BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

check out the team decaf routes posted on their web site. although they originate @ taza d'oro, most i've been on have friendship ave as part of the loop.

sunday morning, i went through morningside, across the 62nd street bridge, up little pine creek road out of etna, then up wetzel to wible run, and wible run back toward town through millvale. took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to and from shadyside. i wasn't really hauling at all.

as far as routes to turtle creek, there are plenty of fun ones. probably my favorite is through frick park to duck hollow, past carrie furnace to braddock, up some side street in braddock to bell avenue through east pittsburgh, then down bessemer, under 30, and down linden into turtle crick.

FWIW, I used to have a 14 mile commute to work (Sq. Hill->Robinson). For most of the time I worked there I wrote off the idea of biking, but now I regret not doing it more often.

So, my best advice is give it a shot - if you're committed to riding every morning to exercise, you're actually saving time by going to work.

Greensburg Pike is a key connector between the east end and Turtle Creek. Get there via Penn Ave (or even better the quieter streets that parallel Penn Ave).

Where abouts in Turtle Creek are you going?

HV's ride is a good one, and there are lots of little routes around Etna, Aspinwall, and Fox Chapel. Check out Oscar Swan's book, Bike Rides Out of Pittsburgh.

Friendship -> left at Negley ->right ELB -> left Highland -> right Stanton -> Lake Drive -> left Bunkerhill -> right Highland -> left Stanton (loop 3x) -> back to Highland -> ELB -> Negley -> Friendship. Should be around an hour.

Rzod; Over the past year or two, we've had several routing threads that involved access to (or through) Turtle Creek. You can probably glean some good information from them.

http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/route-to-turtle-creek-from-southside

and

http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/help-me-bike-to-monroeville-please

You'll note that most of the responses have routes that start from Squirrel Hill. From Friendship to the relevant areas of Squirrel Hill, the best route might be via the Beechwood Boulevard bike lanes, or Aiken/Fifth/Wilkins/then whatever your are comfortable with through Squirrel Hill.

It seems very doable. Perhaps as a Sunday morning ride the first time?

I'd go roughly this way, avoiding Squirrel Hill to minimize unnecessary climbing. A possible alternative, again to eliminate some climbing, would be to follow Braddock Avenue out of Braddock instead of Bell Avenue, but I've never tried that route. (Of course, you may prefer climbing.)

Fairly flat and just 10 miles. I agree about trying it first when you're not pressed for time.

Thanks everyone! Brian j, our address says Turtle Creek, but I think we are technically Wilkens township. We are on Beulah Rd/Brown Ave; no the friendliest road, but doable for sure. HV, I will look into that route. quizbot, that is pretty much what I did this morning.

Steven, I was typing as you posted. I'll look in to that route as well. Thanks.

Friendship ave ->negley -> ELB -> mellon park

-> beechwood -> reynolds -> through frick to

braddock, cut down to east end ave.

Work way up to RR tracks and go under them

at race street. Looking at school for deaf,

go left. Few options here. Avoid braddock by

riding along bus way on sidewalk and cross

over. work your way though swissvale to

mongehela way and cut down to rankin bridge

past the PJ's and take braddock ave out to

tcrick.

OR

at school for the deaf go UP brinton and

follow that all the way to tcrick. hillier

but nice. avoid braddock ave.

braddock ave is a circus

I have a love hate relationship with braddock ave, I love to hate it. Also filtering is a must, during rush hour.

Just a reminder that the Squirrel Hill tunnel will be under renovation for a while. There are night time partial closures (one lane at a time in one direction), and some weekend closures or partial closures. The posted "detour" will include Braddock Avenue to Forbes to Murrray. Keep your eyes open on these roads, as a fair percentage of motorists passing you may be somewhat unfamilar with these roads.