BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Good luck.

Washington Blvd oval. As long as you want it to be. Smooth. Not much cycling traffic except on race days. Tiny rise at the start, so not completely flat.

The "Tour de 'Burgh" map at http://www.bobsmaps.com/ plots out a pretty flat route that might be of use. It uses the "Northwest Passage" discussed here some time back.

(welcome aboard!)

"long" is a matter of personal preference, and flat is relative around here...

somewhere I learned, from unidentifialbe sources, that the airport is way the hell out in Moon because it's the flattest place nearby. You might be able to find some flat-ish stretches near there.

Ohio's a good deal flatter, might check there too. That's not sarcasm, it's relatively close by and the hills aren't as bad.

The trails along the rivers are also relatively flat, as well as any Rails to Trails - the railroads kept the grades low.

The roads that run along the river tend to be flat but high traffic. I like Freeport road out to Tarentum. It's not too bad.

Stream valleys going just about anywhere will give you a mild rise from the rivers, and you can spend many a pleasant summer day or evening locating and exploring them. Too many to list. Too many to locate and explore in a single season. No gasoline required, but using a rack on a PAT bus can get you out a distance, letting you find your way back, downhill, to a river.

But expect that somewhere, you will need to divert from that nice little rise or descent and then you're facing a 12% grade for somewhere between 100 yards and most of a mile.

You're in Western PA, not Nebraska. Get a triple crank. Be prepared.

I like the Red Belt. And it's "accessible" from Sq Hill, in a manner of speaking. But maybe it's only *relatively* flat.

There are long stretches of the Montour and Panhandle trails where people are generally scarce. You can go half an hour or more without seeing anyone else sometimes. Try the Montour between Southview and Imperial, or the Panhandle west of McDonald. They're crushed limestone, though, not asphalt. The asphalt sections are more crowded.

+1 Steven

Take the Blue Line out to Library. Ride Montour Trail "clockwise" to Coraopolis. Bus rack it on a 21 Coraopolis back into town or just pedal it.

Somewhere, either here or on the GAP or Montour Yahoo Groups I saw directions for what was called the "flat 50." I'll try to dig it up.

Here's the posting from the Montour Yahoo Group listing the flat route. I can't vouch for it since I'm on the other side of the state.

"Start under the bridge in Elizabeth.

2nd Ave to Center Ave to Bunola River Road. There is one hill going out

of town. It is a typical short western PA hill. Once you get over that one, the route becomes as flat as it gets around here.

Bunola River Road joins PA 136 at the bridge to Monongahela, PA.

PA 136 East to right at the fork onto PA 906.

PA 906 through Monessen and North Belle Vernon. 906 joins 201 at Naomi.

Follow 201 into Fayette City. Turn around on the other side of Fayette

City, just before 201 starts climbing, and head back to Elizabeth via the same

route."

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/75384686

Thanks everyone! Well, I was hoping for more maps, but...

quizbot: Washington blvd "oval?" I only see a straight line on the map... do you mean around highland park?

ieverheart: I use a similar route all the time!

freeport to tarentum looks good. Is this the red belt? Nate mentioned the red belt but I have never seen it nor does it seem accessible from sq.hill: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Allegheny_County_Belt_System.png

StuInMcCandless: "You're in Western PA, not Nebraska. Get a triple crank. Be prepared." I do have a triple crank, but my favorite ride is nonstop from sq.hill to the top of observatory hill on my ten-speed. How do you like them apples?

thehistorian: Don't know the area too well, so statements like "start under the bridge in elizabeth" are a little daunting. Will try this one though, thanks!

Chris Mayhew: This looks excellent. I may try it this weekend, thanks especially for the map!!!

Grant

there is a bike track in Highland Park just off of Washington Blvd

I was being a little tongue-in-cheek about Red Belt accessibility. Though, seriously, if you want relatively flat country you need to first climb away out of the river valleys and the streams that cut down toward them. The Red Belt, though sorta distant is almost all a good road, and there are quite a few nice ways to get there. Little Deer Creek Road out of Freeport for instance.

there's

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Squill-NP-Red-Blt-Deer-Lakes-freeport-rd-squill

selected from http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/srchkey/red+belt/country/254/region/160

but more than anything I was joking about the "flat" part

"thehistorian: Don't know the area too well, so statements like "start under the bridge in elizabeth" are a little daunting. Will try this one though, thanks!"

It's copied from another source. I don't know the area at all aside from the Montour and GAP trails.

Long, flat and accessible from Sq. Hill would be the GAP. Just ride down to the Waterfront and get on the trail that runs behind Eat N' Park and turn right:) This is the Steel Valley Trail section that is technically not open yet, but if you can manage to get past the one spot you can get unlimited (150+ miles) of flat.

oval on the googles

it seems like the longest in-city flat routes would be to start at the head of the jail trail, or just to ride through communities that are along the rivers.

i challenge someone to do a "long flat pgh city ride" for bikefest this year! no hills challenge!

@thehistorian: that is my fixie route. great ride and very scenic. getting to e-town via duquesne is not that bad if you want to do it "all bike".

however, to shorten the ride, head back north on the river at by crossing into monongohela and doing the gentle (but long) climb up to finleyville and rte 88 to south park via library and back to the city rte 88 to 51. (the only other climb is a small kick by TRAX farms) ...by doing this ride on a sunday you can add some excitement and ride the liberty tube back into the city (light traffic).

i got the impression that granto was looking for a place to spin at a fairly even level of exertion for a good long while. the only places i can think to do that around here are allegheny river boulevard and freeport road on the other side of the river.

..I have a set of rollers that he can use...

I realize my comment earlier was uncharacteristically snarky, but I guess I have to ask again, in seriousness, how flat can you expect to remain in Western PA? I rode 30 miles on the Montour Trail (Robinson to Library), and even that has quite a few mild climbs in it, not counting the occasional staircase. Not that many people, either.

As to a public street, 40SB to Millvale, and up six miles of Babcock Blvd until you get to the car wash. Hellish traffic either way from that T intersection, not to mention the hills, so just turn around and go back toward Millvale. Duck under 28, get on the trail, double back onto 31SB, to Liberty, and back to SqHill.

Stu, while I won't speak for the OP, I've posted a like request a couple of weeks ago. By "flat" I meant something that was closer in grade to the Montour than Canton Avenue.

And I didn't find your post snarky.

Flat is one thing. Flat and free from stops is another. Opportunities in SWPA are definitely scarce if you are looking to just put your head down and spin away without always having to worry about potholes, debris, other traffic, etc. An alternative to the oval is round and round the reservoir. There is one stop every mile, and it's only relatively flat. Ish. Otherwise, I'd suggest driving up to NYS

I'm a little late coming in, but I like Noblestown road from Carnegie to Burgettstown. It's not exactly flat, but it follows creek beds and parallels an old rail bed (Panhandle), flat for around here. It's the only place around that I can get settled into a good meditative un-thinking cadence.

Oh yeah, if you want long, flat, wide and no stops, I can think of dozens of places in NY west of I-81. The closest is parallel to Lake Erie, but Wayland to Mount Morris to Geneseo to Avon is wide open cycling territory, miles upon miles of wide open road.

Also, much better road maintenance.