Planned Route

[David W Pratt]

Plan for this Summer, probably second half of July. 
Start in Albany, take the Erie Canal Trail to Buffalo, then Rte 5 along the lake to Erie, PA.  From there, the Pittsburgh spur of the Underground Railroad to Pittsburgh.  Then, the GAP and C&O to DC.  Then Amtrak to NYC, visit a couple of friends, and back to Albany by bike or train depending on mood and time constraints.
Comments and advice welcome, especially about bike friendly places to stay in PGH and NYC.  I think stealth camping in Central Park is out of the question.
Thanks in advance   

[John Nettles]

Your route sounds quite nice!

For bike friendly places, try WarmShowers.  This is a reciprocal group where if you agree to host another cyclist, the group will host you.  Sort of like Couchsurfing but ONLY for touring bicyclists.  While you do not have to host, you are fully expected to be willing to host (assuming you are available).  Unfortunately, lately there has been a lot of people who sign up to take but not give.

I have been doing WarmShowers or its predecessors since the 80s and you meet some wonderful people from around the world.

Tailwinds, John
 

[BikeliciousBabe]

Re: Amtrak to NYC...The Vermonter has walk-on bike service and will get you from D.C. to NYC in the morning. Make a reservation way ahead of time as each day's train can only take three bikes. You'll have to remove your panniers and possibly your from wheel in order to hang you bike in the "locker," but in general, the process is easy.

The Nu Hotel, a funky boutique hotel in downtown Brooklyn, is extremely bike friendly and has a good continental breakfast worthy of a French hotel. You can store your bike on the first floor or take it up to your room. I try to put in a good word for them whenever possible because we use the place to relax and shower after our annual club ride to Brooklyn.

https://www.nuhotelbrooklyn.com/

That part of Brooklyn is really nice to see. You can get there by riding over the Brooklyn Bridge (an experience in itself) or by taking the ferry from 11th St. to Brooklyn Bridge Park. The nighttime view of the East River Lower Manhattan from the Promenade in nearby Brooklyn Heights is one of the coolest urban views in the country.  You can even see the Statute of Liberty in the distance. And, of course, any kind of cuisine you could possibly want.