What's the terrain like on the route? New York has wonderfully diverse terrain, and we plan to sample all of it. The western part of the state is flatter, so we'll spend our first couple of days out there warming up. Way back when, say 10,000 years ago, glaciers carved and wrinkled the terrain, so we'll spend our middle days doing some major hills with scenery that makes the hills all worth while, and the last day we'll parallel the Hudson River on some rolling hills as we end our ride. We'll average 70 miles a day, (or 35 on the Sore FANY option) with more mileage on the flatter days, and less in the hills. They'll be mostly road miles, with a few short stretches of bike trails thrown in, so light-weight, multi-geared road bikes are recommended. Also, have a great set of NEW tires on your bike. You'll be biking for 500 miles on all kinds of roads, so be sure your tires are road/touring tires, and not some lightweight tires better suited for racing around a smooth track.
So exactly WHY is a photo of Mt. McKinley, also known as Denali, also known as "The Big One" on a webpage for a bike ride across New York? Well, at a little more than 20,000' elevation "The Big One" is the highest peak in North America. The Great Big FANY Ride usually has a total climb of 20,000' for the week. So you could say that we climb the equvilant of "The Big One"! We're not trying to scare you off, FANY alumni have done it for years. We're simply substantiating our bragging rights. The good news is that we have a whole week and we don't usually don't need to wear fur trimmed parkas to do it. That way our tans can look great when we go back to our offices and boast. Get some training miles in and plan to join us!
How do I train for this?Since almost all of the 500 miles are road miles, road bikes are strongly encouraged, except for you die-hard fat-tire types, and you know who you are. First be sure that your bike is in good working order. Does your bike shop know that you're planning on taking this bike? For that matter, does your doctor know that you're going? As with any physical activity, it's recommended that you consult your physician. Last year's bikers would say that "YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO TRAIN - THE MIDDLE PART OF THE RIDE IS HILLY." So make sure to include hills in your training! Train on the bike that you're going to ride and set a goal to ride at least a bare minimum of 500 miles (1,000 would of course be even better!) before the trip, including at least one 70 mile ride. At some point, make sure that you train at least 5 consecutive days, to see if you really like throwing your leg over the bike day after day. Join a bike club and go on club rides to increase your speed and endurance. If you can sustain an average of at least 13 mph including breaks you'll have time in the day for sightseeing. Bicycling training on the web includes:
A great training ride for FANY is the Great Finger Lakes Bicycle Tour, June 8-10, 2012. Many FANY riders, both past and present go on this annual ride. The tour starts and ends at the Hidden Valley Group Camp at Watkin's Glen State Park, NY. Choose from different short or long routes offered each day. Non-biking friends & spouses can enjoy hikes near the waterfalls, or lakes or quaint villages. Includes 3 days biking and 2 nights camping (which presents a good time to test if your new tent is really cozy and easy to set-up) or optional cabins with bunks, catered meals and well planned rides over scenic Finger Lakes roads. The wonderful event is sponsored by the Southern Tier Bicycle Club of Binghamton, NY. http://www.southerntierbicycleclub.org/fingerlakestour.html See you there?
Five hundred miles Across New York - it's The Great Big FANY Ride!
The Great Big FANY Ride | POB 237 Slingerlands, NY 12159 | Phone: 518-461-7646 | e-mail
The Great FANY Bicycle Ride across New York State, from Niagara Falls to Saratoga Springs NY. If you enjoy an organized bike tour, come join challenging bicycle ride across NY, have fun sight seeing by bike, and take your bike camping. You will see a ton of scenic sights across vista like Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal, Amish country, Finger Lake wine region, and the Adirondack Mountains. If you enjoy vacation by bike across NY, this bicycle vacation across New York State is a perfect escape. The FANY Ride is in July 2011 tour bike tours in wine region of New York State, The Great Big FANY Bicycle Ride across New York is for you! Experience Amish cooking and Mennonite cooking as you camp and bike on tour. This seven day bicycle tour across NY offers a week long vacation with nature and your bicycle!
