Inspired both by Ed’s posts about riding out in Oklahoma County and by the fact that I finally took Functional out on a non-commuting ride this season, here’s a very photo-heavy post of the route I did with some friends/in-laws.
For the Pittsburgh area, it was a very flat ride with some nice views along the Allegheny River. It wasn’t quite an official cycling route with proper lanes, etc., but it wasn’t hostile. The tightest spot was probably going over the bridge, and even that wasn’t too bad. Even the car-heavy parts on Freeport Road had plenty of room to make it comfortable. I was able to really enjoy the ride instead of dreading the next hill, when I wasn’t trying to hold on to . I felt like a modern Sagittarius, but with a bicycle instead of hooves and a cell phone instead of a bow and arrow (but there’s an app for that).
The area, being a remnant of the Rust Belt, had plenty of places along the way to stop and check out if you’re an industrial history buff. Or like to break windows in abandoned buildings…not that we did that (really, we didn’t).
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- Our starting point. No real reason to include this other than I like the brick pattern.
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- Downtown New Kensington.
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- Going over the New Ken Bridge, officially called the C.L. Schmitt Bridge.
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- You can see my phone-hand in the lower left.
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- If you’re into soda/pop history, this would’ve interested you. They actually still make the stuff there.
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- This was right after we had turned around to head back.
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- A playground.
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- You can’t see it clearly, but on the far side of the river the was an old bridge, probably with rails on it.
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- The underside of the Tarentum Bridge. The engineering involved is beyond me but it’s still fascinating to behold.
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- Info on the recreation of a block house, one of the first structures in the area.
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- The actual (recreated) house.
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- It’s hard to see the elevation here, but that was a huge hill in front of us. It wasn’t a part of our route and I was only half disappointed it wasn’t.
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- I thought I would get a good shot of the New Ken Bridge here, but it ended up sucky.
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- Downtown New Ken, again.
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- Back at the start with celebratory brew.
2 Comments
Nice that you had company; I’m always alone. Lord knows I’ve drunk my share of Frostie, and I’d love to climb that beautiful hill.
I don’t do soda anymore…but if I had to do that hill I’m going to take any help I can get, especially how out-of-cycling shape I am.