BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

put together a nice ride today. a lot of the roads are very empty. About 20 mi.

Since you wouldn't be starting at my house

You can start at Deer Lakes Park.

Climb Kern, Follow to Days Run Rd/Gillespie intersection

Left onto Gillespie.

Left onto Bakerstown Rd

RIght onto Rte 908 ext

left onto Bull Creek

Cross Millerstown Rd onto Thompson Rd

Right onto Sun Mine Rd

Right onto Hidden Mine Rd (watch as the road degrades to gravel for about 1/2 mi)

Right onto Stark Rd

Left onto Lardintown Rd

Left onto Millerstown Rd

Left onto Bakerstown Rd

Right on Rte 908 Ext

Left onto Little Deer Creek

Left onto Creighton Russellton

Left back into Deer Lakes

There are lots of options to increase length.

i love that ride up the hill through riverview park to the observatory. i try to do that at least once every spring from the trail along the south shore of the ohio. it's such a great ride.

@BTDT: Cruikshank Rd is a few mi northwest of Sun Mine... for some reason that road sticks with me. Any time I've made it out to that general area coming from the city I've felt that it was a good ride.

If you can get your hands on a copy, Oscar Swan's "Bike rides out of Pittsburgh" is an excellent resource for ride ideas.

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~apd/Pittsburgh/Oscar_Swan_Bike_Rides_Out_of_Pittsburgh.pdf

@pseudacris: the PDF is a good start but missing half of the printed book.

I have a website with 10 ride maps that we use for the Tuesday Team Decaf rides. 18-25 miles each. Look in the second column under "A Few Favorite Ride Map pdfs"

http://www.teamdecaf.com

Whoever published the Oscar Swan book should really be talked into running a new printing of it.

I don't know that route from ben avon to town, but alter my commute from just past ben avon along about 4 different alignments depending on traffic and mood. I'll give this one a shot on a day when i have extra time and energy.

I like to go exploring, not having a fixed route planned, just an eventual destination. I rarely ride for the pure joy of just going for a ride, but I will often try to figure out how to get from A to B without taking any of the obvious streets.

Example: Get from Allegheny Center to the city line at Perrysville Avenue without using Perrysville Avenue. Far too many turns to try to reconstruct, but suffice to say staircases are involved.

I also once started at CCAC Allegheny, and using Brighton Road to start -- which was called Irwin Avenue 100 years ago -- STAY on Irwin Avenue, as best as possible. Ending at Marshall Ave.

That sort of trip fascinates me.

Ha, don't come down to the city, the riding is much better where you are.

I start in the city, and ride out your way. I usually pass through Ben Avon on the way to Sewickley.

+1 for RR.

Take Roosevelt up towards Ohio Twp. You can follow this route from there. Rest stop at the new Sheetz, if needed.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/753738

i usually follow Blackburn down to Beaver Rd. That's probably is my favorite descent in the county.

ok - alternate commuting...

I dont know if this route would still be safe - but -

I used to work out in Monroeville, near the edge of Plum, for those who might know near the PPG plant, on Hochberg Rd.

I lived in East Liberty.

Penn Ave

right on Beulah Road

immediate left onto Churchill Rd

left onto Nottingham

cross Rt 22, right onto MacCrady/Old William Penn

Left on Center Rd

Right on Old Frankstown

right on Hochberg

Before this I worked at a place on Robinson blvd, was still living in East liberty.

To town,

cross Smithfield St.

Up Sycamore

Up Wyoming

down Southern

Right on 51

left on Crane

Cross 19

Up Crane again

right onto Carnahan

Left onto Greentree Rd

Right onto Forsythe/Chestnut

left onto Mansfield blvd

right on to Campbell's Run rd

that was a fun ride back home at the end of the day...

Rice

I like the Saxonburg descent over the turnpike just past Rte 910 intersection - can hit 45-50 mph

I am a big fan of Oscar Swan's book. If you do not have a copy, you should get one. There is great coverage of routes originating from the Highland Park Bridge (or the general area).

My favorite road(s) is probably...

Starting at Saxonburg Boulevard in Culmerville, turn onto Deer Creek Valley -> Little Deer Creek -> Russleton toward Freeport Road. It is probably about 5 miles of a slight down hill.

My favorite route this past summer was...

Fox Chapel Road

L Squaw Run,

R Dorseyville,

L Brownshill - > Berry Hill

R Middle,

L Bairdford -> Monks -> Sandy Hill -> Spring Valley -> Victory

R Dinner Bell,

R Knoch,

R Saxonburg,

L Deer Creek Valley -> Little Deer Creek -> Russleton

R Gulf Lab Road,

L 910

R Freeport,

R Guys Run,

L Fox Chapel Road to Freeport Road

LOL -

I haven't seen Oscar's book, but I expect that I rode most those routes if not actually with Oscar, with Danny, or Tom, or 'the other Oscar' or others.

yellow belt loop,

Orange belt loop,

Red belt end to end

I will say, that some of the routes I used to ride, are now probably too dangerous to use.

Freeport road through Aspinwall/Foxchapel with the addition of the Waterworks.....

@Rice Rocket, I hear you, man, there's some good riding up this way. The thing is, I like to spin along the rivers through town when I'm trying to get back in shape, then start hitting some of these hills. And of course there's always plenty to look at, in town! You ride down Blackburn? I go up Glen Mitchell to get back toward Roosevelt, then ride through to Kilbuck Township, and dump out on the main road, right at the end of the high bridge over Camp Horner Road.

Does anyone know a Redgate Rd, that climbs uphill for a short but unreal steep pitch? It's right over at the terminus of Beaver Road, where it dumps out onto Ohio. Spinning through Sewickley is always pleasant, so is coming down Big Sewickley Creek Rd.

I much appreciate all the input...

Recumbent Dans Red Belt loop is awesome if you're looking for a near century ride.

I've yet to build up to that distance, since I've been back in the saddle. My next big milestone is 50 miles, as far as increasing distance goes. My legs are starting to get solid, so I'll be adding miles and checking out new routes. I do love the roads around here, all the great turns, curves, ridges and hills. Awesome riding, it reminds me of East Tennessee, in some ways. Does anyone recommend any one website that has the most and best/current information on area riding? On and off-road would be best, if such a site exists. I have done a few searches but maybe I'm just not trying hard enough. I keep getting listings for books about routes...

Val im from Ben AVON,,,HAVE YOU MADE A RIDE TO Bicycle Heaven its not far from your rout

Val, funny you mention East TN: I'm from Knoxville and am always talking about how parts of this area remind me of home. I'm actually trying to find out more about routes to ride there, since I'll be back home for a couple of weeks for the holidays, so if you happen to be familiar with East TN riding, we might need to chat...

Pearmask, let me know exactly where you'll be, and if I know how to vector you in on some of my favorite places, I will! I stay in Morristown when I'm there but have been staying more and more time up here. Will you be riding road, trail or cyclocross? Perhaps a combination of the three? Let me know; it's always good to talk to somebody from back home!

@Bicycle Heaven, I have yet to visit the place, though I keep saying I'm going to. Do they sell any regular stuff like inner tubes, or is it all older parts and bikes, and a museum? And with a name like that, they ought to have some really cool t-shirts! I don't want to go to a place called Bicycle Heaven and go home without a t-shirt...

Oh, I meant to add: there are probably at least some of you that realize what a hidden gem Riverview Park is but if you're one of those that don't, it's time you got the word. It may not have miles of trails or roads but what it does offer (especially if you're riding a 'cross rig or just want to get in a good/quick workout) is a combination of fast, fun and challenging trail sections combined with some terrific paved roads, too. Similar to Frick Park, you have multiple options for getting from bottom to top, and vice versa. It's particularly great to ride if, like me, it's usually on the way to somewhere else. I have designated it my official Winter Playground, and the trails should tons of fun when the snow starts falling! There are also some great places to get away from the traffic and take a little break. PS: I'd enjoy hearing from people who enjoy Riverview, as well as other little hidden spots around town...

Yes Bicycle Heaven sells tubes and new bikes and parts,,we have hundards of hard to find color tires and other / vintage tires AND PARTS,,,,,,,,,,,,,Yes we have Bicycle Heaven tee shirts and we sell / send them World wide,SEE Bicycle Heaven in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review came out today [ North Side industrial park grooves to a hip beat ]its about the new kool hipster place to go,,we have Tim Kelly artdfact,,Hip Records,,Thaddeus Mosley nationally renowned self tought sculptor,,Tadao Arimoto,and many others,,the Casey Industrial park is starting to draw many people now and is right off of the North shore bike trail not far from the rivers Casino,,,we are haveing a open house bicycle heaven and Tim Kelly art show room anyone can come thats this fri / sat 14th 15th from 7pm to 10pm,,412 716 4956 info,,

I had a terrific ride, today, especially since yesterday got canceled. Down California through Brighton, through Riverview and East through some cool residential streets above town. All the way to Shaler, through Etna and across the Eight bridge into Highland, I think. I came down through the Strip, to town, crossed back North from the Point, and back up by Western Penn. through Brighton and home. About 1,500 feet of climbing and lots of fun spinning, in 31 miles. A great route with terrific possibilities for a pub crawl...