This years boys biking trip was a bit of a departure from the usual red sandstone and desert of the South West – instead, we planned to ride the 330 miles from Pittsburgh, PA to Washington, DC on the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) and the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal towpath.
The 150 mile Great Allegheny Passage follows a railway corridor through wooded hills and small towns, reaching the Eastern Continental Divide before descending into Maryland. After Cumberland, Maryland, the route shifts onto the C&O Canal Towpath, traveling 184 miles along the Potomac River through peaceful forests and rural countryside all the way to Georgetown. Interactive map here.
Logistics
We drove gear and bikes to DC on the Friday and organized a shuttle to Pittsburgh on the Saturday – breaking up the trip over a couple of days avoided spending 10+ hours driving. We were able to leave a vehicle and post-ride gear at a friends house in the DC suburbs which helped tremendously.
We planned for 5 days of riding and here’s the day-by-day account:
- Day 1 – Pittsburgh to Connellsville (62.2 miles)
- Day 2 – Connellsville to Frostburg (76.8 miles)
- Day 3 – Frostburg to Hancock (77.3 miles)
- Day 4 – Hancock to Harpers Ferry (74.2 miles)
- Day 5 – Harpers Ferry to Georgetown to Falls Church (70.2 miles)
Packing and Gear
As we were staying in rental house, B&Bs with washing machines and dryers and eating our meals out, we were able to pack pretty lightly. I packed about 13lbs of gear:
- 2 days of cycling gear (with layers for different temperatures)
- 3 days of non-cycling gear
- spares and tools divided amongst the 5 of us
- snacks, toiletries, first aid kit
Instead of traditional paniers, I opted for a smaller saddlebag and bar bags, specifically :
- Revelate Designs – Spinelock 10L saddle bag on the back for stuff I’d only need at the end of the day (clothses. toiletries, charging cables, etc)
- Revelate Designs – Harness and Saltyroll on the front for stuff I may need during the day (tools, spares, warm clothes)
- Revelate Designs – Mag Tank – for tool kit, snacks.
- Outer Shell – Stem Caddy – for quick access to rain jacket, headphones, cellphone
I used everything in my packs except a down vest that was good for additional padding so not a complete waste.
The other 4 riders in my party opted for traditional racks and Ortlieb waterproof panniers and I’d say 70% of other riders we met did the same. My reason for choosing bar and saddle bags we’re, in no particular order:
- keep the weight down
- lack of mounting options on my Checkpoint
- ability to use the same bags on my mountain bike
Bike is a pretty standard Gen 2.0 Trek Checkpoint SLR 6 AXS, with an ISM 2.0 saddle and a Garmin Edge 1050.
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