Bike Pittsburgh

PGH to DC

I'm looking to ride to DC several times this summer, taking about 2.5 days for 320 miles. Anyone else insane enough to think that'd be fun? Average speed when moving of maybe 14mph... not hard, just long.

RE: PGH to DC

If you wanna do a weekend run in September or later, let me know. I'm insane enough to think that'd be fun.

You talking GAP/C&O, on-road, or some combination of the two?

RE: PGH to DC

I'm down for that when I can walk again. I was going to do Crush The Commonwealth yesterday but 3 weeks ago woke up with intense back pain.

Chiro says I should be feeling noticeably better by the end of next week. I'm pissed off even though the weather for this weekend is crappy.

I want to go on a long ride as soon as I am able.

RE: PGH to DC

i think i'm going june 3rd or something like that. my friends haven't done it yet so i'll be moving at their pace, probably 14mph ish but i don't know about 2.5 days...

i go more for the camping. but if you want to join us let me know.

RE: PGH to DC

Im down with that pace. I rode it once in 4.5 days, but stopping a lot for beer and camping carrying 2X more stuff than we needed for fun LOL.

I am feeling noticably better this weekend than the last 3 weeks and I expect I will be able to ride before the month is out.

RE: PGH to DC

I just did GAP west newton to ohiopyle and back last week- camped in OP
I camped in the campground- after walking my bike and 30+ lbs of stuff up that 20% hill to get to it -and on the way out saw everyone camped right along the trail- HMMMMMMMMM
the GAP is closed from Boston pa to buena vista for a landslip??
I am going to be doing DC to pgh in the fall sometime

RE: PGH to DC

update

the trail is open now for the whole way
quick action by the RTA- thanks
anyone else camp along the trail in O pyle??
probably something they Dont want you to do but ? they enforce this?

RE: PGH to DC

"Stealth camping" is a time-honored tradition; I've talked to several trail users who do it frequently.

RE: PGH to DC

I know from experience that if you go up the hill to the Ohiopyle state park campgrounds and pick a spot in the walk-in tenting area in the back of the campground, you can camp, get a shower the next morning, and be up and out of there before Ranger Bob comes a knockin' for your camping fees.

The one time I actually made the effort to pay I was too tired to trudge up to the main building until the next morning and all the people in the building did was bitch me out for not paying the night before when we pitched our tent.

I figured instead of having to go up the hill to the main booth only to get bitched at and back down to the tent area was a waste of time and money.

Also, if Ranger Bob does come knocking on your tent, just as long as you have the cash to pay the fee right there, they will just give you the same lecture and bitching out they would have given you if you walked up to the main booth to pay.

So the moral of the story is that you can pitch your tent in the walk-in area as long as nobody has claimed that site (they post notices on the sites people paid in advance for), get a shower and jet the next day.

The rangers don't really go back there looking around at night, and most cyclists will be gone before the yuppie campers plugged into the electrical outlets rise.

There are plenty of campsites once you get into Maryland (every 20 miles or less).

By bicycle you can camp just about anywhere and not be noticed. I've camped in people's backyards practically without them having a clue before.

RE: PGH to DC

I recently did this ride, except from DC to PGH this weekend in 3 days,it is a bit monotonous...

But on a neat note, my buddy rode his Calfee Tetra Pro, a custom hand made full carbon racer type bike with a bob trailer and 28c conti gator skins and got no flats or broken spokes, even on the shitty bumpy muddy sections on the c&o.


-Joe

RE: PGH to DC

I ve read where that guy thats riding across the world "crazyguy on a bike"

does "STEALTH" camping- but he has a hennessy hamock-- ? about putting up my tent??

RE: PGH to DC

I was looking at the out flow campground by confluence anybody camp there??
thanks

RE: PGH to DC

I did most of this route (Pgh to Anteitam and back) roundtrip last week and the week before.

Here's a whinge: In Rockwood, I called the guy at the Trailside B&B (and bicycle shop). He didn't have a room open. (OK)

I asked him about other places in town and he told me there weren't any. This was scary, because a thurderstorm was coming in and it was 8:45.

I was prepared to go to the campgrounds, but did not look forward to it.

The reality is: there was a B&B 100 yards away that was happy to have me.

When I talked to the Trailside guy the next day, he tried to say that he didn't know if the other places had any openings and didn't know their number- BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED and he knows it.

I would personally appreciate it if people did not give him business.

The Gingerbread House, on the other hand, was really good to me.

Thanks for listening.

Other than that the trip was great!

Mick