Lorenz Worden is not your typical Erie Canalway Trail End-to-Ender. In 2014, he biked 820 miles out and back in 15 days; during this past summer he biked 808 miles in 14 days.
Prior to Lorenz’s first round trip ride in 2014, he had primarily used his bike to run errands and go to meetings, appointments, and church in Albany. Completing the trail, though, had always been one of his goals, and when he finally had the time, Lorenz set out to enjoy the scenery, history, and solitude that defines much of the Erie Canalway Trail’s route across upstate New York.
For Lorenz, the trail’s appeal also comes from the fact that he can ride for long stretches while remaining entirely off-road. “I enjoy those quiet stretches where one can cruise along in solitude and peace. It’s just my bicycle, my surroundings, and me.”
Lorenz is also a longstanding member of the Albany Bicycling Coalition, an advocacy group that not only helps to make the city’s streets safer, but also promotes safer walker and biking throughout the region and New York State.
These round trip rides have netted Lorenz more than 1,600 miles of biking along the Erie Canalway Trail. He plans to make a third out and back ride next June.
In 2012, Parks & Trails New York and the NYS Canal Corporation launched the End-to-End Program as a way to recognize those who complete the entire 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail. Since then, almost 2,000 people have registered as End-to-Enders and shared their experiences.
Canalway Trail Times 