I would like to start bike commuting several days a week. I live in Allison Park and ideally I would like to park somewhere off Rt 8 near Etna (Shop n Save or the shopping plaza lot across the street).
Does the North Shore Trail 'unoffically' connect to Etna in anyway? I want to avoid riding the roads as much as possible. I am riding a flat bar road bike (Trek 7200).
Any help would be great.
I know for sure you can park at the Riverfront Park and ride in on road bike friendly streets all the way to downtown. There is a way that I took on a mt bike along the tracks from Etna into the same park but I am not sure I would take a road bike there.
I "rode" from Etna to downtown that way once- it was a bit rocky at the start, I ended up walking a few hundred meters when it got really bad, but it is doable. I was on a trek 520 with 700X28 tires. fatter tires would be better
abutler - with the construction on 28 (and thus improved traffic flow), you should be able to make the 8S-28S connection fairly easily, and you could park at the Millvale trailhead. Even going up and over Cabbage hill on Friday or some other back street might not be too bad.
But from Millvale to Etna, the train tracks continue and you're stuck trespassing on ballast. It is done, on a regular basis by some, though I'm not sure how skinny road slicks would do on it.
If you're adventurous, Stu may be able to find you a bus to get you to the trailhead, he knows North and the bus system even in its current ambiguous state (and you're guaranteed a rack now! woot!)
It is really rocky (railroad ballast) at the beginning in Etna and I did not have a good time going that way on my road bike a few weeks ago.
The 1 will get you from Etna to Millvale. If you bike upstream to Sharpsburg, the 91 will get you across the river, where you can pick up various back streets in Lawrenceville to get you to the Strip.
I've done the ballast thing on a road bike, but it isn't pleasant. I don't give a rat's patook about trespassing. On zero occasions will you be by yourself along there, and will encounter RR police maybe 1 in 40 trips. Fishermen, hikers, other cyclists: all the time. The RR people will chase you off every once in a while just to maintain some semblance of ownership. You just say "Yessir" and move along.
Thanks for the tips. I was hoping to avoid 28 altogether and don't want to take a bus, it would be cheaper for me to drive.
I will try parking at riverfront park to start. Are there any good/safe road routes from Millvale to Etna, should I get more adventurous?
Thanks for all the help.
A friend of mine recommends Parker St to Seavey Road when traveling from Etna to Millvale. I suppose you could reverse that. Here is a route that includes it: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/193966
I've done Washington (from Butler St) -> Friday -> Evergreen to get over cabbage hill, Washington (to the top of the hill) was on the sidewalk 'cause I had to stop every two feet to catch my breath (gears and in better shape now might change that, but the sidewalk looks perpetually empty). It was pleasant. Once I was at the crest of the hill I took the lane in the road, which was only slightly disturbing down closer to 28 where people weren't expecting me and it was tight for them to get around me. I'd imagine in rush hour when cars aren't moving it might be a little easier, but if you don't filter you'll be standing in that rush traffic yourself.
That ballast can be done on 23s. It is a lot better than it was last year.
I know all these routs like the back of my hand. I wouldn't ride from Etna/Sharpsburg to the city on 23's or 25's. A hybrid is okay. Here is what I would do. Walk the bike up the steps on the 62nd St. Bridge and hit Butler. It is a pretty nice ride down to 52nd St. There you take a right and a quick left. Now you are on a non travelled road. Go through an industrial park and then a quick right and quick left and you cut through some little short cut. You are then on a non travelled road to a T. Take a right and over the tracks you then take a quick left in yet another industrial park. No traffic. Then you are on 43rd St and you go towards the river and hit that little part of a trail. As soon as you can take a left you take it, because that trail ends. You then look for those barriers on your right and cut through them. Yep, they made it so you need to sort of walk your bike through there now because they don't want bikes to cut through there. You can still get through. Pass by the school busses and such and you are about to the city.
I ride this route all the time. It is very relaxing and even a beginner can do it. Good luck.
I head down and up Parker everyday into the hilly area back by Cherry City. Head into Millvale and under the bridge onto River Ave. Pretty easy.
I have no idea why everyone makes such a big fat fucking hairy deal out of the rr access road from Etna to Millvale. The at grade crossing is paved now and the ballast is super worn in. I ride that way all the time on a fixed road bike with 23s. It's no big deal.
I think I know what's going on. A year or 2 or 3 ago the railroad was doing alot of work on the tracks, this work went on for maybe 2 years it seems. What they did was they covered that maintenance road with really big fist sized ballast, because they were running trucks up and down it which was making big ruts in the road. i think riding over this ballast is what people remember. I didn't ride it for along time after this either. Then during one of the snow days we had this winter I took I ride in that way -- and all the ballast was gone ! I think the RR removed it, theres hardly a trace left except real close to the Sharpsburg end... Below is a pic of the "trailhead" at Etna/Sharpsburg, its a little hard to find if you don't know where it is. Also It looks like there is parking right under the 62nd St Bridge, in a little unappealling lot. Or if you want a better place try the boat dock area up around 13th St in Sharpsburg.
I think I must have ridden on the wrong part, between the railroad tracks and the river, or my butt is just a lot more sensitive than the Burches (maybe it's my seat angle after all). Anyway, where I rode it was pretty bad, and I definitely would not have wanted to go that way on skinny tires.
Yes, you want between the tracks and the river. It's an actual trail on the Millvale end.
Looking at Boazo's photo, the spot you want to try to get to from the Etna end is that spot in the upper right corner. Top of the photo is upstream; downstream is to the bottom. Aim for the river with the 62SB on your left. Cross all the tracks. Get as close to the river as you can get, turn right, and stay close to the river.
Do not take Hafner Ave, or whatever that street is called. You will end up on the wrong side of the tracks with noplace left to go. Trust me, dragging your bike underneath a parked train is scary as hell, as well as difficult. (BTDT)
Is there some access from Etna that I am not aware of? I know the access from Sharpsburg, but not Etna.
I wouldn't run 23's on that crap road, but I am 6'2", so it isn't like I can float over rocks. I ride that route on my hybrid and it is okay. 23's. I would have to see that. If you are 130 lb person, I can see it though. That would be easier on the wheels.
If you are sitting when you ride over rocks or rough surfaces, you are doing it wrong. Your butt shouldn't be sore.
Dude, I'm 220 lbs. floating over rocks is as much about technique as it is about skill. Also I've been riding that way since before, and all through, the ballasty trail work. Ask stef, I don't slow down one tiny bit on that road, it's the only road I can ride faster than her on.
I don't think of that spot just downstream from the 62SB steps as either Etna or Sharpsburg. It's about equidistant from both of them, though that construction makes it a tad more difficult to get there from Etna at the moment.
If you don't go that way, you're climbing a big honking hill.
Yes, that hill is huge. But quite pleasant at the top, and who could hate a hill called Cabbage Hill? It sounds so quaint.
Honestly, I only attempted the hill after failing to figure out how to ride the ballast. I didn't try to cut over until the last minute, at the end of Butler when construction had closed off the ramp, I thought I could get there from the construction zone. All the lovely construction workers from Altoona and whatnot were very kind and tried to help, but it ended up being "you can't get there from here" (jungle-filled ravine in between) so up the hill I went. Having done it once, I'd likely do the hill again over the tracks, but being outside trains scares me. (being inside trains is interesting).
So, what is the correct(or at least a correct)technique for riding the big crunchy stuff? The few times I've done ballast or similar on the Bianchi, I've just gotten out of the saddle and let the bike wander under me...usually beats up my wrists and hands pretty good, though.
I took Etna to the North Shore somewhat frequently last year for work
The key is to just follow the well worn in paths. If you just randomly zigzag across the rocks, it will be annoying, but if you stick to where all the all other cyclists have gone, it won't be too bad
I used to live right next to that little train station on Short Canal. That route is better than it used to be, but nasty if you ask me on a road bike. It is probably best to let it rip on the stones, but it is going to be hard on your bike and wrists no matter what, I don't care how big of an ego you have or some magical technique. I prefer to cross the bridge and ride on the nice smooth road. Sometimes I do get tired of the cars and ride the tracks, though, but I wouldn't ride my fixed on that crap. To each their own though.
I used to park daily at the Sharpsburg Riverfront Park on 13th and bike to Gateway Center. There is plenty of parking and the lot has video surveillance.
From Sharpsburg Riverfront Park, take Main Street/South Main Street to First Street underneath the 62nd Street Bridge. Cross the tracks and take the railroad access road downriver (unofficial trail). The “unofficial trail” turns into the “official trail” near Millvale. The “official trail” goes through Millvale Riverside Park and into the North Shore.
A year or so ago they dumped a lot of ballast on the “unofficial trail” segment and I started walking my bike up the stairs of the 62nd Street Bridge and riding into town on the other side of the river.
My suggestion to you would be to park in Millvale Riverside Park and bike from there. On your way home, continue on the river trail and take it all the way to Sharpsburg. That way you can see for yourself if you are comfortable with the trail conditions between Millvale and Sharpsburg. Then just turn around and bike back to your car. If that segment is acceptable to you, then the next day you can park in Sharpsburg.
@dan Losen your grip. Let the handlebar move around in your hands the same way you get off the saddle and let the bike move under you. Don't lock up your knees, elbows, shoulders or wrists stay super loose. Same as riding a mtb through a rock garden.
Yeah just go and don't hit the brakes. I don't pedal too aggressively, but I keep an even, steady pace. I was scared shitless about it the first time, thinking about how badly it would hurt to fall on those rocks, but it hasn't happened yet. It really does hurt the wrists and hands to go over a rocky surface, but only temporarily, even if you're not used to it.
You still grip too hard.
TMI
ha!
