Life on Two Wheels and Two Feet

 Despite the challenges and restrictions of the Pandemic, 2021 was a good year for cycling.  In this post, a photo from each month and a commentary are included.   January Enjoyed some serendipity in late January after my truck broke down 35 miles west of Nashville. While "stranded" for a few days, I took advantage of the time to explore the area with my bicycle.  There is some very nice riding to be done in and around the small city of Dickson, Tennessee.  In the photo is a gravel road located near a place called Bon Aqua, Tennessee. February The 2nd month of the year was cold and snowy, contributing to my lowest mileage month in 2021.  However, it was still possible to get out for some rides.  South (Allegheny County, PA) Park, pictured above, is a pleasant place to ride.  It has a little of everything, a bike path, several side roads with light traffic and hills, and good winter maintenance.   I also managed to do some exploring of a poten...

The goal was achieved yesterday, 10/14/21!   Grateful for Strava, which simplifies keeping track of such things. 4000 miles reached on 10/14/21!

 All of the reservations have been made, the training is ongoing, and the final plans for Installment Five are being made.  The tour will begin in Kansas City, Kansas and will pass through the following areas: Lawrence, The Flint Hills Nature Trail, Santa Fe Trail, Council Grove, Herington, Hoisington, LaCrosse, Ness City, Dighton, Scott City, Tribune, Colorado State Line, Eads, Ordway, Rocky Ford, Walsenburg, North LaVeta Pass - 9413', Alamosa, South Fork, Wolf Creek Pass - 10,800', Pagosa Springs, Durango, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, Cortez, Mesa Verde National Park, Four Corners Monument, Teec Nos Pos, Arizona - Navajo Reservation. Roughly 1000 miles in approximately 20 days.  Should be one great adventure!

   Brief Re-cap of Our Journey So Far In the first five chapters of this series, we have been virtually (and actually, in my case) traveling down a proposed Pittsburgh South Hills pedestrian/bicycle route.  The journey has taken us from Bethel Park to Route 51 at the base of the Southern side of Mount Washington.  The link below is a map of the entire route. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35143046 Final Obervations and Continuing into Pittsburgh One of the beautiful things about this proposal is that a lot of it already exists and can be walked or ridden.  Only the pedestrian path in Mount Lebanon and the Seldom Seen Greenway require development but they are both accessible, with caution and a recommendation to not travel alone.  Development of those two places and of the entire route are tall orders to be sure and worthy projects for consideration going forward.  To be upgraded for safety, the existing roadways we discussed would ideally need some imp...

   Brief Re-cap of Our Journey So Far Our proposed Pittsburgh South Hills pedestrian/bicycle route has been detailed thus far from Bethel Park to Beechview and the start of the Seldom Seen Greenway.  The link below is a map of the entire route.  To see previous descriptions, refer to "Chapters" I-IV of this series of blog posts. https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35143046 Description of The Seldom Seen Greenway (may herein after be referred to as the SSG or the Greenway) The Seldom Seen Greenway is a recreational facility that, for some unknown reason, has not been maintained or improved over the years.  Back in 1985, the Greenway was dedicated with a plaque to Edward E. Smuts, who had passed away in the previous year (1984).  Mr. Smuts was an urban planner in the Pittsburgh and had a role in preserving wooded hillsides in our area.  The SSG was one of those green spaces protected by Mr. Smuts and others.  Online, there are a series of documents that ...

  Brief Re-cap of Our Journey So Far In the first 3 chapters, we have been exploring a potential route for non-motorized travel into the city from deep within the Southern suburbs and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania).  In Part IV, our journey continues through the municipality of Mount Lebanon, the Borough of Dormont, and into the Pittsburgh City Neighborhood of Beechview..  The link below is a map of the entire route.   https://ridewithgps.com/routes/35143046 Route Description - The Poplar Trolley Stop in  Mount Lebanon to Tropical Park in Beechview Of course, you could take the trolley to get close to either of these two locations and avoid all of the muss, fuss, and slush but where is the fun in that? Pennsylvania Avenue, in Mount Lebanon, leading away from the Poplar Trolley Stop and toward the Uptown business district. The Northern end of the pedestrian pathway, discussed in Part III, continues onto the quiet and residential Pennsylvania Avenue. ...