Former Olympian and author Alexi Pappas once said, “the greatest gift you can give someone is to show them a trail where they live.” Many people have asked me about trials and events I gravel ride during the year. I’ve listed some below.
For me, there is no better trail than The Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) and it’s right in our backyard. The Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) stretches an impressive 120 miles from Frackville to Philadelphia. The section most accessible from Wayne is the 50 miles from Pottstown to Philadelphia. This segment of the trail runs through a diverse collection of landscapes, reflecting the rich industrial history and natural beauty of southeastern Pennsylvania. The majority of this trail is paved, with a few short gravel sections.
This time of year, the Delaware and Lehigh trail, known as the D and L is great. I get on in Jim Thorpe and ride north towards Whitehaven, Pa. It is beautiful this time of year. There are many GPS files for that in RideGPS.
A favorite local gravel ride is the Brandywine Valley Roubaix – this is a great ride. It is through Brandywine valley on mostly horse and gravel trails. It is a great ride to start with, if you haven’t done a lot of gravel/mountain rides before. It is usually the first week in May but they moved it to June last year. They have not announced the date yet for this year.
This is the video from 2023. If you really look at 2:39, I make an appearance.
The Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo, known as the LLWH and Starrucca Crossing are great rides in April and May. They are in the Pocono mountains. They are steep, especially early in the season. If you have a gravel or mountain bike and a sense of adventure, these are great! Register today.
If you want to get a little more remote and crazy, Mammoth Gravel in Wellsboro is a great ride. It is near the Pine Creek Rail Trail which goes through the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.
If you are looking for a great trip with the family, the town of Wellsboro and the Pine Creek Rail Trail is great. The rail-trail is very flat and the canyon (I believe) is the second largest in the US.
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is my happy place and the crown jewel of Pennsylvania rail-trails. It is 150 miles of pressed gravel from Pittsburgh to Cumberland MD. Ohiopyle, Pa is in the middle. That is near Laurel Highlands State Park. It’s a great spot to start from and go either way. It is more rural as you go south.
Finally, Ride Allegheny. This is a bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. It raises money and awareness for our veterans. It’s a great ride and a great group. It’s 4 days and almost always on trail. If you are interested, give me a call.
Happy riding!
