Railbender Ride

Sat, August 11, 9am – 4pm

Altoona, PA

The Railbender is a Charity and Community Ride event consisting of 2 rides. The first ride is dubbed the “Railbender” and is for advanced riders only. It is a 43 mile course traversing a portion of the classic Tour de ‘Toona stage 4 course and will test the legs of even the experienced/ avid cyclist. The second ride is a fun ride which will be great for any level rider. The course is relatively flat and will be a fun leisurely ride for cyclist ages 14+. More information such as registration, where to stay and other activities you can do while in town can be found at our website! www.railbender.org The organizers of the International Tour de ‘Toona bike race are producing a new Gran Fondo event called the Railbender in Altoona, PA this year. The ride will be a fully supported 43 mile loop and will feature a 6 mile climb, descent through the world famous horseshoe curve, traffic-free roads, two rest stops, post-ride BBQ, live music, $50K raffle drawing and vendor village. The event will also feature the 14 mile long Fun Ride for those looking for a milder version of the ride. For more info about the ride, check out www.railbender.org.

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2 Wheels- Lots of Green

Sat, August 11, 10am – 12pm

GTech Strategies, 6587 Hamilton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206

GTECH Strategies (Growth Through Energy + Community Health) is a local sustainable community development organization that works in partnership with communities to turn physical liabilities, like vacant lots, into assets. GTECH’s bike tour, ‘2 Wheels – Lots of Green’ will allow participants to tour some of GTECH’s reclamation sites, vacant lots that have been transformed into community spaces, and get the stories behind each on a fun and leisurely bike ride. Smartphone owners, bring your phones so that you can access videos about each site via QR codes! There will be three main routes of varying distances and each will begin and end at GTECH’s Headquarters, where GTECH will host an after-tour luncheon for participants. The event is open to everyone. All participants must register online and pay a $10 fee. We will be following all of the rules of the road and helmets are required. Contact Courtney Keene at c.keene@gtechstrategies.org for more information.

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12 Bridges, 3 Rivers, 21 Miles

Sat, August 11, 11:00am – 1:30pm

Tazza D’oro Cafe, 1125 N. Highland, Highland Park

The name says it all – we’ll travel over 12 bridges in the city. All road miles. Ride rating is C+/3/21: C+ means medium+ pace, few stops; 3 means moderate hills; and 21 is the number of miles we’ll cover. The ride is NOT for the novice and NOT for the race enthusiast. Think middle. Helmets and waiver sigh=in required, over 18 years old, rain cancels. Sponsored by Western PA Wheelmen. Contact Dan O’Donnell at directaxis57@gmail.com or visit: here for more information!

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ORTC Trail Ride Series

Sat, August 11, 1pm – 4pm

Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania & West Virginia Rail Trails (map)

Please visit www.ohiorivertrail.org to learn more about the ORTC Trail Ride Series and to sign up to receive notifications of the ride schedule.

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Urban Bike Tour

Sat, August 11, 1pm – 4pm

Millvale Riverfront Park

Organization: Venture Outdoors Level: Easy Pittsburgh has bike trails along all three rivers–really! But it takes a knowledgeable guide to connect them smoothly. You can expect a great 12-15 mile tour of the city and its riverfronts with plenty of interesting stops along the way via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Bring a daypack, water and snacks. We’ll do 3 hours of easy pedaling. Cost: $15.00 non-member / $10.00 member Bike rentals are available through Venture Outdoors for $8. Please contact the office at 412-255-0564 ext 0 by Thursday at 5:00 p.m. to reserve your bike. Please see the event on our activities calendar for more information and to register: contact Lora Woodward at lwoodward@ventureoutdoors.org for more information.

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The Hollow Ride

Sat, August 11, 2:30pm – 5:30pm

Frick Park Gate House (Reynolds St and S. Homewood Ave)

Originally conceived in 2008 by friend and fellow bike enthusiast Jake Milofsky, The Hollow Ride is resurrected! The Hollow Ride is a tour of the 5 Hollows in the East End: Fern Hollow, Duck Hollow, Junction Hollow, Panther Hollow, and Skunk Hollow. During the ride, we’ll stop in each hollow to look at historical photographs of the locations, discuss their historical significance in Pittsburgh, and reflect on how their uses today add to the city of Pittsburgh as a whole. Riders are encouraged to share any of their own knowledge about the hollows, special shortcuts into or out of the hollows, stories from childhood adventures in the hollows…or anything else fun they’d like to add. The ride will be approximately 12 miles long, beginning in Point Breeze at the Frick Park Gate House (Reynolds St and S. Homewood Ave) and ending in Bloomfield at Sassafras St. and Liberty Ave. It will include moderate hill climbing, riding in traffic, uneven terrain, and will involve portaging bicycles over some railroad tracks. There will be one scheduled stop at the Schenley Park Visitor’s Center for bathroom breaks or refreshments, but bringing plenty of water is recommended. Contact Brett Buttenfield at benjaminfield@hotmail.com

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Get ready for BikeFest, a fifteen-day celebration of bicycling, August 5th-19th. The activities kick off with Pedal Pittsburgh on August 5th’ which includes a car-free section and a finish line festival. On August 10th the Bike Fest Party returns to the Pittsburgh Opera in the Strip District.