Great Allegheny Passage and C&O

[CMtrekker]

Hi everybody,

I just made a significant investment in a new bike and feel obliged to put it to major use. I think the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) fits the bill. This is a continuous, paved path which goes from the Pittsburgh area to Cumberland, Maryland (about 150 miles). From Cumberland you connect directly into the C&O Canal Towpath which goes another 185 miles into Washington, DC. (Most, if not all this route, is car free!)

I’d like to bike all of GAP and a substantial part of C&O, if not the whole way back to DC. I thought it might be cool to share this adventure with someone or a small group of someones. This will take about a week to do and I suppose we’d be averaging about 50-75 miles per day.

I don’t consider myself a “high octane” cyclist and usually ride at a somewhat casual pace (though of course long distance rides do require a certain amount dedication, fitness and maintaining some minimal speed). There’s also the challenge of figuring out how to get you and your bike to Pittsburgh.

Anybody interested? Let me know and we can talk about potential logistical and planning details.

Chris
cmx113@yahoo.com

Topic

[cgreenoh]

I really want to do this ride. It sounds like so much fun! I love Pittsburgh, so there’s a double win. Though I don’t really have a bike for this type of trail (the unpaved/offroad section)… how does one solve that problem… hmmm… a new bike, perhaps?

[CCrew]

@eminva 8321 wrote:

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do start planning vacations a year in advance. Doesn’t everyone?

Late response, but no. Given job pressure and schedules I get about 1-2 weeks to plan and execute.

cgreenh, what are you riding? the GAP trail surface is pretty good (fine crushed limestone, fairly well packed), and short of a skinny tired road bike you can ride most anything on it. We ride it frequently and my first choice is usually a cross bike with 30’s.

[KLizotte]

@cgreenoh 11873 wrote:

I really want to do this ride. It sounds like so much fun! I love Pittsburgh, so there’s a double win. Though I don’t really have a bike for this type of trail (the unpaved/offroad section)… how does one solve that problem… hmmm… a new bike, perhaps?

Personally I think the C&O calls for a bike with some sort of suspension to take the edge off the vibration. After 30 miles I’m pretty tired of the bone rattling (and my bike has suspension!).

[Greenbelt]

We were in Pittsburgh this weekend and took this trip video of a route from downtown to the trailhead in Homestead (and a little beyond). Sort of improvised a route with no traffic. Eventually, the trail will be completed through the waterpark and around the industrial areas. For now, the only real issues are finding the off-road path along the river behind the huge shopping mall area, and getting through the waterpark area. We chose to ride along the rail tracks where possible. On the way home, the back gate of the waterpark was locked, so we had to push along the tracks a little longer distance (fun when a freight train sped past). We ran into a local, who advised that it might have been better to go around the other side of the tracks along the service road… In any event, everyone we spoke with said under no circumstances take the highway — no shoulder, high speeds, bad sight lines. So for now, the railbed is best.
http://www.strava.com/rides/46kilometers-6685826

[video=youtube_share;TGMsMN4kwOg]http://youtu.be/TGMsMN4kwOg[/video]

[KLizotte]

You are simply beyond intrepid. It’s truly a wonder you don’t get lost. Did you *ride* down the stairs?!

[Author]

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