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Finger Lakes Freshet
May 3 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Announcing the first-annual FINGER LAKES FRESHET!
https://www.bikereg.com/finger-lakes-freshet
freshet /’freSH?t/ noun – the springtime rush of fresh water from melting snow.
This is a casual, unofficial, unsanctioned, and unsupported gravel bikepacking ride starting and ending in Stewart Park, Ithaca, NY, homeland of the Gayogohó:no? people. Routes will follow gravel roads as much as possible. This will be a self-supported ride following the ethics of other bikepacking events like The Adirondack Trail Ride, Vermont Super 8, Catskill Bikepacking Route, or the Tour Divide – meaning it’s an unmarked route, with no sag wagon, no planned feed stations, etc, but you can utilize any publicly available services. One difference from other events is that we are encouraging riders to go slow and ride together in groups. Riders of all three route options are encouraged to camp together the first night (about halfway through the short route or about 60-70 miles in for the other routes) in a private group campsite.
Riders who wish to push themselves physically and mentally, may choose to do so, but will need to agree to be safe about it and be respectful of everyone they encounter en route – especially on rail trails where cyclists need to yield to all other users.
If you want friends and family to be able to follow your progress in real-time, we’ll have the routes on Trackleaders and facilitate SPOT rental (about $85) or the PING phone app (about $15). But riders aren’t required to do this unless you want your time posted on our upcoming website. If you don’t use a tracker and would like to be listed as “completed” just let us know after you finish the ride.
The following routes are approximate. We will be ground-truthing and finalizing the routes in early April. But for planning purposes, a burly gravel bike or a svelte mountain bike would be ideal. Note that the long route follows medium route until mile 135. The 500-mile route has two stream crossings and a few single track sections that may require some hike-a-bike, but if this is a deal-breaker for you, contact us after you register and we can provide you an alternate route. Also be advised, the long route passes through the turf of rival Instagram bicycle gangs @the_grape_pie_gang, @the_canal_scum, and @the_cornell_dropoutz, but through intense negotiation, we have procured a hand signal that will ensure safe passage.
(58 miles) Tiny Trickle: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49503834
(158 miles) Swollen Stream: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49501871
(501 miles) Raging River: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/49502151
Grand depart will be at 9am on May 3rd, 2025, from the dock along the Cayuga Lake waterfront of Stewart Park in Ithaca, NY, near the large pavilion. More details on parking, camping, GPS tracking, and other logistics will be sent to registered riders as the Freshet approaches!
Please note this is an independent event not sponsored by FLCC or Cycle-CNY.