September 24, 2026 - Cobleskill, NY, to Albany, NY

Start: Cobleskill, NY,
End: Albany, NY
Miles: 45.2
Feet climbing per mile: 48
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/415365546

I was up at 7:00.

The aluminum tape on my left heel pad had again taken a beating so I added some more tape.

This is a real breakfast, unlike what was offered at the Super 8 in Amsterdam, but I forwent making myself a waffle because I'm minimizing my consumption of carbs.

Before leaving I took a walk outside the hotel and saw two deer.

It was a chilly morning so I waited to leave until 10:10 when it was 51 and sunny. It would stay sunny and warm up throughout the day. The scenery would be beautiful all day.

In contrast to the previous day, in which the climbing was mostly during the second half of the ride, this day the climbing would be mostly during the first half of the day, with a gentle descent for the second half of the day.

At about mile 10.0 I needed to walk a short distance, the first of several times this day.

I did not ride the curvy descending road you see in the video below.

At mile 14.6 I saw a sign I'm always happy to see.

At mile 15.7 I stopped at the Delanson Deli to have a Monster zero sugar.

I also bought some cheddar and peanut butter crackers there.

Would I be able to ride up Crow Hill Road?

Watch this video to learn the answer.

Who goes up gets to come down!

From mile 34.6 to 36.2 I was descending as fast as 24 miles per hour. That descent might have been the one on which I was safely passed by a car but didn't see the car until it was to the left of me because, like the previous day, I had not been glancing at my rear-view mirrors. Just a little bit of love?

What's a Masonic Temple doing in Altamont, New York?

At mile 25.3 I stopped at Stewart's to have a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I've taken my bike into Stewart's many times and parked it at a booth while I ate my ice cream. But for the first time one of the workers insisted I take my bike outside, saying she didn't want anyone tripping over it. Meanwhile I saw that someone had brought a walker inside. I forwent arguing with the employee about the walker.

Is that sign really necessary?

Traffic was minimal until mile 32.2, at which point it was substantial until maybe mile 36.6. At mile 40.2 I walked the rocky Rockefeller Connector a short distance to get on the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail on which I continued until mile 42.2.

On the trail I crossed Normans Kill on the Falcon Iron Bridge.

I arrived at the Albany-Rensselaer train station about 3:50 to catch the 4:30 train to Penn Station. I was able to get help from the Amtrak staff who let me board early so that I could store my bike and be in my seat across the aisle from my bike before the crowd entered the train, just as I had been helped at Penn Station the first day of this trip. The train arrived at Penn Station at about 7:00 and after a short walk I was home.

Like the previous day, my glucose level did not spike during my ride, but several times it dropped below 70. In each case I ate either one or two crackers or a small amount of Dollar General chocolate.

* * *

In three days I rode a total of 142.9 miles (47.6 miles per day) and climbed an average of 49 feet per mile. This was my first multi-day trip since June 6-7, 2026 - High Falls, NY during which riding often felt more like a chore than a pleasure. This trip started just eight weeks after I needed to use a walker in order to get around my apartment (see Denver to Washington, D.C. 2026 - Aftermath of Cancelation). On this trip I thoroughly enjoyed the biking and am pleased that I was always comfortable in my back. I also learned much through the use of a continuous glucose monitor, and have much more to learn.

I look forward to my next multi-day trip, and am thinking about rescheduling Denver to Washington, D.C. for next summer.

Previous day: September 23, 2026 - Amsterdam, NY, to Cobleskill, NY

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