Rick from Wyandotte on 5/13/2016 9:27:00 PM:
Last weekend was my experience on the GAP/C&O, and I learned quite a bit. I'll share our story with some tips so that others may plan to be more prepared than us!
Three of us (my father, 60yo 240lb, not-so-fit but can just keep pedaling, me, pro xc mountain bike racer, and a buddy Stefano, 44yo, very competitive recreational rider) planned to do Pitt to DC in 3 days, staying in hostels/hotels on the way.
My setup: Trek Boone with worn out 34mm Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless cyclocross tires, 42 ring with 11-28 cassette, full fenders front and rear, Di2 drivetrain. I had a seatbag with 2xC02s and 2x tubes, and a tire lever.
Dad's setup: Trek Crockett with 32mm Specialized Roubaix pro tubeless tires, full fenders, 38t, 11-28 Di2 drivetrain, bell (!). Seatbag with 1x tube, C02, lever, frame mounted hand pump.
My backpack had: running shorts and shirt, very light wind shell jacket and pants, cheap thog sandals, spare socks, spare gloves, chargers for phone and garmin, chamois butter, deodorant, toothbrush, multi tool, chain lube. All in, my camel back, with phone and wallet, weighed 5.5lbs.
The first day (Pitt-DC), we stopped at Waffles INCaffienated for breakfast on our way out of town. It was excellent. Good coffee, too, and only about 1/4 mile off the trail.
We stayed the first night in Meyersdale, in Morgan Toole's hostel bedding, which was really great for the price. Food at the restaurant wasn't bad, though we might have been too tired to notice. It had rained on us for the last few hours of the ride that day; I was really happy to see the GAP hold up well to steady rainfall, as it remained perfectly rideable the whole time.
Day two was a short climb up to the divide, then 'bomb' down to Cumberland. We had breakfast at a small diner across from Morgan Toole (can't remember the name; it was 1 block away) and it was good, but not as great as waffles from day 1. Cumberland was an awesome place to stop for coffee and/or lunch, as there were many options within a few hundred yards of the trail. From there, the C&O started, and we quickly realized that those of us who had fenders were going to be much drier, cleaner, and happier than those who did not. We stopped longer than normal for lunch and pushed our luck bit with timing sunset, but safely got into the Red Roof Inn in Williamsport before it got dark. This Inn was a small climb away from the trail, which seemed eternal after so many miles of flatness. Red Roof was nice enough, especially considering its relatively low cost. We skipped early breakfast in Williamsport (not much open at 7:30a on Sunday) in favor of a ride to Sharpsburg for coffee/brunch. A stop by Shepardstown is well worth the short detour from the trail. It's a quaint little college town with plenty of coffee shop/quality lunch options. Once into DC, we took bike paths from C&O mile 0 over to Reagan Airport to rent a one way car back to Philly. We could've waited for the train the next day, but I had to be back at work Monday morning.
Things learned from the trip, in no particular order:
Bring a small bike bell. It's nice to have, and makes life 1000x easier when navigating the amusment park-like crowds as you approach DC.
Full fenders, front and rear, are a must. Next time I will have a large mud flap hanging from my front fender to give even more coverage for my feet and the bike's BB.
The gearing range of your bike is largely irrelevant unless you plan to venture off the trail far. In that case, be prepared for large hills.
A small headlight was a life saver for the one long unlighted tunnel (Paw Paw?), but otherwise wasn't really needed, as we were never out at night. A true boyscout-type might bring one just in case, but we were trying to stay light. One light for the three of use sufficed.
Pack some extra food with you, especially on C&O. I'm usually a stickler for nutrition planning in races, but my bra