pete Tolvanen from Massachusetts said he does a lot of bicycle touring and the canal ride was an easy one with its flat, smooth surfaces. Ginny Swarthout and Joyce Lobene of the Spencerport Area Chamber of Commerce and other village representatives and volunteers were out to greet the bikers as they made their way into the village. There was a sandwich board of photos of the village's attractions and locations of lunch spots. Several of the riders saw the sign for Abbott's and Swarthout's description of it as "to die for" sold one of the riders and he mounted back up gave a wave and was off. "We wanted to make Spencerport a presence for the bikers when they came riding through," Swarthout said. "Spencerport is a friendly village and we want to promote that and welcome the riders." Beau Productions, which helps organize the upcoming Spencerport Canal Days, provided bottles of water to the riders in buckets and with ice provided by the Spencerport Volunteer Fire Department. Spencerport has been a stop on the trek for many years, some years providing a light meal and other years meeting and greeting the riders and providing "get to know Spencerport" information. With temperatures near 90 in the late morning, bikers were grateful for the shade offered by the pavilion in Lester Merz Park and by the chance to rehydrate with cool water. The bikers, whose ages ranged from two to 78, came from as far away as Alaska, California, Ohio, Colorado, Maine and the Carolinas to participate in the nearly 400 mile Cycling the Erie Canal Bike Tour sponsored by the NYS Canal Corporation and Parks & Trails Department. Of the bikers, 40 percent were women, 10 percent were under the age of 18 and one-third of them came from New York state. The trip began in Buffalo on July 8 and would end in Albany on July 15. The reason for the eight day recreational bicycling tour is to highlight the beauty, history, culture and recreational appeal of the Canal System and the Canalway Trail, a prime tourism destination in New York state. The New York State Canal Corporation is sponsoring the event for the ninth consecutive year. Roughly two-thirds of the 400-mile bicycle tour is on the completed portion of the Canalway Trail. During the bike trek, Cycling the Erie Canal participants will have the opportunity to participate in guided tours of the canal, historic sites and museums, such as the Erie Canal Village, Fort Stanwix National Monument and Old Erie Canal State Park and make stops in villages including Holley and Brockport. © July 15, 2007 - Westside News Inc. |
