From Buffalo Rising, January 26, 2022:
If someone was to mention a “peanut roll” to you, I bet that the first thing to come to mind would be some sort of delicious baked good, pastry, or donut.
But when you’re in Western New York, a ‘peanut roll’ takes on an entirely different meaning. That’s because the Peanut Roll is an actual bike ride series that takes place along the Amherst Peanut Line Trailway (view AllTrails). How cute is that?
Peanut Rolls are fun, slow-rolling group rides in support of the community effort to open this public space to human powered transportation.
The Amherst Peanut Line Trailway is described thusly: A multi-use pedestrian/bike trail along the former “Peanut Line” rail bed, running east-west about six miles between Transit Road and the Ellicott Creek Trailway.
GObike Buffalo recently announced that there is an upcoming ride “… to demonstrate support for the Amherst Peanut Line Trailway’s completion.”
“This is a self-supported ride. Your best bet is a fat tire bike, but an experienced rider in good shape could likely make a mountain bike work. You’re riding on a graded, grassy trail, potentially through some snow and ice. That sounds awesome! But keep a spare tube on you just in case.” – GObike Buffalo
Just today, I learned that Peter Robbins, the original voice of Charlie Brown, passed away at the age of 65. This Peanut Line bike ride might make a nice tribute, to celebrate the man that gave Charlie his voice. In the process, Robbins helped to shape the “lovable loser” who was the de facto leader of the Peanuts crew (along with his sidekick Snoopy) despite his manic unsureness and inherent shortcomings.
As for the actual ride, cyclists will depart from The Rock Kitchen and Bar (6261 Transit Road East) on Sunday, January 30, starting at 12:30pm.
“We’ll be riding roughly 4.5 miles out and back along the predominantly graded, grassy trail along the right-of-way of the former Canandaigua-Niagara Falls Railway (aka the “peanut line”). We can ride almost the entire route as it exists today. There is one section that will require a detour onto adjacent roadways, and when we reach the Ellicott Creek Trailway we’ll mass-up before the return ride. The Rock will once again serve as a host venue for this event. We’ll start and end at that location, and they have a great covered patio for those who care to stay to unwind after the ride and watch the AFC Championship Game.” – Peanut Roll organizers (see Facebook event for additional details)
For those of you who are always looking to explore more trails in the region, especially in the wintertime, this ride is for you.
Click here to learn more about the formations of this rails-to-trails project.