Empire State Trail Bike Rentals
If you are flying into New York from another state or country to ride the Empire State Trail, a rental bike is a convenient option for your tour. However, the rental bike you choose for the ride will be an important decision.
The important factors to consider are trail and road conditions and if the bikes you want to rent are set up for overnight touring. You will also need to think about if the bikes are well maintained and convenient to pick up on your way to your tour. The rental bikes offered by Gotham Bicycle Tours are specifically set up for this.
- Trail conditions – The Empire State Trail is not a continuous trail maintained by one organization. It is an amalgam of existing trails, with different trail surface types, that were stitched together. Some segments are paved. Some are not. Some are segments are well maintained. Some (especially New York City) are battered and bumpy. This is why we offer Marin Fairfax 2 hybrid-style bikes. They are strong, comfortable bikes that take on all conditions. (For information about what the trail is like, click here)
- Overnight touring – Ideally, your rental bike should be set up for touring. You will at least want a rack above the rear wheel to attach bags to so you can carry some or all of your stuff. You will want tools and a repair kit in case you have a breakdown. You will want tires reinforced against punctures. You will want a helmet, lock and an opportunity to change out the pedals if you bring your own pedals. Just going with the cheapest bike you find online will not meet these requirements. However, the bikes from Gotham Bicycle Tours have all of this. They are set up and accessorized specifically for overnight tours on the Empire State Trail.
- Maintenance – Most other rental bike shops in New York have huge fleets of bikes intended for hourly or daily rentals, where the bikes are used constantly and are serviced by staff periodically. Gotham Bicycle Tours is the opposite. We only have a small fleet of bikes that are serviced after every ride. We understand where you are about to go with the bike and we make sure its ready for several days of riding.
- Convenience – Our rental bikes are stored in Woodlawn Heights, which is northernmost neighborhood inside New York City, near the Empire State Trail. This means you can come pick up the bikes from us and get directly on the trail at the City line (if you want to skip riding in NYC). It is also easy to take the bikes back down to Manhattan using a bike-friendly train (25 minutes back to Grand Central), or you can just ride them back to Manhattan (takes about 60-90 minutes), or we can deliver them to you for an extra fee. If you have flown into NYC but you want to take the train to Albany or Buffalo so you can ride back, we can meet you at the train station with the bike and help you get on the train (which is complicated with a bike). Nobody offers service like this, except us. While you may pay us a little more for the bike or the delivery fee, you will save a lot of time and aggravation, which is worth a lot.
How to get your Empire State Trail rental bike from Gotham Bicycle Tours
To rent a bike for your Empire State Trail bike tour, visit our bike rental page where you can reserve your bike for the days you want. If a bike in your size is not available online, please contact us since our booking system is set up to be conservative with inventory to avoid double-bookings.
You may also want to contact us before you finalize your booking if you have questions, or if you want to set up a delivery or receive your bike at the train station. We can work this out by phone or email before you pay for the rental.
Because we focus on a small fleet of bikes that we mostly rent to long distance riders, we do not have regular store hours or a traditional storefront. When you are ready to rent, we will pick a time to meet, whether we do this at our storage location in Woodlawn Heights, or if we deliver your bike to your hotel or a train station. You always get good service from us. We want you to have a good time here in New York.
Pricing: $85 per day. After three days, the price defaults to the $250 weekly rate.
Rental panniers are available for $100 per pair if you want to carry belongings with you while you ride. (You can also bring your own panniers and they will work with our bikes).
If you have excess baggage that you do not want to take on your ride, you can store this with us for free during the term of your rental.
We can bring you and/or the bike right to your hotel in Manhattan (or elsewhere).
Delivery fees
We are currently the only bike rental company that delivers bikes in NYC or the Lower Hudson Valley. This is a huge convenience for our clients, but we need to pay staff for the time involved with making the delivery. The delivery (or pick up) pricing is as follows:
- Local delivery – Bronx or Lower Westchester County – $75
- Manhattan – $250
- Queens or Brooklyn – $300
- Northern Westchester or Putnam Counties – $200
- Dutchess or Ulster Counties – $400
- Capital Region – $600
The above numbers are all based on travel time. Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn are all very expensive because the TRAFFIC IS SO BAD. However, we will try to make it worth your while. For example, if you are ending your tour at Battery Park in Manhattan, we can come pick up the bikes from you and drive you to your hotel as part of the arrangement for no extra fee. Then you can see for yourself how bad the traffic is.
Traveling to New York? Why Not Include a Bicycle Tour?
Traveling to New York? Why Not Include a Bicycle Tour?
New York is a top destination for bicycle touring! (or at least it should be!) From the center of Manhattan all the way to Niagara Falls, you will find excellent bike paths, quality roads, stunning scenery, cultural attractions, and (probably) more dining options than any other trail in America.
A Place Like No Other
No other place has anything close to what New York has for a cyclist looking to do a 3 to 10 day ride. New York’s excellent train service allows for itineraries that start and end in different places, allowing you to choose particular segments of the Empire State Trail’s 750 mile route. Getting to the trail is easy to do as part of any visit to New York, whether you are coming here for business or to visit family.
Gotham Bicycle Tours has helped many cyclists include a bike tour as part of a larger visit to New York. We are a small, family-run business and you always work with someone in our family at all times. Any information we give you will always be complete and thorough, and we answer your questions.
Here is what we offer: (click any of the orange text for more info)
Self-guided tour packages that can include:
Guided day tours of the Hudson Valley
- Hudson Valley Craft Brewery Bike Tour
- Empire State Trail Day Tour
- 6-Day Tour: NYC to Saratoga Springs
- Customized, high-quality private tours
- Bikes that are specifically set up for the conditions you will experience
- Bikes can be accessorized for overnight touring
- Flexible pick-up and drop-off, or delivery
You can contact Lukas at 917-748-1119 or lukas@gothambiketours.com with any direct inquiries.
Biking the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Don’t you want to bike on a trail that looks like this?
One of the nicest rail trail experiences you can find in the Hudson Valley is on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail. Located in the Mid-Hudson region, the trail follows the Wallkill River between Gardiner and Kingston, as the river flows in a northeast direction towards the Hudson River. This trail is blissfully quiet, with views of farms and the Shawgunk Ridge. There are also many interesting sites to see along the trail, as well as great places to stop and explore. You can spend an entire day enjoying this trail, even though it is only 22 miles long.
A unique trail, focused on preservation and transportation
This Wallkill Valley Rail Trail began as a rustic, unpaved rail trail when it opened in 1993. The trail owes its existence to the Wallkill Valley Land Trust, which purchased the land, and later conveyed it to the municipalities through with conservation easements. The trail was a work in progress for many years. Ultimately, when the Empire State Trail opened in 2020, the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail was included as a major segment and the trail surface was upgraded (it is still unpaved). However, the ownership and maintenance structure of the trail is different than most other Empire State Trail segments, due to the origination of this trail through a land trust. It is one of the few major segments of the Empire State Trail that is not under government jurisdiction.
Make new friends along the trail
However, the context of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail as a land trust effort has resulted in a facility that seamlessly connects the rail trail (which is open to bikes, pedestrians and non-motorized forms of transportation) to other protected lands which offer hiking opportunities. You can literally ride a bike to a hiking trailhead and spend an entire day enjoying this beautiful area.
Gardiner and New Paltz
The southern terminus of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail is in the Town of Gardiner’s hamlet center. Here you will find parking, businesses and other amenities. The Gardiner trailhead is also very close to Whitecliff Vineyard and Tuthilltown Distillery, both of which you can bike to from the trail.
North of Gardiner, the trail is very quiet as you bike along the Wallkill River with views of the Shawgunk Ridge in the background. The scenery only gets better as you approach the Village of New Paltz, which is a major stop on this trial. New Paltz has many businesses thanks to it being a college town. There is also a fascinating historic district just off the trail on Huguenot Street. This was one of the earliest white people settlements in New York State, settled by French Huguenots. There is a museum as well as many interpretive panels. The best way to ensure you don’t miss anything is to have good GPS.
Ride through the fascinating Huguenot Street historic district
New Paltz is also a major trail junction. It is here that the Empire State Trail joins the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail for the stretch between New Paltz and Kingston. The River to Ridge Trail also intersects with the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail here as well, providing access to the Shawgunk Ridge.
Rosendale
As you head north from New Paltz, the trail crosses the Wallkill River and then you no longer see it. Instead you begin to ride through beautiful farmland with the Shawgunk Ridge in the background. You will pass two fantastic local businesses that are worth a stop. The first is Coppersea Distillery, which has a beautiful farm-like setting. Further north is the Rail Trail Cafe of Rosendale, which is an absolute must if you are passing through on a day that they are open. The food at the cafe is amazing, using ingredients that are grown right next to the trail. They also have live music throughout the day. It is a relaxing, inviting stop that you should not miss!
The Rail Trail Cafe in Rosendale is a super welcoming environment for cyclists. Definitely stop here.
Have a fantastic trailside lunch
Just north of the Rail Trail Cafe, the environment changes again as the trail vaults over the Roundout Creek on a massive trestle. The view from this trestle is one of the most scenic views on the entire Empire State Trail system. And thanks to land preservation efforts there are hiking opportunities on both sides of this fantastic bridge. The Roundout Creek flows below and goes through the center of downtown Rosendale, where you can find stores and services. The Roundout continues on to Kingston, but first it will merge with the Wallkill River just north of Rosendale’s downtown area.
The Rosendale Trestle is a highlight of the ride. Check out the view!
Rosendale was one of the major producers of cement, which was instrumental in the growth of New York City. The evidence of this industry is everywhere in Rosendale. Obviously, the train line (which is now a trail) was used to transport the finished product. But surrounding the trail are caves, kilns, mines and a small mountain composed of limestone which provided the raw materials. The caves are known as “refrigerated caves” because they are always a constant, cool temperature, which make them a pleasant respite to explore on a hot day. (Just don’t go too far down). As you progress north, many of these artifacts of the cement industry have been restored as part of a land development agreement adjacent to the trail. There are also hiking trails that will provide you with a more in-depth experience.
The trail passes many remnants of former industry in the Hudson Valley, like these cement kilns.
Kingston
The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail unceremoniously ends in a parking lot located on the border between the Town of Ulster and the City of Kingston. There isn’t much here, so most cyclists either turn around, or continue the additional 2 miles (on roads) to the center of Kingston, which is the only city in Ulster County. There are many places to stay, eat and explore in Kingston. It is also very bike friendly, with many bike lanes. You can also connect to other trails in Kingston, including the O&W Rail Trail. Kingston is also close to the Ashokan Rail Trail.
Click here to see the official webpage of the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
Biking the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail
The Albany-Hudson Electric Trail is one of New York State’s newest bike paths, having been constructed just before the Empire State Trail officially opened in 2021. It (almost) connects the cities of Albany and Hudson together, but stops just short of each city due to lack of right-of-way. Fortunately, on-street bike routes (with clear signage) will help you find the trail at each end, and biking the 40 miles between these two cities is a lovely experience.
A beautiful ride through history
You may be wondering why the word “electric” appears in the name of this trail. That is because this trail uses the alignment of one of the first electric interurban trolley lines ever constructed. Although the heyday of this operation was relatively short-lived, the corridor has remained in use for electrical transmission lines ever since. Today, this means that this trail receives consistent maintenance as a result of an agreement with the utility company. But you can also learn about the history of electricity, hydropower and industry throughout your ride. This region was shaped by the rushing streams (and waterfalls) that flow along this corridor. A number of mills and factories once lined this route, connected by a trolley system that also provided commuter transportation into Albany and Hudson. The result today is a beautiful ride on a well-maintained trail, punctuated by opportunities to see beautiful waterfalls. You will also travel through several town centers, each with amenities, restaurants, places to stay and more.
Stuyvesant Falls is just off the trail. Our GPS shows you where.
Riding north from Hudson
If you are departing from Hudson and heading north, you will need to pay close attention to the Empire State Trail route signage that will take you on local streets through the City of Hudson into the unincorporated Town of Greenport which surrounds the city. Once in Greenport, the trail starts behind a busy car wash, but quickly heads into quieter surroundings, and soon you are biking past horse farms and wetlands as you head north.
Experience history as you pass through different towns
Hamlet and village centers in Stottville, Kinderhook, Valatie, Nassau, East Schodack and East East Greenbush provide easy access to businesses and accommodations along the route. These places are also full of historic sites or buildings of architectural significance. Kinderhook has the most of these, as it is the birthplace of President Martin Van Buren. Kinderhook has an interesting history as a Dutch settlement (Van Buren learned English as a second language) and there is much to see, including a burial ground for enslaved persons which is right next to the trail. This is a rare find in New York, and it is worth a short stop. People forget that slavery was once a thing here. However, it was very real.
A burial ground for those who died while enslaved is adjacent to the trail in Kinderhook.
A mix of trail and quiet roads
Throughout the trail, there are a number of on-street detours. This is because the original right-of-way for the trolley line has been interrupted due to road construction, bridges that were removed, or encroachments by abutting landowners. In all cases, the detours are signed, but it is helpful to have good GPS in case any signs are missing. However, none of the on-road segments are particularly busy with traffic or have steep hills. Some on-road segments are just as scenic as the trail segments, so it’s a lovely ride throughout.
Some of these on-road segments are even prettier than the trail!
The approach into Albany
As you approach the north end, the trail will end in the Hampton Manor neighborhood of the Town of East Greenbush. From here it is a jumble of roads (all with bike route signs) to get to the Hudson River in the City of Rensselaer. Rensselaer is across the river from downtown Albany, and a bridge (with a sidewalk) connects the two cities. If you are looking for the train station, the Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak station is in Rensselaer, and you will bike directly past it. Otherwise, you can take the bridge over the river and be in downtown Albany within minutes.