Neil_B

Thanks. Meanwhile, I've turned my indecisiveness over the bike to take on tour into a poll:

https://www.bikeforums.net/fifty-plus-50/395271-bike-should-indecisive-historian-take-tour.html

Neil_B

Since then, the decision was made. I'm using the Trek 7.5 fx, with cyclecross tires (on order) and a single wheel trailer. I have the tent - Columbia Lost Lake; sleeping bag, MSR Pocket Rocket stove, and assorted gadgets. I need to get a better sleeping pad, a handlebar bag for a flat bar bike that doesn't interfere with my cable routing or brakes, install my bar ends... and cross my fingers.

Since I've been asked what our tour schedule is, I thought I'd post it for comment, and so any BF members who wanted to ride with us could see where we were. From McKeesport PA to Washington, DC, most of the riding will be on the GAP trail and the C & O Canal towpath, although we will break off onto the Western Maryland Rail Trail and ride some roads to see the Sharpsburg battlefield.

May 31 - A couple of BF members are riding with us from a suburb of Pittsburgh into the city, then from the city to Boston, PA, where Neil and I are spending the night in a B + B.
June 1 - Boston to Connellsville - 39 miles. Camping near town.
June 2 - Ride to Ohioplye, visit to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob, ride to Confluence - 28 miles (we are getting driven to the FLW homes I've mentioned by a BF poster from the touring forum.) Camping near the lake in Confluence.
June 3 - Confluence to Frostburg, MD, 47 miles. Staying at Frostburg University, in the dorm.
June 4 - Frostburg to Paw-Paw, WV, 44 miles. Stopping for lunch in Cumberland, MD, where we hope to meet a BF poster. Camping at one of the hiker/biker spots on the towpath.
June 5 - 57 miles to Williamsport, MD, riding with a BF poster who is hosting us. Some of this will be on the paved WMRT instead of the dirt towpath.
June 6 - Williamsport to Harper's Ferry, WV, 39 miles. Staying at the hostel, or camping. Part of the ride will be through the Antietam battlefield instead of the towpath.
June 7 - Harper's Ferry to DC, 60 miles. We may ride to the Mall, bringing the final day to 63 miles.

Comments on any and all of the above would be helpful.

Allycat24

I'm most familiar with Mile 0 (Georgetown) to Swains Lock (just west of Great Falls). It is wide, flat, and should not be too muddy. If you have rain, this part of the trail shouldn't be too bad. Personally, I think the C&O is much more scenic than the WO&D, esp. around Great Falls, and you will be in shade the entire route. WO&D is in full sun. Plus there is a campground (Marsden Track) just east of Great Falls. Once you are in Georgetown, it is hard to bike all the way to Mile 0 -- towpath is interrupted in spots. Also, I highly recommend a side trip to Sheperdstown, WV -- a college town with great restaurants and a very short ride from the towpath. Have a great trip!

Allycat24

Check out the Natl Park Service site for great maps of the C&O, incl. blowup of Mile 0-21:
https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/parkmaps.htm

MichiganMike

I did this trip last July solo. I turned a rental car into an Avis office near Irwin I believe was the town. Rode down to McKeesport (which was mostly downhill) and got on the trail there.

I took 5 days. First night was spent in Ohiopyle, second in Frostburg, third in Hancock and the fourth night in Harpers Ferry (all credit card, no camping).

Cannondale T800, with my panniers on the front. Schwalbe Marathon Supremes and had no problems at all.

The trail was nice and the scenery GREAT, including the rattlesnake I nearly ran over on day 2. The tunnels are cool. I think you need a light for the Paw Paw tunnel as it's pretty dark walking your bike through that thing.

I saw a few bikes with Bobs on the trail, but no two wheelers. Like many have said, you won't enjoy the C&O portion with that kind of rig.

Worst day was the last. Bad storm had come through the Harpers Ferry area and downed a lot of trees and large branches blocking the trail. I had a lot of carrying my bike over, under, and around the obstacles. Other than that I rode into DC, and stayed at the Hotel Washington near the White House. It is closed now. No big loss, but it was kind of a cool old hotel.

Had a conference in DC, then rented a car at Reagan and drove it back to MI. I had such a great time I am doing it again this Sep, this time with two others who saw my pics and are coming with me.

I have ridden the I&M/Hennepin in IL, the Katy in Missouri, and a few others, but the Pittsburgh to DC ride on the two trails is the best off the road trip I have done.

axolotl

That's interesting about the rattlesnake at that location. The only place in the US where I've ever seen a rattlesnake in the wild (despite lots of hiking in the West and Appalachians) was near the GAP Trail in Garrett County, Maryland, which is the westernmost county in the state (west of, but very close to Frostburg). It was a big, fat, Timber Rattlesnake. When my friend & I rode from McKeesport to DC last summer, we saw a few snakes, but not any rattlers or copperheads. We actually were able to ride thru the Paw Paw tunnel without much difficulty. My friend brought a decent light just for that tunnel, and I followed closely behind him. We had one big bump somewhere, but otherwise it was fine. We were fortunate in that there were few walkers at that particular moment. We were both riding Bike Fridays.

Neil_B

While on the subject.....

I'm concerned about endurance. Mine, in particular. I've only done one overnight tour this spring - 35 miles to a local park and back the next day, pulling all my gear. It was a hillier ride than the tour above, and I felt well enough the next day, aside from the sore butt, that I could ride some more. The tours before that were in February (70 miles over two days) and December (125 miles over four days), with loaded panniers but without camping gear. Again these rides were hiller than the route above. My weekly riding over the past couple of months has ranged from 90 miles a week to a low of ten. I leave in three weeks. Am I setting myself up for a touring disaster? How 'trained' and 'in shape' do I need to be to do this tour?

Neil B, slightly panicking...

Marylandnewbie

I wouldn't worry too much about endurance. I have done the entire C&O canal a couple of times and it is not a physically demanding ride. The toughest hills you will encounter will be coming off the C&O to get to Antietam. I rode that route last summer with my 10-year-ol son and he had no real problem with the hills. Whe we road the battlefield one of the rangers was nice enough to mention that the southern end (Down by Burnside bridge) was pretty hilly. We decided not to ride that part of the battlefield and instead stayed on Harper's Ferry road through Sharpsburg. That proved to be a wise choice for us and made for a very nice ride.

Other than the section from Great Falls to DC you will be amazed at how empty the towpath is on a typical day. From Great Falls into DC let me apologize in advance for some of the dumbests most incosiderate tourists and trail users you will ever find. The widewaters area just below great falls makes up for an awful lot of stupid trail users, but be cautious. Good luck with the ride, its a trip I'd love to find time to ride next year.

Neil_B

I'm afraid our tour planning has become a little more complicated as of this afternoon....

https://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdales-athenas-200-lb-91-kg/416775-ride-not-boring.html

Fueled by Boh

i saw on the other thread that a few people said the tour would be a 2% grade... boy are you wrong. If you want to go up into any of the towns on the c&o, expect some serious climbing. Short, but very very steep. Take Shepherdstown (ville? burg? i dunno), where Shepherds college is located. Tons of great places to have breakfast, but you'll need the gears to get up there and subsequently navigate around the town. I just stopped in the Sheetz there for a quick breakfast sandwich and some candy bars, but i wish i had stayed longer. apparently, there is a huge confederate graveyard there as well as some other interesting historical sites. when i ride the canal again, i'm going to take better advantage of the areas historical importance.

wardie

I've reserved a nights stay at Ohio Pyle Campgrounds Friday, May 23rd the start of Memorial Day weekend. I read in one of the posts someone had a "problem" there and wondered what the problem was and if they felt it was isolated? I can switch my reservation to Confluence if that would be better. First time on the GAP and I'd like to do what I can to make it enjoyable including the nights stay in a campground. Wardie

Neil_B

The state campground at Ohiopyle is up a very steep grade, according to reports.