Riding in Heaven
Today we rode 76 miles from Pittsburgh to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. We climbed 1,066 feet.
"This must be what bike riding is like in Heaven."
"That's the easiest 55 miles I've ever done."
The Diesel, 1 October 2023, The GAP Trail, Pennsylvania
What a great day of bike-riding! We had a civilized start at 0900 and a short fire department escort through Pittsburgh. We rode briefly on a city bike path that followed the Monongahela River until we connected with the Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) (www.gaptrail.org) trail. In a word, fabulous. We had cloudless blue skies, soft breezes, and temperatures in the 70s. No cars on the GAP. We were suddenly rolling down crushed gravel trails that offered little resistance as we cruised along at a steady 16 MPH. Our only concern was avoiding other people on the trail enjoying a perfect early fall Sunday. Lots of people took advantage of the weather and got outside for some recreation. We had frequent glimpses of the river and crossed it a few times on some beautiful bridges. As we have been riding for five weeks, we've begun to feel pretty fit on the bikes. Today reinforced those feelings as we charged through 76 miles-it turned out to be a very fun ride. We arrived in beautiful Ohiopyle where we enjoyed a catered BBQ dinner and some ice cream from a local shop.
Today was our last Sunday on the ride. We have a sub-group of people on the ride that have been on the road for all 40 days. It feels odd that the end approaches and we can count the days remaining on the fingers on one hand. We look forward to arriving in Annapolis, knowing we will have raised over $500k for various veterans' charities, but we'll miss the times we had out on the road and the many challenges we faced and bested. A few more days to savor.
Four days remaining...
Tomorrow we will ride from Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. We will cycle 73 miles and climb 2,956 feet.
Totals to Date
Miles: 2,931
Elevation Gain: 89,860
Flat Tires: 51
States crossed: 9
Centuries: 7
Dog bites: 1
