When I moved to New York City one of the first things I found when figuring out where to cycle outside the city was the Empire State Trail. Since the beginning it was my goal to ride it and encouraged by Naveen’s adventure and the preparation for Unbound, I figured out that this spring would be the ideal time to ride the trail.

Preparation

With some extra days off, I decided to take advantage of a normal work week for my trip. I had penciled in two weeks at the end of April. Knowing how unpredictable and cold Canadian weather can be, I opted to make a last-minute decision. This way, I could ensure I wouldn't be stuck enduring three days of freezing temperatures or miserable rain.

I felt quite comfortable with the distance I planned to cover. My goal was to ride between 120 and 160 miles per day, a distance I'd tackled before, though previously only on single-day events. To test my setup, I did a ride to Bear Mountain and State Park two weeks beforehand, and it felt great, so I wasn't too worried.

While you can't plan for everything, I did a very thorough planning exercise and welcomed feedback from the team. I chose to ride my Gravel Bike (Canyon Grail 2 SFX) together with my road wheels. I had mounted a 28mm which was perfect. The 28mm kept me at a sufficient speed, while a gravel frame gives me a more relaxed position and absorbs the shocks easier. I also chose to carry a hydration pack since I know that something you could go for 80 to 100 miles without any proper water stop. I decided to ride southbound, starting in Montreal. My goal was to finish with my family in New York City, rather than ending up in a chilly Montreal. Riding towards a specific goal like this really works for me.

My planning included a couple of spreadsheets: one for a packing list, another for daily planning (with crucial stops marked!), and a list of nice hotels and motels along the route. April isn't ideal for outdoor camping in New York State, though I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I will touch on some recommendations and learnings later on what I should have done better on this solo trip.

Day 0: The Train to Montreal (142 Miles, 5665 ft Elev Gain)

I decided to take the train, and it was quite a long journey. The 13-hour ride gave me time to decompress from work. With my e-reader in hand, I got lost in a good book while enjoying some great views of the state. Since I also wanted to carb load, I brought a ton of food with me and basically ate all day – a nice perk when you know you're about to burn a lot of calories! When arriving in Montreal the evening already fell and I went to my hotel and called it a night. We were soon gonna start a great adventure!

Day 1: Montreal -> Ticonderoga (160 Miles, 6214 ft Elev Gain)

After a very average hotel breakfast, I began my ride out of Montreal in the freezing cold. Once I was outside the city, the cold really started to bite, and even though I was dressed for the weather, it was chilly! That combined with a strong headwind had me questioning everything: myself, the situation, and the road ahead. The roads leading to the border crossing are surrounded by farmland, giving the wind free rein. Slowly though, the wind began to shift, and soon I had a bit of a tailwind, which felt amazing! It also made things less cold, and after 60 miles, I reached the border.

Despite carrying tons of paperwork, the border crossing went smoothly, making all my preparations seem a bit unnecessary. (I'm in the US on a Visa.) Better safe than sorry, I guess. Within half a mile, I spotted a large informational sign marking the official start of the Empire State Trail. From there, the roads were absolutely beautiful, the sun came out, and I was riding right on schedule — it was smooth sailing. The northern part of New York State is stunning; it feels incredibly relaxed, and cycling along the water was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I'd easily put it in my top 5 places I've ever ridden.

After lunch in a small village, I entered Adirondack Park, knowing the hills would start there. My Wahoo bike computer indicated 26 hills ahead – not my favorite, but a necessary part of the journey. On the very first hill, just 20 minutes after my lunch stop, my luck ran out, and I got a rear flat tire. I had decided to ride with tubes and brought three along. As soon as I finally got a new tube onto my wheel, I tried to inflate it, but it just wouldn't hold air. Super annoyed, I had to use my second tube, feeling a bit stressed. An hour had passed, and just before pumping up the next tire, a kind lady stopped, saying she'd seen me struggling an hour earlier and asking if I needed help (what a lifesaver!). Luckily, this tire actually held air, and I could continue.

However, I started to worry, having only one spare tube left with 350 miles still to go (and gravel sections ahead). I popped into a Dollar General, but no luck in the "bike department" – because there wasn't one... With my spirits reaching a low point and the nearest bike shop 100 miles away, I decided to order new tubes on Amazon and have them delivered to the first locker on my route, which was at the end of day two. This gave me some much-needed hope that I'd actually make it.

Falling behind schedule, I decided to push through and ride directly to the first motel to make it in before dusk. That worked out perfectly. While I passed plenty of inviting stops, it was the right call to keep riding. I enjoyed a nice pizza before calling it a night, ready to do it all over again tomorrow!

Day 2: Ticonderoga -> Saugerties (160 Miles, 6214 ft Elev Gain)

My second day kicked off incredibly early. It was destined to be my longest day, and I wanted to start riding at sunrise, even before a proper breakfast. That turned out to be a fantastic decision; it was so calming to ride off-grid as the sun rose and wildlife darted away from the roads. After two hours of pedaling, I rolled into a small village, enjoyed some breakfast, and was able to quickly FaceTime my little one. Everything felt like it was going to be smooth sailing today!

The Empire State Trail has clear signs in both directions, making it incredibly easy to follow—I think you could do it even without navigation. The path began to change from shoulder roads to dedicated bike lanes and small roads running alongside canals, which was absolutely beautiful. Soon, I started encountering more gravel roads. With only one spare tube left, I rode most of them, except for one section with particularly chunky gravel where I opted for the parallel paved road. It wasn't the prettiest route, but it was safer, and I didn't want to risk an early end to my adventure.

As the day progressed, I noticed the trail leading into much more populated areas, which was a welcome change. Stops and refills were easier to find, and it was nice to see other cyclists. In the village of Hudson, I decided to go off-track since my hotel was a bit out of the way. I ended up in the village of Saugerties, where I planned to grab some food to mark the end of my day's ride. As a Dutchie, I was pleasantly surprised to see a restaurant called "The Dutch" pop up on Google Maps. While I wouldn't describe the menu as traditionally Dutch, the clogs on the wall gave me a warm welcome at the end of my long day. Actually, this was my longest ride I logged and felt quite good after riding the whole day.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I started to feel my body, not in a tired way, but in an injury-related one. My knee began to lock up, and I couldn't move it freely. Lying on the bed with some ice, I realized something was definitely wrong. I went through my usual troubleshooting steps and then, all of a sudden, I noticed my saddle had dropped about an inch, likely at the end of my ride. This immediately explained the pain radiating through my body. It was probably a combination of fatigue and an improper bike fit. I would highly recommend getting a proper bike fit before embarking on a trip like this.

Day 3: Saugerties -> Brooklyn (151 Miles, 4012 ft Elev Gain)

I went to bed quite worried, but luckily, the next day, everything felt relatively good, and I knew I could start riding the last day. The morning didn't start great: the hotel delayed breakfast by an hour, and I wasn't in the best mood since it was drizzling outside, making me anxious about more rain. I left the hotel already behind schedule and still needed to pick up my tires from the locker, which would cause even more delays.

Picking up the new tires was a huge relief, as it meant a mechanical issue was unlikely to end my trip prematurely. I grabbed another coffee and listened to music for most of the morning to get my mood back on track. By the end of the morning, my spirits lifted. After riding 50 miles, I realized I was going to make it. The sun came out, and the Empire State Trail mostly followed old rail tracks, which meant just easy to ride roads for what felt like 100 miles.

The increasing number of cars and people made it clear I was getting closer to the city. On the final stretch of the dedicated trail, I found myself riding alongside someone who was just starting his workout. By this point, everything hurt: my legs, my knees, my butt—I just wanted to be home. It was my first time riding with someone else, and riding head-to-head (mostly with him in front), I quickly started closing in on the end. It was incredibly refreshing to just chat and ride along with a stranger; I realized I had missed that over the past few days.

When I reached the end of the trails, I arrived in the Bronx, greeted by the smell of polluting cars, which made me cough for the first twenty minutes. It also required a mental shift to once again be wary of careless drivers and the general chaos of the city. I wasn't even close to the George Washington Bridge, so I knew I still had a long way to go.

Predictably, I took some wrong turns; roads were closed, and I even ended up on a few dead ends. I decided to ditch the navigation and just ride down the streets all the way to the West Side Highway bike path. The last signs of the Empire State Trail are visible around Chelsea, but I knew that with the reconstruction in Battery Park, I wouldn't be able to get a picture at the official end of the trail. So, I veered off towards the Brooklyn Bridge and then sped home, welcomed by my little one just before he went to bed.

I had an amazing time and was incredibly happy with the accomplishment of this adventure, which truly stretched my boundaries.

Evaluation:

I would 100% recommend doing the Empire State Trail. The variety of roads and nature makes the ride incredibly diverse. Starting in the cold of Montreal and finishing in New York, with everything in between, was a fantastic experience. The roads are safe, well-maintained, and fairly new. If you're only planning to do parts of the trail, I'd suggest the section closer to New York City, as it primarily features dedicated bike lanes. Of course, you don't need to complete it in three days; there's so much to see and do along the way that I simply didn't have time for.

Learnings:

Planning is key. Water stops & restaurants are scares (especially upstate). Make sure you make a plan beforehand.
Download all maps for offline usage. You have long stretches without any cellular connections.
Ride with a hydropack. It’s a way to take more water with you and easy to reach during the ride.
Make sure you have a little pit stop before entering New York City. It’s quite overwhelming after days of relaxed roads.
End of April or beginning of May are great if the weather works out. It wasn’t super warm and perfect for someone who doesn’t enjoy riding in the heat.
Eat more, Eat more and Eat more. Always eat more on the bike.
See it as an adventure, setbacks are part of the journey.

Nerd Stats:

Metric	Value (Metric)	Value (Imperial)	Notes
Total Ride Time	27 hours, 7 minutes	27 hours, 7 minutes	Actual time spent pedaling
Total Distance	730 km	454 miles	Over 3 days of riding
Total Elev Gain	4,841 m	15,882 ft	Total vertical ascent
Total Elapsed Time	33 hours, 44 mins, 39 secs	33 hours, 44 mins, 39 secs	Includes breaks, stops, and unforeseen events
Average Speed	26.94 km/h	16.74 mph	Calculated based on total ride time