A Colgate group with an interest in cycling and grueling adventure took on the Erie Canalway Trail on April 23.
The 365-mile scenic course runs from Buffalo to Albany and is a big draw for bicyclists of all abilities — although only the most ambitious will attempt the entire trail in one shot.
That’s just what Bronson Cvijanovich ’22, an astrogeophysics major from Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Grace Leightheiser ’22, a molecular biology and environmental studies double major from Lexington, Mass.; and Colgate staffers Alexandra Fahey and Heidi Riley did.
They hit the trail at 6 a.m. in Buffalo and crossed the Albany finish line at 8:45 p.m. the next day. As the cyclists passed through the Utica area, Associate Professor of Geography Mike Loranty pedaled with the team for a few hours.
In all, the backbreaking journey lasted 39 hours — without sleep.
While others have tried to finish the trail in record times, the Colgate squad was drawn by the challenge of biking from one end of the state to the next.
“It was kind of surreal to ride across all of New York State in one go,” says Cvijanovich. “Sometimes the miles flew by and the riding felt rhythmic and smooth, but as we got further into the ride, it became harder to stay comfortable.”
Fahey says each member understood that nothing they might do in preparation would make the long ride comfortable. Instead, they focused on keeping each other moving eastward. “While there were physical and mental challenges along the way, we still made it to Albany as friends, and that’s really all you can ask for,” she says.
The four adventurers are no strangers to exhausting recreation. Riley, the assistant director of Outdoor Education, completed the trail in 2020 in a trip that lasted four days. She also runs ultramarathons.
Cvijanovich achieved his first 100-mile ride in central New York a year ago with Leightheiser and Fahey. As a member of Overland Summers, an organization that takes children on long bike rides, he led a group of high school students through a six-week journey from Savannah, Ga., to Santa Monica, Calif.
Fahey, an admission staffer, has put up big miles through running and hiking across the Northeast.
Leightheiser is also a hiker and runner. In 2020 she and Riley completed all 46 high peaks in the Adirondacks.
The Erie Canalway Trail, however, proved to be a major test with obstacles that were physical and mental. The cyclists dodged rain and snow, but cold air made the journey difficult. Headwinds were another problem. Not only did they wear down the team, but they also reduced everyone’s speed, pushing their arrival at Albany further into the night.
On a few occasions, the group got turned around in the dark, and also had to fix a flat. Exhaustion and body aches were major challenges that tested their resolve. The closer they got to Albany, the harder it became to keep riding.
“There was almost always an unspoken question of ‘if we would finish,’ but we were pretty good at just getting back on the bike and going,” Riley says. “Once we hit Fort Plain at 290 miles with only 75 miles left, I was pretty certain we were going to finish.”
When the cyclists arrived in Albany, they were met by an Outdoor Education student who was there to drive them home — and who also presented them with chicken nuggets, brownies, oranges, salad, Gatorade, and lots of water.
“I definitely would not have been able to do this ride alone,” Cvijanovich says. “The mental challenge was only achievable for me with the company of this crew, who were all committed to sticking together and helping each other make it to the end.
Leightheiser says the experience “rekindled [her] love of ridiculous journeys,” and she’s already thinking about future endurance challenges. “There are so many reasons not to do things like bike 365 miles in one push, but it is so worth it when you do. The feeling of contentment, especially when shared with friends, is unmatched.”