This story was getting long, so I broke it into multiple posts. The first part discusses my impetus for this ride as well as my bike and gear. The second details Day 1 of my ride. I needed coffee. I had made the decision to go light and forego bringing a stove or coffee setup, …
Continue reading "The Trans-Allegheny Traverse — Day 2 (Dilltown to Home)"
This story was getting long, so I broke it into multiple parts. Part 1 discusses my impetus for this ride as well as my bike and gear. Read it here if you missed it, and here's my route. The sun had come out just in time for me to start riding. Surely this was a …
Continue reading "The Trans-Allegheny Traverse — Day 1 (Pittsburgh to Dilltown)"
I can't remember exactly when the idea to ride home from Pittsburgh took hold, but it seems like it's been marinating in my brain for the better part of 4 years. I'd done the ride from home to Philly a couple times, and I wanted to check off the other half of the state. Then …
Continue reading "The Trans-Allegheny Traverse — The Route & The Bike"
I was sure glad I had studs because Kepler was a sheet of ice. Not a smooth sheet, but one that had been churned up by car tires and turned by the daily freeze-thaw cycle into a jumble of babyhead-sized lumps. It was like riding on slippery cobbles. I knew it would be a little …
This year, I'd like to bike to or from work at least 20 times. This sounds like a very "low hanging fruit" goal -- especially considering how much I ride -- except for the fact that last year I know that I did it less than 10. For those who don't know of my bike …
A couple weeks ago, Evan mentioned that he caught wind of a new snowmobile route from Prince Gallitzin State Park to Black Moshannon State Park, traversing the Allegheny Front through mostly Game Lands on a mix of dirt roads and doubletrack trails. We did some research and found a GPX file. Time to go explore. …
Continue reading "On the Allegheny Front: Sandy Ridge to Blandburg"
As I emerge into openness, the wind whips across the grassy landscape and burns my cheeks. I've been climbing for a while and, as evidenced by the wall ahead, still have a while to go. But behind me, I'm beginning to see the valley far below, proof of my labors. I'd started from my office …
A couple weeks ago, I rode 212 miles from my house in central Pennsylvania to my in-law's house in the suburbs outside Philadelphia. If you missed the post about my experience, check that out here. I got a lot of questions about my bike setup, what gear I took, and how I fueled myself throughout …
I knew around mile 50 that, barring anything catastrophic happening, I would make it. The first quarter of the ride flew by. Evan and Shannon joined me for the initial 10 miles, then left me to fly solo as I headed due south down Rt. 522. The sun was dropping, the clouds turning pink and …
Continue reading "Unks to Tinker Hill: My first solo double century."
Three years ago, Evan and I rode 200 miles from Huntingdon, PA to his parents house near Phoenixville, PA, just west of Philly. We did it on a tandem, in one shot, through the night. Ever since, I've wanted to do the ride again, but on my own. So when we decided to go to the …
helena kotala 