Rubik's Cube, the 3-D puzzle invented in 1974, isn't easy to solve, and neither is planning out my trip. It's requiring lots of patience, attention, internet and phone calls. I've taken today as a vacation day to try to finish my itinerary. I've already spent about 6 hours on it this past weekend. There are so many parts that have to work together... mode of transportation to PGH, bike shop close to trail to ship to, when the bike shop is open, how far I want to ride each day, whether the B&B's are any good, whether there is room at the inn, how far the B&B is from the trail, whether they provide a shuttle if they are not close, whether they have breakfast or in-room bath....I've kind of given up caring about cost too much...or at least that's far lower on the list of things I'm worrying about. I've spent hours trying to match up rides and stops. The trail goes through some very small and rural places, with great distances to cover in-between. I'm finding that while I want to average about 30 miles per day, there is at least one place where I might have to go almost 45 miles for the privilege of staying in a B&B that is 7 miles from the trail and which gets poor reviews. But the next town would be a 60-mile ride. I am realizing that in some respects, a bike tour where you camp can be a bit easier...you can set up a tent anywhere. Hopefully I can wrap the plan up today - if these B&B's return my calls. When my ride is over, I will post my itinerary (with reviews) for the benefit of future riders who might want to do a similar trip.
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DorkyBikeShortsFour months from now I intend to ride 334 miles in 10 days -- from Pittsburgh to Washington DC -- by myself. This blog will document the journey. Archives
October 2012
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