post erie canal ride analysis, good and bad

 My Erie Canal Youtube videos, click here 

 

I think I figured out why I saw more people biking west, Albany to Buffalo than vice versa.   Between Utica and Albany there's a lot more road and train noise.    Once you get close to Rochester (Fairport), the trail is the best out there, so you'll end on more of a high note.   Going West, you'll likely face a headwind more, but you're often shielded by trees, and going West only gains 500ft more elevation-wise.   Still, either direction is a great ride.   I'd gladly do either again.  

Speaking of,  will I do biketouring/bikepacking again?   Absolutely!    I had a great time!   During the rainiest day,  during the worst, wettest, coldest weather;  the thought that popped into my head was that if I can handle this, I could totally bike cross country.

 Anyway, i wanted to review the things I thought went well and what I screwed up.

 

Mistakes made on/before trip

• my bike seat wasn't comfortable, more on that below.   
• I did do a 40 mile test ride the week before, and discovered the friction cups adjusting saddle tilt were stuck.  I unstuck them and thought all was fixed, it was not.  
• my usb battery charger wouldn't charge anything even though it was saying it was at 100%, should have tested it could actually charge something before going
• should have brought a rag and an old toothbrush to keep my chain clean 
• should have replaced my chain before going too, probably. 
• never had a comfortable long ride on the bike before going on this trip, bike fit?   seatpost issue?  make sure you can ride comfortably for 40-50 miles BEFORE you go on a bike tour

 Unique things I did that went super well.

• UV leggings and arm sleeves, so much easier than applying sunscreen to everything 2-3x per day.
• i split up the big route in Ride With GPS into 4 smaller route sections.   worked so well on my Garmin Edge 1040.   No loading lag.    Master your navigation app and bike GPS computer before touring!
• brought my portable bidet bottle.   A clean butt is a happy butt.   I wrote more below about it.
• bringing a folding keyboard for texting/blogging, the iclever bk08  https://a.co/d/1xJligC  and the coroplast/signboard I cut for it to make a desk.   
• My actual favorite bluetooth keyboard for my phone/tablet is the Logitech K380, but it's too big for bike touring
• the iclever keyboard puts the apostrophe and question mark in a weird spot and the keys are 80% smaller, but it folds small and fits in a 1 quart ziploc bag
• had a strong, good quality plastic shopping bag to carry my bidet bottle, toiletries and expensive electronics into convenience stores/fast food places when taking a break.   too risky to leave the electronic stuff on the bike when I went into restaurants/stores
• bringing my little ultralight chair (2.25 pounds)
• adding my Sea to Summit lightweight bucket to the list.    It was very useful for sponge showers when I stayed at the Locks

Rants and Raves....

SEATPOST PROBLEMS!!!

I freely admit I'm a much larger than normal rider.   Currently at 261 (down from 293 in May), goal of 225.  But most biking stuff is made for bicyclists <= 225lbs.

Anyway, the problem I was having with my 2025 Salsa Fargo GRX when I first got it was that every time I hit a bump, the seatpost would get pushed down into the frame (because I'm a big boy).   I even stripped the bolt in the seatpost collar trying to get it tight enough to stop slipping.    Thankfully it's a steel frame, but i was worried if I tried anything more aggressive with the seat collar I'd break the bike's frame

So, I tried a cheap suspension seat.  https://a.co/d/9YEVyjC

Fixed the seatpost slip problem, and it was more comfortable to ride.   But the problem with the Aventon seat is that the saddle tilt adjustment is notched.  I need the nose of the saddle slightly more down, but the next notch shifts the nose almost an inch down, way too much and I just need it a quarter inch lower.   I can't adjust it to be perfect/comfortable, but it's close.

So I got a cane creek thudbuster st,  It was the only other suspension post that could deal with my weight at the time and it had an infinite tilt adjustment.   But at my weight the darn thing won't hold the tilt position I set in place.   For tilt, there's a bolt you tighten, it goes into a receiver with a spring in the middle, and it holds the friction cups in place against the seatpost.   I had to stop and readjust the saddle tilt several times a day during the canal ride.   Every time I hit a hard bump the saddle would tilt and bring the nose up, squishing my nads.   Sometimes I didn't catch the tilt slipping, because it would have only pushed the nose up a little, but it would be enough that the sides of the saddle would be rubbing my inner thighs near the "butt fold" and I got sore down there.   Towards the end of the erie canal tour, I'd pedal hard for a minute or two until my butt started yelling at me, then I'd stand on my pedals for a minute to give my butt a break as I coasted.   Any downhill coasting, I'd be standing on the pedals.   Definitely made me slower on the trail.

The good news is that I think i've lost enough weight now to try cane creek's eesilk+ seatpost.  Rated for 250lbs, but i'm hoping there's a fudge factor for my current 260lb weight.   Anyway, silver photo below.  It uses threaded bolts to adjust the saddle tilt.    So, I'll be able to fine tune the tilt, but won't have to worry about it slipping (i hope).   It weighs less than the thudbuster too 373g vs 580 (almost half a pound), so that'll be nice.  I got the alloy one, not the carbon one.

https://www.canecreek.com/products/eesilk-1 

 

 Bidet bottles

 I brought a purple bidet bottle.    You can store it with the white neck part inside the purple part, so it fit in my plastic shopping bag well when I went into a Stewart's, McDonald's whatever.     It's like a mini shower for your butt after doing your business in the bathroom.    Also, when water is critical, it uses less water than the culoclean adapter that you push into the top of a smart water bottle.  Also, I'm not going to drink directly from the smart bottle I'm using for the culoclean.    I'll bring the culo when backpacking when there are lots of creek crossings to get more water.   the culo adapter is smaller and lighter, and I carry one smart bottle for "dirty" unfiltered water.   But I didn't want to lug that setup into a store.    too bulky, it's more a backpacking thing.   Just sharing here in case you think it'd make more sense for you

 I think a lot of people bring a pack of wipes, but those are horrible for portapotty and/or plumbing in general.   IMHO, they don't clean nearly as well either.   I really, really wish people would give the portable bidet bottle a try.    they're amazing!     At no time does the water go up inside your pooper; it's just a mini shower for your butt crack.    Use a little toilet paper to dry off and you're good to go.

 

crocs for the win!  the pair only weighed 1lb, and they're so ugly no one will steal them.   I had something to wear in the bathroom showers at a couple of the places I camped,  they kept my feet drier and warmer in the wet grass, and they were easy to strap to my bike,   The carolina guys I met, one of them told me that he was stealing the idea.   He'd brought lightweight tennis shoes/sneakers to wear around camp at the end of the day, but his feet would get soaked walking the grass around his tent, especially in the morning dew.   

 

Given my sore butt issues.   sitting in the chair below was glorious.   So much more comfortable than a picnic table bench or on the ground.   When I sat in it, I could feel a rush of blood to/from my legs, and it cradled my lower back, giving it a much needed rest.   I will always bring a chair like this from now on when bike/backpacking.  It was great for sitting under a bridge when waiting out intense rain, or at night watching people walk by on the canal.    Worth it's added weight.

The chair was also a great spot to sit and type in my blog too   Sadly this specific kilosgear chair is no longer made, so i'll probably get the https://helinox.com/products/chair-zero-l  with the ground cloth when/if it breaks.   touch wood, that won't be for quite a while. 

the foldy mini lock worked well.   it's inner diameter is a little tight, but at 2lbs, it's worth the smaller size.  They make bigger, but much heavier ones (7lbs!).    I felt far better leaving my bike locked outside to a pole with this type of lock.   the pole just has to be 4" diameter or less.    Cable cutters can't get through it, nutsplitters don't work on the rivet joints,  and a cordless angle grinder takes 1-2 minutes to cut through.   Even then, they'd likely damage the bike's frame trying to cut the lock off because it's more snug to the frame.

Finally, I stand by my dorky uv arm sleeves and leggings.  I only had to apply sunscreen to my face and fingers, so a small squeeze bottle lasted the entire 8 days of my trip.     The sleeves add some warmth on cool mornings, but they're weirdly cooler than bare skin out in direct Sun.   Feels like you're in the shade.   And I like my thin OR sunhat with neck drape (OR = outdoor research).   It helps keep the sun off my face, bald spot, and neck when riding. 

I did sew some velcro to the leggings and my bike shorts to keep them up.  I'll do a youtube short on that at some point.  I may also tie dye the sleeves and leggings.    My ensemble doesn't hurt the eyes enough yet., lol.   But tie dye would hide the grime and stains on the ultra white material.

 That's it.   Again, I had a great time, just wanted to type down what I thought worked great and what needs work.   Until the next time

Day 8, End of Ride, Glenmont NY

Last Ride of the Trip!  48.2 miles.    Total trip was somewhere between 374-390 miles.   I didn't always record all the side trips off the trail to get food or supplies.    

This morning at Rotterdam, I felt a mix of feeling excited that trip was almost over, being glad my butt will get a rest, and a little sad it was soon going to be all over.    No more days of eating whatever i wanted.

Took some photos of Lock 8 in Rotterdam Jct before leaving 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old erie canal sections were quite green heading into Schenectady

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very cool to see the highway signs I've seen many a time while driving, but from a nearby trail instead of the highway

 

 

 

 

 

Obligatory photo of the GE signage for my father in law

 

 

 

 

 

 

just the first building with Schenectady signage

 

 

 

 

 

 

rode some backroads to avoid the worst of the city traffic, took me through their little italy district too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this was the first shot of the Hudson

 

 

 

 

 

 

they had these little shelters, with disclaimers they won't protect you from heavy storms

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dolly Parton bridges over i-87, going through Colonie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if i'd just checked my phone, i'd have seen a mcdonald's and subway a half mile up the road; instead i stopped for lunch at the sketchiest Stewart's I've ever been in.    Literally gave, "run away!" vibes.   No bathroom inside/outside, limited options, no fresh fruit/salad....     But the nice thing about Stewart's is that they have all the snacks, water and stuff for the actual bike ride too, so it's more 1 stop shopping when touring.    But I think it was a sign for me to be done with Stewart's for awhile.

I setup my ultralight chair under a shady tree out in the parking lot and ate my stewart's lunch outside, next to my bike.    I got to listen to some interesting conversations shouted back and forth between the folks behind me in what was probably subsidized housing.    The Waterviliet Housing Authority was on the other side of the parking lot.    Literal signs is what I'm saying.   The nice thing about being an overgrown, giant monkey like myself is that people leave me be.    If anything I feel bad sometimes because people seem nervous around me sometimes, and I don't want to give off a bad/scary vibe.

The old armory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my last erie canal route ended on my bike GPS computer.   happy photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

glad i road from the end of the erie canal trail, down the hudson greenway to Bethlehem NY.   that stretch was scenic and I got to see lots of the bridges from underneath.   bridges i've driven over a fair bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Official Start/End spot

 

 

 

 

 

official end of trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

there was a 500 ft climb near the end, but it was graded 1-2%, super easy.   the last 3-4 miles  after the trail ended to my in-laws were easy as well, I used the ride with gps app to route less busy roads with good shoulders/sidewalks.

That last section of rail trail was super pretty.   I may have to just bring my bike to my in-laws to explore it some more. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After arriving at Chuck and Bea's,  I enjoyed some pizza (thanks Bea and Chuck for getting it), and a couple beers i had Jacqui leave at their place when she dropped off the truck (planning ahead!).    Bea was nice enough to let me devour a salad they had in their fridge too.   I was craving veggie stuff.

i got to their place around 2-3p.m.   Dried out my gear (lock 9 air was super wet), ate, caught up with my in-laws and around 6:30-7p.m. felt the call of sleeping in my own bed, so I drove the 2 hours home to Mass.   I will freely admit that driving highway speeds after a week of only going 10-12 mph on a bike felt ridiculously fast.     Like an internet meme of a wide-eyed cat freaking out.     Once the sun set and it got dark, it got easier to drive.    Eventually, I'm sure driving will go back to normal.