Thanks for sharing! I rode the GAP in October this year (much better weather than you had!) There’s a bike-only storage at the hotel Connersville for those who don’t want to haul their bikes up three stories. And even when the elevator is working, it’s pretty small! I am hoping to to OTET next year.
Thanks for checking in! Yeah, the weather was just HOT all week. Finally got down to the 80's overnight during the last two nights so I was able to stay in the tent those nights. Definitely do the OTET - it's a good network of trails crossing the state. Going south to north I think it gets a bit more scenic, first third to Columbus is pretty remote, then it goes through farmland the next third, and finally through Cuyahoga Park the last third into Cleveland. Let me know how it goes
Appreciate you taking the time to let me know. It takes time to put these together but I really like the concept of making them as I feel like I have someone along sharing the journey. And it's fun interacting with viewers once it's posted. And they make great videos to watch when it's cold outside in January.
Wow, you seriously compressed the whole C&O canal, we saw only snippets of harpers ferry, great falls, and dc :) would've been cool for me to see that part of the trip, having been all over that trail as a boy scout, and now living far away
I have a lot more raw footage of the C&O that didn't make it into the final clip. Some of the footage I captured was about the history of the cemetery, talking about the hiker/biker sites and their locations on the trail, etc. I figured some of the footage was captured in my last thru-ride and for some other topics, covered in other videos. Trying to tell a story of 5 days riding in 25 minutes without making it look like watching someone's slide show of their vacation can be a challenge. Sorry you didn't see what you were looking for but thanks for tuning in - hope you found the other aspects of the video enjoyable :-)
@@AdventuresWithPaul yes, loved it, great video, makes me want to ride again, and I just got back :) I'll look on your channel for the C&O footage Thanks!
Excellent video. I did the GAP/C&O prolly a couple of weeks before you and had great weather. You really boiled out there and killed the miles. Well done. You will love the Island Trail. Extend it onto the Lamoille Trail if you have the time, you won’t regret it. Doing PA Grand Canyon and Pine Creek next week. Cheers!
Thanks - I have Pine Creek on my list for this summer so I'm looking forward to that. Doing a thru-ride in a day so hopefully I won't be embroiled in a heat wave during that one :-)
Was that cold water at that point in the trail amazing or what? I think we chose the hottest week of the year for that trip but it's just such a great trail it was worth it. How did your ride along the GAP go?
@@AdventuresWithPaul it was amazing to get some cold water there. The weather was definitely hotter than we expected. Our trip went well. We were super excited to see you posted the video of your trip!
Glad you had a great trip. GAP is one of my all-time favs and happy to roll along again. I'm going to look to some new destinations over the next few months and years so keep on riding and enjoying your adventures!
Congrats on completing your trip. Planning to ride the GAP July or August but worried about the 90 degree heat. Would it be better to go from Cumberland to Philadelphia to avoid the 66 miles of uphill climb and how many miles did you cover each day?
Oh, yes, the heat. I did it mid-June and had an unscheduled heat wave. Yes, it gets hot. I would suggest looking at historical highs at that time of year and make the decision then. I've ridden the GAP/C&O twice in September, and temps (and the changing leaves) are awesome that time of year. Cumberland to Pittsburgh (assume you meant Pittsburgh) you'll have a 22-mile 2-2.5% climb, and then you have the 80 miles or so downhill into Connellsville. You either take 2-3 hours for a steeper climb and have a longer less strenuous downhill, or the easier, longer climb going southbound. Your choice. Here's my schedule for the southbound ride: 00:00 Day 7: 80.6 miles to Connellsville PA 08:41 Day 8: 76.1 miles to Frostburg MD 14:49 Day 9: 92.3 miles to North Mountain campsite MD 18:46 Day 10: 76.3 miles to Turtle Run campsite MD 23:30 Day 11: 39.5 miles to Washington DC
Ah, thanks...I'm good at riding bikes and making videos; not so good at identifying fauna from far away. Or even up close. I see a red bird and I'm like "Cardinal" thinking cardinals are the only red birds. Cheers!
Sure do. This is the route for the full ride from Cincinnati to DC. If you're specifically interested in only riding the GAP/C&O portion, you can start the route anywhere along the way. ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730. The route crosses the Ohio at Wellsburg because the Steubenville bridge was closed. I've seen further videos with riders going around the barriers and using that bridge, so maybe the Steubenville option is available. If you find these resources helpful, please like and subscribe! Cheers!
Watching this, I realize just how unprepared I was when I went DC to Pittsburgh. Bike was too heavy, I didn’t train beyond my commute…as a result, it’s a kind of an exhausted blur. Didn’t go to Antietam or Falling Water as a result.
No worries- they’ll still be there if you decide to do it again. I sort-of have my packing list down to a science but that’s cultivated after many touring adventures. Take everything you e learned from this trip and apply it to the next one. Each trip is a learning experience so you’ll get to a a point where you can pack in about an hour.
Is your route on Strava? I am doing Cincinnati to Cleveland (transport to Pittsburgh), then Pittsburgh to DC at the end of August and the first week of September. I like your Ohio route better and would love to replicate it.
I use RideWithGPS to plan my routes so I have it listed here --> ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730. I planned out all my overnight spots and points of interest on the map, because, well, I like to plan :-) I did deviate from my original plan in that I stayed in hotels more than I planned because of the heat wave. By the time I made it to the C&O last two nights, the temps went into the 80's at night so I figured that was low enough to camp. I made a note to put all the resources (route, gear, etc) into the description from now on because I've had multiple people ask me for the routes. I think I'll start making some videos on some routes and just putting them out there, although I do like riding them myself. BTW - if you found this useful, subscribe, and let me know if you have any other Q's on the route.
@@AdventuresWithPaul I appreciate your response and sharing the route. As I looked at your route, a few other questions came up...I'm assuming some of the roads you took after Massillon were country roads - rollers with little traffic, correct? When you get into West Virginia (from Ohio), I believe Route 2 is a highway. Were you actually on Route 2, or was there a trail that runs parallel to it? From what I remember, Route 2 was a busy route for cars. I'm just trying to figure out how many roads vs paths are along this part of the route. Also, I noticed that you were using Tailfin bags. I'm curious to hear what you think about what you used. I've ordered their Pannier rack system, AP Rack Top Bag, and a few other bags, and I would love to hear your thoughts. Again, I appreciate your insights.
Video for the route from Massillon to Pittsburgh is at th-cam.com/video/isY9koGon_U/w-d-xo.html so you can judge for yourself. The route used some paths out of Massillon towards Bolivar, and then some more from Bolivar towards Cadiz. Also, there are some gravel roads, and a long stretch running down the hill to the river which is gravel and remote (but a good quiet ride). When I crossed over the river into WV, it put me on a trail that should have taken me all the way into Wellsburg, but it was closed about a mile into my ride; I had to backtrack and ride on Rt 2. Rt 2 does have a wide shoulder (you can view on Google street view) so I had no problem. There is a ~1 mile stretch on Rt 2 where you HAVE to ride on the road before turning East on Cross Creek Rd. Again, wide shoulder. Once onto Cross Creek, there are some steep hills, and even though there were no shoulders on some roads I still had to push-bike to the top as it was over 10% grade. Very low vehicle traffic and any vehicles I encountered gave me plenty of space. Tailfin products are phenomenal. I bought into their original offering on Kickstarter when their rack didn't have the top bag offering. I find the rack and pannier situation is so versatile and I can use it on bike after bike after bike. I've had it so long that only recently I've bought the thru-axle mount. When I purchased mine they only had QR axle mounts and I had to use pins in the braze-ons. But LOVE the product.
I just found your channel your doin good and we subscribed. I'm sorry you don't like ebikes. We are overweight and could ride rails 2 trails without ours! Not all ebikers are bad people.
Oh, no - not at all. I'm assuming you're talking about how "e-biker guy" flew past me. My comment was more around the show of force passing me at high rate of speed and then having to take a break as I just kept on rolling through. His intent was more to show me how he could go faster than I could, zooming past to show dominance but then needed a break because his display of speed was beyond his capability. I'm a fan of e-bikes. Absolutely. They have so many advantages - pennies to operate, can help extend a rider's range, better to commute to a job than one more car on the road - I could go on. One of the biggest is it gets MORE people onto trails to be able to enjoy them. And my mission is to get more people out enjoying these things. My wife rides an eBike and though she still pedals it vastly helps her smooth out the hills and extends her range. It also enables adventures together as there's a big discrepancy between our capabilities and the eBike evens it out. If you ever see me on a trail come up and ride alongside and say "hi!" I'd be happy to chat about all things adventures and riding. Cheers!
@AdventuresWithPaul thays cool we did see video where u riding with an ebike rider on Creeper trail! Look we watched all u videos lastnite they all good ones thank u
Cool! Kath (my favorite e-bike rider) and I plan to do the island line trail in Burlington VT and the Adirondack rail trail later this year. Stay tuned :-)
Thanks for sharing! I rode the GAP in October this year (much better weather than you had!) There’s a bike-only storage at the hotel Connersville for those who don’t want to haul their bikes up three stories. And even when the elevator is working, it’s pretty small! I am hoping to to OTET next year.
Thanks for checking in! Yeah, the weather was just HOT all week. Finally got down to the 80's overnight during the last two nights so I was able to stay in the tent those nights. Definitely do the OTET - it's a good network of trails crossing the state. Going south to north I think it gets a bit more scenic, first third to Columbus is pretty remote, then it goes through farmland the next third, and finally through Cuyahoga Park the last third into Cleveland. Let me know how it goes
“Cliff Bars 12”. 🤣😂😁 Great job on this episode….as well as the others. Thx!!
Appreciate you taking the time to let me know. It takes time to put these together but I really like the concept of making them as I feel like I have someone along sharing the journey. And it's fun interacting with viewers once it's posted. And they make great videos to watch when it's cold outside in January.
Wow, you seriously compressed the whole C&O canal, we saw only snippets of harpers ferry, great falls, and dc :)
would've been cool for me to see that part of the trip, having been all over that trail as a boy scout, and now living far away
I have a lot more raw footage of the C&O that didn't make it into the final clip. Some of the footage I captured was about the history of the cemetery, talking about the hiker/biker sites and their locations on the trail, etc. I figured some of the footage was captured in my last thru-ride and for some other topics, covered in other videos. Trying to tell a story of 5 days riding in 25 minutes without making it look like watching someone's slide show of their vacation can be a challenge. Sorry you didn't see what you were looking for but thanks for tuning in - hope you found the other aspects of the video enjoyable :-)
@@AdventuresWithPaul yes, loved it, great video, makes me want to ride again, and I just got back :)
I'll look on your channel for the C&O footage
Thanks!
Excellent video. I did the GAP/C&O prolly a couple of weeks before you and had great weather. You really boiled out there and killed the miles. Well done. You will love the Island Trail. Extend it onto the Lamoille Trail if you have the time, you won’t regret it. Doing PA Grand Canyon and Pine Creek next week. Cheers!
Thanks - I have Pine Creek on my list for this summer so I'm looking forward to that. Doing a thru-ride in a day so hopefully I won't be embroiled in a heat wave during that one :-)
6:42 Hey that is me and my wife passing by! We remember seeing you that day.
Was that cold water at that point in the trail amazing or what? I think we chose the hottest week of the year for that trip but it's just such a great trail it was worth it. How did your ride along the GAP go?
@@AdventuresWithPaul it was amazing to get some cold water there. The weather was definitely hotter than we expected. Our trip went well. We were super excited to see you posted the video of your trip!
Glad you had a great trip. GAP is one of my all-time favs and happy to roll along again. I'm going to look to some new destinations over the next few months and years so keep on riding and enjoying your adventures!
Awesome trip!
Thanks - I had a great time. Heat, humidity and trail dust were temporary - the experience of riding the trail lasts forever. Cheers!
Congrats on completing your trip. Planning to ride the GAP July or August but worried about the 90 degree heat. Would it be better to go from Cumberland to Philadelphia to avoid the 66 miles of uphill climb and how many miles did you cover each day?
Oh, yes, the heat. I did it mid-June and had an unscheduled heat wave. Yes, it gets hot. I would suggest looking at historical highs at that time of year and make the decision then. I've ridden the GAP/C&O twice in September, and temps (and the changing leaves) are awesome that time of year. Cumberland to Pittsburgh (assume you meant Pittsburgh) you'll have a 22-mile 2-2.5% climb, and then you have the 80 miles or so downhill into Connellsville. You either take 2-3 hours for a steeper climb and have a longer less strenuous downhill, or the easier, longer climb going southbound. Your choice. Here's my schedule for the southbound ride:
00:00 Day 7: 80.6 miles to Connellsville PA
08:41 Day 8: 76.1 miles to Frostburg MD
14:49 Day 9: 92.3 miles to North Mountain campsite MD
18:46 Day 10: 76.3 miles to Turtle Run campsite MD
23:30 Day 11: 39.5 miles to Washington DC
Thx for the tips. Sept seems like a better time to do the trip, however I'll be in Germany. What grade is Connellsville to Pittsburgh?
Connellsville to Pittsburgh basically flat
Thx....Curious what you use for filming & getting good audio? I use a GoPro
GoPro for the win! I’ve had multiple people ask about gear so maybe I’ll do a gear video now that I’m home for a month
Nice! by the way those weren’t turkeys those were guinea fowl - love the trip
Ah, thanks...I'm good at riding bikes and making videos; not so good at identifying fauna from far away. Or even up close. I see a red bird and I'm like "Cardinal" thinking cardinals are the only red birds. Cheers!
Nice! Do you have a route map or route file for the trip?
Entire route downloadable GPX at ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730.
@@AdventuresWithPaul , thanks!
Got it. Never mind.
Paul do you a route on Ride with GPS or something like that. My wife and I would like to do this ride next spring. Thanks
Sure do. This is the route for the full ride from Cincinnati to DC. If you're specifically interested in only riding the GAP/C&O portion, you can start the route anywhere along the way. ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730. The route crosses the Ohio at Wellsburg because the Steubenville bridge was closed. I've seen further videos with riders going around the barriers and using that bridge, so maybe the Steubenville option is available. If you find these resources helpful, please like and subscribe! Cheers!
Watching this, I realize just how unprepared I was when I went DC to Pittsburgh. Bike was too heavy, I didn’t train beyond my commute…as a result, it’s a kind of an exhausted blur. Didn’t go to Antietam or Falling Water as a result.
No worries- they’ll still be there if you decide to do it again. I sort-of have my packing list down to a science but that’s cultivated after many touring adventures. Take everything you e learned from this trip and apply it to the next one. Each trip is a learning experience so you’ll get to a a point where you can pack in about an hour.
Is your route on Strava? I am doing Cincinnati to Cleveland (transport to Pittsburgh), then Pittsburgh to DC at the end of August and the first week of September. I like your Ohio route better and would love to replicate it.
I use RideWithGPS to plan my routes so I have it listed here --> ridewithgps.com/routes/46371730. I planned out all my overnight spots and points of interest on the map, because, well, I like to plan :-) I did deviate from my original plan in that I stayed in hotels more than I planned because of the heat wave. By the time I made it to the C&O last two nights, the temps went into the 80's at night so I figured that was low enough to camp.
I made a note to put all the resources (route, gear, etc) into the description from now on because I've had multiple people ask me for the routes. I think I'll start making some videos on some routes and just putting them out there, although I do like riding them myself. BTW - if you found this useful, subscribe, and let me know if you have any other Q's on the route.
@@AdventuresWithPaul I appreciate your response and sharing the route. As I looked at your route, a few other questions came up...I'm assuming some of the roads you took after Massillon were country roads - rollers with little traffic, correct? When you get into West Virginia (from Ohio), I believe Route 2 is a highway. Were you actually on Route 2, or was there a trail that runs parallel to it? From what I remember, Route 2 was a busy route for cars. I'm just trying to figure out how many roads vs paths are along this part of the route.
Also, I noticed that you were using Tailfin bags. I'm curious to hear what you think about what you used. I've ordered their Pannier rack system, AP Rack Top Bag, and a few other bags, and I would love to hear your thoughts.
Again, I appreciate your insights.
Video for the route from Massillon to Pittsburgh is at th-cam.com/video/isY9koGon_U/w-d-xo.html so you can judge for yourself. The route used some paths out of Massillon towards Bolivar, and then some more from Bolivar towards Cadiz. Also, there are some gravel roads, and a long stretch running down the hill to the river which is gravel and remote (but a good quiet ride). When I crossed over the river into WV, it put me on a trail that should have taken me all the way into Wellsburg, but it was closed about a mile into my ride; I had to backtrack and ride on Rt 2. Rt 2 does have a wide shoulder (you can view on Google street view) so I had no problem. There is a ~1 mile stretch on Rt 2 where you HAVE to ride on the road before turning East on Cross Creek Rd. Again, wide shoulder. Once onto Cross Creek, there are some steep hills, and even though there were no shoulders on some roads I still had to push-bike to the top as it was over 10% grade. Very low vehicle traffic and any vehicles I encountered gave me plenty of space.
Tailfin products are phenomenal. I bought into their original offering on Kickstarter when their rack didn't have the top bag offering. I find the rack and pannier situation is so versatile and I can use it on bike after bike after bike. I've had it so long that only recently I've bought the thru-axle mount. When I purchased mine they only had QR axle mounts and I had to use pins in the braze-ons. But LOVE the product.
@@AdventuresWithPaul Very insightful information. Thank you so much!
YW. Let me know how it goes after your ride :-)
I just found your channel your doin good and we subscribed. I'm sorry you don't like ebikes. We are overweight and could ride rails 2 trails without ours! Not all ebikers are bad people.
Oh, no - not at all. I'm assuming you're talking about how "e-biker guy" flew past me. My comment was more around the show of force passing me at high rate of speed and then having to take a break as I just kept on rolling through. His intent was more to show me how he could go faster than I could, zooming past to show dominance but then needed a break because his display of speed was beyond his capability.
I'm a fan of e-bikes. Absolutely. They have so many advantages - pennies to operate, can help extend a rider's range, better to commute to a job than one more car on the road - I could go on. One of the biggest is it gets MORE people onto trails to be able to enjoy them. And my mission is to get more people out enjoying these things. My wife rides an eBike and though she still pedals it vastly helps her smooth out the hills and extends her range. It also enables adventures together as there's a big discrepancy between our capabilities and the eBike evens it out.
If you ever see me on a trail come up and ride alongside and say "hi!" I'd be happy to chat about all things adventures and riding. Cheers!
@AdventuresWithPaul thays cool we did see video where u riding with an ebike rider on Creeper trail! Look we watched all u videos lastnite they all good ones thank u
Cool! Kath (my favorite e-bike rider) and I plan to do the island line trail in Burlington VT and the Adirondack rail trail later this year. Stay tuned :-)