Bike Trail across MD (Page 2)

One day can not be done .... OK, unless you are racing on a crossbike, are really familiar with the trail, had perfect weather, and planned on riding in the dark.

I would do it on my commuter, with 32mm (1.25 inch) cross tires, or on a 29r with racing tires and the fork locked out...

I would start at the top, and ride 100 miles, to Taylors Landing near Antietam. You could camp at Horsehoe Bend, but me, I'd have dear wife pick me up in the Yukon, drive twenty-five minutes home for a cool dip in the neighborhood pool, a hot shower, and a ginormous sushi dinner at Ropongi in Frederick. This beats Powerbars. Yeah, really, you could crash in my basement, if you have real BT bonafides ie you know someone I know or something like that.

I'd plan to make 9 MPH for ~12 hours ... I know us triathletes think 14 would be easy ... but I think 12 MPH would be pushing it and 10MPH would be reasonable. Just sayin' based on experience. Especially after recent flooding ... I have not been on the trail since, but I am sure some spots are muddy, and washed out ... probably impassable.

Next day would be 80 miles to DC. Brunch at the bridge at Harper's Ferry. Lunch at Leesburg. Beers in Georgetown in time to catch Tour de France highlights on SportsCenter.

Edited by jsselle 2010-04-04 7:50 AM










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Okay Tim - I'll do it with you in one day... just not this year.  Gotta show all these nay-sayers.  If there's someone out there who can do it in 12ish hours, I figure we should be able to do it in 24.  That's a long day on a bike though, so there better be a bunch of bikini clad beer-passing-out BT ladies waiting for us at the end.

More seriously (though I was serious about the one day attempt), I'd be interested in doing a multi-day ride + camping with a BT group.

My work use to do a 2 day ride, now I think they do 3 short days.. 1 day can be done "easily".. hell I did 40 miles on NCR on sunday in just over 2 hrs and it is basically the same surface.. and I am not any type of fancy fast rider

In September I did 15 mile out (West) and back from Riley Lock and only managed 11.47mph average. I was on a flat bar road bike with 30mm cross tires. I was in really good biking shape at the time and this ride was hard and tiring. That part is all dirt and mud and it's pretty busy with hikers, walkers, dogs, children, etc. I don't think you could average 20mph if you tried.

This came up in the MMTC email list last month. One person posted:

I haven't done the C&O myself, but I have several friends who have.  Back in the mid 90's there was small cult of local racer's trying to one-up each other by doing the C&O faster than the last guy.  I think Ralph Olinger and Brian Parr did it in under 11 hrs. As I recall, they had arranged to have friends strategically located along the path to provide support as needed so they could travel light and get the gear/nutrition they needed without spending much time to do it. 

I would recommend doing it in the early fall, after the summer heat has diminished.   Probably start in the dark riding with a light, so you would give yourself a chance to finish in daylight.  After 180 miles, the last thing you want is to have to concentrate on seeing the path in the dark.

I'm thinking July for a one day. Whose in?
We could make it a 2 day by cycling up one day and down the next.

I have been on both trails multiple times.. I know they are not identical but close enough in my book, my only response is rebuting that doing it in one day is not possible other than with perfect conditions.. not saying I am going to either a. do it in one day, or b. do it at 20 mph.. but I would say if you wanted to work hard enough it is possible.. it will hurt and the crowds won't be a problem because you will be pushing into town pretty late in the day.. I will probably be doing a relaxed 3 day in july/august with about 50-60 a day

 

Edited by FeltonR.Nubbinsworth 2010-04-05 2:27 PM

Ok I can agree with most of that. :-)  Yes 3 days sounds much more fun, plus the hotels and restaurants are lined up perfectly.  I may be interested in setting up a BT trip for that if my other plans fall through.

Haha yes I guess you will be heading into DC pretty late at night, that's a pleasant thought. :-)  Maybe going the other direction would be better if you were thinking of arriving 10-12pm.

At some point I will also post a "Bike to York" ride on here, from Ashland to York and back with a possible lunch in York.  Done this many times and it's a lot of fun.  Sometimes I set up a relaxed ride with newbies where we wait at all the major stops, and other times I am just interested in getting up there and back.

 

Edited by kalalau 2010-04-05 2:39 PM