BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

Hi, welcome to Pittsburgh! Wow, I think you've already ridden Bigelow Blvd. more than a large number of us, myself included. It's certainly legal but speeding is a bigger problem on that road than most. There are a number of other routes downtown, including 5th Ave, Liberty Ave, and Penn Ave (probably in order of my preference), or a variety of lesser traveled roads or trails.

Bike Pittsburgh has a commuter map, it's online here or you can pick up a paper version from their office on Penn Ave., or in most bike shops.

BTW, there is a trail that goes downtown (actually two that have an unfortunately weird connection), but it's a bit out of the way... Also I forgot about Centre Ave as a way to get downtown (also shown on the map below), although that involves some unnecessary climbing and I've never actually ridden that way myself.

http://g.co/maps/rh8w9

http://g.co/maps/nxzaz

I just moved from Pittsburgh to Boston. I feel the same way you do here.

I'll trade you routes:

Shadyside to Downtown, depending on what side of Shadyside you're on, I'd take 5th Ave through Oakland and down the hill or find your way over to S Aiken/Liberty and cruise down the hill that way. I don't think I'd recommend anyone bike on Bigelow, legal or not. 5th has a lot of stoplights, but the ones through Oakland are all timed for 25ish MPH. If you pedal fast, you can make it through most of them on green. Liberty has some bike infrastructure painted on it.

My turn!

I live in Watertown, and work in Newton. I have no problem getting to and from work, but there isn't a bus that goes from home to Brighton/Chestnut Hill.

Soooo... Best route from the east side of Watertown down to Brighton/Chestnut Hill? Google maps gives me some route with 50 turns and routes me through parking lots and shit. Took me way longer than it should to bike such a short distance.

Also, is there any awesome Boston bike groups like this one? Thanks!

I'll second salty's suggestion, pick up a Bike-PGH bike map. They're free at bike shops and various other places around town, and totally awesome.

God, this reminds me... why don't we have at least SHARROWS along 5th Avenue from like Craig Street all the way to Downtown?

I take the lane ALL THE TIME on Fifth on this stretch and I always get the dirtiest looks about it...

The poor dears, they might have to use one of those other three lanes to get around you.

Be visible, be predictable, and don't let the bastards get to you.

I like Fifth to get from Oakland to Downtown. (sorry, I don't live in the city so am not on the outer part of Fifth that often) But from Dippy to Downtown, yeah, what they said.

Welcome to Pittsburgh, littleyellow, and welcome to the message board!

Thank you all very much!

Dwillen,

This is embarrassing, but in the two years I lived in Boston I never biked to Watertown. I mostly biked within Boston and to and from Jamaica Plain. But I'll give it a shot anyway:

You can get on the Esplanade (Charles River bike path) from Watertown. Take that to the bridge at Arsenal St ? cross ? go South to Commonwealth Ave and ride to Chestnut Hill ? turn off Comm Ave to whatever street/area of Boston you want to go to.

Hope that helps.

+1 for Salty and Dwillen.

From Shadyside to Downtown, either the 5th Ave route or the Liberty Ave route are standard.

The bike-pgh map is a great resource for someone new. (and sometimes for us veterans as well.)

I came out of downtown on Bigelow once. It's on my list of things I do not need to do again.

Bigelow Blvd.? Thats wild, going to town out Bigelow is one thing but coming up Bigelow from town seems intense. Mick you're one tough dude.

@ Marvel Mick you're one tough dude.

Thanks, but actually I'm not. Just st00pid.