We have a pretty strong cycling community here in PA, and I would like to call your attention to the excellent service provided by BikePA, an outfit that does grassroots level promotion of bike riding in the state.
BikePA’s website provides a helpful listing of regional bike clubs and cycling attractions as well as a bookstore featuring several titles on cycling in and around Pennsylvania. But what I like most about the site are the scenic cross-state touring routes they’ve mapped out.
There are three north-south routes and two east-west routes, as well as two short segments that travel along the East Coast Greenway in the southeast corner of the state and the Lake Erie shoreline in the northwest.
BikePA's route map
The longest is the 435-mile Route S, which crosses the southern part of the state and connects Washington County with Washington Crossing. The particularly fun thing about Route S is that it includes an abandoned section of the PA Turnpike, with a couple of old tunnels. I’ve been planning to ride that route this year, except that my knee is currently in a slow-motion burnout. When I manage to regroup on that, I’ll be sure to report on the ride.
-Jen
3 Comments
July 24, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I am interested in riding Route S across the state, and I am looking for more information. Do you know where I can find a key to the maps on the BikePA website? Do you know where I can find journals or information from other people about how long I should expect the tour to take. I am a beginner rider, looking for a big challenge. Thanks for your help!
July 26, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hmm, I’m not so sure about a map key. But if you download the map, it’s set up so that you can enlarge each of the segments, with a pretty clear street detail. That might do the trick if what you need is a turn-by-turn set of directions.
Not so sure about locating other reports on riding the route – maybe start with the bike forum section on either the Pittsburgh or Philadelphia craigslist?
June 9, 2009 at 11:50 am
Where do you download the enlargeable map? I can’t find it on the bikePA site.