# Pittsburgh!



## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

We had been hanging around town most of the summer. It was good but we were ready to get out of town for a while.

So we asked ourselves, "Where is there an interesting place that we could go to without driving".

Since the C&O Canal starts right down the hill from our DC house and runs all the way to Pittsburgh (connecting in Cumberland with the Great Allegheny Passage) that seemed like a very logical choice.

If you have been reading my posts over these many years there is no reason for me to say much about the C&O Canal. The Tow Path is fairly rough but we ride it on our road bikes with no concerns at all. 








One thing of note is that there is no longer a detour at Dam #4. They spent a bucket of money to fix the thing and it is very cool to ride on such a good surface so close to the river. NO RAILINGS!!!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

I'll pick things up on our day into Pittsburgh.








First thing I'll say is that after Ohiopyle the GAP Trail gets just a tad boring. Not bad but since you are out of the mountains there aren't any great views to break things up (although the trail runs next to water the whole time so there is that). 









Comparing riding on the wide and smooth GAP to the bumpy and narrow, closed in C&O Tow Path isn't hard to do. They are both wonderful IMHO but the GAP doesn't require much attention to what you are doing.








We had a good time! Then with about 15 miles to Pittsburgh we left the dirt and started riding on the old back roads.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

We had read that some folks had problems following the GAP once they left the dirt and started on the (not very well marked) pavement part of the route.








We weren't too worried. First of all we are used to being slightly lost and comfortable with it.








And we are used to riding into strange cities.








Actually the paved part of the GAP into Pittsburgh reminded us of the Danube trail into Budapest, a very pleasant memory.








It was kind of cool to see how the trail was routed into town.








The bridge conversions were amazing (and I imagine quite costly).








We thought the whole thing was very well done.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

When we crossed the Hot Metal Bridge we could finally see our goal, Downtown Pittsburgh! It was a good feeling.








Since we were doing the ride in the middle of the week and after labor day there weren't a lot of other cyclists out so we kind of wiggled our way down the mix of trails into town. We had no idea that Pittsburgh had put so many trails in over the years, it was nice.








City riding at its best!








Point State Park! End of the trail.








We did a bit of sight seeing.








Nice rainbow to greet us.








Then it was off to find our hotel and dinner!


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## n2deep (Mar 23, 2014)

. .....


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Dinner, mmmmm...........














Bright and early the next morning we headed out.








Instead of exactly retracing our route we stuck to the South Side Trail.








It was an interesting urban landscape.








Steel mill country!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

It was a nice urban exit from town.















With all the dirt we saw riding from home we were enjoying a bit of our normal territory.








But I got to admit there are not a lot of working steel mills in DC!








Zig. Zag.








Urban at its best.








Made better by the fact that it was all new to us!


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

Once we cleared the pavement and got back on the dirt there wasn't much more to it.








One thing that we noticed that you don't get much of on the C&O is riding through old rail towns. Probably has something to do with the C&O being a canal....








It was nice comfortable riding.








Since we were in no hurry to end our ride.....








We headed off the trail every so often.








It was a nice vacation from our daily vacation!








Ride your bike


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## commutenow (Sep 26, 2004)

Wow how fun! Beautiful pictures!


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## KWL (Jan 31, 2005)

Nice. Did you ever get home? I can see you and Miss M just riding from bakery to bakery, never able to find your way home.


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## rideorglide (Dec 3, 2005)

Some terrific shots as usual. 

I think I just got hungry looking at the bakery shot and it's 12:20 am. Just gonna have to go to sleep hungry. oy.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

Great pics and great captions.

How far did you ride on this trip?


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

KWL said:


> Nice. Did you ever get home? I can see you and Miss M just riding from bakery to bakery, never able to find your way home.


I guess it wouldn't surprise any one to learn that when we get back from a long ride l always have gained weight.....


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## Kurious Oranj (Oct 11, 2009)

Nice report! Thanks for sharing.


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## paramountz (Mar 10, 2004)

Outstanding shots and ride report MB


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

You don't appear to be carrying much gear for such a long ride. I rode the entire GAP - C&O this summer with two friends over a week. We started in Bethesda, MD, rode to Union Station, took the Amtrak with our bikes to Pittsburgh, and rode back. We each had two rear panniers on our bikes, mainly packed with clothes and spare tires,tubes, tools, etc. We averaged about 60 miles a day and stayed at inns along the way. It was one of the best bike tours I've done.
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## headloss (Mar 3, 2013)

tarwheel2 said:


> You don't appear to be carrying much gear for such a long ride. I rode the entire GAP - C&O this summer with two friends over a week. We started in Bethesda, MD, rode to Union Station, took the Amtrak with our bikes to Pittsburgh, and rode back. We each had two rear panniers on our bikes, mainly packed with clothes and spare tires,tubes, tools, etc. We averaged about 60 miles a day and stayed at inns along the way. It was one of the best bike tours I've done.
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You'll find that if you edit your post and reupload the attachments, they will actually work. It's a weird glitch. 

Last time I rode the gap, I did the 60ish mile a day thing. Next time I go, I think I'm going to aim for Pgh to Hancock with a lunch break around Ohiopyle/Confluence... before stopping for the night. Ride the whole thing in a couple of days. Then I'll probably ride it back after visiting family in the DC area, maybe take an extra day or two on the way back and be a bit more social with other riders. I really think that the ability to meet and talk with others along the way is the best part of the ride.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

tarwheel2 said:


> You don't appear to be carrying much gear for such a long ride. ...


We carried a couple of little pieces of plastic in our wallets that made up for a lot......


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

If you may recall, MB1, you took me on the C&O Canal trail for the first time about 5 years ago. I finally made it back to ride the whole thing.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

headloss said:


> ...and be a bit more social with other riders. I really think that the ability to meet and talk with others along the way is the best part of the ride.


That is a good point. We enjoyed meeting and chatting with lots of folks on that ride.


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## Mcfarton (May 23, 2014)

tarwheel2 said:


> If you may recall, MB1, you took me on the C&O Canal trail for the first time about 5 years ago. I finally made it back to ride the whole thing.


That is impressive. I am jelly


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Really nice pictures. I may have to put this on the bucket list for 2016. I will ride over to the C&O from my house and head northwest from there.


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## Johnnybravo (Feb 3, 2009)

Thanks for sharing!! Great photo's and awesome ride report!


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