BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

It is a paved trail that leads into Panther Hollow from downtown. Schenley Park this weekend will be awkward because of the Vintage Grand Prix.

Oh good call. I was wondering why there were so many nice old cars around.

Welcome to cycling in Pittsburgh!

This might be a good weekend to roll around and explore Schenley Park. The roads are closed to cars (except the race cars). That makes for some pleasant car-free riding on non-race roads. You can find a map of roads and trails on the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Web site, or buy one at the Schenley Park Visitors Center.

As for hills ... well, if you head away from a river, you can't really avoid them. Just think about how nice it will be when you head back DOWN to the trail.

Happy riding!

there is a paved trail that goes along second ave from downtown (pnc place) to about the bottom of greenfield ave. at the greenfield end, there's a parking lot, and a jersey barriered-off section of road that goes under the railroad bridge. you then make a left onto saline st (there is an asphalt sidewalk the whole way, too, but the street is mostly dead as far as traffic), and make a left onto boundary st. this goes to a little park, where there is a paved trail going around, which leads through junction hollow, into the bottom of oakland or to panther hollow, if you cross the railroad tracks at the end.

if you follow the paved trail, it ends at boundary st, which soon turns into neville st, and comes up to fifth one block away from craig.

if, instead, you follow the sort-of-hacked-away bit of "trail" along the railroad tracks for about 30-40 yards, you can cross the track and be right on the pond in panther hollow, where you can find numerous trails connecting to the schenley park trails.

in my experience, most of the trails in schenley are pretty flat, and mostly covered with crushed limestone. there are a few relatively steep bits, but they tend to be pretty short (and usually near where the trail exits the woods). also, there are a few stairways you can climb instead of biking up hilly trails to get up out of the ravine.

i suggest just going exploring. it's what i did when i first got a bike all those years ago. it wasn't so bad.

Here's a link to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy map for Schenley Park: http://www.pittsburghparks.org/userdocs/schenleymap.pdf

They also have similarly named, similarly detailed maps for Highland, Frick and Riverview parks.

Thanks for all the great help!

you then make a left onto saline st (there is an asphalt sidewalk the whole way, too, but the street is mostly dead as far as traffic

Not true. I live at the corner of Saline and Alexis and I have seen 4 peeps get hit by cars in the past year. People in the run have not adjusted to cyclists in the hood yet and the stop sign is "new" there, meaning/completely disregarded by residents. Plus I know for a fact that about half of the people driving down here are drunk out of their minds in the afternoon. I t is a great place but don't get lulled into a false sense of security about the traffic. I advise not making the left at Big Jims either, go to the next block and make your left there.

lol, five minutes after making my last post I almost got killed by a truck at the intersection in question

hmm i usually make the left right before big jims

I usually do as spakbros suggests -- both coming and going. I'm not sure why, maybe the visibility is better. I seem to recall there's a blind corner if you do it erok's way.

Going towards downtown, I take the right by the courts and a right at big jims. Coming back I go past big jims and take the left at the next intersection.. Dunno why.. just unconsciously made sense to me I guess.

yeah, i guess i never really put that much thought into it. it's amazing to me that that sidewalk is supposed to be a trail. what a joke.

meanwhile, there's tons of free parking down there.

that blind corner is where I almost bit it after not following my own advice. the only people who use that road are coming from either a bar, a members only bar, or the courts. Everyone else goes on Saline so they can blow the stop sign at 20 mph

I also have heard rumors that you can get onto the catwalk that goes under the 376 bridge if you go past the playground and scale a little wall. Report soon

all those cars that are there during the day, and then gone at night. where do those people go?

A lot of people use that general area as a park & ride. They park along Saline Street and pick up the bus to downtown. Free parking all day long.

the catwalk rumors are true... however the catwalk is falling apart and floor pieces are replaced regularly... IE they the break apart and fall through and they put new ones in. be careful!

Everyone else goes on Saline so they can blow the stop sign at 20 mph

Um, Mr. Patchan? We have one for you to test.