Touring - The Historian's First Solo Tour - comments, flames anyone?

OK, here's my "Neil on Wheels" tour schedule so far. I've decided I need to ride the whole enchilada from Pittsburgh to DC. Otherwise I'll always regret I never finished the ride. Comments and suggestions folks?

Saturday, August 16 - drive out to Pittsburgh, stay overnight in McKeesport or Boston, PA.
Sunday - leave from McKeesport or Boston, ride to Connellsvile, camp - 43 miles.
Monday - ride Connellsville to Rockwood, camp - 47 miles.
Tuesday - ride to Cumberland, get Biek Forums poster "natbla" his milkshake at Queen City Creamery, camp at first hiker/biker site on the C & O - 50 miles.
Wednesday - ride to Indigo Creek Hiker/Biker site, camp. 40 miles.
Thursday - ride to Williamsport, MD, and camp near there. 45 or so miles.
Friday - ride to Harper's ferry, camp near there. 60 miles.
Saturday - Ride to DC. 40 miles. get a motel.
Sunday - shuttle to Pittsburgh. Drive home.

That said, the problem of getting back and forth from Pittsburgh is annoying me. I need to find a place to store the Neilmobile and then get back to it, as well as drive across Pennsylvania - I live near Philadelphia.

Using Amtrak instead of paying 200 bucks for a shuttle from DC to Pittsbugh is financially attractive, but I'd have to box the bike, and perhaps arrange shipping for the trailer. A bike box means bringing a pedal wrench. Also, Amtrak service to Pittsburgh sucks, sad to say. Getting in at midnight doesn't help me when my car is 19 miles away. And I still have to arrange to store the Neilmobile somewhere. (Amtrak's Philadelphia to Pittsburgh train doesn't allow checked baggage, so I can't take the train out.)

Renting a car to Pittsburgh, riding to DC, and then taking Amtrak to Philadelphia is a possibility, but again I need to find a train allowing checked baggage. Not many NE Corridor trains do. Then there's the 35 mile ride home from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. Car rental from my home to Pittsburgh and then from DC to my home is an option, but again an expensive one.

There is, however, an alternate plan. Rent a car to Pittsburgh, ride to Hancock or Williamsport MD on the trails, and ride the 150 miles home. I live on the PA Bike "S" route, which I could pick up near Gettysburg. This would be a 400+ mile tour ending at my doorstep. I'm still not riding the last 100 miles, but I think this is better. Major stops along the way would be Williamsport, the PA border, Gettysburg, York, Lancaster, and then home. The ride schedule would then be:

Saturday, August 16 - drive out to Pittsburgh, stay overnight in McKeesport or Boston, PA.
Sunday - leave from McKeesport or Boston, ride to Connellsvile, camp - 43 miles.
Monday - ride Connellsville to Rockwood, camp - 47 miles.
Tuesday - ride to Cumberland, get "natbla" his milkshake at Queen City Creamery, camp at first hiker/biker site on the C & O - 50 miles.
Wednesday - ride to Indigo Creek Hiker/Biker site, camp. 40 miles.
Thursday - ride to Williamsport, MD, and camp near there. 45 or so miles.
Friday - Williamsport to Gettysburg, PA - 45 miles
Saturday - Gettysburg to Lancaster - 55 miles
Sunday - Lancaster to home - 45 miles.

The big drawback is the hilly terrain of Maryland and central PA. I don't mind riding with traffic, although I don't care for it much either.

Comments on any or all of the above? This would be my first solo tour, and my longest.

Dealing with the logistics of your tour upfront and riding home has a lot of appeal. Especially for your first solo tour. It will be nice to get closer and closer to your door step every day. I don't have a good understanding of the routes you are proposing so I can't comment on that aspect.

+1 on the ride home option. It is a tremendous feeling of success to pedal up to your own door. There will certainly be hills on that route, but the last bit of the canal is not all that exciting. Of course that may be because I have ridden it many times. I think your tour that ends at home will be quite an accomplishment and more than offset bailing on the Canal tour.

+1 on the ride home option. It is a tremendous feeling of success to pedal up to your own door. There will certainly be hills on that route, but the last bit of the canal is not all that exciting. Of course that may be because I have ridden it many times. I think your tour that ends at home will be quite an accomplishment and more than offset bailing on the Canal tour.

I agree. The more I think about this, the more I like it. Now to find places to camp along the S route. Also to settle the Hancock vs Williamsport for the trail turnoff question. I'd like to see Fort Frederick, and turning off at Hancock means I miss that. I got to pose in front of it last time, but I couldn't stay because I was touring with a mileage guy. I also had a fractured rib, so I was a little distracted.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/2569967211_2f5edcb20b_b.jpg

That said, if leaving at Hancock gets me home with less trouble, I'll consider not going on to Williamsport.

How about:

- rent a car to get to Pittsburgh. Return the rental car in Pittsburgh.
- rent a car to get from DC to home. Return the rental car at home.

Voila, no Amtrak, no need to leave your car or go back to in Pittsburgh, fewer hassles.

How about:

- rent a car to get to Pittsburgh. Return the rental car in Pittsburgh.
- rent a car to get from DC to home. Return the rental car at home.

Voila, no Amtrak, no need to leave your car or go back to in Pittsburgh, fewer hassles.
+1 Sometimes it even winds up being cheaper than the train.

Good luck on your trip. I'll be completing the Pittsburgh to DC ride in September in 4 days, I cant wait. Let me know how everything goes.

Jason

Find a place to stash the car in DC. Take Amtrak to Pittsburgh. Spend the night at (depending on your finances) the Westin at the convention center or the Hampton Inn in the Strip District at 13th and Smallman. There are other hotels in the area too but those are particularly close to the train station. Take the 61C bus from downtown (Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix) to McKeesport. Hourly service on Sunday. AFAIK, these buses have bike racks, and the transit depot in McKeesport is just a couple of blocks from the beginning of the trail. Do the entire Pittsburgh-DC trip to get it over with and reclaim your car in DC. You'll have the satisfaction of having done the whole trip and won't be massacred by hills in central PA.

Find a place to stash the car in DC. Take Amtrak to Pittsburgh. Spend the night at (depending on your finances) the Westin at the convention center or the Hampton Inn in the Strip District at 13th and Smallman. There are other hotels in the area too but those are particularly close to the train station. Take the 61C bus from downtown (Boulevard of the Allies and Stanwix) to McKeesport. Hourly service on Sunday. AFAIK, these buses have bike racks, and the transit depot in McKeesport is just a couple of blocks from the beginning of the trail. Do the entire Pittsburgh-DC trip to get it over with and reclaim your car in DC. You'll have the satisfaction of having done the whole trip and won't be massacred by hills in central PA.

How does my bike and trailer get to Pittsburgh? Amtrak does not offer checked baggage on the Philadelphia to Pittsburgh run.

The big drawback is the hilly terrain of Maryland and central PA. I don't mind riding with traffic, although I don't care for it much either.
It depends on what you want this trip to be, but... If you plan to do a coast to coast trip in the future you will want to get plenty of touring experience riding hills and traffic at some point. That doesn't say it has to be this trip of even before the big tour, but it might be something to consider.

How does my bike and trailer get to Pittsburgh? Amtrak does not offer checked baggage on the Philadelphia to Pittsburgh run.

Leave the car in DC and take the Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh. Amtrak has checked baggage service in both locations. I don't know if you can check the trailer; I'd assume so but will leave that to someone with more experience. You may be able to box it and just tote the bag separately.

How to get to and from a tour is always a problem (unless you do a loop starting and ending at your house.) I've solved it three ways.
My first tour was from Seattle to my home outside of San Luis Obispo, CA. I asked all of my teacher friends who get the summer off, "Are you interested in going to Seattle this summer?" I finally found someone who was. We drove up in her van, camping along the way (with another teacher and her daughter along for the ride.) She dropped me off at my brother's outside of Seattle and I started from there.
I took the Amtrak to Portland, Oregon, rode down the Oregon coast to Crescent City, CA, and rented a car there for the drive home. When I folded down the rear seat for a "pass through" to the trunk there was room for my bike, sans wheels.
This summer I drove to my starting point - a friend's house in Omak, Washington. I left my truck there and he agreed to come pick me up whenever I was done. (It's good to have friends, especially when they're retired and have lots of time on their hands.) I made it to Glacier National Park. He drove 8 hours to meet me. We camped together back to his house. I dropped him off and drove home from there.


I am already thinking about possibilities for next summer. Topping this list right now is a tour on the Lewis and Clark Trail from Great Falls, Montana to Portland, Oregon. I'm thinking of flying to Great Falls and taking Amtrak home from Portland.

When I took the Amtrak I had to box my bike up. Then, when I unboxed it, I threw the box into a dumpster at the Amtrak station. Boxing a bike is no big deal. You can usually get a box from your local bike shop. Make sure and get the plastic thing that holds the forks apart. They should have plenty to give away at your LBS.

If I fly to Great Falls, Montana, I'm thinking I'll box my bike and ship it UPS. When I get to Portland I'll need a box for the train. Some Amtrak stations will box your bike for a nominal fee (the one in San Luis Obispo offered when I went to Portland.) I'll call the Portland station prior to the trip to find out. I've read about people getting bogus information on this from Amtrak. They recommend calling the specific station you'll be dealing with. I'll ask to talk to someone in the baggage department if possible. Otherwise you can phone ahead to a bike shop and line up a box.

I'm sure there are a few possibilities for your trip. My only advice is to anticipate that any plan might involve hassles and expense.

Enjoy!

It depends on what you want this trip to be, but... If you plan to do a coast to coast trip in the future you will want to get plenty of touring experience riding hills and traffic at some point. That doesn't say it has to be this trip of even before the big tour, but it might be something to consider.

That's another point in favor of the cross-PA route.

Speaking of which, a member of Bicycle Club of Philadelphia gave me instructions on getting from Williamsport, MD to Gettysburg, PA. Take Rt 63 to Rt. 11, and then connect with the S Route north of Gettysburg. Comments?

As you already know hilly, but what's a few more hills in a trip that will have many. It should be pretty countryside and quite few historic markers along the way.

Well having ridden almost the entire length of the S route, I can say the part from around north of Gettysburg to your place of abode is not "very" hilly. Of course living in our section of PA (Neil and I are practically neighbors) one has to define hilly somewhat carefully. Are there hills that will give you some trouble? Yes, but since most of the S route for this part sticks to well shouldered main routes like 23 or 30 the inclines are all do-able in my humble opinion and there are stretches were its just rollers for the most part. Goodly portions are just plain flat, at least measured in Pennsylvania standards that is.

Now I can't comment on the part from Williamsport, MD to Gettysburg. Looking at the topology, you're going to have to get over a serious section of hills no matter which way you go. You can view it as a test of character, select the low gear of your choice and just bully your way over them. Alternatively you could follow the GAP further into MD and turn North around Harper's Ferry. Looking at the terrain, that puts you past the last band of steep hills and back into flat/rollers territory.

Not too dishearten you, but hills can put a serious hurt on your touring experience. You may want to consider carefully just how much climbing you want to take on before just charting a course from town A to town B. I'd take a really good look at the terrain feature of Google maps or some other topological map source if you're planning on taking the Williamsport to Gettysburg route and see what your best option is

On the flipside-Hills can be a fun challenge, adding change of scenerie and higher calorie burn. Knowing the route will allow you to make adjustments in your schedule-like a 40 to 60% reduction in cycling distance on particular days.

Not too dishearten you, but hills can put a serious hurt on your touring experience. You may want to consider carefully just how much climbing you want to take on before just charting a course from town A to town B. I'd take a really good look at the terrain feature of Google maps or some other topological map source if you're planning on taking the Williamsport to Gettysburg route and see what your best option is
That is why I was careful to say that it depended what Neil want the trip to be. Hills can be fun and make for a great tour or they can be pure hell. It depends on your mindset as much as anything as long as you have realistic attainable mileage goals.

I have to ask, not trying to be a smartass so please don't misconstrue this:

Do you ride slow or is this designed just to be a lazy tour? Your Tuesday for instance, you do realize that half that mileage is goiing downhill at a 2% grade?

I'm not trying to be a smartass, really. Just looking at your itinerary and if I leff at the same time by Day 3 I'd be a day ahead of you. By Wednesday I'd be drinking a beer in Georgetown.

-Roger

I have to ask, not trying to be a smartass so please don't misconstrue this:

Do you ride slow or is this designed just to be a lazy tour? Your Tuesday for instance, you do realize that half that mileage is goiing downhill at a 2% grade?

I'm not trying to be a smartass, really. Just looking at your itinerary and if I leff at the same time by Day 3 I'd be a day ahead of you. By Wednesday I'd be drinking a beer in Georgetown.

-Roger
And some riders could be in Georgetown Monday night, but that doesn't mean Neil wants or needs to. First there is nothing wrong with a laid back pace if that is what the rider wants. Second that may not be a laid back pace for everyone.

Edit: As a frame of reference, while it has been done in two days, Wilderness Voyagers does a sagged trip and they take 6 days.

I have to ask, not trying to be a smartass so please don't misconstrue this:

Do you ride slow or is this designed just to be a lazy tour? Your Tuesday for instance, you do realize that half that mileage is goiing downhill at a 2% grade?

I'm not trying to be a smartass, really. Just looking at your itinerary and if I leff at the same time by Day 3 I'd be a day ahead of you. By Wednesday I'd be drinking a beer in Georgetown.

-Roger

Hi Roger,

No, you aren't being a smartass, and I thank you for your comments. I've discussed this very topic with a couple of other posters offline, and this is a good opportunity to share some of the talk.

I both ride slow and ride 'lazily' according to some folks. On the gravel GAP, up until my crash 2 miles north of Cumberland, my rolling speed was about 9 MPH. This includes an overloaded trailer. How overloaded? I was carrying a travel guitar for two and a half days. :) Between the injuries from my crash - road rash, fractured rib, etc - and the mud on the C & O my rolling speed slipped to 8.35 by the time I withdrew from the tour in Williamsport, MD.

Even though my crash might indicate otherwise, I'm generally a cautious rider. I need to be. I'm largely self-taught as a cyclist, and I only learned to ride two years ago. (As someone on the Clydesdale forum pointed out, I rode my first century ten months after learning to balance; kids don't do that ten months after they learn to ride.) I also have some structural problems that bother me from time to time (although they seem to bother folks who look at me to a greater degree.) So, while I'm not as fast as many folks, I try not to let that bother me, and I plan around it.

My 'slowness' is a problem on things such as group rides*, so instead I tour, which is an activity that involves frequent stopping to experience things and doesn't require me to hammer. Experiencing things is important to me, since I'm not only a new cyclist, but a recovering fat man. I was once 400 pounds and isolated from the world. One of the motivations for losing as much weight as I have (about 120 some pounds at the moment, and 143 at my peak) was so I could get out and do and see things. And also so I could learn to ride a bike. Touring lets me do both.

Perhaps I could push further on the tour, ride longer days, ride faster. And I might do so. But only so long as I have time to stop and experience the trail as well.

*Two of the posters to this thread have ridden with me. I thank them for their silence on my cycling ability. :)

And some riders could be in Georgetown Monday night, but that doesn't mean Neil wants or needs to. First there is nothing wrong with a laid back pace if that is what the rider wants. Second that may not be a laid back pace for everyone.

Edit: As a frame of reference, while it has been done in two days, Wilderness Voyagers does a sagged trip and they take 6 days.

Adventure Cycling also takes a week.

That is why I was careful to say that it depended what Neil want the trip to be. Hills can be fun and make for a great tour or they can be pure hell. It depends on your mindset as much as anything as long as you have realistic attainable mileage goals.

And speaking of which, I have an offer to store my car for free in Confluence. This means I'm back to the shuttle idea, but with some twists - I'm starting from Confluence, riding to DC, getting shuttled back to the start of the Montour Trail, and then riding that AND the GAP back to my car. The short mileage day on Thursday is prompted by the several hours a shuttle will take me to get back north of Pittsburgh to finish the trip.

Friday, August 15 - drive to Confluence
Saturday, Confluence to Frostburg - 47 miles
Sunday, Frostburg to Paw-Paw - 44 miles
Monday, Paw-Paw to Williamsport - 57 miles
Tuesday Williamsport to Harper's Ferry - 40 miles
Wednesday Harper's Ferry to Great Falls - 46 miles
Thursday Great Falls to DC and Shuttle to Mckees Rocks 25 miles
Friday - McKees Rocks to Boston - 50 miles
Saturday - Boston to Connellsville - 39 miles
Sunday - Connellsville to Confluence 28 miles, drive home

And speaking of which, I have an offer to store my car for free in Confluence. This means I'm back to the shuttle idea, but with some twists - I'm starting from Confluence, riding to DC, getting shuttled back to the start of the Montour Trail, and then riding that AND the GAP back to my car. The short mileage day on Thursday is prompted by the several hours a shuttle will take me to get back north of Pittsburgh to finish the trip.

Friday, August 15 - drive to Confluence
Saturday, Confluence to Frostburg - 47 miles
Sunday, Frostburg to Paw-Paw - 44 miles
Monday, Paw-Paw to Williamsport - 57 miles
Tuesday Williamsport to Harper's Ferry - 40 miles
Wednesday Harper's Ferry to Great Falls - 46 miles
Thursday Great Falls to DC and Shuttle to Mckees Rocks 25 miles
Friday - McKees Rocks to Boston - 50 miles
Saturday - Boston to Connellsville - 39 miles
Sunday - Connellsville to Confluence 28 miles, drive home


Alas, my friend, I had hoped that we would see each other again on this trip... but it is not meant to be. My (partial) itinerary:

Friday, Aug. 15th - Frostburg to Bedford - 45 miles
Sat/Sun Aug 16/17 - Old Bedford Village for Bedford's 250th celebration
Monday Aug. 18th - Bedford (probably hung-over) to Evitts Creek H/B - 36.4 miles

Judy

Hi Roger,

No, you aren't being a smartass, and I thank you for your comments. I've discussed this very topic with a couple of other posters offline, and this is a good opportunity to share some of the talk.

Thanks for not taking it to heart, it wasn't meant harshly at all but the anonimity of typing on the internet sometimes doesn't convey true meaning. I knew someone would jump all over it, this place is like that - so much love here. :love::love:

It's a nice trip regardless of how it's ridden. I actually enjoy the GAP portion more so than the C&O. Trail conditions IMHO on the GAP are better than the C&O. You also have the option that I haven't seen mentioned here of picking up the WMRT ( http://www.westernmarylandrailtrail.org/WMRT/info.html ) at approx MM 137 (next lockhouse south of Sideling Creek Aqueduct) that will run you down to Fort Frederick. That 23 miles of flat asphalt trail is a nice diversion. That said, the Devils Eyebrow (MM 127.25) on the C&O has just been cleared by a bunch of volunteers from a geocaching group I belong to, and that's a sight to see.

WMRT is paved and dead flat- I've run it with a GPS and it doesn't change altitude more than 12 feet in 23 miles. Nice diversion if you need a break from the C&O. Just thought I'd throw that out there since I hadn't seen it mentioned. Have a great ride.

-Roger

Saturday, Confluence to Frostburg - 47 miles



IMHO, given what you said of your riding style, that first day is a bit aggressive. We ran Confluence to Cumberland on our Day 2, and that long steady uphill out of Confluence to the Continental divide was a grind - even for my highly athletic 16 year old son much less this 52 year old. In order to make your itinerary day, you'd probably not want to be stopping a lot, and dawdling at the Salisbury Viaduct and at Meyersdale would be on my list if we did it again (which we are in Sept-Oct)

Although you are ending the day with the downhill into Frostburg, and starting the next day with the rest of the downhill into Cumberland, which may be positive. That 23 mile "Cumberland Glide" downhill is something I prefer to run all in one shot. Especially since the Frostburg trailhead has like a 9% + grade into town!!

-Roger

IMHO, given what you said of your riding style, that first day is a bit aggressive. We ran Confluence to Cumberland on our Day 2, and that long steady uphill out of Confluence to the Continental divide was a grind - even for my highly athletic 16 year old son much less this 52 year old. In order to make your itinerary day, you'd probably not want to be stopping a lot, and dawdling at the Salisbury Viaduct and at Meyersdale would be on my list if we did it again (which we are in Sept-Oct)

Although you are ending the day with the downhill into Frostburg, and starting the next day with the rest of the downhill into Cumberland, which may be positive. That 23 mile "Cumberland Glide" downhill is something I prefer to run all in one shot. Especially since the Frostburg trailhead has like a 9% + grade into town!!

-Roger

Back in June, we did Confluence to Frostburg without much trouble. That said, the "glide" is probably a good place to pick up miles on the first day. I'll keep it in mind.

Back in June, we did Confluence to Frostburg without much trouble. That said, the "glide" is probably a good place to pick up miles on the first day. I'll keep it in mind.

Early June it was still pretty cool up there, don't know when you ran. Not like the middle of August will be though. Another thought to consider. Don't know about you, but I sweat buckets and it saps a lot out of me.

-Roger

Early June it was still pretty cool up there, don't know when you ran. Not like the middle of August will be though. Another thought to consider. Don't know about you, but I sweat buckets and it saps a lot out of me.

-Roger

I perspire heavily. I plan on early starts each day to get a jump on the heat.

IMHO, given what you said of your riding style, that first day is a bit aggressive. We ran Confluence to Cumberland on our Day 2, and that long steady uphill out of Confluence to the Continental divide was a grind - even for my highly athletic 16 year old son much less this 52 year old. In order to make your itinerary day, you'd probably not want to be stopping a lot, and dawdling at the Salisbury Viaduct and at Meyersdale would be on my list if we did it again (which we are in Sept-Oct)

Although you are ending the day with the downhill into Frostburg, and starting the next day with the rest of the downhill into Cumberland, which may be positive. That 23 mile "Cumberland Glide" downhill is something I prefer to run all in one shot. Especially since the Frostburg trailhead has like a 9% + grade into town!!

-Roger

I've rethunk this, and I agree with your advice. Stopping in Meyersdale looks fun, since the County Fair is that weekend. So I'll add the 16 miles to the next day, and start the tour with a short 32 mile ride. Probably not a bad idea since I'm so out of shape anyway.

+1 on the ride home option. It is a tremendous feeling of success to pedal up to your own door. There will certainly be hills on that route, but the last bit of the canal is not all that exciting. Of course that may be because I have ridden it many times. I think your tour that ends at home will be quite an accomplishment and more than offset bailing on the Canal tour.

With that thought in mind, here's the suggested route from Williamsport to Gettysburg:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Williamsport-Gettysburg

Unless there's some horrible traffic problem I don't know about, I'm comfortable dealing with the cars and their drivers here. What concerns me is the enormous climb (I estimate about 800 feet in three miles) about 30 miles in, and the even steeper descent on the other side. Is there any way around this?

Gettysburg to Lancaster seems easier - this is someone else's route:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/DAY-TWO-of-3-or-4-day-tour-Gettysburg-to-Lancaster-Pa-55-mi-w-Q-

I can get home from Lancaster, if I survive the big hill outside Gettysburg.

OK, my tour route has been completely rethought. Here's the plan:

Rental car out to the Pittsburgh area Friday, stay with a Bike Forums poster.
Saturday - Montour Trail to GAP, camping at Dravo - 55 miles.
Sunday - Dravo to Adelaide, 31 miles.
Monday - Adelaide to Confluence, 30 miles
Tuesday - Confluence to Meyersdale, 32 miles
Wednesday - Meyersdale to Paw-Paw, 60 miles
Thursday - Paw Paw to Williamsport, 57 miles
Friday - Williamsport to Brunswick, 41 miles
Saturday - Brunswick to DC, or to the first campground outside of DC, 60 or 40 miles
Sunday - Rental car for drive home.

I'm not riding across PA, as I earlier discussed. I'm not a skilled enough cyclist to manage the ride. Also, I've taken up an offer to be shuttled around at least two of the road detours on the Montour Trail.

The 55 mile first day isn't what I'd choose for the first day of this tour, but there's nowhere to camp on the Montour Trail and the only B & B in Boston is booked solid. If I survive this death march, and I have the energy, I could jump a day ahead of schedule by putting in a 60 mile day on Sunday and riding on to Confluence.

24 hours till I leave.

OK, my tour route has been completely rethought. Here's the plan:

Rental car out to the Pittsburgh area Friday, stay with a Bike Forums poster.
Saturday - Montour Trail to GAP, camping at Dravo - 55 miles.
Sunday - Dravo to Adelaide, 31 miles.
Monday - Adelaide to Confluence, 30 miles
Tuesday - Confluence to Meyersdale, 32 miles
Wednesday - Meyersdale to Paw-Paw, 60 miles
Thursday - Paw Paw to Williamsport, 57 miles
Friday - Williamsport to Brunswick, 41 miles
Saturday - Brunswick to DC, or to the first campground outside of DC, 60 or 40 miles
Sunday - Rental car for drive home.

I'm not riding across PA, as I earlier discussed. I'm not a skilled enough cyclist to manage the ride. Also, I've taken up an offer to be shuttled around at least two of the road detours on the Montour Trail.

The 55 mile first day isn't what I'd choose for the first day of this tour, but there's nowhere to camp on the Montour Trail and the only B & B in Boston is booked solid. If I survive this death march, and I have the energy, I could jump a day ahead of schedule by putting in a 60 mile day on Sunday and riding on to Confluence.

24 hours till I leave.

Here's what actually took place:

Rental car out to the Pittsburgh area Friday, stay with a Bike Forums poster.
Saturday - Montour Trail to GAP, camping at Dravo - 47 miles. I was shuttled around the unfinished sections of the Montour Trail by someone from the Montour Trail Yahoo group.
Sunday - Dravo to Adelaide, 32 miles.
Monday - Adelaide to Confluence, 34 miles. Two spokes went on the rear wheel, and the wheel was badly out of true.
Tuesday - Confluence to Meyersdale, 34 miles. I got the spokes replaced, the wheel retrued, and I rolled on.
Wednesday - Meyersdale to Cumberland, 32 miles. I spent a day in Cumberland because my knees were bothering me, and I thought I'd done enough riding. I stayed at the Best Western in Braddock.
Thursday - Cumberland to Paw-Paw, 29 miles. Once I hit the towpath, I couldn't stop. I resumed my trip to DC, realizing I needed to make some big miles in the next days.
Friday - Paw-Paw to Williamsport, 66 miles. A bungie broke and my sleeping bag fell off the trailer. I needed to recover three miles to find it!
Saturday - Williamsport to Indian Flats hiker/biker campsite, 63 miles. Emergency trip into Sherperdstown, WV, to replace a defective chain.
Sunday - Indian Flats to Milepost 0 in Georgetown, then across DC to Union Station. 47 miles. Rental car for drive home. I blew out two more spokes, and an employee at National Car Rental, when helping me unhitch my trailer, bent the rear skewer.

Here's what actually took place:

Rental car out to the Pittsburgh area Friday, stay with a Bike Forums poster.
Saturday - Montour Trail to GAP, camping at Dravo - 47 miles. I was shuttled around the unfinished sections of the Montour Trail by someone from the Montour Trail Yahoo group.
Sunday - Dravo to Adelaide, 32 miles.
Monday - Adelaide to Confluence, 34 miles. Two spokes went on the rear wheel, and the wheel was badly out of true.
Tuesday - Confluence to Meyersdale, 34 miles. I got the spokes replaced, the wheel retrued, and I rolled on.
Wednesday - Meyersdale to Cumberland, 32 miles. I spent a day in Cumberland because my knees were bothering me, and I thought I'd done enough riding. I stayed at the Best Western in Braddock.
Thursday - Cumberland to Paw-Paw, 29 miles. Once I hit the towpath, I couldn't stop. I resumed my trip to DC, realizing I needed to make some big miles in the next days.
Friday - Paw-Paw to Williamsport, 66 miles. A bungie broke and my sleeping bag fell off the trailer. I needed to recover three miles to find it!
Saturday - Williamsport to Indian Flats hiker/biker campsite, 63 miles. Emergency trip into Sherperdstown, WV, to replace a defective chain.
Sunday - Indian Flats to Milepost 0 in Georgetown, then across DC to Union Station. 47 miles. Rental car for drive home. I blew out two more spokes, and an employee at National Car Rental, when helping me unhitch my trailer, bent the rear skewer.

Glad to hear that you finished. It sounds like things could have gone smoother. I hope it was good time anyway.

Glad to hear that you finished. It sounds like things could have gone smoother. I hope it was good time anyway.

This photo sums it up, I think:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/2795605057_bcea8fcbe3_b.jpg