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nadiv from wilmington, DE on 7/1/2017 11:34:13 PM:

Should we bike Cumberland to DC or vise versa?
Suggestions?

Richard from DC on 7/2/2017 12:59:52 PM:

It's a continuous uphill from DC to Cumberland, and the towpath generally gets worse. Most people ride from north to south for that reason and because arriving in DC with all the great places to eat and things to do is a lot nicer than ending up tired and hungry in Cumberland. No offense to Cumberland.

sergio from oc, CA on 7/2/2017 5:37:03 PM:

I think you want to get the Paw Paw Tunnel detour and long stretch to Hancock out of the way the first day. Then it's smooth sailing for the most part to DC. Cumberland is nice, but the Georgetown House on the canal in DC was the perfect place to end the trip!

Nadiv from wilmington, DE on 7/2/2017 9:28:32 PM:

Thanks for the recommendation.
My next question: we are a little below average bikers (10-12 miles / hr on the road). Can we make it in 4 days? If we leave Cumberland at around noon time, please suggest where to spend the next 3 nights (we prefer not to camp)?
Thx, Nadiv

Tom Nemmer from Hamburg, NY on 7/2/2017 11:24:02 PM:

I am a biker of about your speed.With friends, I completed the GAP/CandO in 2014. Yes, you can do the CandO in 4 days. We will be riding the CandO again this year beginning on July 8. We will overnight in Cumberland, Hancock, Shepardstown, and Leesburg. Then we will stay in DC. Other than Day 1 being @60 miles (plus whatever the PawPaw tunnel detour adds), our days are about 40+ miles each.

lenny on 7/3/2017 6:07:24 AM:

Just went over PawPaw detour last Friday. A hot dry day, approached form the west. Twrentyfive minute assent,20 minute decesnt, we rode most of it. But for all intents it adds 1 hour to that leg. And it takes alot out of you. The eastern approach is a longer climb.

sergio from OC, CA on 7/3/2017 3:11:52 PM:

It is very reasonable to do the C&O in 4 days. We were on a tandem, did all motels/B&Bs and rarely went much over 10mph. We took 5 days, partly because we also did the GAP and mostly because we wanted to do some sightseeing too. We’re in our 50’s and could easily have done it in fewer days. You can find B&Bs in Paw Paw and Little Orleans if you don’t have a full day to do the 60 miles plus detour to Hancock (Super 8 and B&Bs). Look at this site and the guidebook for places to stay based on how many miles you want to do. We stayed in good places in Williamsport, Harpers Ferry, and Leesburg (the hotel have shuttles from Whites Ferry – don’t bike the highway there). We also considered staying in Shepardstown/Sharpsburg, and found Brunswick to be a nice town we wouldn’t have minded staying in.

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