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October is the payoff, and out here it is also the warning. The Southtowns and the Enchanted Mountains hit peak color, the gorges and the Genesee Valley put on the best show of the year, and the wine country wraps up harvest. But every WNY rider knows the clock is running out. The lake-effect season is right behind this color, and one bad week can slam the door for good. So do not save it, ride every clear October day you get.
Ride of the Month: Letchworth State Park and the Genesee Valley
The Grand Canyon of the East at peak color, with the gorge road all to yourself
Run southeast out of Buffalo down into the Genesee Valley and pick up the Park Road through Letchworth, the gorge riders call the Grand Canyon of the East. The road winds along the rim past the Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls with the canyon walls dropping hundreds of feet to the river, and in mid-October the whole gorge lights up red and gold. Loop out through the valley on Route 19A and the back roads around Portageville and Mount Morris with the color running to the horizon. This is the WNY foliage ride, and October is the only time to catch it.
Go on a weekday if you can, because the park draws crowds at peak color. Watch for wet leaves and gravel in the shaded rim corners, keep an eye out for deer along the valley stretches, and stop at the overlooks to let the falls do their thing.
For more mountains, run Route 219 down to Ellicottville and loop through Allegany State Park in the Enchanted Mountains, peaking now. Zoar Valley south of the city and the Niagara River parkway up to the Falls are quick, close classics with the color on. And the Lake Erie wine country on Route 5 is finishing harvest if you want an easy shoreline day. Get the foliage rides in this week, because out here an early lake-effect squall can end it fast.
Fall Riding Safety: Western New York Edition
October is the best and shortest window in WNY, and out here the weather can turn on you fast.
- The deer are at their worst right now. Western New York is one of the worst regions in the state for deer strikes, and the rut peaks in October in the Southtowns, the wine country, and around the parks. They are out at dawn and dusk. Scan the shoulders and tree lines, cover your brakes, and never swerve blind across the line.
- Wet leaves and cold rain. Peak leaf drop on the foliage roads plus the season's cold rains make the shaded curves and painted lines greasy. Give them easy throttle and long following distance.
- Watch the lake and the sky. This is when the first lake-effect squalls fire with little warning, dropping temperatures and visibility fast. Check the forecast before a long ride, dress for a morning that starts near freezing, and do not get caught up in the hills when the weather turns.
- Short days and rough pavement. Sunset creeps earlier all month, and the low sun sits in drivers' eyes. Add in the potholes and frost heaves the WNY winter leaves behind and you have to keep scanning the surface and assuming the car turning left has not seen you.
Know Your New York Law
- No-fault does not cover you on a bike. New York is a no-fault state, but the no-fault law leaves motorcyclists out. There is no basic PIP on your bike for your own medical bills and lost wages the way there is for a car occupant, so strong health coverage and UM are essential, and the liability claim carries the weight.
- Fault is shared, not a wall. New York uses pure comparative negligence. Your recovery is reduced by your share of the blame but never barred outright, even so, insurers fight hard to pin blame on the rider, so how the crash is documented matters.
- Everyone wears a helmet. New York has a universal helmet law. Every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet, no exceptions.
- You have three years, sometimes far less. The general injury deadline in New York is three years, but a crash involving a city, county, or the NFTA can require a Notice of Claim in as little as 90 days. Do not wait to get advice.
Ride Nation Buffalo
The local chapter is where Western New York riders post weekend miles, call out fresh potholes, deer, and which foliage roads are peaking from the wine country to Letchworth, and share the shots worth putting your helmet on for. Post where you rode this month and tag us. It is your scene, run by riders who actually ride these roads.
Last Weeks for the $20,000 BikeWin Giveaway
You are on this list because you entered, which means you are already in the running for 20,000 dollars toward any motorcycle you want, drawn December 10. Got a buddy who would want a shot? The entry page is open and free.
Enter the giveaway
A driver turning left across your lane on Route 5. A deer on a Southtowns back road. A distracted commuter who never saw you on the 33. If you ever go down in New York, remember no-fault does not cover you on a bike, so you want a lawyer who rides these roads and knows how the fault game gets played against riders.