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September is the sweet spot for Western New York riders. The summer humidity breaks, the vineyards down along the lake come into harvest, and the first color starts creeping into the Southtowns and the Enchanted Mountains. Out here we all know the clock is ticking, the foliage is coming and the lake-effect is not far behind, so September and October are the months you do not waste. Get out early and ride while the weather is on your side.
Ride of the Month: Route 5 and the Lake Erie Wine Country
The big lake on your right, vineyards on your left, and harvest in the air
Roll south out of Buffalo on Route 5 and follow the Lake Erie shore through the Southtowns and down into the Chautauqua-Lake Erie wine country. September is harvest, and the road runs between the water and mile after mile of vineyard heavy with grapes, past Dunkirk, Silver Creek, and the wineries around Westfield and Ripley. It is easy, open, gorgeous riding with the lake breeze the whole way, one of the great late-summer runs in the state.
Stop for lunch on the water, take the back roads through the vineyards, and time it for a weekday to have the shore to yourself. Watch for gravel and farm traffic on the wine-trail lanes, and keep an eye on the lake sky, which can turn fast this time of year.
For peak color in a few weeks, nothing beats Letchworth State Park, the Grand Canyon of the East, or the roads around Ellicottville and Allegany State Park in the Enchanted Mountains. Zoar Valley and the Niagara River parkway up to the Falls are quick, close classics. Get the foliage rides in soon, because out here an early lake-effect squall can slam the door on the season.
Early-Fall Safety: Western New York Edition
September in WNY is the handoff to fall, and out here that handoff can come fast and hard.
- The deer are moving. Western New York is one of the worst regions in the state for deer strikes, and rut season is ramping up 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 the first cold rain. Early leaf drop on the foliage roads plus the season's first 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 can fire with little warning, dropping temperatures and visibility fast. Check the forecast before a long ride, dress for a morning that starts warm and ends cold, 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 turning 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.
Still Time 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.