Yeah, this is a great resource.
2011-03-02 04:12:12
26
Bike Rides Out of Pittsburgh : 400 routes
A friend sent me this link today. I really enjoy the author's writing, it's very nicely done. Worth reading for the description of Pittsburgh bicycling culture if nothing else, but I've read it cover to cover.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~apd/Pittsburgh/Oscar_Swan_Bike_Rides_Out_of_Pittsburgh.pdf
2011-03-02 04:08:07
The definitive pittsburgh cycling book since forever.
2011-03-02 04:24:23
First print was 2006. I'm disputing the forever claim, but I'll go with definitive 
2011-03-02 05:38:52
@quizbot First print was 2006
Yeah, that was the first printing of "425 bike rides out of Pittsburgh."
BUT,
"Bike Rides Around Pittsburgh: 300 bicycle rides from .6 to 100 miles"
came out in 1995. I like this better because, as the site says it's a "long and narrow book easily fits into pocket."
http://www.bikexchange.com/hgbooks.htm
Presumably George Washington used Swan's classic "12 mule rides in the vicinity of Ft Duquesne" as his guide.
2011-03-02 07:08:20
Awesome. Didn't know about the earlier version.
2011-03-02 13:59:15
All these ways out of the city, yet you can never leave.
2011-03-02 14:04:50
What's the best way to get a paper copy? Wanna support the authors work, plus I'm not keen on cycling w/ my kindle....
2011-03-02 14:20:01
B&N has it listed on their web site, and it has been seen on the shelves of local sellers. My copy was purchased locally.
2011-03-02 14:26:36
I got my copy at Pro Bikes in SqHill last year. Not sure if they still have any lying around.
2011-03-02 14:36:01
Borders in Monroeville had it at 20% off last weekend (they are closing that store.) I did not think to see how many copies they had available.
2011-03-02 14:54:34
2011-03-02 14:59:17
I bought my very well used copy at the Pitt book center. Now that I've moved to southwestern Ohio I'm having to figure it out myself, which is fun, but it makes me realize how much I enjoyed having Oscar's book at hand. Well worth the purchase price.
2011-03-02 15:02:45
Thanks. I was ordering some stuff from amazon anyway, so I threw that in there.
Last summer I had a set route that I followed around the city on my longer rides. This year I'd like a little more variety.
2011-03-02 15:13:20
I emphatically do not want to discourage sales of Oscar's NEW book, so I am conflicted on whether or not to put the link to a pdf of his old book up here or not. But, anyone who google searches Oscar's name and bikes will come to it, so I assume it's ok to save you that trouble. Here it is:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~apd/Pittsburgh/Oscar_Swan_Bike_Rides_Out_of_Pittsburgh.pdf
2011-03-02 15:16:05
Swalfoort, or one could just scroll to the top of this thread? 
2011-03-02 15:32:15
That link is an incomplete pre-print Oscar had circulated for a while. You'll notice it's missing the last several sections. On Oscar's website, he now only publishes the intro (presumably so that people actually buy the book). http://polish.slavic.pitt.edu/pmvc/bikerides/bikerides.intro.pdf
2011-03-02 15:48:12
By the way, the section "How many bikes?" is mandatory reading.
2011-03-02 15:52:19
"Real bike riders never sight see, even if occasionally they might accidentally see something of historical or pictorial interest."
? I always knew I wasn't a "real" rider, but really? If you're not trying to get from A to B, isn't what's along the route part of the point? Or am I missing sarcasm again...
I am very excited to discover this book. I think I have a new goal.
2011-03-02 16:10:18
The Three Star Rides are all especially worth doing.
2011-03-02 16:59:37
"Real" road cyclists go out on rides not to see the sights but to see who can drop the hammer hardest. Often, they ride the same boring roads every week, e.g., the Red Belt. The only markers they care about are town limit signs signaling intermediate sprints.
2011-03-02 17:07:50
@ejwme Or am I missing sarcasm again...
One nice thing about the 1995 book was that Oscars humor, while sometimes hilarious, is best in small doses.
His humor also has traps for the unwary. For example "Eliza Furnace" wasn't really a 19th century suffragette. Some people might not realize that when they read his claim.
2011-03-02 17:16:30
@Dan - I plead overwork. Duh! Of course the link was already posted. I feel like an idiot, reposting it.
2011-03-02 17:40:30
ah, a joke about lycra types, got it. havning read more of it and (I think) understanding more of the humor, I gotta say, he is hilarious.
I just hope I don't miss a joke on a long ride description. I am already suspicious of a few of the rides in my neighborhood that he's described some hills as "lovely little ascents" when I know them to be actual manifestations of topographical evil of epic proportions. Rider beware, indeed.
2011-03-02 20:29:43
I love this book because most of the route descriptions still require that you do some work--unless you pair the book with a good map of two (sometimes Google Maps will not match up with the stated road names), you absolutely will get lost on a ride or three.
Of course, that's part of the fun, too.
2011-03-03 02:05:31
What about lou's book? Do you really have to pay $100 for a used copy or are some floating around?
2011-03-03 05:05:32