My fall 2017 Pacific Coast bicycle tour ended in San Francisco this week… On this episode, an interview with Daniel, the guy who ended up bicycling Oregon to San Francisco with me!
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Tag: Ride With GPS
The Pedalshift Project 094: Pacific Coast Bicycle Tour Preview
My fall 2017 Pacific Coast bicycle tour kicks off in less than a week! On this episode, a tour preview plus tips for working remotely on bike tour!
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The Pedalshift Project 084: Bicycling Western Pennsylvania
I had an amazing adventure bicycling western Pennsylvania last week…. and on this edition of the pod, I tell stories all about biking the Great Allegheny Passage, the Montour Trail and the Panhandle Trail. Spoiler alert: it was hot.
Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 084: Bicycling Western Pennsylvania (mp3)
Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Journal: Bicycling Western Pennsylvania
Route
A 5-day adventure that includes the full Montour trail, a hefty helping of the Panhandle Trail and a through-ride of the Great Allegheny Passage. Nearly 300 miles. It was hot.
Highlights
- Segment riding the Montour to completion
- Big help from Dave at The Tandem Connection in Hendersonville… huge help with a weird rear flat
- Through riding the GAP fro 150-0
- Wildlife, except the rattlesnake
- Exploring Pittsburgh off the beaten path
- Hammock lounging every night
- Camping every night (but getting showers the last 2!)
Lessons Learned
- Sugar isn’t always you friend, until it is.
- Hydrate and block the sun
- Lighter is better
- Frame bags are dope
Pedalshift Tour Journals Volume 8: Western Penn… coming soon!
Full gallery of pictures from biking Western Pennsylvania.
Gear Talk
Connections
Another 5 star review from @pedalingpair and feedback on the Ohio route from Pedalshift 082.
Pedalshift Society
Help support the show and join the Pedalshift Society with monthly or one-shot contributions!
Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
Harry Hugel
Ferguson Meek
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Ruth DeVorsey
Michelle Miller
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!
Music
You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for 79 fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. This August.
The Pedalshift Project 082: Biking Lake Erie to the Potomac
The June tour I was supposed to do and the June tour I’m going to do… two very different things! On this week’s pod, we explore a draft spur to the Eastern Express for biking Lake Erie to the Potomac River: Cleveland to DC! Plus, the trip I’m actually tackling next week!
Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 082: Biking Lake Erie to the Potomac (mp3)
Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android
Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
The Journal: Biking Lake Erie to the Potomac
An update to Episode 079 on the Eastern Express!
– The route has changed to take advantage of some better routing (check it out)
– I discovered an alternate spur I was *going* to try out this week that started literally on the shores of Lake Erie and ending in DC… but some work stuff popped up and I needed to postpone. But let’s talk about it!
PLEASE NOTE: this is a route I have not personally ridden. For the road portions, please be aware the route could, in fact, suck.
Cleveland
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Ride with GPS routing
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Bridgeport Quarry Trailhead Massilion, OH (65)
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Ride with GPS routing
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Tappan Lake SP (53)
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Ride with GPS routing
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Cecil Henderson campsite (70)
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Ride with GPS routing
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GAP 43.7 to West Newton + 26 to Connellsville, PA (69)
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GAP 27 to Confluence + 18.5 to Rockwood, PA (45.5)
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Cumberland, MD (44)
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Hancock, MD
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Harpers Ferry, WV
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DC
For Cumberland to Hancock, check out the Pedalshift Guide to the C&O!
Thoughts: the tricky and question mark sections I was willing to be a guinea pig for are the road sections between the Ohio and Erie Towpath and Tappan Lake, and then from Tappan Lake to Steubenville. Apparently Steubenville is a bit of a hot mess, so much so that the Eastern Express now avoids it. That said, it connects so well with the Panhandle Trail, avoiding a lot of miles, I was going to give it a shot.
Ohioans? Any thoughts?
Next week’s alternative tour
I have fewer days than I’d like, but I want to get a gander at the Steubenville situation… so I’m taking a train to Connellsville, biking to Steubenville, then turning back and taking the GAP back to Cumberland and possibly the C&O from there. Depending on how long all of this takes I’ll be getting another fast forward home.
Intentions
– Creating the beginnings for a Pedalshift Guide to the GAP!
– A daily checkin for newsletter subscribers (look for an email Sunday for details)
– Recording more than the checkin with the possibility of a new Tour Journal
– Pics and more on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Next week…
How to deal with a wet tent on tour… hopefully the advice isn’t prophetic for my ride 😉
Pedalshift Society
Help support the show and join the Pedalshift Society with monthly or one-shot contributions!
Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
Harry Hugel
Ferguson Meek
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!
Music
You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for 79 fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. This August.
The Pedalshift Project 079: The new Eastern Express Route alternative to the Trans Am
Planning for a June tour… someplace… I stumbled upon a brand new tour option: the Eastern Express Route is an alternative eastern spur for the Trans Am route, starting in DC. It includes the C&O, the GAP and Katy trails and we chat with the person who did the heavy lifting (and cue sheet creation!) for this amazing new option.
Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 079: The Eastern Express – a new Trans Am bike touring alternative route (mp3)
Subscribe to The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android
Reach out to the show via email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.
Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109.
Followup
Hey, the C&O Guide has *lots* more in it now!
- Segmented into about 10 mile chunks
- Adding descriptions over the rest of the spring
- Embedded maps
- Embedded campsite video reviews
- More to come!
The Journal
- West coast touring options for June?
- Vancouver Island
- Multimodal Oregon/Washington tour
- Brompton or no?
- Eastern Express as another option? C&O->GAP-> and beyond. Hooks up with the Katy eventually. Hmmm…
Reached out to the originator to get him on the show!
The Interview: The Eastern Express Route with Frank Mortiz
Frank Moritz, is a veteran Adventure Cycling tour leader, instructor and board member, and completed the initial research to create an “eastern express route” addition to the legendary TransAmerica bike route. This new route provides a welcome option for TransAm cyclists to bypass the severe mountain climbs and nasty dogs that confront cyclists in southwestern Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southern Missouri on the eastern half of the existing route. It also replaces three major high-altitude climbs in Colorado with one gradual and scenic climb to the Continental Divide. Amazingly, almost 600 of the 2,100+ miles of this route are on dedicated bike/pedestrian paths, towpaths, or rail-trails.
Questions
- Your background in bike touring, including your work with ACA
- Your thoughts on the Trans Am route as it currently is routed in the east
- It’s one thing to develop an alternate route, but quite another to do ALL of the great work with cue sheets etc. for the Eastern Express… what motivated this?
- What is the plan for the route – it feels like this is a “public beta” and you’ll be doing some refinements after comments this year.
- What can Pedalshift listeners do to help with this process?
- Any other recommendations that might be different from “the usual” routes out there in the US?
You can learn more about Frank and the Eastern Express Route at easternexpressroute.com.
Connections
Where are you listening?
I hope you are well! I listened to a podcast where you where curious about from which countries your listeners are from. Well, I’m from Sweden (Stockholm) and I really enjoy listening to you. Keep up the good work! – Paula in Stockholm
Data!
Perhaps not too surprising… most of you are in the United States. All 50 states listen (even Wyoming – someone has to be last, but you’re beautiful and windy Cowboy State listeners!) and the top states are:
- Oregon (wonder why?)
- California
- New York (Empire State!)
- Illinois (biggest surprise?)
- Texas (everything’s bigger)
International
- UK (about 25% the US DLs)
- Canada (about 7% – c’mon Canada!)
- Australia (4%)
- Sweden (1.4%)
- Ireland (my people! 1.3%)
- New Zealand
- Germany
- China
- Netherlands
- Japan
Also hear from members of the US military who listened while stationed in Afghanistan and elsewhere… hey, if this dopey little show about riding bikes helped pass the time while you were serving, trust me when I say it is literally the least I can do.
Thank you all for listening! If you’re listening from exotic spot (well and exotic spot for me) drop a line or leave a note in the comments! Bonus points for calling the Pedalshift voicemail!!
Pedalshift Society
Ethan Georgi
Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Josiah Matthews
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Seth Krieger
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Noah Schroer
Harry Telgadas
John Sikorski
Richard Killian
Chris Barron
Scott Taylor
Brian Hren
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Paul Mulvey
Stuart Buchan
Todd Stutz
Mr. T
Roxy Arning
Nathan Poulton
Dereck Waggoner
Harry Hugel
And all anonymous and past contributors for helping make this show happen!
Music
You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for 79 fine episodes. I got news for ya. New. Sunfields. Album. This August.