I posted a review of a segment of the trail which I believe is unsafe. At the same time I contacted the agency that has responsibility for maintaining the segment. They immediately responded and have since, according to them, addressed the problems of surface degradation.

On August 20, 2021 I rode the trail between Fishell Rd and W River Rd, a 3.2 mile segment. It is dangerous, the erosion has caused the surface to be uneven and very loose. This segment needs immediate maintenance. I am an experienced cyclist and was riding a "gravel" bike.

Overall a beautiful trail. Great opportunities to stop with very picturesque views.

2021: Biked the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Cohoes. Well worth the time. And mostly a very pleasant experience, with just a few caveats. Trail improvements are ongoing and signage along the trail is not always up to date, so check your route carefully, especially where it is on-road. The initial section from downtown Buffalo is grungy city streets, but that improves with a great, mostly off-road trail all the way to Lyons. Lockport to Spencerport is fairly exposed, but from there on to Lyons is generally pleasantly green and shaded. From Clyde to Port Byron and through Syracuse were onroad and not always clearly signed and were the least pleasant. From the east side of Syracuse all the way to Cohoes was a delightful and beautiful ride, with the exception of finding one's way onroad and with poor signage through Rome. All in all (despite my caveats) a good, local, human-powered bucket-list endeavor, with thanks to all the communities along the way and everyone maintaining and improving and filling the gaps in the trail.

Park in Lehigh Crossing Park. Head west on the gravel road and make your first right up the gravel road, before the pond. At the top of the hill you will enter the Lehigh Valley railroad bed that has been graded and rolled with stone dust. Continue all the way to the Genesee River and the Greenway Trail. Enjoy your ride.

9/1/2021: Biked this trail from west (at the Genesee Greenway trail) to east (connection with the Auburn trail) as part of the Rochester Gravel Bike Loop. As a rail-trail, it was flat, level and straight, with a combination of overpasses, underpasses and grade crossings at surface streets, with just one short awkward road segment (Fishell Road) to cross under I-390. The weather had been hot and dry so there were no muddy sections. The trail corridor is mostly wide, tree-lined and pleasant, usually with either woods or fields beyond, sometimes Honeoye creek. Aside from a soft 1/4 mile at the west end, the surface was in great condition, packed stone dust, sometimes with a grass "median". There were also pleasant town parks as stopping points along the way. Mid-day on a weekday -- light traffic - met perhaps 10 other bicyclists in the 15 miles.

Started at Salamanca. 90% grass covered and wet. A lot of muddy patches, difficult to pedal. Only went 3 miles and turned around.
It is shaded.

My all time favorite trail anywhere. And the stairs at the end of it are a great workout.

There is a section of the trail like others have mentioned going through Niawanda Park that is very beautiful but then a lot of the little connecting trails take you through parts of town that is under construction and the roads are god awful.