People from elsewhere have trouble imagining this, but Pittsburgh is like a little village. Get beyond the city limits, and you're in cornfields and cow pastures. I have cycled in most parts of this country and extensively in Europe, and I can say without exaggeration that Western Pennsylvania has some of the best and most variegated cycling available anywhere. It's not too rough, and it's not too tame, and it's in easy reach of the city without having to get in a car.

There's an unlimited selection of paved secondary roads. It's feasible, in a full spring, summer, and fall of daily riding, never to repeat the same ride twice.

This manual helps show you how, by giving ride suggestions on which you can elaborate as you become familiar with the general Pittsburgh territory near where you do most of your riding.

The purpose of this collection of rides is:

a) to document some of the better area roads for cycling, without attempting any kind of complete catalogue (which would be impossible)
b) to provide a manual of common routes for use by group rides, in the interest of keeping such rides more or less on track and together
c) to preserve ride memory from one generation of Pittsburgh cyclists to another
d) to encourage further exploration of the area around Pittsburgh through the investigation of roads and routes not listed, of which there are many.

INTRODUCTION

Disclaimer
Acknowledgments
Using this Guide
Pittsburgh Area Cycling
Hills
Inaccuracies
Three Star Rides
Maps
Sight-Seeing
How Many Bikes?
Tools and Spare Equipment
Food
Clothing
Pavement Types
Road Designations
The Colored Beltways
Coexisting with Motor Traffic
Avoiding Accidents
Ride Etiquette
Dogs
Places to Drive to Ride to

MAIN WAYS OUT OF PITTSBURGH

Highland Park Bridge
New Kensington Bridge
Allegheny River Blvd.
Lincoln Avenue
Frankstown Road
Penn Ave.-Wilkinsburg
Braddock Avenue
Rankin Bridge
Homestead Bridge
Glenwood Bridge
Carson Street & West End
North Side Bridges
40th Street Bridge
62nd Street Bridge
Inner City Rides
City Circuits

APPENDICES

Ghost Roads
Notes on Certain Raods, Areas, Trails
Visit these Foreign Countries by Bike from Pittsburgh
Presidential Rides
Three-Star Rides
Favorite 100+ Mile Rides
Pittsburgh’s Steepest Hills