SW Penn. route sugestions?

[hodadmike]

Any suggestions for a route between Connellsville (on the Great Allegheny Pass.) and Marrietta, OH? We're riding fully loaded touring bikes, experienced riders, crossing sometime in mid-June. Any roads I should definitely avoid?

[Elwoodab]

I am familiar with a large section of your route, I have either ridden my bicycle or my motorcycle on much of it at one time or another. I think Rt. 21 from Uniontown through Waynesburg will be fairly flat, when you get close to Waynesburg it will start getting hilly, and I would suppose you would take 21 west from Waynesburg to Rt. 18 south, now this will start getting pretty hilly but all pretty decent road. You can follow this into WV. where it will be WV Rt. 69 and you follow it into Hundred, WV. from there you can pick up Rt. 7 to New Martinsville. I have ridden that route many time on my motorcycle but that was years ago. I don't recall many real steep hills, I just remember it being very twisty and decent rd. I would guess once you make it to New Martinsville you will be able to follow the river which is usually pretty flat, but I'm not familiar with any roads from there to Marietta, so I don't know which side of the river would be safer to ride on. Good luck. Now I am only guessing your route, I took a look on my MS Streets and trips and ran shortest route so I'm only making the assumption from that. But that's what I would do.

[hodadmike]

Thanks, that helps. The route seems pretty direct, but I've heard the coal trucks can be a problem when you get into the hills in WV. The people in the Great Lakes sub-forum have said the Ohio side of the river is better than the WV side to get from New Martinsville to Marrietta.

[TrekDen]

I'd stay away from Route 119 when leaving Connellsville. Four lane road with lots of high speed traffic. I would take West Crawford out of Connellsville. I'm working on a map for you, so don't think we forgot about you. I think Elwood's idea of going thru Waynesburg via Route 21 is valid. It's getting you to Waynesburg that I'm working on maps for.

Get back to you soon,

Denny

[hodadmike]

I came across this on crazyguy:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=22974&v=G8

It was a few years ago, but it couldn't have changed that much, could it? The previous days ride from Farmington sounds a bit hectic.

[TrekDen]

I have to go back to the crazyguy link, and read the Farmington ride report. I'll take notes from that, and try to make adjustments for a better route.

Here is a map for Elwoods suggestion Waynesburg (via 21 & 18) to New Martinsville, WV (on route 7) (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/104510). From there you can just take Route 7 the rest of the way to Marietta. You'll have to ride about 1.5 miles on that Route 2 before you cross over to Ohio, but it's through the town of New Martinsville so they probably have lower posted speed limits to keep the trucks tame.

Another route, and one I ride frequently to WV, and back is Waynesburg, PA to Route 7 Blacksville, WV (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/104516). This will take you down 218 into WV, and I can vouch for there only being one hill on the way down on 218.

[TrekDen]

Okay, now to get you from Connellsville to Waynesburg via some back roads (http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/104519) which may not be direct, but it's alot safer than tempting Route 119.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, or if I can be of further help. I live in Waynesburg, so depending on when you're riding thru, perhaps well have a chance to say hello.

Denny