Great Allegheny Passage Trail Ride

On Memorial Day weekend, my brother and I set out to ride the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.  The GAP is a 150 mile Rails-to-Trails path that connects Cumberland, Maryland and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  We gave ourselves three days to finish the ride.  It seemed perfectly reasonable to us that we could average 50 miles per day.   Also, my sister-in-law came along and provided support throughout the trip.  She would drive ahead and meet up with us at various places along the trail.  This way we didn't need to pack more than a couple hours worth of food and water.  We had it all planned out... Until we started.  

Day One: 5:17:45, 45 miles

So the first rule in executing a great plan, is to change it before you even start.  This is exactly what we did.  Instead of starting our ride in Cumberland as we had planned, we decided to start a little down the C&O Towpath in Paw Paw, West Virginia.  

We did this for a couple of reasons. One of which I'm sure is just plain old ignorance.  Another being that it was closer to where we had spent the night on Thursday.  So we figured what the heck, so what if it adds a couple miles into the ride.  We will be able to absorb that, right?   We'll that couple of miles turned out to be 30.  (Guess we should have looked at that map a little closer.)  The day was further complicated by the fact that we started out way later than we had planned too. 
So off we were, behind schedule, ignorant and happy.  But finally we were on our way - headed west on the C&O towards Cumberland.  It is quite a nice ride with lots to see like historic locks and houses and civil war battlefields.

Thirty miles and about three hours later we rolled into Cumberland (our planned starting point).  Hungry and a little tired, we stopped for a late lunch at about 3:00PM.  We had been making what felt like pretty good time at about 10 miles per hour.  But with the late start and the hour for lunch, we were starting to wonder just how far we were actually going to get.   We knew the trail was going to start getting harder.  

The next 22 or so miles is all uphill.  We knew that meant harder riding and slower pace.  So, we decided we would stop in Frostberg.  There we would reassess our situation.  This was an easy, logical decision since it was the next town on the map.

The ride from Cumberland to Frostberg proved to be much harder than Paw Paw to Cumberland.   It certainly didn't help that we had the 30 mile warmup.   Those 17 miles took us nearly 2 hours to complete.  By this time it was starting to get late and we were pretty tired so we decided to call it a day.  Forty five miles and five hours of riding wasn't all that bad of a day.  The only problem is that we were only 17 miles into our original itinerary.  That is about 40 miles shorter than where we wanted to be on day one.  I was already starting to wonder if we were going to be able to complete ride.  

Day Two: 5:38:00, 58 miles

Day two started out well.  We got up, ate and were on the trail early.  The plan for the day was to stop more often - every 15-20 miles for a brief rest.  Picking up where we left off in Frostberg, we were back on the hill with eight more miles of climbing ahead of us.  At least we were fresh.  The ride up to the continental divide was great.  There were lots of scenic views of the valley.  We crossed the Mason-Dixon Line.  And rode through the 3,300 foot long Big Savage Tunnel.  

It was amazing how much there was to see in just those few short miles.  Reaching the Continental Divide was such a relief.  Plus, we knew it was all down hill from there (literally).  Next stop - Myersdale. 
Still trying to make up as much time as we could, we didn't spend too much time in Myersdale.  We wanted to get to Rockwood where we planned on taking a longer break for lunch.

After lunch at Rockwood, we decided that we would continue on to Confluence.  At that point we would decide if we would go on to Ohiopyle or stop for the day.   Our butts were already getting sore and Confluence was another 20 miles (or two hours) away.  

By the time we got to Confluence, we were pretty sore on the back end.   My legs were not too bad.  They were tired, of course, but I had been eating more so I wasn't totally wiped out like I had been on the first day.   My biggest problem was my butt.  Aside from being sore from sitting on a bike seat for 10 hours in the last two days, it was starting to get raw.  We needed this break.  By this time it was about 3:00 PM.  We decided to go to Ohiopyle and call it a day.  It was only 10 more miles and the next stop after that was an additional 20 miles.

Day Three: 6:10:28, 80 miles

Last day.  It was all or nothing on this day.  If we had to stop short and not make it all the way to Pittsburgh, I would be very disappointed.  That was the capstone to the trip - to make it the whole way.   It wasn't about the 150 miles (or 180 the way we did it).  It was about finishing the ride and completing the challenge.  

We had a lot of distance to make up.  Seventy seven more miles to go.  That is farther than I had ever ridden a bike in one day.  I spent a lot of time the night before working on recovering my legs for the ride.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a good solution for recovering my sore butt other than staying off of it.  

The strategy of breaking up the ride seemed to work well.  So, we decided to take it one step further.  We would alternate short micro breaks and longer breaks as the day went on.  Every 45 minutes to an hour we would stop.  The first break would be short and the next would be longer.  This would allow us to stay well fed for the long day. Plus it gave us plenty of opportunities to rest our aching backsides.  The longer breaks coincided nicely with major stopping points along the way - Connolsville, West Newton, Boston and then on to Pittsburgh.  Over the. course of a single day we witnessed an interesting transition from the small towns of Pennsylvania like Connolsville and Smithdale to more urban areas like McKeesport to the center of a major city.  

A nice surprise was fact the last 30 miles or so were all paved.   (Except for that short stretch near Homestead - What's up with that?).  Once we started seeing more and more people on the trail we knew we were getting close.  And that was all the motivation we needed.  I knew we were going to finish the ride.  

The other thing we didn't account for in our planning is where the GAP trail actually ends.  I had my mind set on ending at Point State Park and the big fountain where the three rivers converge in Pittsburgh.  This is where the trail should really start. It just makes sense.  But this is actually about 3 miles from the end of the GAP trail which ends at a place called The Hot Metal Bridge.  But nonetheless we finished the ride at the fountain.  We made it. Success!!  A great weekend for sure.

Five Tips for Making Your First Road Bike Purchase

Spring is in the air.  Warm weather is just around the corner.  This is when many people start getting the itch for a new bike.  Or perhaps your first bike.  But if you are new to the whole road bike thing, what do you do?  Shopping for a new bike can quickly become overwhelming - and expensive.  It is easy to get wrapped around the axle (Pardon the Pun) with all the different brands and components and styles.  There is so much information a available on bikes that make it nearly impossible to take it all in and make a definitive decision. Just like any other piece of equipment, buying a bike is a very personal decision that requires some serious thought. And unlike running shoes you are not likely going to have the opportunity to buy and ride a new bike every year so you have to get it right the first time.

Here are 5 basic tips to help you make the best decision you can.

1. Determine your price point
Just how much are you really willing to spend.  This will likely at least limit your options.  Bikes can range in price from a few hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars.  And there is a sea of options in between.   Major price points for bikes are determined by the model you buy, similar to cars.  Different models have each have their own pros and cons.  In general, with the base models you get a standard aluminum frame. Then you move up to light-weight aluminum.  Then aluminum carbon hybrids - usually the forks are carbon at this level. Then you move to the all carbon bikes. Each different construction has its own price level. So determining your price threshold will go a long way in refining your decision.

2. Determine what options are important to you
You may not even really know at this point.  But think about it anyways.  What do you think you want?  As you look around and try things out, you may find that your perceptions change.  That's OK. If you are a novice that's OK - own it!  Admit that you may not know what the heck you are looking for.  Ask questions.  Any good salesman or bike store owner will spend the time answering your questions.  In my experience, they like people asking them for advice.  They like sharing their knowledge with a fresh mind.  Chances are they have been riding longer than you and know more about bikes than you.

3. Get a fit
At least a basic measurement.  Take some time to get at least a rough measurement for the size of bike you need.  Most reputable bike shops will do this for you.  I'm not convinced that as a beginner you need to go through a full bike fitting.  Lots of people recommend getting a full fitting done.  and most bike stores charge for this service.  I think it is not necessary to get completely fit for a bike before you really know how you intend to ride.  The more ride the more you will start to understand what you really want as far as adjustments and body position.  Just get the general frame size (56, 58...). I say work out the finer details later.

4. Test ride
Ride more than one bike. Ride more than one brand. Try different component options. You may find that you don't notice a difference between a Shimano 105 or an SRAM gear set. Within particular bike models this is what drives the price. So at this point why pay for an upgrade you see little benefit from.  You may find that you don't notice a difference with shifting components, but you want upgraded breaks or different pedals.  It's your money, spend it where you see fit.  You can ask 10 different people what bike is the best and you will likely get 10 different answers. Picking a bike is really a personal preference. Try several different models out and see what you like.  Heck you may even discover that at this point you can't even tell the difference.  But at least you know and when you make the final decision you won't be wondering what "what if that Trek was better?"

5. Take your time.
Don't rush.  If this is your first bike, you are probably putting down what feels like a considerable amount of money for this purchase. You don't want to be on a bike that you end up not liking.  Remember that just because you walked into a store and talked to the salesman for an hour and rode a bike or two, doesn't mean that you have to buy something that day (or from that store for that matter). 

Good luck and happy shopping!

Big Red

So my bike has been a pretty big source of aggravation for me lately.  Since I have never done a triathlon before, I have been planning on using my old GT Outpost Trail mountain bike (Bid Red).


I know that doing a road race on a mountain bike is not ideal and not very comfortable. But she has been a solid bike for me in the past - well built, sturdy and best of all - Free!! - (at least for this race)

Free? - Yeah right!
I figured I would take Big Red to the local bike shop, have her tuned up and I'd be on my way.  Over the course of the next couple of months I plan on making some minor upgrades. For example, at some point I was planning on fitting her with some smoother, more road friendly tires.

Anyways, that all went out the window pretty quick. $150 later and all I got done was a tune up, some new break pads and hand grips. The one thing that I was hoping they would fix wasn't even touched.  I've been noticing that my chain is slipping off my rear gears when I'm pedaling hard. This is happening on the lower portion of the cassette usually on the sixth sprocket. Their assessment was that I should replace the entire drive train. So that's at least another hundred dollars. And that still doesn't include the new tires or any other upgrades I may want to add later. - But I only paid $350 for Big Red when she was brand new some 15 or so years ago.

Now what?
So, do I repair Big Red and continue or find a new bike? I'm still not convinced that I want to drop a lot of money to get a new bike. Especially one that will be good for racing racing.  I have been doing some searching for used bikes, but it seems that the value of a bike does not depreciate much. People are asking pretty near new bike prices for their old bikes.

I think for now I'll just fix the old ride. I haven't been on a bike in a long time anyways. So any time in the saddle is good, right? I have to keep reminding myself that I've never done this before.  My number one goal is just to finish.  If my bike leg is slow, so what? As long as I don't have to stop, I'll be happy in the end.

I'll keep an eye our though. Maybe I'll get lucky and stumble onto a good deal.