ALBANY – They start out in Buffalo on Sunday, July 10, leaving their cars behind.   Some 500 bicyclists from 35 states are participating in the 13th annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour, organized by Parks & Trails New York, a statewide not-for-profit organization.  The 400-mile bicycle tour ends on Sunday, July 17 in Albany.

About three-quarters of the journey is on the off-road Erie Canalway Trail.  When the Trail is finished, it will be the longest statewide trail in the United States.

“The 13th annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour is an inexpensive and healthy way to explore the Erie Canal and upstate New York.  Plus it’s fun.  I call it a rolling summer camps for all ages,” says Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin.  “We have cyclists from over 35 states plus several hundred volunteers in communities along the route ready to welcome riders and help them discover what makes the Erie Canal and upstate New York unique.”