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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    On my bike
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    2,505

    Cycling in Pennsylvania - Rails to Trails???

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    DH and I are taking a week in October through PA - most in Lancaster Amish country. I'm told that there is something called "Rails to Trails." I Googled it and it looks nice but I don't know if there is a particularly good (or bad) trail in that area. Or maybe we should just plan on riding the countryside? We will be renting bikes - probably just hybrids. DH is not a strong rider so I need to keep it short and not real hilly. Any suggestions?
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    6,034
    Check out Lancaster Bicycle Club's website. They list a number of routes, with cue sheets, and indicate their level of difficulty. You're likely to find something that suits you. I'm jealous. I was set to travel to Lancaster a few years ago to do some riding, but my plans fell through at the last minute.
    Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

    --Mary Anne Radmacher

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    On my bike
    Posts
    2,505
    Indy - thank you!!! Perfect - exactly what I was looking for!

    We've never been to PA and have been wanting to go to Gettysburg & Amish country. So we're pretty excited!
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    6,034
    Have a great time. It's a pretty state. Be sure to give us a trip report!
    Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

    --Mary Anne Radmacher

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    King's New York Pizza in Gettysburg has excellent pizza.

    The battlefield park is great for cycling. I find it easy to lose my sense of direction due to a lack of roadsigns, but I think that's because I'm always following a cue sheet rather than the battlefield tour map.

    The area around Gettysburg is beautiful, very rural, great for cycling.

    Have fun!!

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    93
    How hilly is Lancaster County? I too have a trip there coming up next month, and wondering what to get mentally ready for.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    On my bike
    Posts
    2,505
    Check out the link to the Lancaster bike club (above - Indy's post.) Their rides are rated for difficulty.
    To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.

    Trek Project One
    Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    6,034
    I ran into the brother of the friend I was planning to visit in Lancaster a few years back. They're both cyclist. He chuckled when I asked about flat rides there. It appears that flat rides can be had, but it's otherwise a hilly place.
    Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.

    --Mary Anne Radmacher

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    northern Virginia
    Posts
    5,897
    I'd say much depends on your definitions of "hilly" and "flat." A few weeks ago a local racing club held their annual century. Most people who cycle in southern Maryland would consider their route hilly, but one of my friends met a couple of women from Pittsburgh who had come down for the ride, and they thought it was flat.

    Some folks I know did the Covered Bridges ride last month, and the day before that they did their own ride using a cue sheet from the Lancaster club. There were two versions of the route. According to Ride with GPS, the 35-mile version had a total elevation gain of 1444 feet and the 42-mile version had a total gain of 2194 feet. Both rides started at the Strasburg Railroad Museum and went past the farm that was featured in the movie "Witness."

    - Gray 2010 carbon WSD road bike, Rivet Independence saddle
    - Red hardtail 26" aluminum mountain bike, Bontrager Evoke WSD saddle
    - Royal blue 2018 aluminum gravel bike, Rivet Pearl saddle

    Gone but not forgotten:
    - Silver 2003 aluminum road bike
    - Two awesome worn out Juliana saddles

 

 

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