Category Archives: The Bike

Unknown's avatar

The Great Allegheny Passage: Rural to Urban

by

This is my fourth and final blog post about our bike trip on the Great Allegheny Passsage, a 150 mile Rail Trail that runs between Cumberland, MD to Pittsburgh, PA. The first two posts, here and here, are from the first 75 miles, ridden in the Fall of 2025. The third post is about the Art and History of the GAP. If you are just learning about the trail, check out the GAP Trail website and learn about how you, too, can enjoy a great adventure – whether by foot or by bicycle.

On our third day, we rode 45 miles from Ohiopyle, PA to Smithton, a small rural town in Pennsylvania, population 400. On this, our final day on the GAP, we only had a 30 mile ride to get to Pittsburgh, population 2.2 million (in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area).

The first 15 miles found us following a tree lined rail trail (we called it a “cathedral of trees” – see first photo), riding through small rural communities. We met our support crew for coffee and hot chocolate at a tiny little visitors center in Boston, PA.

Soon enough though, we began to see signs of larger, urban communities, and we enjoyed the changing scenery. The cloudy day made for a great contrast against the railroad tracks and steel trestles.

The Linden Tunnel is a 63-foot-long, 8-foot-high concrete structure located in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. The tunnel walls were adorned with gorgeous, colorful murals (mural photo by Ruth).

After a quick stop for lunch in Homestead, located along the Monongahela River, we got back on the bikes and rode onward to Pittsburgh.

The GAP Trail ends at Point State Park, a Pennsylvania state park located on 36 acres in Downtown Pittsburgh at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, forming the Ohio River. To be honest, the last couple miles were a bit of a confusion as the GAP signs that we’d been following the previous 147 miles were no longer visible (photo taken by Ruth).

Despite that, we soon rode up to the beautiful fountain at Point State Park (photo taken by Linda).

To give you a better view of the fountain, I have included a photo from a sunny day visit in 2022.

We were so excited to be there and to celebrate completing the entire GAP Trail.

After locking up our bikes and changing out of our gear, we ended the day at PNC Park, where we met our crew and enjoyed watching the Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball.

What a great way to end our ride! And yes! We are already planning the next adventure!

Unknown's avatar

The GAP – Day 2

by

Despite the light rain and cooler temps, we were ready for our second day of riding the GAP. See the previous post to learn about Day 1 on the Great Allegheny Trail.

Chuck and Denise, of Yoder’s Guest House, served a great breakfast, helped us get our bikes ready to ride, and captured our rainy day cycling attire.

Soon enough, we were back on the trail and within a mile, stopped to take photos of the Bollman Bridge, an 81-foot cast- and wrought-iron truss bridge built in 1871 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Just half a mile later, we rode over the Keystone Viaduct. “Curving nearly 100 feet high above Flaugherty Creek and active railroad tracks, the massive 910-foot Keystone Viaduct carries GAP travelers through a narrow cut into a rocky ridge three miles east of Myersdale.”

The light rain did not dampen our enthusiasm.

The next point of interest on the GAP was the Eastern Continental Divide. At 2392 ft above sea level, it is the highest point along the Great Allegheny Passage, and showcases murals of the Western Maryland Railway and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.

Just a mile later, we entered the Big Savage Tunnel. At 3,291 ft long, the tunnel was built by the Western Maryland Railway in 1912, and refurbished for bicyclists and hikers in 2003.

By this point, we’d barely ridden 10 miles, and had already stopped 5 times! The GAP Trail is just one fascinating historic amenity after another. We exited the Big Savage Tunnel and almost immediately came upon the Mason & Dixon Line.

“The famous Mason & Dixon Line marks the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, and culturally, the demarcation between the northern and southern United States”. The English Team of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon were commissioned, and the boundary was surveyed between 1763 and 1767. Ruth, from Maryland, took the M side, and Linda, from Pennsylvania, took the P side.

The next tunnel, and the second to the last one we rode through this day, was the Borden Tunnel. Constructed in 1911, the 957ft tunnel now has motion controlled lights making travel easier and safer.

As we rode along, we suddenly heard the sound of a train whistle. Much to our surprise and utter delight, the Frostburg Flyer came around the curve!

We had smiles on our faces for miles!

When planning a ride like this, it is important to make sure your partners have the same goals. We all wanted to take our time, to enjoy the natural and historic scenery, and to have a great time.

Goals Accomplished! AND we got a little bit muddy!

The rest of the ride was a gentle downhill grade and we loved the views.

All too soon, we rode into Cumberland, Maryland and our ride day was over. What fun it was to have our team waiting on us!

We rode 75 miles over 2 days from Ohiopyle, PA to Cumberland, MD and if work commitments were not an issue, we would have ridden all 150. Thankfully, we have already booked our calendars to complete the other 75 miles and cannot wait!

Unknown's avatar

Former Railroad Trestle Bridge

by

The New River Trail is a 57 mile linear State Park in Virginia. Created from an abandoned railroad right of way, this bridge is one of 30 along the trail. I recently crossed this bridge on my fairly new gravel bicycle (not the one pictured in my header image) while training for an upcoming ride in October.

***********

After several false starts, I am determined to get back into blogging (I’ve certainly said that before!). After posting regularly for almost a decade, life, work, and caring for parents seemed to keep me from following through on my goal. Fingers crossed, this time I will succeed!

Life on the Bike started as a travel journal and a place to share photos from the road with friends and family. Sadly, there was a two year time span when I wasn’t able to ride either the motorcycle or the bicycle.

I had also not picked up my DSLR for a year! But two weeks ago, I took a photography class in DC and have been practicing / refreshing daily. When I started this blog back in 2012, I had little more than an eye and a “point and shoot”. I look back at those photos now, and see good intentions but not much more. Hopefully, I’ve improved since then!

I am going to commit to posting once weekly, most likely the same day that I post on Monochromia. If you are a fan of B&W Photography be sure to visit and see the work of some amazing photographers.

I look forward to catching up with the blogging community and friends who have been much more diligent than I in maintaining their blogs.

Unknown's avatar

Oh How The Mood Changes

by

A new comment brought me back to this 7 year old post. A lovely memory.

LB's avatarLife on the Bike and other Fab Things

A quick trip to Charlotte, NC offered me a chance to have a mini 12 hour vacation.  The day was beautiful for driving (I very much regretted not riding the bike) and I met friends in Uptown.

How wonderful it was to walk and wander, to point and shoot, to breathe and relax.

_MG_1049-2

As an aside: I wondered why the residents of Charlotte call it Uptown and learned that this is a common question, one that Brad Panovich, Chief Meteorologist a WCNC-NBC TV answered in this blog post.

While I have many photos to work through and share, I loved the contrast between these two. Without a tripod, I took one with, and one without, flash.  The mood changed dramatically in comparison, and the second begged to be converted to monochrome.

The first evokes a lovely evening stroll …

IMG_1084-2

while the second encourages you to turn around and head…

View original post 6 more words

Unknown's avatar

New Year / New Blog Commitment

by

My very first blog post was in 2012 and I posted regularly until late in 2018 when somehow the fullness of life and work kept getting in the way. Back when I began, the goal was to “be able to look back on my life later and remember what a fabulous one it has been”, and by fabulous I mean truly fortunate. I intended to have Life on the Bike be a journal, of photos and words.

Each year, I create a desk calendar for family, friends, and personal use, and when exchanging the 2021 calendar for 2022, I noted one thing for sure. While my eye may be the same, my technical capability has markedly improved. Even still, it was fun to go back and view the years through my lens, and that is what I want this space to be. A record of travel and personal growth. Thoughts, introspection, and life’s journey. In order to make that happen, I need to commit to blogging more regularly!

Since 2012, I have published 738 posts, yet this past year I posted just 24 times, only 3.2% of the total posts. What should my commitment be? Weekly? Two Times Monthly? Only when I travel? How do you all commit yourself to documenting your lives?

In the meantime, from my hometown to yours, Welcome to 2022! May it be a healthier, more hopeful year for all of us!

The New River in Radford, Virginia

Unknown's avatar

The Wool Factory

by

Yesterday I had the good fortune to attend a gathering with some of the board members of the National Women’s Political Caucus – Virginia (check us out!) at a super fun place called The Wool Factory, “a unique collaboration between chefs, brewers, winemakers, and coffee roasters aimed at creating a distinct food-and-beverage destination”.

As always when I travel and explore new places, I must know the history and the Wool Factory’s website provides it! Originally a water grist mill (1795), and later burned by the Union Army (1865), the Charlottesville Woolen Mills was established in 1868 and “became nationally known for their excellent production of fine military fabrics and uniforms, furnishing cloth for the majority of railroad workers and military schools”. The mill closed in 1962 and “the majority of the surviving mill buildings standing on the site today were built in 1920-1930s”.

What a cool, cool place this is! The beers are named after the original wool fabrics that were produced at the mill. Needing a light cold beer after a 100 mile motorcycle ride, I opted for the Poplin followed by the Flannel No. 2. These paired well with the Peruvian Chicken.

The excellent company of board members and friends kept me from exploring the site further, but I will be back with camera again in hand for further photo ops and the trying out of new beers (they also have cocktails!) and elevated bar food.

If you are near Charlottesville, Virginia be sure to plan a visit to this historic woolen mill.

Unknown's avatar

Rake vs Blow

by
My memories of fall include the sound of leaves being raked and neighbors calling to one another to share a story or two while laboring outdoors together. Dogs and children would be jumping in leaf piles all while enjoying the smell of a chimney fire and the anticipation of a well earned fall beverage.
Now … there might be a wave but conversation is almost impossible because of the whine of the leafblowers.
Makes me sentimental for days gone by

Unknown's avatar

In Memoriam – Patricia Fogarty

by

Thank you, Joe, for putting into words what many are feeling. My thoughts are with her family and friends the world over.

Joe's avatarMonochromia

It is with deep regret that I wish to inform our followers that my dear friend and fellow Monochromia contributor Patricia Fogarty (aka Patti Kuche) has passed away. She is survived by her loving husband Mark Fogarty and her sons Iggy, Dom and Patrick. All of us at this blog want to extend our deepest sympathy to Mark and family. She will leave a void in hearts of the many people who have had the pleasure of knowing her.

Images by Stacy Fischer

Patti was first and foremost a great street photographer. She was also a dear friend and a genuinely fun person to be around. My wife Theresa and I had a special connection with Patti. We adored her mixture of Australian and London brogue accent and I don’t think there was ever a time where she failed to make us laugh when we got together.

When I first…

View original post 607 more words