Neil_B

https://www.pinecreekvalley.com/PineC...ToDusk-PCV.asp

This 60 year old's ride shouldn't be considered a century by Bike Forums standards, since he didn't race, wore cotton, didn't ride clipless, and ate and drank all the wrong things. Still, it might interest some folks here.

The Weak Link

Sorry. You evidently took your time and enjoyed the ride.

Don't ever do that again.

Neil_B

Wasn't me.

Barrettscv 

September 17, 2008? News travels slow, I guess.

DnvrFox

That web site sure hides the state well. Took me a long time to find it was in PA.

By the way, that was NOT a Century. Instead, it WAS almost a double metric century.

Rick@OCRR

Thanks for the link! Sounds like a great ride no matter what kind of title you put on it!

Rick / OCRR

BluesDawg

He rode 100+ miles on a bicycle in one day. That's a century in my book. Sounds like he had a good one, too.

steve0257

what do you mean he ate and drank the wrong things? If it keeps you going it's the right food and beverage. And I see no problems with his choice of attire.

Neil_B

I'll be on the same trail next month. Here are some photos from last year's visit:









This is Mount Tom. No, it's not named for Mr. Stormcrowe, but I'm going to hike up it in his honor next month.



Gillespie Point, the Matterhorn of Pennsylvania. It's not high, but it's one of the few peaks in the Commonwealth to have the classic 'mountain' look.



The official snake motivator of the Clydesdale/Athena forum - Doug! This photo was just after I sprayed him with my water bottle to make him rattle.



And the trail from the heights. You can see the rail trail to the left of Pine Creek as it heads south through Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon.

Mojo Slim

The only thing I might have added to the nutrition was a Big Mac! I always have a Coke on a ride. Once, I had fish'n'chips in the middle of a 70 miler.

Doohickie

That sounds like my kind of century.

The 70 miler I did last Monday: Okay, I wore a club jersey, but there was a reason for that (see below). Before starting at 5:30 am, had banana and a yogurt.
Mile 22: Chik-Fil-A breakfast sandwich on a bagel, tater tots & coffee.
Mile 27: Met up with my bike club (that's why I wore the jersey).
Mile 42: Rest stop; one of the group bought a six-pack so I had a beer in the middle of the ride.
Mile 56: Lunch at a Mexican restaurant- cheese enchilada special with fajita meat added, then set out alone for home.
Mile 61: Ran into a friend who had flatted. His spare tube didn't hold air so I gave him my spare.
Mile 65: Climbed Hooters Hill, standing on the pedals most of the way.
Mile 71: Arrived home at 3:30 pm.

I would have made much better time on my own. The club ride had several distances and I picked the shortest, figuring I just wanted enough to make a metric century. I should have ridden with the middle group which would have given me a C&V Century. The shortest distance group meandered at a leisurely pace that was less than my pace on the rest of the ride, plus the longer distance group took even longer to finish anyway, so we waited a while for them before heading off to lunch as a group.

The Weak Link

Beer....Chik Fil-A....Hooters....Mexican restaurant....coffee....leisurely pace....what is there not to like about this post?

The Weak Link

Great photos!

Could have done without the snake.

Doohickie

I didn't actually set foot in Hooters unfortunately. It's just the landmark that lends its name to the hill. Did you read the full report I linked to?

Neil_B

Sorry, but timber rattlers are all over the place in the Pine Creek Gorge. They like to sun themselves on the rock outcroppings. In fact, just before the Gorge is the large rock formation called Rattlesnake Rock.

Phil85207

I guess I need to rethink my nutrition needs for the next century.

Doohickie

Cycling isn't, or doesn't have to be, all that high tech, including the nutrition part.

Allegheny Jet

I attended a climbing camp retreat last April with two of my brother in laws in the same area. We did most all of our riding on the road alongside the trail with excursions up and out of the 1,300' valley then back down again only to ride up the next road out of the valley.

Both brother in laws have lavish 5th wheel trailers making the camping experience tolerable. We stayed in the Petticoat Junction Campground at Cedar Run. From my experience, stop at the general store at Cedar Run for some Perry's ice cream. At Slate Run cross the bridge and visit the Slate Run Hotel's restaurant and have a steak sandwich with a $2 Yuengling, maybe totally re-hydrate for $6. Once you get to Waterville, stop at the hotel and have a $2 Staubs Special Dark beer, and possibly totally re-hydrate again for a few more $, before you make the final pitch to Jersey Shore.

As a side trip, after the Pine Creek Trail, go a few miles over to Hyner State Park and ride up the road to the lookout. I’m still smarting from that climb.

Biker395 

Hooya. My buddy and I astounded the naysayers on a double century several years ago, when we poo-pooed the rest stop vittles and beelined for the next burger stand.

"But they're timing you!"

Meh. Who cares? The burger and fries went down fab. And besides ... we needed the salt.

Metric Man

That's for sure!

tcs

Century* in my book. Looks like it was fun, congratulations, etc. Wish I could have been along.

tcs

*A very, very gentle century: 13 hours on almost dead flat rail trail that looks to be well sheltered from significant wind by hills and trees. Good weather, plenty of stop locations with services. From his description he probably would have done better with cycling specific shorts.

Neil_B

Rt. 44 and 414 pass by the trail, until you reach Blackwell, when 414 heads up out of the Gorge.