To Buffalo – Day Two

Today’s ride was significantly shorter than yesterday’s. The remaining distance to downtown Buffalo was only thirty-seven miles. I had until 4pm to get there, so even if I encountered a headwind and challenging riding conditions, I had the time. 

The route for today consisted of a mix of roads and trails, with approximately fifty percent of the distance covered on multi user paths and dedicated cycle ways. Although I hadn’t ridden the trails in this area before, I was aware that they were paved, eliminating the unpleasant surface conditions I had experienced yesterday. Paved trails are a bonus to me, I don’t require them that way. They generally offer better accessibility for individuals with varying abilities, something we should strive for anyway. 

Along the way there were numerous green spaces, parks, shelters, restrooms, trash bins, and water fountains. Additionally, there were a couple of buildings modeled after train stations that likely existed long ago when we had more passenger train systems in the United States. While I appreciate the efforts to repurpose these unused and abandoned corridors for recreational and commuting purposes, I wish we had a more functional rail system.

As I approached Buffalo, some of my route for today overlapped with the Erie Canal ride that I would embark on tomorrow. The trails also became busier as I got closer to the population center. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people I encountered were heading to the organized ride I was participating in. I suppose I would soon find out.