Rides/Tours in PA

[texascyclist]

Can anyone tell me if there are any good rides/tours coming up in Pennsylvania between the 13th and 30th of October? My husbands parents live in Mechanicsburg and his brother lives somewhat close to Allentown. We will be visiting for about 2 1/2 weeks and would really like to keep riding while we're there. Any ideas???

[AllezGirl]

http://www.cbbikeclub.org/?body=cove...04872fbdbec185

CBBC's Covered Bridge is a "must-ride" out here.

[Fredwina]

You also might want to check www.harrisburgbicycleclub.org . If I'm not mistaken, The Apple Butter Boil is on the 14th in Liverpool. it's a really neat ride, with "Plain Folks" (amish, mennoites) and one covered bridge (it's actually off in the woods). 25 or 55 miles, and about hour north of Harrisburg

[texascyclist]

Thanks for the response. AllezGirl.....the Covered Bridge Ride sounds GREAT! And come to find out after talking to my brother-in-law, it's only 2 miles from where he lives which is perfect. Won't even have to find a place to stay. I think my DH and I have decided to sign up for this one. Can you tell me what the weather is like there in the mornings? Just curious if it's already pretty chilly. Here in Texas we have experienced much of that yet. Also, how bad are the hills?

[kerrybelle]

http://www.cbbikeclub.org/?body=cove...04872fbdbec185

CBBC's Covered Bridge is a "must-ride" out here.

Can you register for the Covered Bridge ride on site? Online registration is closed and the website doesn't mention whether you can register on site or not.

Kerry

[AllezGirl]

Yes, they do have "day of" registration. And plenty of t-shirts to buy that day too! Theirs is really cool, it's long sleeve and every year features a new painting of one of the bridges on the ride.

[Xrayted]

This is also my 1st fall/winter riding so I'll go along with what AllezGirl says. You just never know what the weather is gonna be like around here. (Our weathermen are considered good if they get close 40% of the time. ) I missed the online signup too so I'm signing up when I get there. The shirts are legendary for their designs.

If you need any specific addresses for Mapquest if you use the LBC sheets, let me know. They assume that when they say 'start here', that you are a local and can find that starting place.

If you are into doing the Amish thing, Sundays are always full of buggies as they head to meeting. (They don't have churches, they usually meet at a members farm - they take turns.) Plenty of them are walking, biking all day long in Strasburg/Paradise/Intercourse area. Just stay off Rt. 30 with the bike, you'll seriously get killed. There are great outlet malls in Strasburg area along Rt. 30 if you're into that. If you end up biking in Strasburg, I suggest stopping at the Creamery on the corner of 896 & 741 (I think it's the only red light) for a snack.

If you think of anything I can do for you, just speak up. Hope to see you at the CB ride, but if not, maybe we can meet up on another ride. Above all, have fun while you're out here. That's what life is all about.

Cindy

[texascyclist]

Getting ready for the Covered Bridge ride this Sunday! It looks as though my DH and I will be in Pennsylvania in plenty of time. We have been to the LBS to purchase warmer gear for the ride. I read online the low for that morning will be around 36 and the high around 56. I think I'm dreading the cold more than I am the hills. The coldest morning we have had here so far was around 60.

I will be signing up for the 33 mile. Not sure if I could do any more than that if it is as hilly as y'all have said. Xrayted and kerrybelle, I hope to meet y'all at the ride. Let me know if you still plan on being there and hopefully we can all hook up.

[Xrayted]

I heard the Covered Bridge ride is a do-not-miss. I'm gonna sign up for it this year.
Another place to check is the LBC, Lancaster Bicycle Club. http://www.lancasterbikeclub.org They have a section on the left side of the homepage called Scenic Tours of Lancaster County. They make available descriptions and cue sheets for many wonderful tours that you can do on your own. Very accurate regarding difficulty and sites along the way. I can recommend the "Short Ride to Intercourse", "Strasburg RR Stoker", "Dutch Delight" or "Kitchen Kettle Klimber". They also have a "Covered Bridge Metric Century" cue sheet in there. I have done parts of this and it's very scenic. (still not up to the whole thing yet - I'm a newbie)
The "Mount Joy Jaunt" is good b/c it takes you to Bube's Brewery - even if you don't ride there, I highly suggest you go there for dinner. They have a couple of restaurants with different themes/atmospheres. The Catacombs at Bube's should not be missed. If you only go once, go to this one. There are caves underground used for brewing the beer way back when. Very cool. They do a whole presentation and tell you the history of Mr. Bube. (pronounced Booby- I can say it with a straight face now but it took me a long time to do it. ) Try the Seafood Mornay. DEEE-lish. The martinis are wonderful. One is enough to put me in a very fun mood. (Actually, they give you a small carafe along with it, so you get two really... "tee martooni's please!" ) They have Feasts on most w/e's if you are up for an adventure. I can't do them justice so you'll just have to look that one up. You need reservations but it's worth the trip. http://www.bubesbrewery.com

Hope to see you at the Covered Bridge Ride. Maybe we need to have a TE meeting place at this one too? I probably can't keep up with any of you yet, but it would be my privilege to meet ya.

Good luck. If I hear of any more rides of interest for you, I'll post again.

Cindy

[AllezGirl]

I won't kid you....the Covered Bridge is a HILLY ride. In this area, it's just hard to avoid! But don't let that scare you off...it's also one of the best loved rides in this area, so you won't be disappointed! The scenery is AMAZING!

As long as the sun is out, October is the best month for cycling around here IMHO. It's crisp in the morning, you will need your arm warmers. I usually go with knickers and a vest too. But it warms up quite a bit in the afternoon, so make sure your are layered.

Some other clubs websites to check for rides are:
http://www.suburbancyclists.org/
http://www.enter.net/~lehighwheelmen/
http://www.phillybikeclub.org/

There are SO MANY great areas that are full of history and cycling friendly!
Some areas of interest that you may want to add to your agenda are Valley Forge National Park, the Lancaster area (Cindy gave some great rides...and you may spot Floyd!), and of course Trexlertown...home of the Lehigh Valley Velodrome. Oh yeah....and there's that city near here (word of warning, if you're from Dallas, you may want to keep that low key around here...unfortunately, I'm not kidding)

I could go on and on....if you have any questions, shoot me a PM anytime!

Cindy...it sounds like you've been pretty active with the LBC...I'll PM you, I think I need to make a trip out that way for some riding and Martini's!

I would love to meet up with you both at the CB ride, however, I'll be in Cincinatti for the Sunflower Revolution (benefits the Davis Phinney foundation...see thread under Charity Rides)

Have a wonderful trip!
Beth

[texascyclist]

Thanks so much Cindy for the great post. The link you provided is awesome for detailing rides and places to visit along the way. My favorite, or I should say my DH's fave will be the Mount Joy Jaunt to the brewery. My DH has collected beer cans since he was a teenager and tries to visit as many breweries as he can, especially in PA. I know this is one ride he will not pass up.

I'm 95% certain my DH and I are going to do the Covered Bridge Ride while in PA. It sounds perfect! He always opts to do the longest, hardest rides. Not me! I go for mostly 50 miles and under for now. Do you know which ride you will do? Maybe you and I could meet up. I also love the idea of having a meeting place for all TE girls who may ride this race. After meeting Donna (DDH) at the Waco Ride this past Saturday, I have to say what a wonderful experience it was meeting and riding with another TE girl.

[Xrayted]

Texascyclist - Hey there, I would be happy to ride with any of you fine people. Remember tho, I'm a newbie. Lets not kill the new girl! (But... I don't give up for anything. ) Seriously, I was thinking of doing the 1/2 metric - 33 miles. That is one hilly area, as is all of PA, (I hate hills ) and I'll be happy to get through that amount. 50+ miles uphill is just too tortuous for me right now. The 2 shorter rides go on the Delaware Canal Towpath at parts and a road bike would be suicide there. If you want to do another route, please don't feel obligated to ride with me. Simply meeting another TE'er will be the highlight of my trip.

As for Bube's Brewery, call ahead and see how they feel about bike gear - in case they have a problem with the dress code. Or I can call for you. (This may be Floyd's area, but that doesn't make everyone a bike fan. His own parents thought he was a difficult child just because he wanted to ride. They still really don't understand. This area is so... what's the word?... traditional. They just don't get it.) I'm sure it would be no problem to change once you get there. In either case, don't wear your bike shoes in there, stone floors everywhere and wooden steps to the center of the earth. Also, I would check hours of operation. We've only gone for dinner, I have no idea when they open for lunch. PM me if you want my cell # in case you need anything while you're in the area. (like a SAG wagon )

AllezGirl - I'll treat ya to a martini anytime! Drinking booze underground makes me feel like I'm misbehaving or something. (These guys knew how to get around prohibition if you know what I mean.) They also have a nice martini bar on the ground floor there that I have wanted to try for a while. It's connected to Alois which is their really upscale restaurant.

Too bad you're gonna miss the CB ride but it sounds like you'll be having a blast and for a good cause, which is icing on the cake. Look me up when you're back in town. Hopefully we can get together on a w/e ride soon, before it gets cold. (I'm a total weenie in the cold) Maybe some of the ladies in Philly, DC, or in MD would like to join in?

As for the LBC, I just became a member but I've been using their cue sheets for w/e rides. It's amazing how little I know about the roads around here as far as what's good to ride on. Their cue sheets have inspired me to ride places that I would have otherwise overlooked. (It's amazing what you miss looking out your car window.)

Any other ladies in the general area who want to ride the CB or carpool up, please speak up.

Thanks!

Cindy

[texascyclist]

Xrayted......Hopefully my DH and I will be able to make the CB ride, but now it looks as though that may not happen. We're driving up from Dallas and thought we were going to be able to leave Thursday morning (the 12th) which would put us there Friday afternoon. That would give us Saturday to recoup from the drive. But now we may not get away until Friday which would make it tough. We'll have to wait and see how things work out next week. I really hope to make the ride and meet up with you there. If it is a pretty hilly ride, then 33 would more than likely be my limit also. I just started riding in July and so I'm pretty much a newbie too. I'll keep you informed and let you know if it looks like we'll make it in time for the ride.

AllezGirl and Xrayted I really appreciate ALL the information on places to ride. My DH grew up in PA and told me that it would be a beautiful place to ride, especially this time of year. He and I looked over the cue sheets on the LBC webpage last night and it really makes us more anxious to get there and do some riding. We'll probably spend more time on our bikes than originally planned. Hopefully my in-laws will understand.....LOL!!

I have another question: What is your suggestion on the leg warmers versus the cycling tights? Here it doesn't really get cold until late November and then we're talking like maybe in the 50's to 60's for the high. Being this will be my first fall/winter out on the bike I'm not sure which is preferable for most ladies. I know I will need something a little warmer than my cycling shorts while in PA so any advice will help.

[AllezGirl]

I would go with the leg warmers. The temps up here really vary a lot throughout the day, for example it was 55 this morning and is supposed to go to 89 this afternoon. Once it warms up, the leg warmers can easily be taken off without breaking any indecency laws, especially if you're in Lancaster