Guest Post: Ashley from A Dash of Spectacular

Hope you all are enjoying this perfect, between summer and fall weather and perhaps thinking of being outside in it to enjoy it even more. Today's guest post is Ashley from A Dash of Spectacular and she's talking about biking in the 'burgh! Ashley is a Texas transplat to Pittsburgh and I really enjoy reading her blog and seeing how she enjoys discovering the city and all the new things she discovers on her adventures. Read about biking here and then check out her blog for a whole lot more!

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Beginner Biking in Pittsburgh

Hi, y’all! This is Ashley from A Dash of Spectacular, and I’d love to chat with you readers about biking in and around this lovely city. 

• Don’t have a bike? That’s ok, we’ll get you set up. Read on.  
• Missed Bikefest 2013 in August or any other fun cycle-centric events the city puts on? No worries, it’s always prime time for bike talk. 

It’s such a great way to get some exercise and see PGH at the same time. 

I am a new cyclist {a fancy term for biker}, having just bought my first bike in May of this year.  I’d always loved riding my bike as a kid, but fell out of habit when I grew out of my ‘kid-sized bike’ around middle school.  The pink-and-white streamers on my handlebars were really cramping my style. I should have stuck with it, because I am falling back in love with cycling!  You don’t need an expensive bike to enjoy cycling – just pick something you’re comfortable with, and several spots around town have bike rentals {I’ve heard good things about Golden Bike Rentals and Bicycle Heaven}, and I hear there is going to be a Bike Share program soon.

The Happy Day. I know I’m reppin' the wrong city, but I’m biking here nonetheless!

As a novice cyclist, I’m getting to know all of the gorgeous spots to bike here in Pittsburgh.  For example, a few weekends ago I took a breezy, 10-mile ride down Beechwood Blvd., through Squirrel Hill, and back up to my apartment in Shadyside. Beechwood is super safe and lined with bike lanes. I have a few photos of this ride on my blog post from 8/22, if you need a view to convince you.  If you’re already a cyclist, I’d love to hear about some of your favorites routes! I’ll be taking notes.

If you are brave, the city itself has lots of bikes lanes.  If you’re not satisfied with the ‘beta’ bike trails on Google Maps {the little green squiggles}, Bike PGH offers maps of the aforementioned local trails to get you started, so if you see one of these:

Pick it up!! Or, you can download one here. Take some time and grab your groceries for the evening or pick up your RedBox movie while on your bike. A couple times of doing the errands by bike and you’ll be a master at PGH’s bike routes.

If you don’t want to brave the streets of PGH {potholes and all}, then a trail might be your best bet.  More well-known, paved or packed dirt routes include the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Southside Trail, the Frick Park trails, and of course, the granddaddy of them all, the Great Allegheny Passage, which eventually leads to Washington, D.C.  It’s more than 300 miles! That one’s going on my bucket list. 

All of the trails are ready for any level cyclist, from beginner to advanced. Once you have basic knowledge of bike maintenance, tire repair and safety {all of which you can get from any of the bike shops in town}, you’ll be set for an adventure. I’ve found that you just have to get yourself out there! 

Do you have any cycling questions? I’ll add them to my ‘beginner’ list and be posting more soon over on my blog, A Dash of Spectacular. I hope to see you out biking PGH with me!