My First Bike Tour of Pittsburgh! (Liberty, Dallas: apartment, home, dangerous)

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Hey all...just wanted to share with you something that I did for the first time this weekend: Toured many of the bike paths surrounding the downtown area!

Now, I'm not a serious cyclist, so to those of you that are, I will sound like a wimp. Here's a link to my ~ 20 mile bike tour of the city:

Tour de Burgh #1 in Pittsburgh, PA | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE

The summary is we started in Stanton Heights, took a ride down Stanton Ave, along the Allegheny and Ohio to the West End Bridge, Along the Ohio and Mon to the Hot Metal Bridge, Along the Mon into Downtown. Stopped at the Consol to watch part of the Pens game on the big screen (blahhhh...), and back to Stanton Heights via the Strip, Lawrenceville, and up Stanton Ave.

I guess it was as much a tour of some bridges as it was of the riverfront trail system, which I was very impressed by!

Not being an avid cycling enthusiast, I was really happy with how easy it was to get around. The trails are pretty flat for the entire ride, which made things easy. I will say that having a mountain bike helped, as there are quite a few rough spots, actually moreso on the streets than on the trails. And it did help me to have a friend who knew the route, though I'm sure you could easily do this one without help.

To all of you cyclists, what other routes do you suggest?

To all of you who were maybe thinking about biking the town but haven't yet, this route, or some subset of it, would be a great place to start!

Next step: try to commute between my apartment in Shadyside and my workplace downtown on a workday!

[TechieTransplant]

For not being an avid cyclist, 20 miles is pretty admirable to me. The urban trail system is great and getting even better.

I have a number of different routes I could mention to you. I have a lot of routes that combine bike lanes, park trails, and the urban trails you explored.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

For not being an avid cyclist, 20 miles is pretty admirable to me. The urban trail system is great and getting even better.

I have a number of different routes I could mention to you. I have a lot of routes that combine bike lanes, park trails, and the urban trails you explored.

Cool. You're in Point Breeze, which is pretty close to me. Any suggestions on how you'd commute to work in the morning if you worked downtown? I've had people tell me to go over the hill and down to the Eliza Furnace trail, as well as someone who told me to make my way to Liberty and ride the bike lane in. Liberty seems like it would be too busy even in the bike lane in the morning, and strikes me as a little dangerous. But a hill climb in the morning doesn't sound satisfying either, given that it's basically flat to downhill from Shadyside to Downtown.

[greg42]

I would think you take the Panther Hollow Trail to Eliza Furnace; I think they can connect? But I'm not familiar with the elevations. It's generally downhill between there and downtown, so would be uphill home I would think. I don't think there are huge hills in those trails though.

I wouldn't do Liberty; there's not THAT much bike lane there.

I should probably let the experts answer but maybe that will get you started.

[ferraris]

Junction Hollow trail is the connection between Eliza Furnace and Panther Hollow. I don't think it's 100% trail though, you'd have to ride on some roads in some segments.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Uphill on the way home isn't out of the question. It's mainly uphill on the way in, when I'm not fully awake and don't want to sweat horribly that is the concern here.

[Impala26]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Uphill on the way home isn't out of the question. It's mainly uphill on the way in, when I'm not fully awake and don't want to sweat horribly that is the concern here.

The main route from Shadyside to Downtown is Ellsworth->Neville/Boundary->Junction Hollow->Eliza Furnace

Neville/Boundary Street from under Forbes Ave. to Fifth Ave. is a bit of a jog uphill, but nothing overwhelmingly strenuous in comparison to the many hilly routes around here. Aside from a slight uphill in Junction Hollow, it would be the only significant hill to deal with on that ride. The hollow is a really peaceful ride too. It would be an easy ride in to town, slightly harder going out.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Cool. You're in Point Breeze, which is pretty close to me. Any suggestions on how you'd commute to work in the morning if you worked downtown?

Here's how I go.

Up Forbes Ave to the red light at South Dallas. Quick left turn at that intersection, quick right on to Beechwood, and then a quick left on to Beacon. I follow Beacon all the way to the end, and then right turn on to Panther Hollow Blvd. You'll see a playground at Schenley Park, and that's where I head in to the woods. I head down the trail that takes you to the reflecting pool. You'll find a small trail in the woods that takes you to the train tracks. I cross the tracks, jump on the trail, and off you go.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

I think I'm going to try Neville to Boundary to Panther Hollow Trail to the Riverfront Trail.

Does anyone know how close to the point you can get on the trail? I'd prefer to go past 2nd/Grant Streets as I work at the opposite end of downtown on Stanwix St.

[XRiteMA98]

For going to work downtown whatever you do don;t go on busy streets. Too dangerous. Scottpriester's way is really cool. Otherwise you could put your bike on the bus rike and get off downtown
Other places we go biking: Panhandle trail, there's a trail in Upper st clair, around St petersburg plaza. I think it goes up to Ikea or something. Sometimes we drive past Ikea and take the first right and here it is another trail that was built on a train track.
One summer we did the trail that starts in McKeeSports and goes all the way to washington DC. We went on 15-20 miles segments each time starting where we left off. After a gritty part close to mckees that trail is by far my fav. Lots of shadow and beautiful scenery.

There's another trail in canonsburgh-mcMurray that we like very much.
All the above are in south hills. Other than these I only know the trail that starts at the prison and goes along the river. the same with the other river: the trail that starts at PNC park and goes to milvale or something. And Eliza furnace which we did many times starting from the prison. We also like biking in Ohio pile in the summer.