Riding from Albany to Saratoga Springs - Zim Smith and other trails

Staying at the Olde Judge Mansion in Troy.

As with many of my Amtrak weekend adventures, it takes a good weather window to even think about planning a trip. Late August was perfect. I was thrilled my husband wanted to tag along, so I bought a reservation for his full-size bike, an Amtrak requirement.

To prepare for my first time using the Downtube Dyan - no reservations or cost to bring a folder - I practiced folding, protecting the frame, strapping everything together, and wheeling the folded bike. The curved handlebars required loosening to compact them against the frame, an extra step worth their added comfort.

I organized the protective foam pieces and strap in a nylon bag for easy access at the train platform. My husband and I rode our loaded bikes a few miles to the station, allowing extra time for the folding process and consolidating bags. I stowed the removable front rack in my panniers.

We stored our bikes safely inside the Bnb.

The train journey went off without a hitch, save for the suggestion to stow my bike in a tight closet - which would prove to be a problem later on. We exited in Albany, New York, mid-afternoon, planning to ride to Saratoga Springs the following day.

It's a gentle ride north on a decent bike route to Troy, a city I've stayed at a couple of times. It's hilly too. We pedaled around, mostly looking for an interesting grocery store, but ended up back across the Hudson River in a neighboring community before returning to Troy. A larger store satisfied both our diets - we found something we could bring to the BnB for dinner.

We had a pleasant evening and a nice breakfast on Sunday before setting off, riding north on the Uncle Sam Bikeway. Though I was familiar with the first 10 miles - it was all new to my husband!

In Waterford, the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson River, we investigated the first lock and adjoining park, one end of the Erie Canal, before continuing north along the Champlain Canal towpath. Once in Mechanicville, we connected with a trail new to us both, the Zim Smith Trail, the impetus for the adventure, as it would bring us most of the way toward Saratoga Springs.

The trail was hilly and beautiful, often wooded, and connected parks all the way to Ballston Spa. Even watched a heated cricket match! I had trouble shifting into the much-needed lowest two gears and eventually gave up, making do with limited range. We regrouped in Ballston Spa, stopped for pizza slices, and plotted the next miles.

Beautiful architecture in the grand Saratoga Springs homes.

Surprise! After a couple of road miles, we found another off-road path along Geyser Road, and eventually connected with Railroad Run, cruising into central Saratoga Springs. A few hours before train departure, we rested in beautiful Congress Park before heading to the famed racetrack. 

Racing was in full swing. We hung outside a chain-link fence, watching the tall-legged, twitchy horses led to and from the stadium. The horses were hosed off after each race, and we even saw one spit second of a race whiz by. People didn't seem bothered that we stayed a while. What an experience! 

Our train was, unfortunately, delayed 1.5 hours. Ugh. But we grabbed some food and headed to the station. It's a newer Amtrak station. We noticed they were also under construction, building a much-needed level ramp to enter and exit the train. 

After 40+ miles, I was exhausted and frantic, struggling to fold my bike, though I reminded myself, no hurry, we had plenty of time. It was a long evening. We eventually rode home in the dark, arriving home sometime after 11 pm.

Bike update: our son, the bike mechanic, couldn't figure out exactly why the shifting was so horrible, but once he replaced both the cable and housing, it was fixed. We presumed the cable had become crimped after I stored my bicycle in the closet. I know better now. Always seek the end of each train car with plenty of space to store my bike. Since then, because we often have to enter the car at prescribed doors, I've wheeled the bike down a crowded aisle, and there's just enough room for this maneuver. Phew.