335 Miles of Wilderness and Wheels
The trail from DC to Pittsburgh is naturally broken into two almost equal sections: 185 miles of the C & O Canal Towpath (CO) and 150 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).
Teams will be made up of 8 riders cycling two at a time on the trail. The first four riders riding the CO, the remaining four riders would riding the GAP. Pairs of riders would alternate between riding and resting.
Teams may raise money for the cause of their choice, including raising money for the trail itself, as was done in 2009. That year $4,639 was raised for the Allegheny Trail Alliance to help complete the Great Allegheny Passage into Pittsburgh.
"Last year the riders encountered cool temperatures at night, numerous deer on the C & O, and other nocturnal wildlife that made the ride even more hair-raising than normal. Luckily, the riders were able to avoid collisions and completed all 335 miles in less than 24 hours. We're in search of other teams and riders that are up for such a challenge." said Seth Gernot, Relay Coordinator.
So, what's it like to ride on the trail in the middle of the night?
Check out the video from last year at www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxEbLi02Zeo
See photos from last year's relay
We’re looking for serious cyclists who look at this as a challenge. If you’re craving to ride through the night, through the mud, while dodging deer at 15 mph for 20 miles… we want you!
Full teams of eight and individual riders are encouraged to contact Seth Gernot at seth@ventureoutdoors.org or 412.255.0564 ext 35.
details
Here’s what will happen out on the trail:
The trail from DC to Pittsburgh is naturally broken into two almost equal sections, so each team of eight will be split in half: four C & O Canal (CO) riders and four Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) riders.
C & O Canal Riders
The four CO riders will travel down to Washington D.C. on Friday night, July 16th, where they will stay overnight in a hotel. These four will start the relay in Georgetown at 7:30 am on Saturday morning.
Two CO riders will ride from the start to the first swap point approximately 22 miles away. The other two riders will travel by vehicle to the first swap point and prepare for their leg. At the first swap point the initial two riders will get into the vehicles and the other two riders will take to the trail. The riders will continue trading in the ride-then-rest cycle until they reach Cumberland.
All four riders will complete over 90 miles by the end of the CO portion of the relay. The first pair will ride in daylight, while the second pair will ride their last leg into the dark, so the second team must have serious lights for night riding and be experienced night riders.
GAP Riders
The four GAP riders will be shuttled in the afternoon on Saturday, July 17th to meet their teammates in Cumberland and take over the ride.
At approximately 8:30pm, the CO and GAP riders will swap. At this point the four CO riders, their gear, and bikes will be shuttled back to Pittsburgh. The GAP riders will pick up the trail here and swap out pairs of riders until they reach Pittsburgh.
The first pair of GAP riders will ride 85 miles in the dark. The second pair of riders will ride 65 miles in the dark. The GAP riders will arrive in Point State Park at approximately 7:20am.
As you can see, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room with the times (we only have 24 hours)! There is a 5 minute cushion built into each swap point to allow time for the approaching riders to slow down, tag the departing riders, and give departing riders time to get up to speed, but we urge teams to keep a steady pace of 15mph and make smooth transitions at the swap points.
See a detailed schedule of the Relay Legs.
At the end of the ride, all riders are invited to Point State Park to greet the GAP riders and celebrate the relay’s success. On Sunday morning at 9:00 am we will meet for a celebratory breakfast and share stories and pictures from the trail.
we provide
Venture Outdoors will provide all the support to make this extraordinary event happen, including:
- The website to help teams fundraise for the charity of their choice much like the MS 150 and other charity rides.
- The vehicles and drivers to shuttle riders, gear, and bikes to DC, Cumberland, shuttle back to Pittsburgh, and shuttle between all 18 points along the relay route.
- A SAG (support) van to transport riders with mechanical failures or physical injury
- Two hotel rooms per team in DC.
- Sports drink, water, and snacks on the trail.
- Celebratory breakfast on Sunday.
riders provide
- Bicycles
- Food: you are required to bring along food for you as we will not have enough time to stop while riders are on the trail. If you are one of the CO riders you will have time in DC on Friday night to purchase dinner. But, please be nice to your stomach and don’t overdo it…it’s a tough enough event without adding a hangover or upset stomach to the mix.
- Registration fee. (see below for more details)
- Gear: Fenders are highly recommended on the C & O Canal Towpath.
- Rain gear
- Lights
- Helmets
- Repair kit - including a pump and extra tubes
- NOTE - helmets are required at ALL times when you’re on your bicycle. Anyone riding a bicycle without a helmet will be removed from the event.
registration fee
Venture Outdoors is a Pittsburgh non-profit group and we’re not looking to profit from this event. It is just plain expensive to make it happen. The amount of transportion needed to execute this event is the number one expense as well as the main reason for the size of the registration fee: $4400 per team or $550 for individuals.
This fee goes directly to paying the expenses of the event. In the event that VO finds a sponsor for the ride, the registration fee will be reduced. Your fundraising can be used towards the cost of the ride. Here are some scenarios for prospective riders:
- A team of eight secures two sponsors at $1,000 each. Each team member then raises $600 dollars. $300 goes towards the registration fee and $300 goes to the charity. The team raises $2400 for their charity.
- A team finds a sponsor for the whole registration fee. Each team member then raises $600 dollars and they donate $4800 to their charity.
- An individual joins VO’s team and raises $900. $550 goes to cover the registration fee and $350 goes to their charity.
Note: Last year, a few riders were intimidated by the thought of fundraising. They were pleasantly surprised when others responded with excitement and gladly donated to their ride.
Below is the basic note one rider sent to friends and colleagues as a fund raising request. The note was short and sweet. It stated his fund raising goal and did not place any kind of financial requirement on the potential donor. Each request, and there were about 100, was sent to an individual with a short personal hello.
By the time you all read this I will be part of the relay from D.C. to Pittsburgh. For the event I would like to raise $335.00, one dollar for each mile between D.C. and Pittsburgh. No amount is too small, send the loose change on dresser, send cash, or a check made out to Venture Outdoors.
This simple request raised $1,025.
Venture Outdoors will provide each team with a webpage where they can collect and monitor their contributions. Donations made by cash or check will be tracked using this Donation Tracking Form and will be turned in at the Relay.
frequently asked questions
Q: What type of bike do I need?
A: A mountain bike or cross bike is recommended for the C & O Canal Towpath. A cross bike is recommended for the Great Allegheny Passage.
Q: What is the trail surface like?
A: The CO is clay, rocky, rutted, pockmarked with puddles, and muddy when it rains. Make sure you have fenders. The GAP is crushed limestone.
Q: Is there a speed limit on the trail?
A: Yes, the limit is 15mph.
Q: Do we have to obey the speed limit?
A: There’s no point to go faster than 15mph because the support vehicles will not leave early for your team. You’ll only tire yourself out and endanger yourself and other riders if you choose to ride too fast. There are many animals along the trail and it’s a real danger to hit a deer on your bicycle. In 2009 there were two near misses with deer and other near misses with other small mammals on the trail. So, yes, you must travel within the speed limit. Remember that there is a 5 minute buffer built into each transition point, so if you need to make up time, do it with smooth transitions.
Q: Can I draft off of other riders?
A: No. Drafting is the best way to cause injury to yourself and your bike. The energy that you save by drafting is not worth the risk of crashing when the lead rider must quickly dodge something and the second rider can not react in time to avoid the obstacle. In 2009 a rider hit a depression left be a dry puddle and crashed. This cost the team much more time than if he had backed off on speed and made it cleanly to the transition point.
Q: We have more than eight riders but not enough for another full team. How can the extra riders join the event?
A: There are two options:
- The extra members can be paired with a VO team or another partial team. They can still raise money for their own cause.
- They can each pay or raise $550 for registration and ride with the original team of eight.
Q: What vehicles will be used for transportation?
A: There are two scenarios:
- If there are 3 teams or less we will use 15 passenger vans and our enclosed bike trailers.
- If there are 4 or more teams we will use charter buses and our enclosed bike trailers or box trucks to move the bikes.
Q: I’m in. How do I register?
A: Print out the
Registration Form and mail it to: Venture Outdoors, Attn: Relay, 304 Forbes Ave. 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, Pa 1522
Q: I still have more questions, who do I ask?
A: Seth Gernot, Bike Tour Coordinator:
seth@ventureoutdoors.org or call
412.255.0564 ext 35.