Tell me about your GAP / C&O ride!

[tulip]

Congratulations to your husband on getting a place in the Boston Marathon. That's quite an honor, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Major sporting events are always costly, but the real value is in the experience. Only you and your husband can determine if the experience (which never depreciates) is worth the money (which otherwise gets spent on something else, rarely a memorable experience). Boston is a wonderful city, full of history and interesting places. I hope you can explore it while you are there.

The GAP is pretty new and mostly smooth and easy to handle, although there are some hills when you get off and into the towns. The C&O is over 200 years old and shows its age, particularly when wet. It's not easy to ride, although I found it very interesting and a lot of fun. I was glad to be comfortable riding on rough, narrow, pitted and muddy terrain.

I rode my 2003 Jamis Coda but put beefy 700x35 tires on. Fenders, too, for the wet & mud. It was fine, but some people might like a suspension fork for the C&O. Bring headlights for the PawPaw tunnel.

My memories include pie in Hancock, margaritas in Cumberland, pastries in Sheppardstown, a powerful diversion to Antietam (wow), ice cream in Ohiopyle, hot chocolate in Frostburg, another detour to Fallingwater, and another to Fort Necessity, and of course Harpers Ferry and Great Falls...so much to see! Don't forget the bike shop and pie shop in Confluence.

[ny biker]

Re: the tunnel. You need really good lights, from what I've read. It is a long tunnel and totally dark. The BikeWashington website should address this.