Back in 2016 when I rode my power chair across the state of Washington from Canada to Oregon with a few great cyclist friends, we’ve continued to do long rides every other year since. We’ve ridden across Washington State North to South and East to West, Northern California, Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, Missouri and half of Ohio. It’s a powerful experience getting to roll across a state at 7 mph with close friends, getting to see beautiful places and pushing our limits.
Here we are 10 years later getting ready to cross the state of New York on the Erie Canalway Trail this September! It’s a 360-mile ride from Albany to Buffalo on a mixed surface trail September 20-28. We will plan on doing 35-to-40-mile days, staying in hotels along the way and hope to visit some delicious New York breweries or other similar establishments after we finish each day. More importantly, we love to meet other folks with disabilities along the way and encourage wheelchair users to join us when possible. We will also be reaching out to local media, policymakers and other organizations related to the trail and adaptive recreation. It can help to demonstrate the importance of trails and how creating infrastructure suitable for outdoor recreation that is accessible to all helps creates a stronger, more inclusive community.
As with all of Ian’s ride adventures, this isn’t just about the miles. I’m excited to spend time with friends, learn some history, enjoy a few local breweries, and hopefully, meet a lot of new faces along the way. If you use a wheelchair, hand cycle or bike, or just want to hang out at the end of the day, I’d love for you to join. Roll with us for a mile or 20, grab a burger, a coffee, or a beer. However, if you would like to ride with us, we do want to try to stay somewhat on track with our schedule, so we may only be able to ride a mile with you if you are a wheelchair user or walker that’s limited to about ~ 5 mph. No matter the length, we still would love connect with you. We also plan to continue on schedule rain or shine as long as it’s nothing too crazy.
I’ll be joined by my trusty riding companions Josh “Quinoa” Blaustein, also known as Dr. B, and Jimmy “Meadowlark” Quenelle. These two have been by my side at every Ian’s Ride since 2016 and riding with them makes me feel like I can do anything. I will also have my mom and trusty caregiver Edwin to help manage my care, social media, emails, transporting gear and keeping us fed and safe as we head towards Buffalo. With my dad helping out a bit in the beginning. A true family affair!
Before we head off on the Erie Canalway Trail from Albany, we will be taking a day (9/18) to prepare everything and then we want to experience NYC a bit by riding just under 30 miles out of Battery Park in Manhattan up to Elmsford on the southernmost section of the Empire State Trail. Should be a lot of fun. Then we will drive north to Albany to kick off our nine-day trip along the Erie Canal to Buffalo.
I have posted our daily schedule, ways to connect with us along the way and more info regarding the event here. It seems to be a very rich trail community along the entire corridor. I have not spent We have connected with a number of organizations that we have partnered with to bring extra attention to what is possible for people of all abilities and to highlight this incredible trail.
Once we reach Erie Canal Trail Mile Post 0 and celebrate the big ride we will head north once again to Vaughan, ON where we will visit the headquarters of Motion Concepts, a company specializing in complex rehab power-wheelchair seating and positioning. They provide seating systems for a variety of wheelchair manufacturers, including Invacare. I’m excited to tour the factory, spread some gratitude to those who work so hard to create the equipment that allows me to do my many adventures and maybe even see or hear a little about what the next generation of chair and seating system will look like. They have also been a big supporter of Ian’s Ride for nearly a decade. We are grateful for all they do for us and the mobility impaired community.
After all of that, we hop on a plane in Toronto and head home to the PNW, reminiscing about all we saw and experienced in upstate New York.
You’ll want to check in on our blog frequently, as we will be doing daily blogs outlining our experience out on the trail for that day. You can also view our blogs from previous years long rides if you want to get a sneak peek of how we describe our experience. Anyway, we hope you’ll join us on the trail or follow our progress on social media and our blog. Excited to get my wheels dirty and experience the history of the Erie canal!
Ian's Ride Blog 
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