adk cycling -- favorite / suggested routes

[haynk]

as an additional activity to keep active and in shape between march 21 and december 21, i took up road cycling ...turns out i had no idea how much i would like cycling and it has now become its own thing. over the spring + summer, i have been increasing the distance and elevation gains of my rides with the goal of simply just seeing how good i can get at this sport and how far i can take it in terms of distance + elevation.

anyway, next good weather window i want to cycle up prospect mountain from lake george. after, that i thought i might head up to the high peaks area and wanted to get recommendations for a few rides.

i am good for up to ~40 miles or so as long as there are no significant climbs -- shorter distances for rides with big-ish climbs. for this trip, loop or out-and-back rides are best since there is only the one car. also, rides on less busy roads or those with wide shoulders would be great.

thanks!!

[Kyler]

Are you looking for only paved routes? I ride a gravel bike, and try to avoid paved roads as much as I can. I can share some routes, but I probably don't have any that are 100% paved.

As a general rule, I anticipate 100 feet of elevation gain for every mile in Essex County. Even when doing rides closer to Lake Champlain, I find it hard to avoid elevation.

[Makwa]

It's worth posting this question over on the sister forum where there is an entire section devoted to biking in the Adirondacks.

https://www.adkforum.com/forum/the-adirondack-forum/biking-in-the-adirondacks

[haynk]

thanks! great to know of that resource.

[haynk]

thanks -- at this point with the weather turning towards winter i think my riding will probably be limited to good-weather, local rides until the spring. my road bike is good for light gravel / unpaved roads so it will be great to know of rides like that.
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also... with winter hiking almost here i have been thinking about the possibility / feasibility of using some type of mountain bike for approaches to hikes in the sewards, dixes and perhaps others. it would be great to cut down the time + effort taken to travel the roads leading from the winter parking areas to the trailheads.

i have read several trip reports here describing such use of bikes on winter hikes ...and there is an article in the winter 2026 ADK magazine about winter bikepacking.

*** any information, tips, pointers, etc from those who had done this would be great!! thanks!!

[FlyFishingandBeer]

I may have miscommunicated that, so I apologize. The Elk Lake approach along the access road is one that I specifically meant IS possible. I actually brought my bike once with the intent of needing to use it, but end up finding a spot in the main TH lot. I've seen other people's bike chained to trees near that lot though, so its definitely a common place to do this.

The only thing that might make Corey's road difficult is the road surface itself. From what I understand its usually open during the winter but closed for Spring mud season. The road could be a hot mess. Do you have access to a "fat bike"?

[haynk]

thanks for the clarification -- good to know that a bike is a possible option for the road approach to the dixes. assuming the road conditions were suitable for a MTB, it would certainly make that section quicker and easier.

it is unlikely i would hike the sewards if corey's road was closed.

for a bike i was assuming just a MTB with wide trail tires but maybe renting a fat bike is something to consider.

[FlyFishingandBeer]

If you're looking to integrate cycling into your hikes, definitely consider some of the traverse options.

I also understand how cycling can go from interest > hobby > obsession very quickly. A lot of people are going from having a mountain bike and road bike to just having a nice gravel bike to cover both bases. Like Kyler, I also try to avoid paved roads as much as possible. I primarily do this to stay away from traffic, but also because where I live there's a small network of forestry roads that are fun to ride on. Some are paved, some not, but all are closed to "civilian" auto traffic.

[Learning The Trails]

Funny enough... The Explorer just published some suggestions..

https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/outdoor-recreation/biking/bikewhacking-aldrich-pond-wild-forest-adirondacks/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEelN5Xv5i1vruwu1MQY3lkWtmVKKy9_ymSYSMH9IjMJa4QoXO05R3r_6GwA-w_aem_WMaK2AERg1zlB_Wq90LS5g