Well done. No rules govern the length, timing, or direction in which the GAP should be ridden. There's no beginning or end, other than that the mileage follows the original Western Maryland Railway convention from Cumberland to Connellsville and was adopted for the former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR to Pittsburgh, although that is contrary.
Most riders are day trippers out for their ride from my backyard, or wandering beyond just to see what's on the other side of that mountain. Part of the reason I'm doing the GAP piece by piece is the trail's history of being put together section by section. It began a couple of miles from the Ramcat Trailhead near Confluence. Then, added more and pushed on to Ohiopyle. For years, that was "the bike trail".
Then they built a section from Rockwood to near the Pinkerton Horn. It stopped short because local volunteers knew how to build a trail, but the bridges were a step beyond their skill. To the north, the Ohiopyle-to-Connellsville segment opened, and people immediately envisioned a link to Pittsburgh. By 2001, the 100-mile milestone was reached, from Meyersdale to McKeesport, when the Casselman River Bridge opened with its new deck.
Finally, after a two-mile start in 1986, the GAP "made the Point" in 2014 and reached Pittsburgh. Maybe your next ride package could be doing the segments in order of being built.
I rode the D&L trail in eastern Pennsylvania last week. It was an organized boutique tour. It was nice. But I still prefer my freelance bicycle tourist mode. Enjoy the rest of your travels!
Oh Tom! You are SO right about a "Do-it Your Way" Philosophy. There are almost as many "ways" to do it as there are cyclists! ☺ Like you, as I age, I am changing my "style" - less time in the saddle and more time in the location - the moment - the adventure. Actually, I have never considered myself a bicycle "tourist". I suppose, it's partly a matter of semantics. Like you, I treasure and prioritize the small towns (as well as the cities), local diners, and talks with locals and fellow travelers. But I'd add to that list the challenges, obstacles overcome and the road angels that helped that to happen. For me, it's neither about pedaling "every (f'n) inch" nor being a "tourist". It's about the adventure. So not a bicycle "tourist" - rather an "adventure cyclist."
But hey. That's not the "right" way or the "wrong" way - That''s just ONE way to do it.
Thank you for normalizing the "it doesn't matter when I get there" philosophy of life. I'm a tourist who happens to cycle. Except when I leave my bike in the car while I walk. Happy Trails!
Well done. No rules govern the length, timing, or direction in which the GAP should be ridden. There's no beginning or end, other than that the mileage follows the original Western Maryland Railway convention from Cumberland to Connellsville and was adopted for the former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie RR to Pittsburgh, although that is contrary.
Most riders are day trippers out for their ride from my backyard, or wandering beyond just to see what's on the other side of that mountain. Part of the reason I'm doing the GAP piece by piece is the trail's history of being put together section by section. It began a couple of miles from the Ramcat Trailhead near Confluence. Then, added more and pushed on to Ohiopyle. For years, that was "the bike trail".
Then they built a section from Rockwood to near the Pinkerton Horn. It stopped short because local volunteers knew how to build a trail, but the bridges were a step beyond their skill. To the north, the Ohiopyle-to-Connellsville segment opened, and people immediately envisioned a link to Pittsburgh. By 2001, the 100-mile milestone was reached, from Meyersdale to McKeesport, when the Casselman River Bridge opened with its new deck.
Finally, after a two-mile start in 1986, the GAP "made the Point" in 2014 and reached Pittsburgh. Maybe your next ride package could be doing the segments in order of being built.
I rode the D&L trail in eastern Pennsylvania last week. It was an organized boutique tour. It was nice. But I still prefer my freelance bicycle tourist mode. Enjoy the rest of your travels!
Oh Tom! You are SO right about a "Do-it Your Way" Philosophy. There are almost as many "ways" to do it as there are cyclists! ☺ Like you, as I age, I am changing my "style" - less time in the saddle and more time in the location - the moment - the adventure. Actually, I have never considered myself a bicycle "tourist". I suppose, it's partly a matter of semantics. Like you, I treasure and prioritize the small towns (as well as the cities), local diners, and talks with locals and fellow travelers. But I'd add to that list the challenges, obstacles overcome and the road angels that helped that to happen. For me, it's neither about pedaling "every (f'n) inch" nor being a "tourist". It's about the adventure. So not a bicycle "tourist" - rather an "adventure cyclist."
But hey. That's not the "right" way or the "wrong" way - That''s just ONE way to do it.
Thank you for normalizing the "it doesn't matter when I get there" philosophy of life. I'm a tourist who happens to cycle. Except when I leave my bike in the car while I walk. Happy Trails!