Reply to Successful Solo Ride from DC to Pittsburgh

Hey there - I just completed a successful solo ride from DC to Pittsburgh and thought I'd let you know what I discovered. I completed the ride in 5 days with a gradual increase in mileage from day 1 to day 5. I didn't camp for several reasons. The first being - I would have needed more gear. The second being - rain = mud on the C&O canal. And the third - I like having hot showers to wash off all the mud. I packed my water and snacks, but you could probably buy snacks along the way. I liked having everything handy. If you stay in hotels, you could probably get away with one change of clothing for the evenings for the whole trip. Bring lots of socks because they are likely to get wet. And, bring a light raincoat. I saw people with full rain suits, but I didn't bother with that. I didn't mind my legs getting wet. If you have full proof way to protect your feet from rain, then go for it. I bought a $35 pannier off of amazon and then strapped a small duffel bag on my bike rack. Plus, I had two water bottles and a bike pump strapped to the bike. This worked out well for me, and luckily, my tires survived the whole trip. The canal was super muddy - so bring some chain lube to protect your chain. And yes, the Paw Paw tunnel was open when I went (5/24/17-5/28/17).
Day 1 - First stop - Harpers Ferry. Roughly 45 miles. I stayed at the Knights Inn. It was fine, but not the best in the world. They were very friendly, but the breakfast was limited.
Day 2 - Hancock, Maryland 64 miles- Nice little town with several options. I stayed at the Motel 8. Thought it was great. Clean rooms and nice breakfast.
Day 3 - Frostburg, Maryland 76 miles - This day was cool because there was lots to see, but it was definitely my hardest day. The climb from Cumberland into Frostburg is super challenging. The crushed limestone during the uphill climb felt like biking in a sandbox. I limped into the Trail Inn which I thought was a great place. Day 4 - Connellsville, PA - 72 miles. I stayed at the Connellsville Bed and Breakfast which I loved. Lucy is great and her place is comfortable. Do not eat at the Mexican restaurant in town. This day was mostly downhill and fun. The path is great. Ohiopyle State Park is beautiful. Day 5 - Into the point in Pittsburgh. 60ish miles. When you pass Boston, MD, the path becomes paved and a bit hilly. But, it's fun going over the bridges and seeing all the people. Hope this helps anyone thinking of going.

Thanks for the trip report. I hope to do this trip in September. If you don't mind, could you tell us your age, size(S,M,L?), bike type, and configuration.

I'm 46 and 6ft 2" tall. I was on a large transeo 4.0 hybrid bike with front shocks and disk brakes. I saw all sorts of bikes on the trail with super fat tires to the hybrid tires I had. A road bike would not survive. I trained for the trip around town which is super hilly. The longest training ride was 50 miles. I also bought a trainer so that I could ride indoors on the bike that I was going to use. Hope this helps.

I'm doing the same starting June 19th - I appreciate your post!

I too, just completed my solo ride from DC to Pittsburgh. Started on Monday and finished this morning in Pittsburgh. Overnight Stops: Harpers Ferry (Town Inn), Hancock (Super 8), Cumberland (Fairfield Inn), Confluence (Hanna House BnB, and W. Newton (Bright Morning BnB). C&O (M-W) was wet & very muddy. I strongly recommend getting off the C&O and riding the paved Western Maryland Rail Trail (22.5 miles long) into and out of Hancock. The climb out of Cumberland was long and slow on the GAP (in great shape and a pleasure to ride), but once over the E. Continental Divide it was literally all downhill from there. GAP is paved after Boston and into Pittsburgh, but stay vigilant regarding the GAP signage once you get into McKeesport and into Pittsburgh.
Vast majority of riders are going west to east and many were doing only the GAP (from some point west than to Cumberland then shuttling back to their starting point).
Best find the entire trip: The bakery right next to Gary's Chuckwagon restaurant in W. Newton on S. 2nd Street. This bakery is NOT listed or advertised on any signage on trail or in trail book. Great baked goods - this is a MUST stop for everyone!
What I missed most: Good coffee. Latte? Unheard of!

Be well and pedal on. Regards to my Canadian friend Michael!

I just finished the ride yesterday on 32 mm 250 gram Panaracer PT tires with 90 psi pressure. Absolutely no problem. I weight 175 and carried 40 lbs.

Seth, what was your average speed on the trail? And for perspective, how fast do you ride a casual 20-mile trip on the street? What was the difference in speed between the C&O and the Gap?

I would say that my average speed was between 10-12 miles on the whole trip. I did stop every 10 miles for a break. And, when I felt really tired, I'd stop every 5 miles. So, on my longest ride day (76 miles), I left at about 7:20am and limped into Frostburg at 6:10pm. That includes a 30 minute stop for lunch in cumberland and several 10-15 minute stops along the way. And, I completely support using the Western Maryland Rail Trail. I probably averaged 15 MPH on that because it's smooth and there were no people around. This was the first long trip I took on this bike. My one training ride was 20 miles and it took 40 minutes on some hilly roads in our area. I'm not sure I answered the pacing question. I thought the C&O canal was faster than I expected other than all the mud which I didn't plan on. I did have 4 pairs of dry socks which was great to have. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out to me directly sethlavitch at yahoo dot com

If you’re going PIT to DC you'll average 10 mph going gradually uphill until the continental divide of which you be going downhill to Cumberland and you can expect 15-18 mph (but it's only 24 miles). Cumberland to DC is flat except for the small plunges at the locks (which are fun to speed down). You'll likely be going around 10-11 the remainder of the way to DC. The dodging of rocks and tree roots and puddles on the C&O slows you down a bit. The GAP is an easier ride in terms of paying attention to the ground beneath you.

If you’re going DC to PIT, the C&O is the same expect for the little uphills at the locks. Cumberland to the Continental Divide is a slower grind, likely 8-10 mph. Continental Divide to PIT is slightly downhill but you won’t coast much Maybe 10-12 mph.