Reply to Pittsburgh to Eastern Continental Divide

Hello all! We are planning a complete bike trip from pittsburgh to DC. I was wondering if someone could give me insight to the incline from Pittsburgh to let's say the divide. I know it's on a rail trail with a 1% grade. Just want to know what to expect! Thanks!

I don't remember the grades, but the trail doesn't start climbing noticeably until Connellsville. It's not steep but you notice you're climbing. Connellsville to Confluence felt like the steepest part to me, though I guess that's only because it was the start of the climb and after Confluence you hit all the big sightseeing spots. http://i.imgur.com/rmtMxC5.jpg

We recently rode from Pittsburg to Paw Paw. My wife is 64, and I'm 59. We ride often and generally distances of 35-45 miles at a time. Although your personal fitness and endurance play a part I didn't feel that any portion of the trail was that difficult. The incline west to east is always "there" but apart from the final climb from Meyersdale to the Divide (maybe 8-9 miles?) The route isn't difficult at all. We were not carrying camping gear just clothing and toilet items as this was a credit card ride. We have also done the trail self contained and still it wasn't difficult.

As n example: 1st day was 36 miles to West Newton, started at appx. 2pm and was there by 6pm. The next day was 44=45 miles to Ohiopyle. We started around 10am were there by 5pm including lunch in connelsville which was almost 1 hour. We also took plenty of breaks, stopped to read trail history signs, talked to anyone we met, just enjoyed the day. On Sun. our big day we rode 75 miles from Ohiopyle to Cumberland. We started early about 7am and were in Cumberland by 5 or 6pm stopping for lunch at Rockwood and a visit to the Meyersdale Visitor Center. Once again we stopped often for a snack, water, or to talk with other trail users and people who lived near the trail. Our normal pace is 8-13 MPH pretty much the bulk of the day. My wife isn't quite as strong as I am but she pedals steady. Overall, I don't think that any of the route could really be called tough just a slight uphill grind in some spots and more level than not in others. Hope this helps.

Thanks guys for the feedback! Puts my mind at ease knowing I'll be able to handle the pace we have set! I can't wait to ride it!

I think the big factor here is how much gear you're carrying. On my trips, I've always camped on the trail. I usually lug about 40lbs of gear (too much I know). As such, even on a slight grade I can really tell the difference between going uphill and going downhill. I'm lucky to maintain 8 mph going uphill.