Originally Posted by
axolotl
I rode Pittsburgh->Cumberland and I didn't find the gentle railroad-grade uphill grueling at all. I wouldn't want prospective riders to be scared off by that description.
Originally Posted by
alan s
When I first rode the GAP, we did 54 miles of the 150 on the first day. It rained part of that day, too. My total prep mileage (from purchasing a bike to actually hitting the trail) was only 150 miles. I would say, under those circumstances, it was grueling (we rode west to east, Homestead to Connellsville). The longest ride I'd ever taken prior to the GAP was about 25 miles and that was on paved trails!
If you have a some decent training mileage under your belt, I don't think it would be grueling. Stay hydrated, eat enough calories along the way and you should be fine. Even now, I don't think I'd want to ride the climb out of Cumberland.