Route Selection
All of our routes are designed by individuals who live and ride in the region. Great care is taken to provide picturesque and challenging routes. Our goal is to introduce at least one new route per year to keep the series interesting, but we will continue to use those routes that are favorites. If you have suggestions, comments or questions about the routes please contact the organizer associated with the particular region:
Jennifer Barber - Central & Northern NY
Peter Dusel - Western NY.
Cue Sheets & Maps
Cues are located on the web site and may be reached from the menu bar to the left, the schedule on the main page or from the cues links in each ride description below. The leg and total mileages are given to the nearest tenth mile. All contrôle point times are noted on the contrôle cards. All routes are ridden or driven just prior to the official offering to be sure of accuracy. Every effort will be made to have the final cues on the web site five days prior to the brevet. Be aware that last minute changes may be necessary due to events such as construction or natural phenomena. Announcements are made at the begriming of each ride to let riders know of any last minute changes.
GPS files will be included here as they are collected for riders who would like to use this technology. The cue sheets however are the most up-to-date material and are the official route for a given day.
Area maps are available for $4.00 at the beginning of every ride. Please bring exact change.
Brevet Rules
Brevets are a time-limited long distance ride. They are not races, but rather are a rider's individual challenge to herself. All rules of the road for the local area must be adhered to during the course of the brevet. Additionally RUSA provides a copy of their Rider Rules on their web site. Please be familiar with the rules. Some of the rules will be covered at the beginning of the rides, however riders are responsible for their own safety and should know the rules.
RUSA Rider Rules RUSA Organizer Rules
100BW_1:
Stompin' Grounds: This route puts together some of the choice riding where Jenn's husband introduced her to riding and he himself grew up on the bike. Climbing abounds in this geologically interesting region; the decents are exciting. It's all in a neat little package. It's a 60 miler, but it's a challenge. Are you up for it?
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150BW_1:
Rural Roadways: This populaire patches together short pieces of a couple of the longer brevets to give riders a taste of the terrain they may encounter along the longer brevet routes. Riders get the chance to stop in Skaneateles for a quick breakfast if they desire and then enjoy the ride along the lake shore. After lunch riders enjoy the rural beauty of the Madison County roads.
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200BW_1:
Jenn's Pick: The first Central NY brevet designed and still my favorite. This route loops through the eastern Fingerlakes passing through Cortland twice, Auburn and Skaneateles. This route has something for everyone, short steep grades, rollers, flats, views and good food along the route.
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200BW_3:
Tully to Ontario: This route is offered May through November for $5. Starting in Tully this route goes west on NY 80 over Oak Hill and into the Ostico Valley. The route heads north over rolling hills through Skaneateles and onto the flood plains north of the Thruway and Erie Canal. The ride passes farmlands and the small towns of Central New York heading towards the Lake Ontario shore. The contrôle in Fair Haven affords cyclists the opportunity to enjoy the breeze and view at the bay. The return trip home takes a slightly different route but remains flat until just before heading back into Skaneateles. Riders should be sure to stop at Doug's Fish Fry for a tasty peach drink before heading up Route 41 along the lake. Just over halfway along the lake the route turns east and descends back to the Otisco Valley. From here riders climb over the saddle between Vesper Hill and Song Mountain (a popular CNY ski resort). The route finishes by winding around Song Lake.
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200GF_1:
Baseball Brevet: Starting near the Town of Peterboro where the second professional women's baseball game was played, the route heads east to Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The route travels country roads south of the Mohawk Valley in the northern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The route is rolling with a few climbs of medium length. There are a number of scenic spots along the route starting with a waterfall about three miles from the beginning. Riders will pass through the Geographic Center of New York and will ride by the beautiful grounds of Colgate University.
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200GF_2:
Country Ramble: A ride of country roads in the center of NY, this ride has plenty of views. It starts hilly, but after the first quiarter of the ride smooths out for some fast flats and small rollers. The roads are lightly traveled so riders get the opportunity to rubberneck at the lush setting.
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200LR_1:
Ontario to Naples: This ride begins in the town of Ontario NY, just east of Rochester NY, on the shore of Lake Ontario. The ride follows the Lake Ontario shoreline west from the start nearly to the Rochester city limits. The route then dives south and east to Canandaigua NY. Canandaigua is at the north end of Canandaigua Lake, on of New York's famous Fingerlakes. From here the route proceeds south down the east side of the lake, taking in the sweeping vistas over the lake. At the south end riders stop in Naples, home of several wineries and famous for grape pies, for the checkpoint and lunch. The route turns back north along the west side of the lake, taking in more sweeping views. Riders climb the "easy" way up Gannett Hill and pass by the Bristol Mountain Ski Resort. A dash nearly due north completes the circuit of Canandaigua Lake, and takes riders back to the shore of Ontario to finish the ride.
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200LR_1a:
Modified Ontario to Naples: The route is the same as 200LR_1 but starts at the Collett Park approximately 20 miles from the usual start to coincide with the Rochester Bicycling Club's challenge ride and picnic.
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300GF_1:
Lake Ride: Starting from the *lake* at Glass Factory Rd, the brevet heads north through Sylvan beach on the shore of Oneida Lake. The ride then heads to Camden, through Altmar, Pulaski and to the Lake Ontario shoreline. Hugging the shore, the route continues to Sackets Harbor, a popular lakeside town. Riders return via the same route except for a departure in Williamsville to head directly south to pick up the Oneida Lake shoreline west of the outbound portion. Be sure to save some energy for the last bit of the ride as there is a long continuous grade back up to Glass Factory Rd.
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300LR_1:
Tour of Letchworth State Park and the Fingerlakes: This ride begins in the town of Ontario NY, just east of Rochester, on Lake Ontario. The ride heads due south from the start to Canandaigua NY. The route proceeds down the south side of Canandaigua Lake where riders will enjoy the views from the ridge line. Riders stop at the south end of the lake in Naples, home of several wineries and famous for grape pies, for the checkpoint and a meal. The route heads west to Dansville, up the infamous Ossian Hill, and south past Swain Ski Resort. After a quick stop at the Seager farm for a checkpoint, we head northeast to Portageville and enter the south end of Letchworth State Park (the Grand Canyon of the East), exiting near Mount Morris. From there it's a quick dash to Geneseo and due east back to Canandaigua. This completes the circuit of the five western Fingerlakes, Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye and Canandaigua. Riders head north to complete the ride at the Lake Ontario shore.
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400BW_1:
Catskills Foothills: The scenery on this 400km route makes up for its hilliness. The route starts in Tully in New York's apply country and heads south east through Cortland County. It then moves briefly though Broome County and into Delaware County to loop around the Cannonsville Reservoir. Heading north it passes through picturesque towns in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Just narrowly missing Cooperstown, NY it bends west to head into Madison County, some of the best farmland in the state. It heads back to Tully passing small lakes along the way.
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400GF_1:
Rural Ramble: This route starts in Munnsville, NY and heads west through a southern suburb of Syracuse and into rural central NY to the Tully start location. It picks up the 200BW_3 route for a trip to Lake Onario. This stretch is fast with little climbing. Don't use up too much energy on the fast section though because it picks up with the climbing after Skaneateles as the route loops south through the Cortland and Sherburne regions.
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400LR_1:
What Goes Around, Comes Around: An old route made new! My first ever brevet route is reinvigorated as a 400km route starting on the Lake Ontario shore. Riders will head east along the lake before dropping south into the City of Auburn at the north end of Owasco Lake. The route continues south along Owasco as the sun rises over the water. Riders will turn north in Homer into the Tully region and north to Jamesville through the valleys carved out by glaciation. Just south of Syracuse, riders will head south again back into Homer before turning north along Lake Skaneateles. Who can pass up Doug's Fish Fry in a town where the Clintons are known to hob-nob? After the stop in Skaneatales riders return to Auburn and go west to Phelps for a evening snack before the last leg back to the beginning.
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600GF_1:
Catskill/Berkshire Loop: Leaving from just outside of historic Peterboro the route heads south into the Catskill Mountains. The route crosses the Hudson River and loops north into Massachusetts. After a stop at the 1896 House and Pub in Williamstown, MA riders head back into New York over the Western Berkshirs. The sleep stop is at a private home, so go easy on the hot water. From the sleep control riders head west through the Mohawk floodplains back into the rolling hills of Central New York.
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600LS_1:
Hello Ohio, Goodbye: The 600 km starts in Perry, NY near Letchworth State Park. It traverses flat to rolling terrain to Chautaugua Lake and then passes through Amish country on its way to Pennsylvania. The route is rolling hills through PA to the turn-around in Conneaut Ohio. The return through Erie, PA is flat with the hills appearing again near Findley Lake. From Jamestown back to the finish the brevet follows the route out. The main sleep stop is at Findley Lake at 243 miles.
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