By 8:45am we were riding over the blustery Peace Bridge into a day that foreboded of wet weather on our way 53 miles down the Empire State/Erie Canal bicycle trail. The passage through US Customs/Passport Control and the good humor of the US Border Patrol officers that processed us gave us hope for a good day.
Within our first mile back in the USA we were joined by Mark Hachenski, an old GE friend of mine, who lives in Saratoga Springs, NY. When Mark heard about our trip last spring he offered me silver and gold if he could join us on this epic adventure. After conferring with the rest of the group we agreed our 401k’s could use a little boost so we invited him in. I expect buyers remorse in Mark’s future!!
The day started out well, heading north along the Shoreline Trail from downtown Buffalo along the Niagara River. This might have been our first potty stop, everyone is smiling.
Misfortune struck Len’s rear tire shortly after 11am. After several failed attempts with tubes and CO2 cartridges and with great emotional support from Terry and I, we were soon headed further east on our way to Medina.
At times our route followed directly along the Erie Canal along what could have been a tow path. The rain was still just a threat at this point.
Oops, about 30 minutes later Len’s rear tire revolted again with another flat. After more tubes and CO2 cartridges, and an embedded thorn found with Terry’s help, we were sure our fortunes would change and we could ride swiftly down the trail to Medina before the rain could find us.
With the collective supply of tubes and CO2 cartridges dangerously depleted a stop at a Bike Shop was called for. If you’re ever in Lockport and in need of a bike shop, please remember that when you Google, Performance Cycle is a motorcycle shop, NOT a bike shop. The only place we could find with tubes was the ubiquitous Walmart. Alas, no CO2 cartridges.
We reconvened the group for lunch at little place that the ladies had found called Cousins in downtown Lockport. It was an excellent trip back to the 60’s with Lucy, Elvis and James Dean memorabilia all over the place. The owner/server Diane, who should have been a stand up comic from that same era, kept us on our toes with her whit and charm. The food was old school great and the prices took us back in time as well.
Our Magnificent 7 group got split when Terry mangled his chain in his cassette while the 4 of us were plunging down one of the few hills we had seen. Annette called to alert us so we waited down the road for them to repair and reappear. We waited long enough for the rain to find us sheltering at the backside of an Auto Body Shop for a few minutes.
Terry, Annette and Len found a more scenic (longer..) way to Medina so we met up at our hotel for quick showers and a most excellent dinner at the Zambistro Restaurant about 2 miles away. After dinner we road our bikes back to the hotel in what we hope will be the last of the rain that we will see!!
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