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.