I thought about doing a voice over, but I think this does the trip justice.
smart funny bald
Tomorrow Erin and I head to Ligonier, PA for a Smith/Berkebile vacation. We are going to Idlewild amusement park Monday and Tuesday.
Mom and Dad picked Idlewild because it is centralish and is specifically geared for smaller kids, of which we have two. I'm excited to spend time with the family and to meet my new niece. I hear she is cool.
After breakfast on Wednesday we go to McKeesport so I can meet up with Brian and we can start our FiveByThree ride from Pittsburgh to D.C. Stay tuned to this space for updates as we go. I've already posted our daily routes if your intesested in whre we'll be riding.
On the afternoon of July the 3rd, I did the first full test for the Pittsburgh to DC ride in July. It was a fifty mile ride from our house to Pymatuning State Park. I picked this campground because it is far enough to be a true test of a long ride then camping, but close enough that if things went horribly wrong, Erin could come and pick me up. You can see the route I took below.
You can see a few waypoints are on the map where there is a trail head. I was planning on taking two trails as part of the trip, but as it turns out, both trails will barely suited for walking, let alone riding a bike. First lesson: don't believe Google's bicycle maps.
The second lesson, your effective average speed is significantly less than your rolling average speed. What do I mean? I left around 2pm and got to the camp site at around 7pm so 10 mph effective average speed. I don't have a bike computer because I'm trying to be zen about speed, cadence, etc., but I know my average rolling speed was more than 10 mph.
No when your out on a club ride, this doesn't matter much. When it's the different between arriving before sunset and after sunset, it matters a great deal. I've factored stops into our ride schedule and found out we need to leave about 1/2 an hour earlier than planned on our longest, 95 mile, day so we aren't riding through Cumberland, MD in twilight.
Being without water for the five miles or so was a hard way to learn lesson number three. I was expecting that I would pass a convenience store somewhere, I was wrong. On the big ride we have planned stops every thirty miles, so I'll be alright.
The rest of the lessons were about setting up the campsite and I shot some video for that.
Finally, after doing this ride once, I think I've found a better route if I ever do this again, and if I wanted to do a loop, here's a westerly route back to New Castle.
I've had this bag for more than a year. I got it orginally for use at the beach and because it is a smallish carry on bag that works for my 'lectronics.
This bag isn't waterproof, but it does have a raincoat, tucked into a back pocket. The plan for this bag is stuff that I need to get to quickly or often. I imagine it's also what I'll use going to and from our campsite to the shower. I found this knog
- the "ambient light" is a plastic box with a reflector, simple but helpful
- the sleeves zip off so I can use this for the rain or if it's cool in the morning
- I'm not sure if I'm taking this yet, since it only inflates my tires to 40 PSI, but it's a lot easier than pumping by hand
- There are tools on this thing I don't know how to use
- you can still buy a 3G
(not pictured) - this will charge my iPhone all the way up, once I'm going to be talking about each piece of gear in more depth, but here is a general overview of what I'm using to transport everything.
Our last day is another 1/2 day with only 44 miles of riding and takes us on three (sort of) different trails. If your doing the math, that's actually six trails not five. We'll get to that.
The day starts on the W&OD trail, it's another rail trail that runs from just north of Leesburg to Shirlington outside of DC. It's a rather busy trail, but it's paved and sets us up for a better entry into D.C.
I'm guessing we'll sleep in a bit, since we can, and stop in Vienna, VA for lunch. That way we can check out Norm's beer store, a favorite from my time living in NOVA.
The Four-Mile Run trail connects the WO&D to the Mount Vernon trail. I'm not counting Four-Mile Run, since we are going to be on it for just over two miles.
Our final trail takes us past Ronald Regan airport and across the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The Memorial Bridge runs right up to the back of the Lincoln Memorial and provides the most visually impressive way in and out of D.C. We'll take surface streets to Union Station, drop off our bikes and get a well deserved beer at Cap City.
Our last full day has us in three states, all on the C&O canal trail. This day will have the most to see with stops in Sharpsburg, MD and Harper's Ferry and a night in a real bed in Leesburg, VA.
Another day spent on the Maryland, West Virgina border. Today, our last day on the C&O Trail will take us 77 miles.
Our first stop is the longest single leg of the trip at 39 miles to Sharpsburg, MD. We may start in Williamsport, MD for a snack, that is if Brian starts complaining. We'll be eating at Gege's Place which I'm intrigued by as it is described as, "a cross between a restaurant, saloon, biker bar, and pool hall." My only concern is they are a pizza place and Brian is claiming to be lactose intolerant.
We'll be stopping in just tweleve more miles in Harper's Ferry, WV. This is Brian's request, but I'm excited since I've never been. No big plans here, just roll through and get a snack.
The last bit of the day is exciting as well. We'll be taking White's Ferry, the last operating ferry on the Potamac river. From the Virginia side of the river the fine folks at the The Leesburg Colonial Inn will pick us up and take us into town for a night in a bed.
Day three gets us to our third of five states, via lunch in Paw Paw, WV then back to Maryland for Dinner in Hancock and Camping in Fort Frederick State Park.
This seventy-five mile day also sees us onto our third trail the Western Maryland Rail Trail. The WMRT parallels the C&O Canal trail, but is paved, so we'll be able to make better time, and avoid a part of the C&O that is usually rather bad. Word this is the most remote part of the route, and the lack of restaurants that aren't part of an Exxon highlight the fact.
Paw Paw, WV has a exactly two options and were going to Grandma's Country Kitchen, the only one with reviews. The canal is the West Virginia Maryland border so we will be a few feet from West Virgina for nearly all of this part of the ride, but only crossing over into the Mountaineer State once on this day.
Dinner is slated for Hancock, MD a trail town and the restaurant reviews here are all over the map. Most places get as many raves as pan's but trail guides say that Weaver's Restaurant is the best place to stop so we will.
Camping in a state park means it is free, but also first come first serve. I'm fairly sure we won't have trouble, but if the park is full we might have to stealth camp along the trail.
The second day is our biggest day, ninety-five miles. We'll be passing through Confluence, Meyersdale and ending up in Cumberland, MD.
I'm not too worried about the distance, if you look at the profile we cross over the Eastern Continental Divide just past Myersdale. We'll loose 1,787 feet in about twenty-five miles or 71 feet per mile. So it's technically downhill, but barely.
We're stopping at Sister's Cafe in Confluence but the Lucky Dog Cafe looks promising as well. I'm sure we'll be hungry enough it won't much matter.
Dinner is at the GI Day Room Coffee Shop in Myersdale that allegedly treats trail riders like "royalty." With 32 miles left to go on the day, I want to make sure we get a meal that doesn't weigh us down.
We'll exit the Great Allegheny Passage trail in Cumberland and ride a mile or so to the YMCA to setup camp, and sleep very well.
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