rccardr 

So, just got back from doing the whole 352 miles, DC to Pittsburgh. Rode a modernized '88 Cannondale ST (9 speed triple, DA down tube shifters, 105 FD & RD, Deore crankset, Tektro brakes and levers, 105 hubs with Aerohead rims). Double wrapped the bars with Nashbar's house brand tape. Vittoria Rando 700 X 32 wire beads worked great, I never felt like I needed more tire or a more aggressive tread even on wet/rainy days. One mystery flat (went to lunch, came back, tire was flat- still not sure how that happened) but otherwise no mechanical issues at all. Used a ToPeak rack and matching bag (the kind that slides in on a track and clips in) and a top tube bag for the iPhone. Wet, foggy and cold in the morning but warmed up most days into the 70 range. Gorgeous ride, I really enjoyed it.

Number400

Awesome! I am planning the same ride!

thinktubes 

Epic!

noglider 

Spectacular.

vqstaphbeard

I spoke with a riding buddy about doing The Great Allegheny Passage last week. Looks wonderful!

Stevensb 

Looks spectacular rccardr. How did you manage the logistics of accommodation, etc. - assuming it took you more than one day to ride the trail.

Brad

pastorbobnlnh 

Brings back memories from my youth, long before the Great Allegheny was conceived. As a Scout I hiked or biked every inch of the C&O trail in the early '70s, more than once. I so want to do it again, along with the GAP, ASAP!

Lascauxcaveman 

Very cool! What's the story with that tunnel in the third picture? Aqueduct? Canal link? It looks likes it's 200 years old.

Chrome Molly

Great ride Doc! Interested to know your logistics also.

RobbieTunes

+100

Now I have to take a week of vacation to do it. Glad to hear a road bike "can do."
Definitely interested in the logistics. You may have to host a "welcoming party" one of these days.

pastorbobnlnh 

It's the Paw Paw Tunnel on the C&O Canal. Worth reading about and not quite 200 years old in that it was completed in 1838.

SJX426 

Too cool! Congrats! Great pics too!

jimmuller 

rccardr, I've been lurking on the thread since you started it. Great adventure. I'm envious!

bikelovers

Beautiful trip !!! Do you think the leaves are turned now or wait for a few more weeks ?

RobE30

Sounds and looks like fun! I'm actually glad you didn't buy my Equinox for it

scozim 

Looks like a blast. Did you document the ride anywhere else, for example, on Crazy Guy on a Bike?

Mvcrash

Wow....nice ride. Seems like something I'd like to do. If I can get the wife to pick me up in Pittsburgh.

daf1009

Logistics, please!!!!!!

CV-6 

Six pics for 352 miles? You're killing me!

rccardr 

Logistics: fully supported tour by Adventure Cycling. They do one a year, this is the seventh year, I think. About 50-ish people plus 8 staff. Most folks camp, a handful of us (me included) opted for the Hotel/B&B option. Full hot breakfast every morning, make a sandwich and they take it to the 1st or 2nd water stop (your choice) in a cooler, then you add chips/trail mix/candy/drinks at the water stop. Full dinner at camp every night and those caterers worked their butts off to give us quality meals every time. Good system, worked very well. Not deluxe hotels and not everyone digs B&B's but each place was clean, quiet (except for the trains going through Rockwood) and relatively convenient to the trail. Lots of older participants riding hybrids, double handful of lean New England types, many West coasters. A friend who had done this twice before asked me if I wanted to go now that I'm retired, and we were easily the fastest riders in the group even though we weren't trying to crush it. If someone wanted to do it unsupported, would not be hard to make it into a 5 day- 4 night ride with hotels, especially if you don't mind washing two sets of kit halfway through.

Tunnel: Is indeed the Paw-Paw, one of several that riders go through on the trail. This one you definitely need to walk through, and you absolutely need a good light to do it. The others are lit and you ride through them. Singing, preferably.

Equipment and speed: Yes, a road bike works well, but you need relaxed geometry and 32's. I don't think I'd have been happy with 28's (or smaller), especially on the rather bumpy C&O section. Especially on wet, raining or even heavy dew/damp days, the trail is soft and a wider tire helps you to float. 23's would just dig in and be miserable, even o the relatively smooth GAP portion. Most days we trundled along at 15 mph or so, but were often slowed down to 12. On the faster smooth parts we were in the high teens, on the MRT paved section (22 miles) we maxed out at 23.

Timing and clothing: Traditional time is end of September/Beginning of October. Trail is less crowded (some days we didn't see anyone coming form the opposite direction for a half hour) because the kids and college types are in school, and it's not as hot. It is humid though- 70% most days- and the morning dew and fog can make you 'wet from the outside in' within a few miles...or you can get 'wet from the inside out' with a rain jacket and wicking shirt. Most non-rain days I started out with a jersey and arm warmers with shorts and a European bike jacket (kind of like a thin windbreaker that breathes a little) and then put the jacket in my bag by late morning. Only wore tights the last day when it was cold and raining and we left in the dark.


More pictures: Can be found at this link: https://s797.photobucket.com/user/rccardr/slideshow/C%20and%20O%20and%20GAP%20bike%20trip%202014

Enjoy!

Chrome Molly

Great pics on the PB feed. Thanks for sharing them.

pastorbobnlnh 

@rccardr

I just had a chance to catch up with the pictures. Many a fine Boy Scout memory was had in the store at Little Orleans. Including once, because of a flat, me and a buddy were separated from the rest of the troop. Darkness fell and we didn't have lights. Somehow in the dark we missed the turn off to the campsite, and kept going and ended up at the store pictured below. There we were "rescued" by the local Scout Camp directors who had stopped in for beers.



Looks as if they still sell beer.

rccardr 

Oh, yeah, they definitely still sell beer. General store is smaller and across the road, but not sure it is still in business as both times we passed it, it was closed up. Looked pretty forlorn, too.
Bill's Place burned down several years ago, and they rebuilt it into the palace you see before you today. Perhaps that was when they closed down the general store...

JReade

I don't think the timing was right, but I was in Pittsburgh on 9/12 for a job interview. I had some time to kill on 9/13 (Saturday morning), so I was walking around Point State Park, and I saw a group that included a bike that looked very similar to the one with the safety triangle. It was a surly, and I had a brief conversation with them about the tour. Would be pretty random.

-holiday76

nice! Ive been wanting to do this for quite some time. Probably with my son.