The C&O Canal Towpath is a ride through history running 184.5 miles from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, DC and is a National Historic Park. The towpath surface is general crushed stone or clay and relatively flat with an approximate change in elevation of 660 feet along the full length. The towpath generally has the elevation changes at one of the many locks along the way. With the way the towpath is set up it is possible to enjoy the canal as a day trips or multi-day trips if you choose. There are numerous campsites along the route that offer space to pitch a tent, have a fire pit and or grill with a hand operated well and port a pot. These amenities make a great way to start seeing the joys of touring by bicycle. If you prefer not to camp with a little bit of planning you can “credit card” tour by staying in hotels and or B&B’s along the way. The amount of easy access to the towpath makes it easy for people who want to enjoy the canal for the day and it provides those on longer adventures easier to get food and lodging. While the towpath is very close to civilization when you are enjoying the park you feel much more with nature.

As a kid I have ridden most of the towpath over a series of trips with my uncles and cousins. Like many I have pondered the idea of trying to ride the entire 184.5 miles in a single day. I have also pondered riding from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC utilizing the Great Allegheny Passage Trail and C&O Canal together a trip of about 330 miles. Each of these trips are still on the “Trips I want to take” list.

On my most recent trip Amanda and I drove to Brunswick, MD and decided to ride towards Harpers Ferry. Brunswick is at mile 55 and Harpers Ferry is just past mile 60. With the surface of the towpath several types of bikes would work well. A hybrid or fitness bike, if you choose to use a fitness bike I would recommend a tire width of at least 35mm. Amanda rode with slightly narrower tires while she did fine she mentioned that at higher speeds the handling got a little squirrely for her. Mountain bikes and comfort bikes would work well on the canal we saw lots of them the day we rode. Another option would be a cyclocross bike. My recommendation would be a bike with 700c tires. I took a Gary Fisher Utopia which is one of Fisher dual sport bikes. The Utopia has 700c tires with a front shock and straight bars, it just might be the ultimate bike for the C&O Canal.

The parking at Brunswick is plentiful; there is a commuter parking lot by the MARC train that is very close to the towpath, more parking can be found a little closer to the trail. Brunswick has a boat launching ramp providing access to the Potomac. This area offers visitors public restrooms, some more parking and a great picnic area. For this ride we had just planned an out and back route. We wanted to ride past Harpers Ferry and see how we felt before turning around. We ended up riding to mile sixty five and turning around for a total of twenty miles. One of the reasons we chose Brunswick is that Harpers Ferry is a popular access point for the canal and the parking close by is limited, but there is parking in Harpers Ferry and a short ride will get you to the towpath. With is being a holiday weekend we didn’t want to deal with parking issues.

We came across lots of people out enjoying a day on the towpath including a family with a child riding with training wheels. The canal is a great place to ride for the entire family. This is a popular section of the towpath, Harpers Ferry is right where both the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers come together. For a few miles the Appalachian Trail uses the towpath as part of its route. These sections of the rivers are also popular with rafters and tubers. Harpers Ferry which is also a National park offers a look back into history and just across from Harpers Ferry on the towpath side is a great hike on the Maryland Heights Trail. Once you reach the top of the trail you will be rewarded with an amazing view of Harpers Ferry. When I reached the top and looked back towards Harpers Ferry it looked like I was looking down into a model train set.

Now back to the riding. When we reached Harpers Ferry we elected not to take the footbridge across to town but to continue on the towpath for several more miles. We had chosen to ride this section on Labor Day and the section between Brunswick and Harpers Ferry was being enjoyed by many people, but the further away from Harpers Ferry we got the less usage we saw.

The towpath is well marked and there are a ton of resources out there to help you plan your trip or trips. I highly recommend you take advantage of the great riding the towpath offers. It offers something for everyone and a ton of history along the way.

Bikewashington.org – A great C&O Canal Resource for cycling.

For this ride we decided to park at one of the shopping centers along Easton Parkway (Route 33). Looking back on it when we do this ride again I would probably park at the St. Michaels Elementary School or make a weekend of it staying in St. Michaels to enjoy another ride the area offers and take in all the activities St. Michaels offers.

From the shopping center we headed out the Easton Parkway towards Oxford and made a right onto Oxford Road. The traffic was a little heavy between the shopping center and Oxford Road but the shoulder was generous so it wasn’t a big deal. Once on Oxford Road we began to enjoy the peace and tranquility the Eastern Shore offers. The road is flat and the shoulder generous as you head to Oxford.  As long as there are no headwinds, they can be noticeable on the shore; you should enjoy a pleasant journey through some farms, larger estates and a bridge crossing all offering great scenery. The scenery only gets better as you get closer to Oxford, with a population of less than 1000 the historical homes and tree lined street welcome you to town.  At the end of Oxford Road you’ll find the Oxford Bellevue Ferry which will take you over to Bellevue to allow you to continue your journey into St. Michaels. (Check out the pictures in the photo gallery.) Before you board the ferry to Bellevue take time to explore Oxford and take in the history dating back to the 1600’s.

The ferry cost $4 for a bike and rider for the short ride across the Tred Avon River to Bellevue on a busy weekend you will likely be joined by other cyclist for the ferry ride. This was certainly the case when we arrived and ran into a group of about ten other riders. Here Amanda’s new Project One Madone was the center of attention. It has an amazing pink flame paint job that is a piece of artwork; there are some photos in the gallery. At one point one of the riders said “You didn’t think you will be holding a press conference did you?”

 Once in Bellevue you’ll head out to St. Michaels via Bellevue Road. Your ride will be on nice quite country roads, once the ferry traffic gets by you, you’ll be left only to enjoy the piece and quite the Eastern Shore offers. Next you will enter Royal Oak where you will make a left to St. Michaels, just follow the signs. There are a few antique stores and a Bed and Breakfast in this small town, to enjoy. Once you leave Royal Oak you are heading out to St. Michaels Road (Route 33) which you will make a left to head into town. St. Michaels has something for everyone, shopping, restaurants, B&B, spas, the Chesapeake Maritime Museum and more. There is plenty to do in St. Michaels too much to write about here.

One of our favorite places is the Five Gables Inn and Spa located right on St. Michaels Road. Once you have enjoyed all that St. Michaels has to offer you just need to head back out St. Michaels Road, the way you came for your ride back to Easton. If you would like to ride more than 30 miles head out of St. Michaels the opposite way you came and you can explore much more of the area with such towns has Tilghman Island or Bozman. I plan to write more about this area in the future.

For those of you who prefer to stick with the 30 mile loop you will continue to enjoy wide shoulders and flat roads like you have your entire ride. Your journey back to Easton, will include farmlands and a great view of the Miles river at Newcomb. Once you reach Easton Parkway hang a left and head back to your car. If your time permits venture across Easton parkway to explore the town of Easton listed as “the 8^th Best Small Town in America”.

This is a great ride suitable for road bikes, fitness bikes and hybrids. A mountain bike would be fine as well but I would recommend smooth tires. The roads are flat with generous shoulders; the only challenge might be if you encounter a headwind on a portion of your ride. This route would be suitable for the entire family; the only spot of concern would be immediately getting off the ferry in Bellevue. Just  wait a few moments for the ferry traffic to clear and you will be fine.

My recommendation would be to make a weekend of it since there is so much you can do. Stay in St. Michaels or one of the many B&B’s in the area. On one of the days take this route leaving from St. Michaels and head out to enjoy Oxford.  For a second ride head out of St. Michaels towards Tilghman Island and explore all the country roads (I’ll write more about this area in the future) or simply enjoy everything non cycling the area has to offer. Have a great ride! Be sure to check out some ride photos in the Gallery.

Mom 1 day Kids 364 Fair?

I got out for a ride the other day and I had just started the ride and I was thinking to my self.

“I really do enjoy this I need to make more time for “me” and “me” to ride.”

Not a half mile later I rode by this church and saw the above sign. I thought to myself.

“How appropriate maybe someone is sending me a message. It certainly applies to me and not making enough time for myself, how many other people are doing the same.”

For me as of late I have been trying to cut out the stuff that isn’t critical and focus on the things more important to me that will make me more happy and less stressed. I really want to get out on my bike more and had such a great time riding. So then another message was sent to me later in the ride. I was riding with my friend Andrew. In April he made a pledge to ride 30 days outside for at least 45 minutes. He completed that goal and the results of it were really neat to see. Andrew has become a much stronger rider since I rode with last. That became apparant as he “danced” up the hills and left me to suffer!

So what have you done for you today? Probably not enough is my guess.

Have a great week!

I am really excited to use this as it will allow me to Map and share all of my rides with everyone. You can even download them to your own phone that is compatible with the AllSport GPS program. I’ll share more as I get more in-tune with the program. So far it is a fairly simple program to use.

Here is a break up for the boredom!

Want to “ride along” with the pros? What follows is a break down of each of the stages for the Tours. Then next to it is a distance that is a percentage of each of the days stages. You can pick your corresponding distance for the day  and ride it either indoors or out.

Thanks for the help from my friend Nathan and also the write of the Maryland Bike Routes link to the right.

A larger versions is available in My Gallery.

Thanksgiving Ride 2008

The exciting thing is Alex finished the ride and now wants a road bike to ride on a regular basis. So maybe another road biker has been created. It is also a great way that he and his Dad can spend some time together. Hopefully they will get some riding in next year and invite Mom and the little sister along.

After Alex’s “gravity check” we continued our ride and met up with more of our friends John and Tammy who were out on their fixie’s and finishing up their ride. We all headed south down the bike trail towards Annapolis. From there we headed to the Overlook and World War II Memorial where John and Tammy headed back towards town and we headed to Sandy Point via St. Margaret’s road.  At this point the weather was warming up and so were the legs. As we crested the hills on the way up St. Margaret’s Dave realized how much he lost in his fitness level. I mentioned to Dave it is amazing how long it takes us to create our fitness and how fast we can lose it.

We were riding my standard 20 mile route which takes us out the College Parkway access roads to the Bay Bridge. The traffic was crazy on RT 50 with a backup you would typically see in the summer. I guess everyone was headed somewhere for the feast.  There were lots of inconsiderate people on the road with a bunch of them trying to use the access road to “beat the traffic” to the Bay Bridge. I don’t think it really pays. After we stopped on the overpass to admire the traffic we turned for home down the access road on the North side. Here we picked up the pace for a steady tempo towards the “barn”.

It was a great ride with friends, a nice 20 mile loop that has lots of options to make it longer. I plan on creating a cue sheet with some photos along the way. I did take a few pictures that I have posted in the Gallery.

Ernest

Please shop locally to support your locally owned businesses, economy and work force!

Since I didn’t have my regular bike that I have been riding, a carbon Rush from Cannondale, I took one of our demo bikes.  I choose a Trek Top Fuel 69er in a 17.5. I’ve ridden the 69ers before but it has been a little while. The 69er is a unique bike in the sense that it has a 29 inch from wheel with a 26 inch rear wheel, all on a full suspension platform.

The theory of the 69er is that on the front wheel you get the larger wheel that gives the rider greater ease in riding over things along with the larger contact area that the bigger wheel offers. The 26 inch rear wheel still allows the bike to accelerate a little faster.

Complaints that the 29ers (dual 29 inch wheels)often receive is that it takes more effort to get the 29 inch wheels moving, the up side is that once they get going they roll super fast. I think this characteristic makes the 29 inch wheels better suited for cross country rides and many of the 100 mile mountain bike rides. Many people find that the bigger wheels are harder to manage and control then the 26 inch wheels; making a 29ers better suited for taller riders.

Other benefits of the 29er wheels are they roll over larger objects with greater ease because the axle is higher from the ground then the 26 inch wheels. A neat feature about the 29er platform is that you can easily swap out wheels to a 700c configuration for road riding.

I enjoyed riding the 69er, I love both the front and rear suspension on the bike. Both of these are Fox Shocks a 29er RL100 for the front and an RP2 w/Pro Pedal for the rear. For the drive train the bike is spec’d with SRAM and I love the SRAM components they also happen to be on my Rush. Mechanically I think the bike worked great, it is well spec’d the components work well together and there is a lot of value in the bike.

The handling of the bike is another story. I guess I am a little more old school having been riding mountain bikes for year, I still remember when I worked in a shop and the first Rock Shox came in. I am slowly adjusting to the more upright position the new longer travel bikes offer and the slightly slower handling they have. What I do continue to realize the more time I spend on the mountain bikes that the fit of the mountain bike is just as critical as the fit on your road bike. As I tweaked my position on the bike yesterday I felt more power going to the pedal and greater overall comfort on the bike. I had fun seeing how moving my position on the bike improved comfort and performance.

For me as the day went on I felt like I was slightly “behind” the bike in the handling and steering of it. Another characteristic that I noticed was that on certain size bumps the front wheel would roll over the bumps and the rear of the bike would come up off the ground. As one road the bike more I think you could learn on which bumps you would need to compensate for this. The other issue I had with the bike was that if I wanted to approach a curve at speed I couldn’t hold my line through the turns. This isn’t a characteristic uncommon in many mountain bikes; in fact Fisher came out with a G2 geometry to reduce the trail to improve handling. The G2 is designed to address these handling characteristics at the lower speeds.

For now I will reserve a final judgment on the 69er but have to say I am leaning to believe that the 69er is not the right bike for me. I’d like to ride it a little more before I ruled out the bike once and for all. One thing about the 69er is that I am only 5’ 10” so someone who is taller than myself may have a different opinion of the bike. I have ridden 29er full suspension bikes, the Super Caliber from Fisher, and have been very impressed with the 29er platform.

Several weeks ago we had a shop ride that went on the B&A Trail and one of our new team members who has recently moved to the area commented on how the nice the trail was to ride on and now she is thinking about using for her run portion of triathlon training.

I guess I’ve taken it for granted that we have them, but from seeing the excitement of the team member it reminded me of how fortunate we are.

We are lucky that in the area there are so many great bike trails to enjoy togther as a family or individually as we train in pursuit of our dreams.

Locally many are aware of the WB&A trail that is just a few miles from the shop door. Over the winter Park and Recreation has opened another section of the trail and seem to be getting closer to linking the Anne Arundel County section of the trail to the Prince George’s County section of the trail.

If you are willing to drive take a short trip across the Bay Bridge to enjoy the Cross Island Trail on Kent Island. This trail quietly opened at the end of 2001 and is a great trail that many over look with the popularity of the B&A Trail and the BWI Trail.

I hope you and your family have a chance to get out and enjoy and explore the areas many trails!