There is only one way to experience the rich agricultural story of the Adirondacks, and that is farm-by bike.
You guessed it, this fall bicycling tour features farm stops (complete with tours of each), but what makes this event special is its ability to tell the rich agricultural story of the Lake Champlain Valley while experiencing the landscape by bike. You can see, smell and absorb so much more when moving by your own pedal power.
This loop has only a few miles of asphalt riding. While on the state highway the road generally has narrow shoulders and can be busy during the summer. The ride takes you past many small ponds and there are opportunities to stop and go for a swim. The abandoned rail line, takes you back to your car. The rail corridor will be top coated with stone dust by the end of 2023, until then the compacted crushed stone surface is only suitable for bikes with wider tires. Please note that the rail line may be closed during final construction.
Great ride for a gravel bike or 29er. The mostly asphalt road ride does include Trout Pond Road, a beautiful gravel road. It also includes the seasonally open, sometimes eroded and often cobble strewn Jay Mountain Road, which might require walking gravel bikes for a bit. The ride proceeds clockwise to give you ample opportunity to warm up before the big climb up over Jay Mountain. Speed control on the downhill side of Jay Mountain is a must.
Bring along a pair of hiking shoes on a ride to Azure Mountain. Once there stretch your legs by hiking a little over a mile to the summit of a moderately to fairly steep hike and hike a fire tower that offers spectacular views of the surrounding landscape. Once you're back to your bike ride back to your car and head into Saranac Lake for a well deserved meal. Note that you must be self sufficient as there is little to no cell coverage or development along much of this route.
A big loop that combines some old country roads, dirt roads, and a wide shouldered state highway. The mileage is up there, luckily there are only a few punchy climbs and short sections along the dirt road where there is a bit of sand. This is what fast gravel bikes are made for! There is a small convenience store in St Regis Falls where you resupply. There very are long sections where you will have little to no cell service, and very little development so being well prepared is a must.
This abandoned road that takes you to a remote pond. This is an out and back ride suitable for fat tire, hardtail mountain bike.
This summer, we've partnered with University of Vermont graduate student and New York State certified guide Hyla Howe to present a series of guided birding by bike tours. The first of which was held June 26 in the Champlain Valley. Best of all, proceeds from this will support graduate research being conducted on grassland birds in the Adirondacks.
Great ride for a gravel bike or 29er. The mostly asphalt road ride does include Trout Pond Road, a beautiful gravel road. It also includes the seasonally open, usually washed out and often cobble strewn Jay Mountain road which might require hike a bike for those sporting minimal widths. The ride proceeds clockwise to give you ample opportunity to warm up before the big climb up over Jay Mountain. Speed control on the downhill side of Jay Mountain is a must.
This loop has only a few miles of asphalt riding. While on asphalt you are riding on either wide smooth highway shoulders or on a quiet country road. The ride takes you past many small ponds and there are opportunities to stop and go for a swim. The abandoned rail line, which takes you back to your car is ridable now, but planned work to topcoat the line with stone dust is expected through the summer of 2023. Before the rail surface will remain compacted crusher stone suitable for wider tires. Please note that the rail line may be closed during final construction.