Trip highlights

It was a great trip.  Although we didn't expect the weather to be as consistently cool as it was, nor the ground as soft as it sometimes was, we were prepared with the right clothing and gear nonetheless.

For me, the highlights of the trip were:

• Visiting many neighborhoods around Pittsburgh, especially the Southside.
• Meeting Ted of Ted's Excellent Bike Repair shop.
• The two hour in-depth tour at Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's house.
• Riding 22 miles downhill from the Eastern Continental Divide to Cumberland.
• The serenity of biking 27 miles through Ohiopyle State Park.
• Traversing numerous valleys on long, high elevated viaducts, all in mint condition.
• Crossing train tracks on newly built steel bridges.
• Staying overnight at the Levi Deal Mansion in Meyersdale.
• Getting spooked at the optical exhibit at The Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh.
• Dinner at the Monterey Bay Grotto high above Pittsburgh's three river convergence.

Final Day

Well I think Jim has pretty much said it all. Great adventure, excellent company. Hopefully Bob has succeeded in getting to DC.

There were at least two days when I seriously wondered if I would make it. As people keep pointing out I'm not 25 any more! The last 2 days were hard going as my knees decided it was their turn to hurt. However despite not being able to put any load on them the flat trail meant I could find a gear combination that would keep me rolling even if I did have to get off and walk up any inclines.

This was my first attempt at biking a distance like this so I am pleased to have completed it. For the next one I have a good idea of what to expect and how to train for it.

Many thanks to Jim for all his hard work planning the trip and inviting me along for the ride!! Also to Eva and Anita for holding the forts so we could venture forth on our trusty steeds!
Tony

Day 7: final day

Amazingly, our seven day trip from Pittsburgh to Cumberland and back has concluded. We woke up today in Connellsville after a long rainy night. After a hearty breakfast at the Home Town diner (where we ate last night), we got on the trail to begin the final 43 mile push. My rear tire was looking a little flat as we started, so I attempted to inflate it with my portable hand pump. Unfortunately I managed to completely deflate the tire while failing to get the pump attached to the valve! Tony's CO2 inflator saved the day. Tony wore his new knee brace, though it was never clear that it was helping. We were mostly in deep woods today, with nice views of the river on one side and occasional waterfalls and streams descending the steep hills on the other. The same soft clay that we slogged through on our second day was waiting for us again today for a mile or so, after what was apparently a full day of rain yesterday. We stopped at the bike shop in West Newton for a tire top off and to buy a replacement CO2 cartridge. Then on to the Picnic Stand for tacos and a chicken Philly. We chatted with a number of other northbound cyclists on the trail. I also had five minutes of play time with a very friendly and cute white kitten who lived alongside the trail.

We got back to the car after four hours of pedaling. We spent about half an hour getting the bike rack reassembled, washing the mud off the bikes, taking some final pictures, and stripping everything off the bikes. We then retired to a local cafe for cold drinks and free WiFi to search for a room for the night.

We had our first and only really nice dinner tonight at the Monterey Bay Grotto at the top of a tall building on the top of Mt. Washington. Spectacular high view of the city...

Tomorrow we're going to catch the contemporary art installations (room-sized) at The Mattress Factory when it opens. Then Tony hits the road and I head for the airport.
It's been a great trip, Tony's been an excellent travel companion, and I am already starting to think about the next biking adventure.

16:45. Job done! GAP biked both ways!

Tony

Ohiopyle Falls

Day 6. Rockwood - Connellsville

We had a great stay at the Trail House Inn thanks to Lynn and his wife Debbie. We were very well looked after and had a very comfortable night. Breakfast featured delicious sausages from the local butcher.

Lynn was good enough to open up his very well stocked bike shop and take care of my gear shifting problems. No doubt from all the grit we picked up in the rain on Day 2. While he was sorting that out I bought another saddle to replace the torture device that was on the bike. The words 'comfy' looked good on the labelling. We also fitted a stalk extension to raise the handlebars thus creating a more upright riding position. Hey, it must have worked .. I completed a 50 mile ride today! Didn't think that was possible a few days ago.

The early part of the ride was a beautiful, sunny fall day. We made good time along the sun dappled trail to Confluence where it started to cloud over. We had a quick lunch at the Lucky Dog Cafe where it started to spit with rain. They had a wifi connection so we were able to look at the weather radar and see that there was more rain coming. We thought we would be able to do the 10 miles to Ohiopyle before the next band of rain so pressed on.

We made it to the bakery in Ohiopyle for a hot chocolate just as it started to rain lightly. After the chocolate fix we did a quick tour of the Park in town and snapped a few photos of the Falls before setting out on the next leg to Connellsville, our night stop. Along the way we spotted a large Kingfisher and Great Blue Heron and were gladdened to read that an Otter release program has been a success in the cleaned up river.

We arrived in Connellsville just as the rain began to get heavier so were glad to get to the Greenwood House B&B.
Dinner was at the local Diner and just the right fare for a rainy evening.

Tomorrow is our last day, heading back to our starting point at McKeesport. The forecast is for rain. We will decide how to tackle it in the morning.

Tony

Sent from my iPhone

Day 5. Cumberland - Rockwood

After the dramas of trying to find accommodation last night we ended up in a room overlooking the train tracks. The good was that the trains were going very slowly through town and not sounding their horns. However they did make the building shake and were rumbling and clanky noisy. Inadvertently I discovered a great way to get back to sleep. I started trying to count the number of seconds it took for the trains to pass by. Never managed to stay awake long enough to find out, although at breakfast we watched one take at least 15 minutes. It had tankers carrying Molten Sulphur .., firstly where do you get that from and secondly who uses it and what for?

We caught our train at 11:30 and rode it up to Frostburg. Parents, your yelling and screaming children in a confined space for an hour are not cute.

I set off up the hill with some trepidation. 9 miles of uphill to our planned picnic lunch spot at the viewpoint near the Big Savage Tunnel was an intimidating thought, but it turned out to be a breeze and most enjoyable, as was the rest of the ride to Rockwood. It was a beautiful sunny day, cool enough to be very comfortable riding, the trees just beginning to turn and it was downhill enough to maintain 12-15 mph instead of the 7-8 I had been doing the other way.

The day flew by. It seems I just needed the 140 mile warm up. I know, I needed to train for it.

The plan is Rockwood to Connellsville tomorrow. Hopefully it will be a sunny day to make up for the rainy one we had coming the other way.

Tony

Lunch Stop.

Between Frostburg & Rockwood

Uphill done! Yay! Actually a very enjoyable ride. Now we start down to Pittsburgh.

Helmstetter's Curve Along the Scenic Railway

Goodbye and Good Luck Bob. Thanks for saving me from feeling like I had to keep up with Jim.

Mile Zero

Yay!! Took us a while to find it but this was the end of 140 miles for us. And because we enjoyed it so much we're going to do it again from Mile 0.

GAP in a Reclining Chair

This reclining arm chair looks like a great idea for biking the GAP.

Steam Train

West Maryland Scenic Railway

Day 4.

This time Jim has covered most of the day's biking so I will just add my impressions.

The Levi Deal Mansion was great with excellent coffee and a delicious breakfast to set us up for the day. Thanks to Jan & Michael. Shame I didn't find out until we were leaving this morning that Michael is the area go to man for massage therapy.

I did not even attempt to bike up the hill to the trail! I know my limits.
It was quite cool again today so we were layered up with leggings and windproof tops. I have to say I enjoyed today's ride, especially the long downhill from the Continental Divide and alongside the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. It was a delightful change to be able to do a comfortable 15 mph instead of slogging along at 8-9. 40ish miles doesn't seem so far when you can do it in half the time!

My body parts have clearly got together and arranged to take it in turns to hurt. Today it was the knees.
So I'm lying here with bags of ice on them trying not to think about biking back up that big downhill. Don't tell anyone, but we're going to take the Steam Train half way up the hill!

This will probably be the best $30 spent on the trip!

Tony.

Day 4: Meyersberg PA-Cumberland MD

First of all, Tony has failed to mention the $5 fee for whining, subject to rebate if confirmed by a doctor. Secondly, he has confessed to enjoying the ride. Pain = Pleasure?
I realize now that I am tasked with telling you How nice the trail is, while Tony's job is to explain how I am the dark taskmaster. So be it.

Last night we stayed in a very comfortable and hospitable B&B, the Levi Deal Mansion in Meyersberg. Highly recommended for anyone in the area. We were received with a warm welcome and drinks, given dining advice, found a spacious and comfortable room, and provided a delicious, filling, and interesting breakfast. Our hosts Jan and Mike were very gracious.

After a quick zip around town, we set off with Bob toward the Eastern Continental Divide. Rainfall to the west eventually runs to the Ohio river, Mississippi, and Gulf of Mexico. Rain to the east heads to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic.

We biked through three tunnels today. The longest one, the Big Savage tunnel, was 1900 feet long, straight, and lit. The other two were shorter, unlit, and spookier. Even with headlamps, you don't see much. You just head for the light at the end of the tunnel while staying in the center.  Steering is sort of based on peripheral vision.

Beyond the continental divide, we enjoyed a terrific long (25 mile) downhill through Frostburg and on to Cumberland. It wasn't quite steep enough to just coast, but you could pedal (15-17 mph) and coast for awhile before pedalling some more. This was in distinct contrast to the uphill of the past four days when not pedaling was not an option.

Along the way we saw lots of bikers heading the other way. Our strong headwind was their tailwind. One couple we first saw in Frostburg came from NYC, but had lived for many years in my hometown of Ardsley. We compared notes about neighbors, teachers, etc. We ran into them several more times today, right up to going to dinner at the same restaurant.
Tonight we said goodbye to Bob, who is heading to DC with some misgivings. Fortunately we were able to hook him up with a woman who somehow got our room at the B&B at which we had reservations. Her husband is SAGging for her, which means he carries her stuff in the car and meets her at the end of the day. Unfortunately, she's been biking a lot faster than Bob, thanks to a faster bike and no luggage. We're eager to hear how that partnership works out.

Our arrival in Cumberland was inauspicious. First the B&B was locked. No answer at their phone, but the owner's cell phone number was on the message. No answer there either. Plan B was to stay where Bob had told us he'd found a room, at the Fairfield Inn. They were full. Plan C: Holiday Inn. Got the last non-smoking two bed room there. Train-side!!! Half an hour 'til dinner. Both of us showered and made it right on time. While I was showering the innkeeper called to unapologeticly explain that she had emailed me a confirmation three days ago and I had failed to respond, so of course she cancelled my reservation! Chalk this up to travel adventures.

Tomorrow we reverse course, ascending the hills and beginning our return to Pittsburgh. We've read the kiosks already, so perhaps we'll spend more time on the return trip admiring the scenery. Also, we're staying in different towns along the way, chosen for an even 40-45 miles per day.

- Jim

Crossing into Maryland from Pa

The Eastern Continental Divide. Yay!

Today was the first time I have ordered a house salad and had fries buried in the middle of it.

Day 3. Ohiopyle - Meyersdale

Is it really only day 3 ? It feels as if I have been doing this for a week. Comfortable Bike Saddle is an oxymoron. The only question is how much pain can you take?
I'm paying the price for pushing hard to get to Falling Water yesterday. Everything hurts today .... thighs, Achilles tendons, right hamstring, left knee, palms .... But I made it 45 miles from Ohiopyle to Meyersdale. Uphill.

Getting to Confluence wasn't too bad apart from a cold start with temperatures not far above freezing and not getting out of the 50s all day. But with my right hamstring hurting I really thought I would not be able to do the 20 miles to Rockwood and another 12 to our destination at the Levi Deal Mansion in Meyersdale.

Anyway, here I am in a nicely appointed bedroom, ice packs for my knee, a nice big tub for a hot soak, dressing gown, chocolates by the bed and a complimentary pair of earplugs. Oh no ... Not the trains again!
A real step up from the DIY B&Bs we have stayed in so far.

Jim will have to tell you about the ride and the views. I spent most of it with my head down willing the wheels to turn another revolution.

Tomorrow takes us over the Continental Divide and down, Yes! Yay! Downhill to Cumberland.

Tony

Sent from my iPhone

Falling Water. Great end to a wet day.

Fashion Statement

Rendezvous with Alex & Myra

Day 2. West Newton - Ohiopyle.

After a night of heavy rain and being woken up every 20-30 minutes by another train going by and sounding it's horn we faced the prospect of biking 42 miles in rain.

The B&B was comfortable but the only one I have ever stayed in where we never saw the owner, only sticky  notes stuck to things to guide us. Sort of like a treasure hunt. Even at paying time there was no sign and, of course, no way to get any change when we did not have the exact amount available.

We set out at 9:30 with the knowledge we had to get to Falling Water in Ohiopyle by4pm for a 4:30 tour. Soon after leaving West Newton we found that a packed stone dust trail becomes like wet cement after heavy rain. Speed was down from 10mph to about 6 and very heavy going. Demoralising but fortunately a condition that improved after about 5 miles.

Rain continued for most of the day, mostly drizzle but thoroughly wetting. The bikes accumulated a large amount of sodden grime around the gears and brakes from the soft trail.

By midday hunger had set in and we wasted valuable time looking for somewhere to eat in Dawson & Vanderbilt. No luck there, so we had to press on another 10 miles to Connellsville where we eventually found a Wendy's that was open.

By this time it was becoming apparent that the slow going was making it very tight to get to Falling Water on time.

I tried but was unable to match Jim's pace, falling further and further behind. Long story short, by the time we were approaching Ohiopyle at 3:55 I was done. My right thigh had given up and was hurting enough for me to try and work out how to pedal with one leg. There was no way I was going to be able to even contemplate pedalling the additional 4 miles uphill to get to Falling Water in less than 30 minutes.

And then we found a spot on a bridge where we got the first phone signal of the day. Jim made a few phone calls and secured us a car ride up to Falling Water. Rabbit out of hat moment.

We dumped the bikes and gear at the guest house and got to Falling Water at 4:28. The 2 hour tour was great, the house fascinating and I was able to keep my legs moving and prevent them seizing up completely. As Jim commented, it all worked well ..... Being late forced us to get a car. If we had been early we would have tried to bike there and, after seeing the hills, that would have been a very bad decision at the end of a 42 mile day.

The day was rounded off by a plate of Chili and cheese over Fries in the local cafe.

Watching me try to get out of bed and walk tomorrow will be one of the comedy moments of the trip. I just hope I will be able to bike the 40 miles uphill. At least the sun should be shining.

Tony.

Day 2, Wet day, soft trail, hard going.

Day 2: West Newton to Ohiopyle

After a night of listening to pouring rain interrupted by frequent passing trains whistling at grade crossings, we awoke to sprinkles and a radar picture of a series of showers that promised to douse us all morning. In fact, we pedaled along with Bob through sprinkles and drizzle throughout much of the day. Temperatures were in the high 50s. Although I was mostly warm and dry the whole day, Tony and Bob got chilled every time we stopped. The trail started out like soft clay, and we were slogging through it. Fortunately after a few miles the surface hardened up a bit and we ended up doing about 10 mph the rest of the day. Not as fast as yesterday. We had advance purchase tickets to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house near Ohiopyle at 4:30. By lunchtime (1:30), this was starting to look iffy. Biking through the beautiful and remote Ohiopyle State Park, we found there was no cell phone service to discuss late arrival options. We pushed on, passing some of the 35,000 coke ovens that dot the hillside facing the meandering river. Also the site of a coal washing and sorting factory, numerous waterfalls, train trestles and river overlooks. We crossed paths with my friends Alex Bernhard and Myra Mayman, who were finishing up their biking trip in Pittsburgh. They reported on the upcoming sights, gave us some recommendations for where to eat, and cheered us on.

We arrived in Ohiopyle at 4pm, which might have allowed enough time to bike to Fallingwater (or so we thought), but Tony was saying that he couldn't pedal any further, and it was probably another 4-5 miles. After a few phone calls, we had a roundtrip ride arranged with immediate pickup. We hosed the bikes off, stripped off muddy clothes, and headed out. The Fallingwater in-depth tour was fantastic, and we arrived with a full two minutes to spare. Tony will be posting some pictures of the main and guest houses. It was totally worth all of the stress to get to see this remarkable house.

A great day despite the weather...

And now we prepare ourselves for another night of passing trains...

- Jim

Sent from my iPod (sorry for any typos)

What We Didn't Know

Our B&B in West Newton is located right where the trains sound their horns as they pass through town. Every 30 minutes. All night.

Tony

Sent from my iPhone

Day 1. Part of the GAP Trail

Day 1. Pittsburgh - West Newton

Day 1 of the Trail Ride, the official start.

We drove down to the trailhead at McKeesport, where the Marina Cafe offered free long term parking. We had been wondering why they were offering it free but soon found out why. The parking is in the local Police station parking lot! It's just an open lot but hopefully the car will be OK.

The reason for starting here instead of in Pittsburgh is that the trail is incomplete between Pittsburgh & McKeesport. So the plan was to bike back towards Pittsburgh for a while and then turn round and head In the right direction. And that's when I fell off.

I have a bag that attaches to the front of the handlebars. The problem is that the weight of it unbalances the steering. So when you turn, as soon as the weight is off the centreline it kind of snatches the steering round very quickly ... Which is what happened when I looked over my shoulder at an interesting looking train (there are lots of them) and went off the edge of the tarred trail. As I tried to steer back on, the edge of the Tarmac caught the wheel and before I knew it I was over the handlebars and doing a roll down the path. Very dramatic, stung a bit but no damage to me or bike. Now I know why people wear biking gloves! Nothing to do with keeping warm, all to with avoiding gravel implants in your hands. Now I'm thinking I should have packed a pair of sailing gloves.

Speaking of clothing I am delighted with my wicking fast drying 'techwick' EMS hiking shirt. it kept me cool and dry all day, but the same cannot be said of my fast drying underwear and bike shorts with pockets and padded liner. Which is probably more information than anyone wants about my biking exploits.   So a question for any Lycra bikers out there  .. Do you wear underwear as well under your Lycra?  Nick's FB suggestion that I bike naked sounds quite appealing. I forget why he suggested it. For a laugh probably.  Anyway tomorrow I will try my Lycra bike shorts instead of the ones with pockets for my iPhone and wallet.

As we are on the subject of seats we did 36 miles today and I got very saddle sore after about mile 25 and started fading by the time we got to our B&B at West Newton. Jim didn't seem to be having a problem but I was longing for a downhill section to be able to stand up in the stirrups and give the family jewels a break. Unfortunately as the trail is along an old railway line this means that there are no downhill sections and you just have to sit and pedal. I'm beginning to think that a bench seat or even sidesaddle is an attractive option.  By the time we got to West Newton I was convinced that we had been making progress on a steady uphill all afternoon. This evening Jim assured me that this is true and we did, in fact, gain an altitude of 17 feet in those 36 miles

We met up with 74 yr old Bob the Biker on the trail and enjoyed his company for a while. He is through biking all the way to Washington DCand must have the secret of eternal youth. We had our afternoon moment of excitement while following him  .... at one point on the trail he pointed at the ground as he went past and then when Jim got there he swerved onto the verge and also pointed excitedly at the ground as a large root made it's way across the trail. I stopped to take a look but could not get my iPhone out of my pocket, started up, slid to open, last app used closed, camera app selected, wait for it to start up and work out which way up to hold it in time to get a shot of a 3 foot long black snake heading into the undergrowth. Subsequent Google research indicates it was probably a Northern Racer which is a constrictor with a distribution of 'abundant' in Pa. Jim now seems to be worried about having snake nightmares. Might also be something to do with that email he sent me about sightings of Copperheads.

Tomorrow we head to Ohiopyle and a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water. Rain forecast for the morning so we have to decide when to leave to cover the 42 miles to get there before 4 and avoiding as much wetness as possible.

Tony

Start of the GAP Trail, McKeesport, Pa.

First Down to Tony! Only very minor road rash.

Enjoying a fresh brew at Hofbrau Haus overlooking the Monongahela river

Day 0: exploring Pittsburgh

Today after breakfast at the hotel, we got on our bikes and wended our way down to the Monongahela River. After a few missteps, we eventually found the detoured bike path toward downtown along the river. It is like being in the middle of a sandwich, surrounded by three highways and some railroad tracks -- noisy, smelly, and without a view. The trail ends unceremoniously, dumping you onto city streets. We rode a bit further to Point State Park (junction of the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers) where we got onto the Allegheny South trail. Our destination, the Andy Warhol museum, was quite good. We didn't have enough time to do justice to their large collection of his videos, but there was plenty to see and learn about his personal and professional life, his attempted murder, his collaborations with other artists, etc. From there, we headed over to the Strip District. While the reason for this name is unclear, it was and is a lively shopping area. Plenty of people, traffic, and food shops. We had lunch outdoors at a Vietnamese restaurant. I had an undistinguished green papaya salad. Tony tried a beef pho.

Returning through the culture district to downtown, we decided to head to the Southside to find Ted's Excellent Bike Repair, where Tony hoped to get his miscreant front brakes sorted out. Ted doesn't sell bikes but he really knows his stuff when it comes to repair. After dealing with the brakes, he tweaked the derailleurs, pumped up the tires, gave the whole thing the once over, and then asked for $10! At that point I decided that my rear wheel could use a truing and though I could do the job myself, I'd never do it as well as Ted. Indeed, after truing both wheels, he adjusted my rear derailleur hangar, seat post, and shocks. I learned an immense amount from him in the process. Unfortunately I also learned why my hybrid is less than well made. But it has served me well for several thousand miles already and I'm optimistic that it will continue to do so. Total price for tuneup plus advice: $18. Try getting that back home!!

After bidding Ted adieu, we headed back to the riverside trail and continued east to the Hot Metal Bridge. But along the way we got sidetracked by
- the world's first oil well pump (powered by natural gas)
- a gigantic air compressor for a Bessemer steel furnace
- the Hofbrau beer garden, a very pleasant timeout on the river, pouring real German beer and playing recorded beer hall music

After a rather strenuous climb back up the hill to the hotel in rush hour traffic, we've already covered 15 miles by bike.

Tonight's dinner was at the top of the "incline" in the Southside. Despite great reviews, it was a pleasant but unremarkable Italian dinner at a red sauce joint. Nice views from atop the hill though, and a pleasant evening for walking around.

- Jim

GAP Pre-departure thoughts

Not long ago I had so much lower back pain I could barely get out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. That was with less than 10 days to go to departure day for joining Jim's trip to bike the GAP, the Great Allegjeny Passage. This is through Pennsylvania and Maryland along the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad that was built to connect Industrial Pittsburgh to the coast. It is possible to join the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal trail at Cumberlandand get all the way to Washington DC, or vice versa. But the plan is to bike only the GAP, Pittsburgh - Cumberland - Pittsburgh, a distance of about 270 miles. 

Jim has been planning this trip for months and has all the accommodation booked so, with only two of us going I really don't want to let him down. I have to admit that I have never tried as long a bike trip as this so, although I am excited about the opportunity to do it, I am a little anxious. 

A week of intense chiropractic treatment from the good Dr Vincent Buonnano of Greenwich, Ct has got me to the point of being able to stand up and walk again. So the game is on, the trip will go ahead as planned and I just hope I will be able to complete it. 

Tony.