r/gaptrail

Had a great ride from Pitt to Cumberland but the Amtrak train we have booked doesn’t look like it is coming… rough ending to a great ride…

I'm talking the whole GAP And C&O at once. Either direction doesn't really matter. This may hit harder if you camp vs hotel but this is my biggest takeaway from my 6 day bike packing trip along the GAP and C&O.

The shock of going from 6 days of riding in nature, listening to wildlife, flowing water, not seeing a person for sometimes hours to...arriving in Georgetown (or Pittsburgh id imagine) and being greeted with rush hour traffic on a Tuesday, was, a shock to my system I did not like at all. I don't even want to go back into town to do the museums tomorrow. I'm looking forward to going back to my quiet small town

Good God it was sketchy today. Guy being brought in at the police station door right on trail in handcuffs. Shady homeless people down by the water. And then trail goes by what I could only classify as a ghetto. Kids outside in just diapers, etc, etc.

Has it always been this bad? None of you guys ever showed that in your you tube videos that I have seen.

Not too stiff, very nice steel bike. Currently 700C x 35 Gravel King plus or something like that, tubeless. Have herringbone thin tread. Seemed to do OK on the C&O at 40 psi. Didn't try loaded. They look thin and get mildly (no issue) squirrely on recent softer trail patches.

Would it be adviseable to pick up tires with more tread for riding a few days on C&O / GAP? I'm primarily thinking of overall tread thickness, but grip is also a consideration.

I can't fit larger tires with sufficient mud guard clearance, much as I'd like to pop up to 42 mm tires.

I can rig a balanced light touring load or take my BOB trailer. Very tempted by the trailer rig. But it adds some weight. Opinions/observations/warnings/funny stories?

Hey folks, don't forget to sign the books at the welcome centers if you stop. Trail organizations use the registries as trail usage evidence when applying for funding. They also use them to highlight where trail visitors are from.

I rode the GAP from Pittsburgh to Dravo, then back with a detour to Homestead's Golden Age Brewing for Jazz Brunch with some of the family. To add a few more miles, I headed to and through the Color Park, and then climbed my way back home.

The trail was still sparsely populated. Even when it's nicer out, I'm still not seeing more than 5-10 riders out, which is weird. I'm also not seeing any of my "regulars", what I call the walkers I normally see on the path at the mall. This saddens me. I hope they're ok.

On the flip side, when I stopped at Boston, the welcome center was open. When I signed the book, I saw a good number of riders, and some interesting international ones at that. At least that's encouraging.

I also saw two large groups (4+) loaded with gear for a multi day ride. Until now, I've seen a few solo riders. Nice to see we're starting to ramp up the season.

Hi All,

I saw this post when doing some research and I was wondering if you all think this is achievable by someone newer to biking.

I at least know I have the fitness to bike 15 miles in a day as I have done that throughout the day when biking to work.

I also just picked up a nicer bike compared to the one I had been riding.

Also to my understanding this direction has a decent amount of downhill?

https://www.reddit.com/r/gaptrail/comments/1fyazmf/cumberland_to_pittsburgh_in_2_days_advice_needed/

Any gauge on feasibility here would be great. If I can do this, that should let me get to where I'd like to be on bus and bike alone (assuming I can take my bike on the bus).

Thank you,

bigmilkguy78

Hey everyone, I'm Planning my trip along the GAP and C&O. I'm looking at the campsite "hillcrest river campground (2)" in Cumberland. Have you ever stayed there? Is there any other good camping options on the C&O by Cumberland?

Same questions about Huckleberry Hill Campground in Harpers Ferry, is it worth it to head into town and camp there or any other notable spots close by? I believe this is one of the free hiker biker sites, these don't require a reservation correct?