Posted by Les Faber in Day 1 of the KNBC tour began on Saturday the 28th of June. We met at the Public School in Prescott, Ontario.
Our Tour Leader Barrie K. had us all there ready and excited for our 3 day cycling adventure along the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The weather was ominous. But we were not deterred!
As soon as we left, it started to rain. Nobody seemed put off by the bad weather. Note to self: That last minute purchase of rain-gear was a good thing!
Our first hurdle was a walk across the bridge to the US. It was quite hazardous as the sidewalk was narrow and the curb slippery. Riding a bike was impossible as the road surface is metal grating.Walking with your bike on your left is recommended – even if you are right-handed.
We were not deterred! And the sign doesn’t say “No bikes”
It was a long walk across! I made the mistake of looking down from the highest point….. bad idea!
Once across (like lemmings), we clustered and attempted to pass through US Customs as if we were a vehicle. Our ruse did not work! We were herded into the Customs Office. It was actually quite funny as I don’t think the Customs Agents had seen a group of cyclists before. Probably the most excitement they have had in a long time.
We then cycled through Ogdensburg, New York. Rather uneventful. But it was raining and we needed to make up some time due to walking across the bridge and US Customs.
The Seaway Trail runs parallel to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Our entire route in the US was on this Trail. It is actually a paved shoulder that runs the entire length of the highways we cycled on. It was immaculate. Even though there was considerable motorized vehicle traffic at times, I did not once feel unsafe. Ontario take note. Good roads make for happy cyclists and safe cycling.
A typical view of US Route 37. Most of the route was similiar to what you see above. The terrain was moderately hilly.
Our first stop was at a State Park by the side of the highway. Really not much of a park as there were no benches or facilities. We had a great lunch despite the rain.
Our tour continued on where we merged with US Route 12. This was weird inasmuch as the signage indicated that we were going south while we were actually heading west. A bit unnerving as there were very few signs that actually gave you mileage to particular destinations. That plus everything being marked in miles versus kilometers made things a bit confusing. Thankfully we had Barrie’s directions in hand!
Our next stop was Alexandria Bay, New York. I was very excited to see signs everywhere announcing the annual Biker Weekend! How did they know we were coming? A random chance to meet fellow bikers was upon us. Everyone in the group of 19 cyclists were pumped!
Here’s a shot of Helen en route to her “Biker Weekend”
Obviously a misjudgement on our part. Nineteen cyclists and thousands of Harleys
Below you can see our attempt at blending in.
Apparently one of us even went to a tattoo parlor to see if they could get “Shimano” inked on their left shoulder!
All kidding aside, we had a blast. We met many motorcyclists, had some great conversations and listened to some great tunes from a live band.
The balance of this leg of our 3 day trip was uneventful (apart from a pretty hard driving rain) just after we left Alexandria Bay.
Our final destination for the day was Clayton New York. We had reservations at a local Motel. We were disappointed at the quality of our room etc…. which leads me to recommend that one should always do a good scope of local accommodations in order to secure the best possible beds and rates.
A somewhat restless night followed as there were a group of fellow motelers who stayed up most of the night talking (aka drinking).
Day 2 to follow soon!
I am interested in a St Laurence bike trip with 3 others. Will you be doing the trip again this comming summer? We are from CT, NY FL & CO.
Appreciate more information
Saul
Hello Saul – As a matter of fact I was discussing this very trip with one of my fellow cyclists over the weekend.
It is definitely in our thoughts for the summer – though no firm plans have been made.
You can contact me directly through the “Contact Us” tab on our website.