Event that brings hundreds of cyclists to Orleans County cancelled this year
Photo by Tom Rivers: Some of the cyclists in the Cycle the Erie Canal trip approach Albion on July 9, 2018. The event typically brings about 700 cyclists to Orleans County.
An event that brings hundreds of cyclists to Orleans County has been cancelled due to the coronavirus.
Parks & Trails New York announced the annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour would not happen this year. The event last year brought 650 cyclists to Orleans County. They leave from Buffalo and travel to Albany, riding about 50 miles daily over eight days.
They typically spend the night in a tent city in Medina. Cyclists come from about 40 states and several countries.
“After careful consideration and out of concern for the health and safety of our riders, volunteers, staff and the communities we pass through, we have reluctantly and sadly made the decision to cancel Cycle the Erie Canal this year,” Parks and Trails announced this week. “It was a very hard decision to make but we feel confident it is the right one.”
The ride will be back next year, scheduled for July 11-18, 2021.
Nancy Rezabek of Columbia, Missouri, travelled with Elmo on one of the Cycle the Erie Canal journeys.
