Anyone want to ride to Gettysburg this weekend?

[KayakCyndi]

@sethpo 86231 wrote:

Feeling the itch for a long ride and I’ve been wanting to get up to G-burg and check out some history and such. I’m thinking Sunday. The route I mapped out is about 120 miles and I’m thinking Sunday but I’m open on all fronts.

This would obviously be an all day trek done at a touring pace. Weather looks very promising this weekend.

Anyone up for a little adventure?

Oh man, I’d LOVE to do that (although I have no idea if I could really ride 120 miles). Good thing I’m already booked this weekend or I’d be very, very tempted. Maybe we can try some similarly silly ride in the not to distant future.

[JimF22003]

The route in your link is private!

I’m out of town, but it sounds like a lot of fun. My longest ride this year is 109 miles.

Keep safe.

[creadinger]

Sadly I have to work this weekend, so I’ll be out for a long one tomorrow. Have a great time. Weather will be perfect.

[consularrider]

That’s a ride I’ve been wanting to do. Let me think about it and see what my wife has planned for Sunday.

[sethpo]

@JimF22003 86235 wrote:

The route in your link is private!

Oh poop. Fixed. Thanks.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4101021

[vvill]

The last time I rode to Gettysburg, I threw up in my mouth a little, it snowed on the way back and dcv had to come back (by car) to get me… Sheetz.

Have a good ride! I’ll be staying closer to home this weekend.

[PotomacCyclist]

@KayakCyndi 86232 wrote:

Oh man, I’d LOVE to do that (although I have no idea if I could really ride 120 miles). Good thing I’m already booked this weekend or I’d be very, very tempted. Maybe we can try some similarly silly ride in the not to distant future.

There’s always Mount Vernon to… Pittsburgh. Almost entirely on bike trails (though much of it is unpaved).

No, I have never ridden that far. Maybe someday. Definitely not this weekend or even this year.

[KayakCyndi]

@PotomacCyclist 86247 wrote:

There’s always Mount Vernon to… Pittsburgh. Almost entirely on bike trails (though much of it is unpaved).

Unpaved would be even better! It is only finding the time to do that ride which has prevented me from already doing it (and no, I’m not going to ride straight through as some other silly forum people have suggested).

[creadinger]

@vvill 86244 wrote:

The last time I rode to Gettysburg, I threw up in a mouth a little, it snowed on the way back and dcv had to come back (by car) to get me… Sheetz.

Have a good ride! I’ll be staying closer to home this weekend.

Whhhhaaaaaaaaatttt??? Were you sick with plague or something? Was it the cold weather? Surely a featherweight jackrabbit like yourself could handle a touring pace around Gettysburg on a normal day.

[sethpo]

@KayakCyndi 86248 wrote:

Unpaved would be even better! It is only finding the time to do that ride which has prevented me from already doing it (and no, I’m not going to ride straight through as some other silly forum people have suggested).

Oh this is totally on my list as well! I’m thinking it might have to wait until September before I can carve out a few days to pull it off although if anyone is planning on doing it let me know.

[Phatboing]

@sethpo 86258 wrote:

Oh this is totally on my list as well! I’m thinking it might have to wait until September before I can carve out a few days to pull it off although if anyone is planning on doing it let me know.

120 miles of touring-paced silliness in a go? I’m in.

I did 90 miles on the C&O once, so I’m tough as nails. Maybe less so with the hills. I tried to do the very first climb on the Custis just coming off the C&O that time, and the whole universe imploded.

[cyclingfool]

@Phatboing 86260 wrote:

120 miles of touring-paced silliness in a go? I’m in.

I did 90 miles on the C&O once, so I’m tough as nails. Maybe less so with the hills. I tried to do the very first climb on the Custis just coming off the C&O that time, and the whole universe imploded.

I can only imagine. I did back-to-back 80ish mile days loaded touring riding from Alexandria to just past Harpers Ferry and back 100* heat a few years ago. C&O all the way there, but on the ride back I took Whites Ferry and then came down the W&OD. Even the undulations on the W&OD, small as they are, were kicking my ass by the time I got closer to Vienna. My saving grace was that the ride turned downhill on 4MR to Mt Vernon Avenue, so gravity/coasting helped a lot with the last few miles home.

[KLizotte]

Just out of curiosity, what is the actual speed you are proposing? “Touring paced” means nothing to me.

Also, be sure to check out where refueling stops are located along your route. There are long stretches on the backroads where there isn’t anything – no 7-11s, gas stations or corner stores. I’m not familiar with your route so you may be fine but just cautioning that is a far more rural area than we are used to in the DC metro area.

[sethpo]

@KLizotte 86266 wrote:

Just out of curiosity, what is the actual speed you are proposing? “Touring paced” means nothing to me.

Also, be sure to check out where refueling stops are located along your route. There are long stretches on the backroads where there isn’t anything – no 7-11s, gas stations or corner stores. I’m not familiar with your route so you may be fine but just cautioning that is a far more rural area than we are used to in the DC metro area.

Oh, I don’t know. I guess that depends on the group but I’d guess around 12-14mph. I’m taking my commuter bike w/ a bag to carry some extra stuff. I’ll also probably refine the route based on yours.

Basically, I just plotted a straight line from home to downtown Gettysburg and back to get an estimate. I need to research some specifics. I’m also open to doing some shorter version of route based on yours from Thurmont but I don’t have a car to use so I need to start from home or hitch a ride

[creadinger]

@sethpo 86281 wrote:

Oh, I don’t know. I guess that depends on the group but I’d guess around 12-14mph. I’m taking my commuter bike w/ a bag to carry some extra stuff. I’ll also probably refine the route based on yours.

Basically, I just plotted a straight line from home to downtown Gettysburg and back to get an estimate. I need to research some specifics. I’m also open to doing some shorter version of route based on yours from Thurmont but I don’t have a car to use so I need to start from home or hitch a ride

If you’re open to routing suggestions the only thing I might suggest is to jive over to Laytonsville Rd at Warfield or Brink Rd. Then bear right onto Long Corner Rd and then make a left on Penn Shop Rd to join up with 27 again. This avoids part of 27, and the more trafficky roads near Damascus. Long Corner Rd has a couple of tough climbs on it though. You live up that way though, so you may be more familiar with those roads than I am.

Also, while you research I’d suggest actually riding through the battlefield. Turn left onto Wright Ave from Taneytown Rd. It’s beautiful and offers a chance to slow down and reflect a bit on an otherwise tough ride. Especially over Memorial Day weekend.

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