76: my life is saved, backwards in more ways than one, the pope gets married, his wife could eat no lean, the dog house, wampum, slippery rock, friday's hill, almost like home, tax this, failed art, land of taxes, subway, two and a half decades

July 12, 2025

Pittsburgh to New Castle

When I was originally looking at today's route, I did some spot checks on Google Street View to see what I might expect. What I saw was terrifying. When I've checked it in the past bad roads never bothered me much because there are always alternate routes I could take.

However, this is Pittsburgh, and if you leave a main thoroughfare, (a) you go straight up a canyon (as in UP), and (b) you make no progress in the direction you want to go. I found one alternate route, but would have to backtrack a mile and a half, adding three miles to today's ride. I'm absolutely fine with that, but even if I do it I still have miles and miles of this:

So, I did something yesterday that I've never done before: I actually got in a car and drove the route. I was curious to see if it's really as bad as Street View made it seem, and it was. Worse, actually, because I found that it's very industrial, so most of the traffic is 18-wheelers, and there's not a rail on the right side - there's a concrete barrier with absolutely no shoulder.

Curiously, I felt a little betrayed by both Adventure Cycling Association (I actually double checked to see if I'd made a mistake, but that's where they routed me) and RideWithGPS. Maybe there just isn't a way around this section.

So, this morning, Cherpumple Mike and BlogMother Jen were nice enough to wake up early and leave the house on a weekend at 6:30. They drove me past that section, which I'm convinced saved my life.

We drove into New Brighton from the north instead of the south. Because I was in the back seat and not paying attention to the road, when I started riding I just continued in the same direction... south, and didn't realize I was heading in the wrong direction until I noticed that the sun was rising from the west.

The good news is that I wouldn't have seen this if I'd gone in the right direction, or the next picture. Also: did the pope get married and decide to move to New Brighton?

You'll eat what we TELL you to eat, soldier!

This is about as bad as the road got today, and there was very little traffic...

Image not found :( — ...and once I turned onto the side road traffic disappeared altogether

I debated about whether to take the detour and decided against it. I saw no sign whatsoever of any construction, and have no idea why there's a sign.

"Almost Like Home" AND "Elegant." I dunno, I never considered my toilet "elegant" ..... especially when I'm done with it.

My attempt at an artistic picture.The phrase "Keep your day job" comes to mind.

One of them, likely unofficial, says "Pennsylvania, The Land of Taxes."

just an illustration of the valleys - there's a steep cliff immediately behind the house that goes straight up.

The heat was brutal, topping out over 90 and with a humidity almost matching it, so by 11:30 and I parked myself in a booth at Subway and worked on the blog until 2:30, then rode over to the hotel to check in.

Today's ride was only 24 miles. Not much, unless you look at it this way:
If 100 miles is a century, then 10 miles is a decade. Therefore, I rode two and a half decades today.

Heart

Comment

Link

Today's ride: 24 miles (39 km)
Total: 1,930 miles (3,106 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	9
Comment on this entry	Comment	3

Bill Shaneyfelt2 1/2 decades... This ain't no race. Enjoy every decade.
Reply to this comment
1 week ago

Peter BrownI like your time/distance analogy.
Reply to this comment
1 week ago

Mark BinghamTo Bill ShaneyfeltYou're right, Bill! I should change it to: "I rode two Baker's Dozens today."
Reply to this comment
1 week ago