Pat Wang wrote:
We're looking for 3 or 4 rural rides someplace in mid New York State or mid
to eastern PA. We have road bikes so need well paved roads. Hills are
o.k. but nothing that's a total killer of a ride. Anyone have anyplace to
check out online route maps or have any rides you've done?
Cindy


Owego, NY, is a great place to start riding from. It's in south central
NY, near the PA border. If you look on a map, don't mistake if for
OSwego, near Lake Ontario. Once you get out of the village, the main
highways leading out of Owego are generally level and in good condition,
with wide shoulders. Traffic is not too heavy. Depending on the day and
hour, it can even be extremely light. I've done the following:

Owego, NY to Moravia, NY, via RT 96 and RT 38. About 40 miles one way,
mostly rolling, no big steep hills. Moravia is a scenic little town,
about 2 or 3 miles north of Millard Filmore State Park. The park itself
is a nice destination. Lots of good picnicing spots, it's a nice place
to take a break before riding back.

Owego, NY to Ithaca, NY, about 30 miles via Rts 96 & 96B. Most of the
road is rolling, with a few small hills. Rt 96B into Ithaca ends in a
rather long, but not too steep hill. I wouldn't describe it as killer,
but it is long. Ithaca's a good destination. Check out
http://www.cayugalake.com/ithaca/default.html

Owego, NY to Waverly, NY, via Rt 17C. About 20 miles one way. A few
small hills, but mostly flat to rolling.

Aside from the above, there is an abundance of good cycling in the area.
The main highways I mentioned above are nice, and I ride them
frequently, but the paved back roads are even nicer. They don't have
paved shoulders, but the traffic density is so low that it really
doesn't matter.

-John