Promoting long distance unsupported cycling in the Pittsburgh region
For 2023, we've added a brand spanking new 600K route. It's a traditional pair of 400k and 200K loops with a hotel control (the Hampton Inn in Homestead) in the middle. As this is emphatically not a daylight-only ride, lights and reflective gear are mandatory. In addition, a significant portion of the route is on...Read more
Day one of the 2023 Heck Weekend.
Heck Weekend Day 2: the hard day's journey into night.
Heck Weekend, day three. Enjoy the limestone.
To shake off the wintry cobwebs, and in honor of the 5th year of the International Women's Day Together We Ride , we'll enjoy a tour of the trail system near Pittsburgh. Only one climb of note, and a simple, pleasant way to explore the city environs without needing to duel with traffic. There's some...Read more
Another classic early-season ride, starting in Homestead PA and striking east to Weirton West Virginia before returning via the south along the Mon River. Of some note is that the last 40-ish miles of this route are nearly flat (by southwestern PA standards, anyway), providing a welcome respite from our otherwise unrelenting hills. Registration closes:...Read more
Taking the pleasant Ohio-based portions of our classic Kittens and Puppies route, but skipping the ever-worsening segment on Rt 51, this is a pleasant jaunt into eastern Ohio and back. The ride starts and ends in Monaca, PA, at Pump House Park. (Note that there is parking at several locations scattered around the park, all...Read more
It's been a while since we've offered Meanville Greenville (A two-Sheetz ride, for those keeping score). Starting in scenic downtown Zelienople, we'll head north, skirting New Castle and pausing in New Wilmington on the way to our first Sheetz stop in Greenville. Then, we head southeast through Mercer to our second Sheetz in Slippery Rock,...Read more
(Contrary to usual 100K practice, we're starting this one at 7 AM, to avoid the worst of the traffic on Allegheny River Blvd and Freeport Rd.) Starting at the Bud Harris Cycling Oval, this suburban populaire follows the Allegheny River upstream to Oakmont (site of the notable Oakmont Bakery), then north through Rural Ridge and...Read more
The McConnell's Mills 200K route has undergone a bit of revision since its inception: one of the controles (the Creighton Sheetz) no longer exists, and the final leg of the route passes through an area that has become quite trafficky and unpleasant later in the day. So, we've moved the start to North Park, allowing...Read more
Originally, this was to be a revival of an old route into Ohio...the Minerva Cheese Ride, named for reasons that have faded into the mists of time. Sadly, after scouting, I decided that the route is not worth exhuming. So, we're offering last year's Castleman 300 as a far-less-hazardous substitute. Registration closes: Thursday May 16th...Read more
Okay, first off, let me be clear...it's actually 108K, if that deters anyone :-) This one has a mix of traditional and new segments, with the majority of roads smoothly paved (but a few miles of unpaved dirt and occasional gravel to keep it interesting). Starting at the Park-n-Ride lot in downtown Carnegie, PA, we...Read more