Roll Out the Welcome Mat for Cycle the Erie Canal!
Did you know that Cycle the Erie Canal (affectionately called "CTEC") is the largest cross-state bike tour in New York?
CTEC brings 700+ cyclists from all over the country (and world!) together to tour New York's historic canal communities each year. And to to make this fantastic tour even more celebrational, CTEC celebrates its 25th anniversary from July 9 to July 16, this year!
We're ready to roll out the "welcome mat" to show this year's riders what hometown hospitality is all about. Here are a few ways canal communities can—and do!—welcome riders, persuading them to stop, visit, and enjoy the special ambience Erie Canal towns offer:
1. Offer something to drink! Offering water or ice cold lemonade is one of the simplest ways to welcome riders. Long miles and hot days make for thirsty riders.
2. Give plenty of notice. Cyclists moving at 10 to 20 mph need some advanced notice about what's ahead if they are going to have time to consider a stop. Place multiple signs along the trail (or send out a few volunteers to hold signs and greet riders) in advance of your attraction or community to entice riders to stop.
3. Let your community know! To make sure hundreds of riders aren't a surprise, be sure that local residents and businesses are ready to host this great group of cyclists. Putting up signs around town—and announcements on community websites and social media pages—are good ways to get the word out. Specific communications to the business community and local historians or historical societies are great ways to make sure these groups are involved. On the day of, display “Welcome Cyclists!” signs prominently to let riders know you're glad they're visiting.
4. Be prepared for the rush. Find out when the majority of cyclists will be coming through and accommodate accordingly. This might mean encouraging businesses to open early or stay open late... or changing what you offer (think donuts in the morning, lemonade in the afternoon). Keep in mind that if your town is right after a rest area, cyclists probably won’t need more food. But food isn't the only thing a community can offer. Consider choosing a different, creative way to welcome them, like with music or art. You can refer to the day-by-day schedule at the bottom of this article to see when your community falls.
5. Bring the party to them. Even if your community, attraction or business isn’t located directly on the route, you can still be a part of the fun! Local businesses, artists, and/or other community groups might want to set up tables near the trail (make sure to follow any processes or permits required by the landowner) or provide tours from the trail to an interesting destination or celebration area.
6. Be prepared to answer common questions. Know where the nearest bike racks, restrooms, ATMs, snack bars, and restaurants are located. Cyclists will appreciate it, and it's a great way to highlight services your community offers!
7. Help cyclists get their purchases back to camp or to their homes. When biking the trail, cyclists don’t have a lot of extra room to carry goodies they purchase along the way. Helping cyclists transport their purchases to that day's overnight location or offering to ship purchases home is a great way to entice them to bring home the unique offerings your business (or community) features.
8. Give them something to remember! Cyclists are on a fairly tight schedule and may not be able to stop and explore all the places they'd like to. But celebrating the ride—and making riders feel welcome—will entice them to return... and tell their friends all about the sites that intrigued them on their travels. This can come in the form of a place-specific memento, a photo op, or even an experience like live music or an historical tour. CTEC cyclists are know for returning to the amazing Erie Canalway Trail to expand their adventures, and there are a lot of ways to make your community stand out!
9. Make the most of the energy and momentum. Put out a media announcement, or press release, to attract press on the day the tour comes through your community. You'll be able to cover the "CTEC excitement" and raise the profile of your community as a destination along the trail!
Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour Daily Schedule
Since we leave it up to the riders to decide when they want to leave each morning, and where they want to stop, there is no exact formula to calculate when all the cyclists will be coming through your town. There are some ways, however, to predict when the majority of riders will arrive. Each day some cyclists start as early as 5:30 or 6:00am, but the vast majority don't leave until 7:00 or 7:30am. The morning rest stops last from 8:00-11:00am, and the afternoon rest stops last from 11:00am-4:00pm. Most riders arrive at camp by 4:00pm, so you can expect to wrap up before then.
By looking at the list of towns the tour passes through each day, and seeing where your town falls, you can roughly estimate whether riders will be coming through in the morning or afternoon. We've helped your "guesstimation" by providing the below breakouts: the towns, villages, and cities listed at the beginning of each day in the timeline below should be prepared for an early morning rider rush, while those toward the end of the day's schedule can expect folks a bit later in the day. It is an imperfect science, but each year you get a better feel for when and where to be!
The tour follows the Erie Canalway Trail/Empire State Trail for most of the ride, but does vary in a few locations. Refer to the interactive storymap from last year to see the actual route the tour takes (while noting that there may yet still be last minute changes). The official route for 2023 will be posted to PTNY’s Ride with GPS account in early July.
Communities located across the canal/river from the trail are indicated with a star (*). Empire State Trail Towns are indicated in bold.
Day 1: Sunday, July 9 (Buffalo to Medina):
Buffalo, Tonawanda, North Tonawanda*, Amherst, Pendleton (Uncle G’s – AM rest stop), Lockport, Royalton, Middleport (Middleport Canal Park – PM rest stop), Ridgeway, Medina (overnight camp).
Day 2: Monday, July 10 (Medina to Perinton):
Medina, Albion, Gaines, Murray, Holley (AM rest stop), Clarkson, Sweden, Brockport, Ogden, Spencerport, Greece, Gates, Rochester (Genesee Valley Park Waterways Park – PM rest stop), Brighton, Henrietta, Pittsford, Fairport, Perinton (overnight camp).
Day 3: Tuesday, July 11 (Perinton to Seneca Falls)
Perinton, Macedon, Palmyra (Palmyra Canal Park – AM rest stop), Arcadia, Newark, Lyons, Galen, Clyde (Clyde Park – PM rest stop), Junius, Tyre, Seneca Falls (overnight camp).
Day 4: Wednesday, July 12 (Seneca Falls to Syracuse)
Seneca Falls, Montezuma, Mentz, Port Byron (Port Byron Erie Canal Heritage Park – AM rest stop), Brutus, Weedsport, Elbridge, Jordan, VanBuren, Camillus (Camillus Sim’s Store – PM rest stop), Geddes, Solvay, Syracuse (overnight camp).
Day 5: Thursday, July 13 (Syracuse to Rome)
Syracuse, DeWitt, Manlius, Fayetteville, Sullivan, Chittenango (Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum – AM rest stop), Lenox, Canastota, Wampsville, Oneida, Verona, Rome (Lock 21 – PM rest stop), downtown Rome (overnight camp).
Day 6: Friday, July 14 (Rome to Canajoharie)
Rome, Whitestown, Oriskany, Marcy, Utica (AquaVino – AM rest stop), Frankfort, German Flatts, Ilion, Mohawk, Herkimer*, Little Falls (Canal Harbor – PM rest stop), Danube, Minden, St.*, Fort Plain, Nelliston*, Palatine Bridge*, Canajoharie (overnight camp).
Day 7: Saturday, July 15 (Canajoharie to Niskayuna)
Canajoharie, Palatine Bridge*, Root, Glen, Fultonville, Fonda*, Florida, Hunter (Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site – AM rest stop), Amsterdam, Rotterdam (Pattersonville Fire Department – PM rest stop), Schenectady, Scotia*, Niskayuna (overnight camp).
Day 8: Sunday, July 16 (Niskayuna to Albany)
Niskayuna, Colonie, Cohoes, Waterford (Peebles Island State Park – AM rest stop), Green Island, Troy*, Watervliet, Menands, Albany (FINISH LINE!!)
