Road Cycling in the Northern Adirondacks

Road riding starts at the cabin door on quiet county roads through Owls Head and Mountain View, and the big rides are an hour and a quarter south around Lake Placid: the Ironman bike loop, the Whiteface toll road and the river roads of Jay and Wilmington. NY 30 has an 8-foot shoulder most of the way from Malone to Duane, and US 11 through Malone is a signed state bike route. Here are the roads as the state and the local tourism offices describe them, with the rules, the shops and a weekend plan.

Roads from the cabin door

The cabins sit off County Route 25 near the hamlet of Owls Head, in the Town of Bellmont, about ten road miles south of Malone. The first miles of a ride from the door are on county roads, and NYSDOT's road inventory lists them as paved asphalt with 10-foot travel lanes and narrow shoulders of 2 to 3 feet. Traffic is light: the state's estimates for the nearest stretches run from about 120 to about 1,650 vehicles a day, busiest near Malone village.

County Route 27 through Owls Head and Mountain View

County Route 27, Pond Road, leaves County Route 25 near the cabins and runs southeast through Bellmont, past Owls Head and Mountain View, into the Town of Duane. It is one of the quietest roads in this guide. The state estimates about 750 vehicles a day near County Route 25, about 580 past Owls Head, about 240 at Mountain View and about 120 on the stretch south of Mountain View toward Duane. Its shoulders are 2 to 3 feet wide, so ride single file when a car comes up behind you.

Owls Head is 3.5 road miles from the cabins and Mountain View is 6.4, so a ride to Mountain View and back is about 13 miles. The regional scenic byways organization lists County Route 27 for bike touring on the Adirondack Trail, with a season of April through October. The lakes at Mountain View and Indian Lake are in the lakes guide, and the mountain the hamlet is named for has its own Owls Head guide. One guest who spent eight weeks at The Modern Tiny Home one summer wrote that the family "went running on quiet country roads."

County Route 25 into Malone

County Route 25, Duane Road, runs about 7.5 miles from Fayetteville Road north to the Malone village line, with 3-foot shoulders. Traffic builds toward town, from under 150 vehicles a day at its south end to about 1,000 past Bull Run and about 1,650 near the village. Malone is about ten road miles from the cabins; the Malone town guide has coffee, groceries and lunch for a ride that ends in town.

Fayetteville Road to NY 30

County Route 41, Fayetteville Road, links County Route 25 with NY 30 in 3.8 miles. Its shoulders are about 2 feet. It is the short way from the county roads to the wide shoulder of NY 30.

NY 30 and the Adirondack Trail

NY 30 is the state route closest to the cabins and the north end of the Adirondack Trail, a 188-mile state scenic byway that runs from the southern edge of the Adirondacks to Malone, about ten miles from the Canadian border. NYSDOT's bike-route data lists the byway for cycling.

The shoulder is the reason to ride it. From Malone's south village line to County Route 26 in Duane, NYSDOT's inventory shows an 8-foot shoulder, narrowing to 7 feet for about a mile and a half near the Lake Titus outlet, with 11-foot lanes, a 55 mph limit and about 1,570 vehicles a day. From Duane to NY 458 the shoulder stays at 8 feet with about 1,330 vehicles a day. From NY 458 to Paul Smiths it runs 6 to 10 feet with about 2,400 vehicles a day, and south of Paul Smiths toward Lake Clear it is 6 feet with about 700.

Lake Titus is about 9 road miles from the cabins, Duane about 20 and Paul Smiths about 31. Cars and trucks on NY 30 run at highway speed, so wear something bright and run a rear light in daylight; Lake Placid's share-the-road advice is bright clothing, reflectors in good shape and a bike light. The directions to the cabins describe the same road from a driver's seat.

US 11 and State Bike Route 11

NYSDOT signs State Bicycle Route 11 as an on-road route of 320 miles, from the Pennsylvania line near Binghamton to Rouses Point on the Quebec border, and it connects there with Quebec's cycling routes. In NYSDOT's touring-route inventory it follows US 11 across all of Franklin County, through Moira, Brushton, Bangor, Malone and Chateaugay, then stays on US 11 through Ellenburg, Mooers and Champlain to Rouses Point. From Malone east, US 11 is also the Military Trail, an 84-mile state scenic byway that runs from Massena along NY 37 to Malone and then on US 11 to Rouses Point; the military used the route for many years to move troops and equipment between the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain.

The same inventory gives the shoulder for every stretch:

The pattern is clear: wide shoulders in the open country and little or none in the villages, where the speed limit drops to 30 or 35. Chateaugay village is about 22 road miles from the cabins, and the Chateaugay Lakes and High Falls guide covers the falls and the lakes. Malone's Main Street, with no shoulder and the most traffic of any road in this guide, is the one stretch to ride with extra care.

State Bike Route 9 and the Champlain shore

State Bicycle Route 9 is the state's other signed route in the north. It runs 345 miles from New York City to Rouses Point and also connects with Velo Quebec's routes. In the north it belongs to the Empire State Trail, the 750-mile route that joins the Erie Canalway Trail, the Hudson Valley Greenway and the Champlain Valley Trail; the Champlain Valley section passes through Ticonderoga, Westport, Keeseville, Plattsburgh and Rouses Point.

Plattsburgh and Rouses Point are both about 61 road miles from the cabins, so this is a day trip with the bikes on the car. The Plattsburgh guide has the city and the lake. State Bike Routes 9 and 11 both end at Rouses Point at the Canadian line; riders who want to continue into Quebec should read the border guide first for documents and crossing hours.

Saranac Lake and Paul Smiths loops

Saranac Lake is about 43 road miles from the cabins, a little under an hour by car, and its tourism office publishes road loops that start at town hall, 39 Main Street.

• Three Lakes Loop, 31.4 miles with 1,961 feet of climbing. Head north on Broadway, turn left at the light onto Ampersand Avenue, right on Forest Home Road (County Route 18), right on NY 30, left at Lake Clear Junction to stay on NY 30, then right on NY 86 at Paul Smiths back to town. It passes Little Colby Pond, Lake Clear and Upper St. Regis Lake. Watch for wildlife late in the day.
• Norman Ridge Loop, 34.7 miles with 1,484 feet of climbing. Take Broadway to Bloomingdale Avenue and go north on NY 3, turn right at the four-way intersection in Bloomingdale and then right on Norman Ridge Road, left on Fletcher Farm Road and right on Franklin Falls Road (County Route 48, which becomes County Route 18), then left on NY 3 back to Saranac Lake. The rolling roads give views of the winding Saranac River, then mountain views along Norman Ridge Road.
• Moody Pond Loop, 3.6 miles with 211 feet of climbing, from town hall by way of Broadway, Bloomingdale Avenue and Pine Street around Moody Pond on Forest Hill Avenue. It is about as flat as a ride here gets, with a view of Baker and McKenzie mountains.

On the Three Lakes Loop, NY 30 between Lake Clear and Paul Smiths carries about 700 vehicles a day on a 6-foot shoulder. The Saranac Lake guide has lunch on Main Street and Broadway.

The Ironman Lake Placid bike course

Lake Placid is 52 road miles from the cabins, about an hour and a quarter by car. The Lake Placid tourism office publishes the Ironman bike loop as a 56-mile ride with 2,850 feet of climbing; racers ride it twice. From Lake Placid it follows NY 73 south past the Cascade Lakes and down the Keene hill, turns left on NY 9N north to Jay, then left on NY 86 to Wilmington and back to Lake Placid on NY 86 through the Wilmington Notch. For a different finish, turn left on River Road and right on NY 73 by the ski jumps. This is the loop as the tourism office publishes it for everyday riding; the race itself also uses a few side roads, listed under race day below.

Shoulders and traffic

NYSDOT's inventory shows mostly 4-foot shoulders on NY 73 between Lake Placid and Keene, 3 to 6 feet in places, with a 55 mph limit outside the villages and about 3,900 to 4,100 vehicles a day. NY 9N from Keene to Jay runs 3 to 12 feet, mostly 4, with the widest shoulders between Upper Jay and Jay. NY 86 between Jay and Wilmington has about 3 feet, and through the Notch mostly 3 to 4 feet; the state estimates about 2,200 to 4,300 vehicles a day on NY 86 along the loop. The tourism office calls the loop an essential local road, used heavily by both cyclists and drivers, and asks everyone on it for kindness and care.

Riding it like a local

The tourism office's course guide, updated in August 2026, asks riders to stay right of the white line whenever the shoulder is safe, ride single file in busy stretches and whenever a car approaches, use hand signals for turns and stops, and wear bright clothing, with a white front light, a red rear light and reflectors when the light is poor. Use the portable toilets marked along the routes, never the roadside or private land; carry out your wrappers; and leave no marks on the road. The tricky bits leaving town are Main Street and Sentinel Road out to River Road and the ski jumps, then the Keene descent on NY 73 along Cascade Lake. Coming back, the climb on NY 86 waits at the end. A large weather-resistant course map is available at the Lake Placid Visitor Center, 2608 Main Street, and at the local bike shops.

Race day

The 27th Ironman Lake Placid was held Sunday, July 19, 2026, on roads through Lake Placid, Keene, Jay, Upper Jay, Au Sable Forks and Wilmington. Closures began at 5 a.m. NY 73 from Lake Placid toward Keene closed from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., NY 9N northbound from the NY 73 intersection in Keene to Glen Road in Jay from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and southbound NY 86 into Lake Placid from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Off the published loop, Bilhuber Road in Wilmington closed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Haselton Road was closed to cars south of Bilhuber until 4 p.m., and one direction of Stickney Bridge Road in Jay was given over to the bikes. The 2027 race is listed for July 25, 2027; check the date before you plan around it, and save the loop for another day that weekend. In 2026 the race's community liaison took questions by phone at (888) 497-5009.

For the village, Mirror Lake and the Olympic venues off the bike, see the Lake Placid and Whiteface day trip.

Shorter rides around Lake Placid and Jay

The Lake Placid tourism office publishes shorter rides that start in or near the village, plus longer river loops from Wilmington. Most begin right from town.

Between the Jays

From Upper Jay, NY 9N runs 3.5 flat miles north to Jay on broad shoulders, with the Ausable River beside you and pull-offs with picnic tables. In Jay, John Fountain Road leads to the Jay Covered Bridge with Jay Rocks behind it. For more, Glen Road (County Route 22) adds 4.1 miles of higher country and Valley Road (County Route 58) another 3.5, then Trumbulls Road brings you back to NY 9N. The side roads have narrow shoulders and low traffic, and the rolling hills keep the climbs balanced with downhill cruises.

The Franklin Falls Loop in order

From Wilmington, take NY 431 up a long, demanding hill and bear right at the top onto County Route 18 toward Bloomingdale. The descents that follow carry loose gravel, so take them easy. The road passes Franklin Falls Pond; turn left on NY 3 in Bloomingdale, left on Pine Street in Saranac Lake, then follow McKenzie Pond Road to NY 86 at Ray Brook and ride NY 86 through Lake Placid back to Wilmington. Wilmington is about 65 road miles from the cabins.

The Whiteface Memorial Highway by bike

The Whiteface Veterans' Memorial Highway climbs more than 2,300 feet in five paved miles from the Toll House toward the summit of Whiteface, at 4,867 feet New York's fifth-highest peak. It was dedicated in 1929 and opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. Bicycles are allowed, along with cars, trucks, motorcycles and walkers, and the way up has nine marked stops with signs about the mountain.

• Season and hours. In 2026 the highway opened daily from May 15 with a closing date of October 12. Cyclists may start up until 4:45 p.m. The road closes to entry at 5:30 p.m., and everyone must leave the summit parking lot by 6:15 p.m.
• Toll. The 2026 rates were $15 for a bicycle and $65 for a bicycle season pass. Every rider stops at the Toll House, season passholders included.
• Where. The Toll House is at 646 Route 431 in Wilmington. NY 431 and the highway have 10-foot lanes, 2- to 4-foot shoulders, 25 to 35 mph limits and a few hundred vehicles a day.
• Weather. The summit runs at least 10 degrees colder than the base. Carry a jacket and full-finger gloves for the descent.

The Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race climbs 8 miles and about 3,500 feet from the Wilmington visitors bureau at 5753 NY 86. The 23rd race was Saturday, June 6, 2026, starting at 5:30 p.m.; earlier races fell on June 3, 2023, June 1, 2024 and June 7, 2025, and the 2027 date was not posted when we checked. Helmets and at least two brakes are required, and each rider arranges a way down, either riding the descent behind the pacing marshals or meeting someone with a car at the top. The castle, the elevator and the summit café are covered in the Whiteface day trip guide linked above.

New York's bicycle laws

A few rules from the state's Vehicle and Traffic Law matter on every ride here.

• Rights and duties. On a roadway, a cyclist has all the rights and all the duties of the driver of a vehicle.
• Where to ride. Use a usable bike lane where there is one. Otherwise ride near the right edge of the road or on a usable right shoulder. You may move out to prepare for a left turn or to avoid hazards, including a lane too narrow for a bike and a car to share side by side. The county roads near the cabins have 10-foot lanes.
• Riding together. On a roadway, no more than two abreast, and single file when a car is overtaking you. On shoulders and paths you may ride two or more abreast if there is room, single file when passing or being passed.
• Leaving a driveway. Come to a full stop before you enter the road from a driveway or over a curb.
• Lights. From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, carry a white front light visible from 500 feet and a red or amber rear light visible from 300 feet, with at least one of them visible from 200 feet to each side.
• Bell and brakes. A bell or similar device audible from 100 feet (no siren or whistle), and a brake that can skid the braked wheels on dry, level, clean pavement.
• Helmets. Required for riders and passengers from age 1 to under 14, and for every rider of a class 3 e-bike. The fine is up to $50 and is waived with proof that a proper helmet was bought or rented before the court date.
• Passing. Drivers must pass a bicycle at a safe distance. Lake Placid's share-the-road guide asks drivers for at least 3 feet.

Weather and daylight

Plan road rides for May through mid-October; the byway listing for County Route 27 gives April through October, and the Whiteface highway runs from mid-May to mid-October. Malone's 1991-2020 normals give average highs and lows of 64 and 44 degrees in May, 73 and 54 in June, 77 and 58 in July, 75 and 55 in August, 68 and 47 in September and 55 and 36 in October. Summer mornings start in the 50s, so pack arm warmers and a wind jacket and peel them off by mid-morning. Malone averages about 2 inches of snow in October and 9 in November.

In June, civil twilight lasts until about 9:24 p.m., which leaves room for an evening ride after a day at the lake. By mid-October an afternoon ride has to be home by about six, and the light law applies from half an hour after sunset. Black flies are out from mid-May to late June; the bug guide has what works. For a ride through the fall color, the foliage guide has the timing.

Bike shops, repairs and rentals

We could not find a bike shop in Malone, so pack spare tubes, a pump, tire levers and a multi-tool before you leave home. The full-service shops are in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

• High Peaks Cyclery, 2733 Main Street, Lake Placid, (518) 523-3764, listed as open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily when we checked. It rents road bikes, has rental information for Ironman athletes, sells road bikes and services bikes, with drop-off times booked online.
• Placid Planet Bicycles, 2242 Saranac Avenue, Lake Placid, (518) 523-4128. It focuses on triathlon, road and mountain bike sales and service, and typically stays open for service around the clock during Ironman week. Its website was down when we checked, so call before you go.
• Silver Birch Cycles, 77 Main Street, Saranac Lake, (518) 354-8497, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The downtown shop, formerly Human Power Planet Earth, sells, services and rents bikes.
• BikeADK, Saranac Lake, (518) 524-4674, publishes road, gravel and mountain bike routes, runs custom and small-group tours and offers a one-way rail trail shuttle.

Rental fleets and hours change with the season. Call ahead for a road bike in your size, bring your own pedals and saddle if you are particular about them, and book early for July.

Bringing bikes to the cabins

Bring the bikes on your car. All three cabins list free parking on the property, and the listings for The Modern Pine and The Modern Tiny Home say the parking area has plenty of room for an ATV or a snowmobile; at The Modern Tiny Home the parking area is shared when the neighboring cabin is occupied. No listing mentions bike storage, so bring a lock and a cover. After a ride there is a private hot tub, a washer and dryer for the kit, and a grill for dinner; the cabins page compares the three, and you can book direct. The mountain biking guide covers trail bikes and the trail networks.

Riding away from traffic

For a ride with no cars at all, the Adirondack Rail Trail is a 34-mile multi-use trail connecting Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Tupper Lake on the old railroad bed, and the rail trail guide has the trailheads, the surface and the rules. On public roads, the lowest traffic count in this guide is on County Route 27 south of Mountain View, about 120 vehicles a day, and the Lake Placid tourism office describes Bear Cub Road outside the village as light traffic.

Rides and races on the calendar

• Early June. The Whiteface Mountain Uphill Bike Race, held on a Saturday in early June in recent years, 8 miles up from Wilmington.
• July. Ironman Lake Placid, listed for July 25, 2027.
• August. The Tupper Lake Tinman Triathlon is listed for August 21, 2027.
• Mid-October. The Memorial Highway closes for the year; in 2026 the closing date was October 12.

Dates move from year to year, so check each event's own page before you book around it.

A riding weekend from the cabins

Check the forecast and the sunset time on Friday night, pump the tires, and load the bikes before bed.

Saturday in Lake Placid

1. Leave the cabins by 7:30 a.m. for Lake Placid, about an hour and a quarter by car.
2. Pick up the course map at the visitor center on Main Street, or download it before you go.
3. Ride the 56-mile Ironman loop: NY 73 to Keene, NY 9N to Jay, NY 86 through Wilmington and the Notch back to town. Allow most of the day, with food stops in Jay or Wilmington.
4. For a shorter day, ride River Road out and back (8.2 miles) and add the Adirondack Loj Road (9.6 miles round trip) for High Peaks views.
5. If anything needs a mechanic, High Peaks Cyclery and Placid Planet are both in the village.
6. Drive home, get in the hot tub, and grill dinner.

Sunday from the cabin door

1. Roll out after breakfast on County Route 27 through Owls Head to Mountain View and back, about 13 miles on some of the quietest roads in this guide.
2. With more time, ride County Route 25 into Malone, about ten miles each way, for coffee in town.
3. For wider shoulders, take Fayetteville Road to NY 30 and ride its 8-foot shoulder south toward Duane and back.
4. Be back by checkout, wash the kit, and pack up.

With a third day, drive to Saranac Lake for the Three Lakes Loop, or to Wilmington for the Whiteface Memorial Highway between mid-May and mid-October. The summer page has more for the season.

Questions

Sources

Facts on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. Hours, fees and schedules change; confirm before you go.

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2. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) cdn.lakeplacid.com/f/c3/c3a6abf07bf6bac25eba84d42847cd60/ironman-traff
3. I LOVE NY iloveny.com/thebeat/post/ironman-lake-placid-takes-place-on-july-19-ro
4. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/story/2023/navigate-the-lake-placid-ironman-bike-course
5. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/river-road
6. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/wilmington-notch
7. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/franklin-falls-loop
8. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/ausable-river-loop
9. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/bear-cub-in-the-woods
10. Lake Placid tourism (ROOST) lakeplacid.com/cycling/between-the-jays
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