C&O / GAP Forum

Hello everyone!

Wanted to see if anyone here had any useful advice for what I can do to avoid/prevent ulnar neuropathy AKA handlebar palsy. I am planning to do the full CandO/GAP in November. The last time I did it, I basically couldn’t pinch my pinky and thumb together for a month after! Any gear, exercise, or set up advice is greatly appreciated! I am not a technically proficient rider, i just kind of go haha and I have a run of the mill Diamondback hybrid..Thanks and happy trails

Nw

Nw, I’ve can’t say I’ve had anything as extreme as that but I have experienced tingling and slight numbness in my hands during trips.

To avoid this now, I have a few strategies. One, I mix up my hand gripping of the handlebars every few minutes. Regular grip, palms facing out, just fingers, etc.

I also have handlebar extensions on the ends of my handlebars which not only give me an alternate grip, but I can also hunch down and lean my forearms down on the handlebars with my elbows wedged into them, allowing me to pedal and steer without fear of my arms slipping off the bike. This frees up my hands entirely, giving them a complete rest.

I don’t have these but the other option I’ve seen are those aero or tri bar extensions that extend out away and in front of you. They come with elbow cushions and two bars to rest your arms on and steer the bike in a crouched down position. Maybe someone here who has these can elaborate better than I or provide some examples.

Since adopting these strategies, my hands have been pain and numb free on any trips I’ve taken.

One of the simplest things to check/adjust or try is the angle of your saddle. Having your saddle level or nearly so will normally avoid a disproportionate amount of your weight on your hands/handlebars. While this alone won't likely solve all your discomfort, it may diminish it.

On an unrelated note and not knowing when in November you plan to ride, you may want to check that the Big Savage Tunnel has not been closed for the winter. You should be able to check this at one of the following sites:

https://allegheny-trail-alliance.business.site/
https://gaptrail.org/trail-info/trail-alerts

Most things written about hand numbness on the bike seem to focus, understandably, on the hands -- gloves, padding, etc. For me, a problem with finger numbness on the bike was actually caused by a pinched nerve in the cervical spine and was resolved with a combination of improved posture on and off the bike and remembering to do chin tucks every so often on very long rides.

in addition to suggestions about fit, take a look at Ergon GP series grips. they do an amazing job of increasing the contact area at the handle bar and reducing pressure points. https://www.ergonbike.com/en/product.html?a=griffe

for those with drop bars, it looks like RedShift have something in the pipeline similar: https://redshiftsports.com/products/cruise-control-drop-bar-grips

Matt's recommendation of the Ergon grips is spot on. I put them on my trail bike a few years ago to try them out and they've been there ever since. They do indeed spread the force on your hands over a larger area which reduces, if not eliminaes, the onset of numbness and tingling. In and of themselves they may not be the entire solution, but will likely be a significant contributor.

If you elect to try them out, just make sure they are the type and size for your bike when you buy them.

I have been having the same problem...I even bought a stem riser to get my bars up another inch or,two. I also have been focusing on my core muscles...and guess what...problem solved. Stronger core keeps my weight off my hands, less weight off hands makes pain go away. Returning the stem riser!!

I was never able to stop my hand numbness when riding my hybrid. Numbness lasted for months. I had all sorts of handlebars, changed positions every minute, seat up or down, nothing helped. I switched to a recumbent trike. No more problems ever, with any body parts. They make some really cool ones these days that don't look like lawn chairs. You will ride further and enjoy every second, plus no more butt pain either. Good luck!

I've been using Ergon grips for years on my Brompton and my Mountain-bike when it's configured for bike packing. A couple of points: (1) I'm on my 3rd set of GP3 BioKork. Absolutely love them; (2) When installing, ensure they're fitted all the way Into the handlebars; (3) have someone hold the bike while you align the grips. And, then take tools with you as you ride so you can tweak the grips. It can be a bit unsettling when one grip is slightly out of alignment with the other (especially when using the outer bullhorns....which are very useful, by the way); (4) Torque those babies down! I've had them move on me even when I thought that they were secure. Hope this helps! Keep the rubber-side down!

Hello forum readers! I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice and/or help me to solve a problem. My family of 4 will be riding the C&O and GAP trail next week from DC to Pittsburgh. We live in Oregon, so we’re flying with our bikes to DC to start our trip, then we will fly home from Pittsburgh at the end. We will finish the ride at Point State Park on Saturday, October 11, then we fly home from PIT the afternoon of the 12th. Because we’re doing a one-way ride, I’m trying to figure out (and I’m having difficulty) how to get cardboard bike boxes (e.g., the kind that manufacturers send to shops for their bike builds) on the Pittsburgh end so that we can put our bike on the airplane for our flight home. Plan A was to simply ship boxes from home (where I can easily source them), but I've since learned that will be very expensive ($250). I've recently reached out to Thick Bikes and Kindred Cycles, since they're relatively close to our planned downtown hotel - awaiting responses and maybe they'll be able to help me out (i.e. they'd save boxes, I'll pay a fee and pick them up). But since the date is approaching fast, I was wondering if others had suggestions. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Update: Here's a shout out to Kindred Cycles, Thick Bikes, and Golden Triangle Bike Rentals. I emailed these 3 bike shops in Pittsburgh and each promptly responded to confirm that they could save the 4 boxes that I needed. Following up to close the loop on this, in case anyone else ever needs to solve this problem. It was a relief to have the problem solved and a pleasant surprise to be able to arrange this so easily. Great people! As requested by one of the shops, in trade for the boxes I'll make a donation to the local bicycle advocacy group Bike Pittsburgh.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/june-bugs-bar-sutersville

New link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mama%20Pepinos/120471677968026/

We needed directions from the C&O Canal towpath, but when we called the hotel, they had no idea regarding any bicycle path I might be speaking of and could not provide directions. Google Maps was no help because it thought we were on a road instead of our actual location on the towpath. Finally, we were able to flag down a local biker who told us the way. To access this hotel from the C&O Canal Towpath or AT, get off the trail at mile marker 58, cross the train tracks, and take the left-most road 1.2 miles uphill to this hotel. There is a good liquor store right next door to the hotel, the Guide House Restaurant across the street, and a gas station next to the restaurant that also has limited hot food options. We were able to bring our bicycles into the room with us.

The motel was pretty run down. Next time, I think I'd check the lodging options in Brunswick.

Sorry to hear of your issues regarding the Hillside Hotel. The place isn't rundown, but remember that the Hillside was built just after WW2. Places built later are made with the lessons learned from previous establishments.

East Tennessee Sunshine - If I had to guess, it’s because although Knoxville, MD appears to be right next to the trail, it’s not really an obvious “trail town” like many others and, as you’ve described, a pain to get to. I am surprised the hotel didn’t know about the C&O as I would guess a decent portion of their business comes from cyclists.

Many people were considering the Hillside as an alternative hotel destination while the pedestrian bridge at Harpers Ferry was out until recently.

John

My main point was to let people know how to find the motel, since we had trouble. The Hillside Hotel is now a Knights Inn, and I don't think the attention to detail is probably the same as when the motel was privately owned. I would stay here again if the alternative was to schlep our gear across the bridge to Harpers Ferry.

My stepfather is driving an RV and going to meet us approximately 75 miles down the trail every day and was wondering if anybody knew good places to park an RV by the trail.

The obvious places on the GAP would be in Ohiopyle and in Cumberland. There are parking lots in both towns where you could park an RV if you are not looking for hookups. Similarly, you could park an RV in Williamsport also. If you need hookups, then you will need to check out the various public and private parks along the way.

There is state park in Ohiopyle with services that accepts RV's. You'd need to make a reservation to do so.

Others may well have some other recommendations.

Hi everyone - this is just a PSA that the NPS pulled off a bunch of handles in the last few weeks. Make sure you check their Remote Water Faucet List towards the bottom of the page...here... https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/conditions.htm#collapseCollapsible1600345572259

I ride almost every weekend between MM 30 and MM70 but took a few weeks off. My last trip this past weekend there were none open between Marble Quarry (MM 38) and Antietam Creek (MM69).

Fortunately, the weather has turned considerably more pleasant now, but I’d hate for someone to be ambushed on the water front.

Riding from DC to Cumberland in two weeks and I just added a third bottle cage, just in case!

Interesting that they are being pulled. I doubt it’s Covid related and it’s not winter yet (it’s barely even autumn yet) so this ones a head scratcher. Possible they did tests on the water there and it’s not fit for consumption?

Thanks for the heads up for anyone heading that way.

I did a search on this forum and a google search, but didn't find the exact information I wanted. Which cities have spur trails off the GAP that are worth riding? Thank you in advance.

Well let's see. Starting in Pittsburgh itself you can cross the Allegheny River over the Fort Duquesne Bridge from Point State Park and connect with the paved Northshore Riverfront Trail that runs along the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers passing Heinz Field (Steelers), PNC Park (Pirates), Carnegie Science Center, Rivers Casino, etc.

In McKeesport you can leave the GAP Trail itself and continue on roads of the Steel Valley Trail which connects with the Montour Trail.

In South Connellsville, there is the Sheepskin Trail. This is a short, 2-mile trail to the small town of Dunbar. There is a small display of a rebuilt beehive coke oven similar to the thousands of such ovens in that region. There is also an interesting azure glass sculpture in the town's small historical center. Its history and path in getting to Dawson is quite interesting. If interested you should check with the Dunbar Historical Society to insure it is open at the day/time of your visit. Often they will open just for you if they know you are coming. Note the trail is a little rough as it passes along a railroad yard.

While groundbreaking has just begun, I understand there is/will be a short, 1.4 mile initial portion of the spur for the 9/11 Trail in route to the Shankstown Memorial of the 9/11 plane crash there. This short spur will pass through the small town of Garrett, PA.

That is the last "spur" trail on the GAP Trail to Cumberland that I am aware of. However, there are a number of opportunities to leave the trail and visit the small towns along the GAP Trail. Each has a particular history associated the the railroad and and the industries it served in its heyday.

While not part of nor spurs from the GAP Trail, there are numerous other rail trails in the the western Pennsylvania area (25 to 30 miles long) that are enjoyable rides as well.

If I can provide any additional information, I'd be happy to assist if possible.

Thank you so much for this information!! This is perfect! We are riding the GAP from Cumberland to Pittsburgh in mid October and am planning on taking our time to enjoy the history and the scenery and the towns along the way. We are flying over from Houston with our bikes. We cannot wait!! We rode across Missouri last year on the Katy Bike Trail. We love the rails to trails!

Since you have the luxury of time and are starting in Cumberland, you might look into taking a ride up the hill from Cumberland to Frostburg (~16 miles) on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. The GAP Trail between these two towns runs alongside this railroad. I don't know whether the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in the cancellation of the these fall excursion trips but you can call them to find out and what the schedule may be. I understand you can even put your bike on one of the railcars thereby avoiding the first 16 miles of the 23-mile climb up the hill to the Eastern Continental Divide. Even if you don't take the train up to Frostburg, it's worth the effort to ride up the switchback trail from the GAP trailhead at Frostburg to the railroad turntable at the terminus of the train just below the town of Frostburg.

Further on in Meyersdale, its worth a few minutes, if not an overnight stop, to visit the train station along the trail there. Further on, the small towns of Rockwood and Confluence are worth leaving the trail for a few blocks to cross to the other side of the river to get a cup of coffee or a bite to eat.

As you arrive in Ohiopyle, take a few minutes to check out the white water rafters and kayakers beneath the bridges.

I could go on and on about the small towns and villages further downriver to Pittsburgh. In general, just try to envision what those towns and villages looked like when the railroad ran along that route and the people and families who lived there toiling in the industries served by the railroad. In doing so, you will capture the essence of the GAP and Western Pennsylvania.

Please...go on and on as much as you want!! We are purposely only riding 30 miles or less each day so we can really explore each town we go through. We love off the beaten path places to see and to eat. We will have a full day and overnight in Cumberland on the front end of our trip as well as a full day and overnight in Pittsburgh at the end of our trip.

So...any info you want to post...we will happily read it and add it to our itinerary. We've been doing a lot of internet searching...but there's nothing like hearing it from the locals who love it! Thanks so much!!

Ok, but remember you asked for it! :-)

At last I mentioned the white water at Ohiopyle and further downriver (toward Pittsburgh) the Sheepskin Trail to Dunbar, PA. The next town is Connellsville. It is the largest town between Cumberland and Pittsburgh. It has a variety of restaurants and stores as well as a good bike shop that is right on the trail.

Leaving Connellsville, you'll reach the village of Dawson. You must ride up to and over the bridge to get to the village itself. It is just a shell of what it once was during the height of the coal mining and coke making era in the region. There you will find a large, beautiful church, restored estate home and remnants of a prominent bank in its time. Somewhere I read that in those days it had the largest per capita income in the world although it is difficult to imagine that in its current condition.

From Dawson to Boston, there are a number of small railside residential communities that were generally populated by the workers in these industries. Curiously, nearly every one has a baseball field and childrens' park that provide(d) recreation for the residents. You'll find various remnants of the coal mining industry along the way.

From Boston to Pittsburgh there are multiple former, large steel mill sites. With the exception of US Steel's Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock, PA, across the river from the trail as you approach Homestead, PA, these have all been closed and demolished over the years and now serve as regional industrial parks. There are but a few remaining visible vestiges of those spralling mills in those industrial parks. In two instances the former steel mills have been converted into large shopping centers (Homestead) and commercial districts (Pittsburgh's Southside area). IF you were want to seek them out there are several of the libraries built by Andrew Carnegie in these former steel mill towns, the largest of which is in Homestead PA a few blocks from the trail.

Well, so much for my travelogue this morning. If you don't already have one, the GAP Trail Guide book ($10) is a worthwhile resource and reference for your trip as well as this bikecando,com website,

Thank you so much (again)! I appreciate all your responses and we will add them to our list.

Do you offer shuttles for the GAP trail? I'm looking for a shuttle from Confluence to Meyersdale.

Robert, this is a general forum about the GAP/C&O. I would call Confluence Cyclery and see if they’re doing shuttles.

John

The Cumberland Trail Connection bike shop at:

https://www.ctcbikes.com/

will also provide shuttles along the GAP. You can contact via that website and information therein.

we will be riding the GAP trail and the C&O trail in a few weeks. We will be taking the train back to Pittsburg. Is there a clean, safe place to stay the night close to the Amtrak station?

There are three hotels in close proximity to the Pittsburgh's Union Station. They are in order of distance from the train station:

AC Hotel by Mariott
Hampton Inn
Homewood Suites

All are within reasonable walking distance and can be seen using Google Maps. That is a reasonably safe area of downtown.

There are others on Grant Street downtown that are not much further nor particularly more/less safe. They too can be seen on Google Maps.

There are three hotels in close proximity to the Pittsburgh's Union Station. They are in order of distance from the train station:

AC Hotel by Mariott
Hampton Inn
Homewood Suites

All are within reasonable walking distance and can be seen using Google Maps. That is a reasonably safe area of downtown.

There are others on Grant Street downtown that are not much further nor particularly more/less safe. They too can be seen on Google Maps.

There are three hotels in close proximity to the Pittsburgh's Union Station. They are in order of distance from the train station:

AC Hotel by Mariott
Hampton Inn
Homewood Suites

All are within reasonable walking distance and can be seen using Google Maps. That is a reasonably safe area of downtown.

There are others on Grant Street downtown that are not much further nor particularly more/less safe. They too can be seen on Google Maps.

Last summer I stayed at the Drury on Grant Street. My room was really big and they didn’t give me any trouble about taking my bike to my room.

Have a great trip.

Have you confirmed your amtrak ticket? We had ours completely reserved months in advanced for two adults and two bikes for a Saturday morning and got notice a couple weeks ago that they canceled our route. They offered us a different day, but there were no bike spots available. It definitely threw a wrench in our plan for sure, but we ended up renting a van for one way and in the long run, it will be cheaper and way more convenient.

As of 9.16.2020 the water at Roundbottom is non potable.

Website only allows 2 night reservation. Not convenient for bike/tent camping.

The River's Edge Campground has a specific area for bicycle campers. I don't believe it is part of their normal booking system, but it is a big fenced in field, and there is plenty of room to get bikers in there. You should not need to make reservations, as I don't believe they've ever been full. I hope this helps.

I agree with Casey D's observation. The biker's tent area quite under utilized. I rarely see any, let alone, multiple tents there. I just went past there a week ago and there was just one tent up. Further, I've tented there a couple of times without any reservation

The 2-night online reservation limit may well be targeted at the weekend RV campers. The RV areas are quite full.

If you truly want to tent there, I'd call them to get the applicable info for tents there.

ok. I found the discussion! Any hammock poles or trees for us here?

The area for tents was developed along with an RV parking area expansion about 3 years ago. Having ridden by that area several times, there are few, if any, trees there. I’d call them to verify my observation or perhaps they have an alternate area with trees especially on the side of the trail next to the river.

The area for tents was developed along with an RV parking area expansion about 3 years ago. Having ridden by that area several times, there are few, if any, trees there. I’d call them to verify my observation or perhaps they have an alternate area with trees especially on the side of the trail next to the river.

it is absurd to offer bike sites, but have a 2 night minimum stay. I would just have a transient hiker biker area, and charge per person. 8

Liam, look about 3/4ths the way down this forum page where this exact complaint was brought up. In short, the 2 night requirement is for RV’s not hiker/bikers with tents.

Ok, I will try and check that information. Still trying to locate above comments. Will probably call the campground to confirm. If booking online the site will not let me book for one night, or its not easy to find.

This was a very comfortable place to stay. We had the 3rd floor suite and it was clean and bed was comfortable and only 2 blocks from the trail. Jessie, the owner of the B&B was very accommodating. And a nice breakfast.

Diane

Thanks for that review. It's nice to see another good B&B option in Williamsport especially near to the trail. Elmwood Farm B&B is also a nice lodging at Williamsport albeit further from the trail. It does however offer a free shuttle service.

I'd like to give a shoutout to Ruvo's Italian Restaurant, just a couple blocks off the trail in Connelsville. Bikers are welcome, the hosts are gracious, the food is excellent and the prices are lower than would be expected. It's BYOB but they held our table while we bought wine nearby, and made a great ending to a long day. Give it a try if you're passing thru. Our group of 4 bikers age 61-68 gives it's a unanimous 5 star rating.

Wondering if the trip planner information is in a GPX or KML or mymaps with google for ontrail offline access?

I've not been able to locate a map or information regarding riding our bikes to Reagan Airport from C & O. We are wanting to rent a van to drive back to Pittsburg.

It's a piece of cake. You just drop down to the river and follow it, bike paths all the way, to the 14th Street Bridge at the Jefferson Memorial. When you cross the bridge, you cloverleaf down to another bike path that will take you to the airport. Maybe two miles from the end of the towpath to the bridge, less than a half mile over the bridge, and a mile to the airport. But the rental car places are on Highway 1, which is west of the bike path. Cell phone GPS would help you find everything.
Also, at about Mile 1, you'll see an asphalt bike path at Fletcher's Boathouse. Finishing the last mile on that puts you right along the river and the bike path that goes to the 14th Bridge. Follow the airplanes if all else fails.

To see the route(s), request a route from Fletchers Cove Boathouse to Ronald Reagan National Airport in Google Maps and you'll first see the principal bike route that passes near Milepost 0 at the end of the C&O Towpath.

You can also get to Reagan by not going all the way to Milepost 0 along the principal route above but rather cross the Potomac via the Francis Scott Key Bridge to the bike trail on the west side of the river. To see this route in Google Maps just drag the original route displayed for the original directions to the west side of the river after the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

You can expand the displayed maps as necessary to see all the necessary detail to follow the directions. It is a rather easy ride but requires some vigilance to the directions the first time you do it. It is about 8 miles from the Fletchers Cove Boathouse to the Airport via either route.

Hope this helps.

How far is it from the C& O towpath trailhead to the Amtrak station in Washington DC?

Looks like about 3 to 4 miles depending on which route you take, but it looks like Lock 1 is right around the Four Seasons Hotel and if you take the Pennsylvania Avenue route to K street, its about 3.2 miles on Google
2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Head north toward Pennsylvania Avenue NW
7 s (66 ft)

Turn right onto Pennsylvania Avenue NW
2 min (0.4 mi)

At Washington Cir NW, take the 3rd exit onto K St NW
2 min (0.3 mi)

Continue to K St NW
5 min (1.0 mi)

Continue straight to stay on K St NW
1 min (0.2 mi)

Take Massachusetts Ave NW to Columbus Circle Northeast
7 min (1.1 mi)

Drive to Union Station Dr NE

DC is rather bike friendly. Plenty of bike lanes & once you get to the National Mall, it's a cake walk to cover a good chunk of the distance. pull up directions on google maps & pop in an earbud to help with navigation.

Can I park overnight?

There is no vehicle access to nor parking at The Dravo Camping area. The closest place to park a car would be at a pavilion at Buena Vista which is about 1.5 miles upriver.