This program encourages college students to engage in outdoor activities throughout the Western Pennsylvania region.

The group enjoyed perfect weather during their paddle on the Allegheny River.  Afterwards, they pedaled along the riverfront trail to Washington’s Landing taking in many views of Pittsburgh and plenty of warm summer sun.

Throughout the fall and winter seasons, participants in Pittsburgh Connections will rock climb, ski, and go white-water rafting among many other exciting outdoor adventures!

Check out some photos from the afternoon below!

Our Pittsburgh Connections program is made possible by the Richard King Mellon Foundation and the American Eagle Foundation.

]]> http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/2010/08/24/kayak-bike-connect-pittsburgh-connections/feed/ 0 http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/2010/08/13/relay-in-doubt/ http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/2010/08/13/relay-in-doubt/#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:47:35 +0000 admin http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/?p=3318 Each year we set out to do something silly and challenging…ride from Washington DC to Pittsburgh in less than 24 hours. In 2008, we accomplished the mission with 150 riders and a big blowout for Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday. Last year we made it our goal to raise funds to finish the bike trail into Pittsburgh and rode in with minutes to spare. This year we were at it again, ready to pedal through any weather and dodge mammals big and small.

The ride began on July 18, and the morning started off on the wrong foot. The entire town of Georgetown conspired against us to close down all the early-morning breakfast shops. We had no choice but to chow down 10 minutes before the start of the event—not ideal when you’re about to ride hard all day and all night.

And ride hard we did: the first few legs on the C & O Canal Towpath put us, surprisingly, ahead of schedule as we rolled into Cumberland. This was pivotal as we stood before a 24 mile climb up to the Eastern Continental Divide. As we climbed this hill the sun set on our day but the cycling continued. We were slowly losing our lead on time, and things turned sour on the longest leg of the relay.

The second-to-last leg from Confluence to Connellsville is a daunting 27-mile task in the wee hours of the morning. Throw in an electrical storm brewing in the distance and the ride is nothing short of epic. Unfortunately, our riders made a wrong turn in Confluence and were a mile away before they righted their course. We lost nearly 30 minutes there.

As the team waited in Boston for the final leg, it was obvious that we were in jeopardy of missing the 24 hour deadline for the first time in the history of this ride. It’s 23 miles from Boston to the Point, for which we’d scheduled 97 minutes. As the riders approached the handoff point, we were left with just 79.

We would have to fly like the wind to pull it off. I rode the last leg with a friend who is 28 years my senior. I still remember his wife ordering me on no uncertain terms to “bring him home alive.” I really wanted to follow her order.

But I really, really wanted to get to the Point in time. So we rode hard. Hard up the hills and even harder on the flats. We flew over bridges and through intersections and found ourselves on the Eliza Furnace Trail with 3 miles to go and 20 minutes remaining. We had ridden 20 miles in 59 minutes. And my friend did great.

As we arrived in Point State Park at 7:20am on Sunday July 18th we were all smiles. Incredibly, and despite what always seem like insurmountable odds, we pulled it off again!

I want to thank all of the riders that made this happen: Todd Owens, Tim Inglis, Mark Susany, Jonathan Kersting, Tricia Chicka, Mark Rawlings, Mike Welsh, Lou Testoni, and Mike Shafer. With their legs, lungs, and never-give-up attitude, we once again made it 335 miles from Washington to Pittsburgh in less than 24 hours.

We’re still collecting donations for the ride, and we’d love to have your support. Proceeds will go to benefit the Allegheny Trail Alliance and help cover the cost of the ride. You can contribute online at www.ventureoutdoors.org/relay.aspx

-Story by Seth Gernot, Venture Outdoors Bike Tour Coordinator

Check out some great photos of the adventure by Mark Susany, Seth Gernot and Tricia Chicka.

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You’ll meet a few of the artists at their mural, including some works in progress, and hear how the design was developed, how the community was engaged, and how the art has helped shape the neighborhood.

Sign up for one or all three bike tours. The routes range from easy to advanced and consist of bike trails and on-road cycling.

Click the date below to sign up for individual rides or the link at below to sign up for the series.

Sunday, August 8
On this ride, we’ll meet in Allegheny Commons and tour the North Side, Downtown, South Side and Strip Distict while we visit 11 murals along the way.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1:00 – 4:30 pm

Sunday, August 15
On this ride, we’ll meet in Millvale Riverfront Park and tour the town of Millvale and the neighborhoods of Lawrenceville, Bloomfield and East Liberty while we visit 14 murals along the way.
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1:00 – 4:30 pm

Sunday, August 22
On this ride, we’ll meet at the Eliza Furnace Trailhead and tour parts of the South Side, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Greenfield and Hazelwood while we visit 10 murals along the way.
Difficulty: Advanced
Time: 1:00 – 4:30 pm

Sprout Fund Mural Rides Series
Sprout Fund Mural Rides build up to Sprout’s annual Hothouse benefit party and showcase event. Any participant who completes all three rides will receive a FREE pair of tickets to Hothouse on Saturday, August 28th!

Be one of the first to view the film! The preview party is Wednesday, July 7th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Melwood Screening Room in Oakland. This is the first opportunity to see the film, and meet John Urman afterwords.

Hors d’oeuvres, wine & beer will be offered for free and everyone who attends gets a free DVD of the film. The Melwood Screening Room is located at 477 Melwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.

Order your ticket on our Activities Calendar!

Free Ride set up a mini bike shop, complete with stands, and provided safety checks for all bicycles.
Pittsburgh Police Officers Kris and Sean tested our cycling skills on a meandering chalk and traffic cone rodeo course in the parking lot.

Major Taylor Cycling Club did a marvelous job leading bike tours and keeping everyone traveling together on the roads.

After the rides, we got our energy back, chowing down on grilled sandwiches (with both vegan and vegetarian options), fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cane sugar lemonade and iced tea provided by the Kingsley Center, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Highmark.

A BIG thank you to REI and everyone who donated bicycles or other gear, food items, and/or time. You made this event a great experience for everyone!

Until next year!

We offering three great tours this summer and fall. Each with a different level of difficulty and intensity. Let’s start off with the easiest:

Fall Foliage Bike Tour

Sunday, October 3 – Friday, October 8
This tour is fully supported and is geared to cyclists and non-cyclists alike. The six day tour includes all of your accommodations and some meals. You’ll have the option to ride a lot or a little each day as we make our way from Rockwood, PA to Washington DC. Enjoy the relaxed setting, the history, and the incredible views as you travel from Laurel Highlands to our nation’s capital.
More information

RAP Tour

Thursday, August 5 – Sunday, August 8
Don’t let the name confuse you, this in not a music tour, it’s a Ride Across Pennsylvania (RAP) Bike Tour. Pennsylvania has 9 State Bicycle Routes and on the first ever RAP Tour you’ll ride on PA Bicycle Route A from Erie, PA to Morgantown, WV over 4 days. This is a moderate bike tour, with riders averaging 56 miles per day.
More Information

24 Hour Cycling Relay

Friday, July 17 – Saturday, July 18
Watch out beginners this bike tour is not for you. We’re looking for serious cyclists who are up for a challenge: ride the entire length of the C & O Canal and Great Allegheny Passage (335 miles) in 24 hours. It can be done, and this year you can do it while supporting your favorite charity.
More Information

If you have questions about any of this year’s bike tour or would like to schedule a custom tour contact our Bike Tour Coordinator, Seth Gernot:
Email: seth@ventureoutdoors.org
Phone: 412.255.0564 ext. 35

Before this ride, I’d never biked more than 25 miles in one go. I’ve long enjoyed both the outdoors and biking, but ever approached both with one thing in mind: leisure. Well, leisure to be accompanied by a post-leisure ice cream cone.

But I decided to do the ride for the personal challenge of biking further in one day than I ever have, the opportunity to see the city from something other than a cab or photographs, and the promise of being on the back of a tandem bicycle with our Bike Tour Coordinator, Seth “I Bike Uphill for Giggles” Gernot. What could go wrong?

Sunday morning we rolled out of bed around 6:00 AM with the sun and balmy morning air as our cheerleaders. Nothing, not even a waffle (okay, maybe a waffle), could have energized me more. Although the ride wouldn’t begin until 8, thousands of people had already lined up by the time we took our place between the starting point and Battery Park. Being surrounded by that many bikers—eventually, the number would reach over 30,000—was one of the most incredible parts of the ride.

Even in the crowd, we were able to keep track of each other with the footlong flags we decorated our helmets with. We also saw helmets with fluffy pink flamingos, sparkly red streamers, and Star Wars bobble heads. The force was definitely with those riders.

A few New Yorkers apparently hadn’t heard that we were coming. My favorite quote was at a crosswalk as a girl waited impatiently, talking on her cell phone. “There’s like, a thousand bikers here blocking my way,” she said, “and they aren’t stopping.” Poor gal. I bet she was standing there awhile.

With Seth’s surplus of charisma and our 4 well-tuned engines (two right legs and two left in total), I’m pleased to report that the 40 miles flew by pretty comfortably—even on a heavy Huffy tandem made in the ‘80s. That evening, I was also able to get my sweets fix with some “mascarpone” gelato from a little market near our hotel. Mmmm.

I ended the ride with only one complaint. Seth made me bike uphill, and he graciously volunteered to manage the downs. That’s fine—he’s old and needed my help.* But where in the heck did he get this picture?

Someone is trying to sabotage my career as a serious biker. Come on—I pedaled myself, and Seth, up the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island to Brooklyn.** You can be sure I’m tough.

Personal experience by Whitney Philipps, Venture Outdoors Development Intern

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*Seth definitely isn’t old! But he did celebrate his birthday with us on the day of the ride, and during the drive to New York with some delicious cupcakes from Dozen.

**Including immediate approaches, the bridge is about 2.7 miles long—the first half of which is uphill.

We popped open many a Cheerwine as well, a delightful cherry soda.  Our centerpiece was a small keg of 1919 Rootbeer, a truly creamy elixir that everyone had seconds of.  We pondered why the name 1919?  After knowing, we were thankful that Prohibition was responsible for such a delightful ‘near beer.’

One quick glance around showed many smiling faces, and shaking hands.  Was this from the cold, or just the sugar?  Definitely the sugar.  Either way, it was time to continue our ride.

A huge, energetic thanks goes out to Vecenie’s Distributing Co. for providing soft drinks that made the day.

Through Chris’s leadership, CTS immediately established itself as the premier destination for personal fitness, nutrition, and life coaching; a leadership position the company has held throughout its 10-year history. To ensure that CTS Athletes receive the best expertise and customer service, Chris created an unsurpassed education program that develops the highest-trained coaches in the industry. With a network of more than 80 coaches, the thousands of athletes working with CTS have full access to an unmatched base of knowledge and experience.

To make hands-on coaching interaction more accessible to the public, Chris pushed to open regional training facilities. Currently, athletes can experience CTS coaching, camps, and testing services in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tucson, Ariz.; Asheville, N.C. A fourth training center is planned for the Central Coast region of California in 2010. Innovation has always been a core component of Chris’s business philosophy, and in 2009 he introduced The Endurance Sports Club at Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs. The Club is a fully-equipped, state-of-the-art fitness center oriented specifically to the needs of the endurance sports community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from world renowned coaching expert Chris Carmichael!

Presented in partnership with Pittsburgh Technology Council and Carnegie Science Center. Sponsored by Eaton.

Date: Friday, May 7
Time:
7:00 – 7:45 AM – Registration, Networking and Continental Breakfast
7:45 – 8:00 AM – Opening Remarks
8:00 – 8:30 AM – Moderated Q&A Presentation with Chris Carmichael
8:30 – 9:00 AM – Audience Questions & Answers

Venue: Carnegie Science Center, One Allegheny Avenue, 15212
Cost: $40
Register: Click here to register online

Note: You do not have to be a member of the Pittsburgh Technology Council to register for this event. Simply click the Register link below, “Sign Up as a New Contact” and follow the prompts. If you have any questions or need additional help registering for this event, please contact our Events Team at events@pghtech.org or call 412.918.4229.

The other locations of Golden Triangle Bike Rental including the new Kayak Pittsburgh location, South Side Works and Station Square locations will open throughout the month of May, but for now enjoy this great weather via bike!

Golden Triangle Bike Rental
Monday – Friday: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday: 10:00 am – 7:00 pm

Location: 600 1st Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-600-0675
Web: www.bikepittsburgh.com