Four Bike Rides on Tompkins County Roads
Tompkins County has an incredible wealth of excellent roads for bicycling. Inaddition to the main highways that have good, clean shoulders for safety, there are hundreds of miles of secondary roads with very light traffic and gorgeous views. The hills of the region can be a challenge, of course. But, by careful planning, even that can be minimized. These four rides have been chosen as an introduction to the region and range from an easy loop that avoids any major climbing to a quite challenging foray into the ridges and hollows.
Each ride has a cue-sheet -- detailed mile-by-mile, turn-by-turn drections -- and a map that can be printed out (PDF format). The map is useful for getting a general orientation of your whereabouts. To follow a route it's best to have a bike computer with odometer set to zero at the beginning; then it is simple to make turns at the indicated distances.
- The Long Valley -- 12 miles, circling the valley between Brooktondale and Wilseyville. Easy.
This ride has a minimum of hill climbing, an unusual thing in this part of the world. People who are out of shape, uncertain of their riding skills, or worried about their stamina can safely consider this ride -- the whole ride is only 12 miles (easier than you might think!), but there are two potential shortcuts to make the ride even shorter if you feel the need.
- Ridges and Hollows --32 miles, a loop from Freeville over the ridge at Pleasant Valley to Salmon Creek and back. Difficult.
This ride is memorable for the several climbs as well as the stretches of rolling back roads. A highlight is the beautiful Salmon Creek valley into Ludlowville, where you can stop to prepare for the final climb in the little park at the old mill dam.
- Two Gorges Connector -- 28 miles, connects Taughannock and Robert Treman State Parks. Moderate difficulty.
This ride connects two of the outdoor jewels of our area -- Taughannock Falls State Park and Robert Treman State Park. (A third state park, Buttermilk Falls, is also very much worth visiting.) Each of the parks deserves a separate visit, and you may want to spend time at either or both as part of this ride. Provided here, though, is just the route between the upper ends of the two parks.
- Vistas and Overlooks -- 20 miles, from Cass Park to the Taughannock Falls overlook. Moderate difficulty.
This is a nice introduction to the pleasures and difficulties of Finger Lakes bicycling. Most of the route is along pretty gently rolling terrain with only a few hills -- but a couple climbs are enough work to rate the whole ride as "moderate difficulty."
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