Buffalo T-Shirts hits the Erie Canal

Im biking the Erie Canal with my brothers. First let me start off by saying, Im no biker. I bike with my son Frank. We spin around Delaware Park. We'll look for turkeys and deer in Forest Lawn, tackle the hills and enjoy the scenery. You heard me-I said deer...with two E's. In the middle of the city. And not no doe either. How 'bout a 6-8 point Buck to boot! Buffalo Buck I call 'em...keep a lookout for the T-shirt. No, not really. Well... maybe. My current bicycle, and this is the gods honest truth, was free with the purchase of a $200 futon at Rosa's. There. I said it. Ive had it for 9 years. I use it every summer and I've never had it serviced. I've never had a flat and never had a problem. I havent a clue what a bike mechanic would charge to give a 'tune-up' because Ive never given it a thought. This bike has been good to me. With that said, its definitely a piece of shit. An embarrassment if only because Im a giant (see my profile) and I look like Benny petting his rabbits on this thing. Im pretty sure Buffalo Blue Bicycle would take one look at it and euthanize the thing as soon as my back was turned. But I loves her...knock on wood.
Needless-to-say, and lets use our inside voices as she's resting in the basement, I need a real bike. And by real I mean something I have to pay for. Now from my perspective given my past expenditures on 2-wheeled transport, Im thinking a couple 2, 3 hundred buckers. TOPS. Then theres my brothers perspective. And here I'm wondering, "should I get a fixed gear bike...?"
We'll see.
The trip will be one for the ages for sure. Albany to Buffalo. 400 miles. 8 days. Following the Erie Canal. Were planning this for the week ending August 24 (thankfully too, as my wed anni. is the 25th). Hitting the county fairs and church lawn fetes along the way. Stealth camping for 6 or 7 of the nights. And I can't wait to get into Buffalo, ride up through the Marina to the new harborfront and slowly coast onto the boardwalk finishing our trip at the mouth of the newly restored, historic Canal Slip.
Damnit, I shoulda knocked on wood quicker.