Ride Gretna

09/13/2022

A couple weekends ago I decided Michaux is the gravel capitol of Pennsylvania.

After Bentonville claimed to be the mtb capitol of America, you can claim anything you want.

But I’m not steering you wrong here — Michaux is vast with diverse surface types of varying aesthetics for all you grav-dawgs.

And it’s not a terrible hike from Lancaster, Harrisburg, Hershey, etc. which is why I might top Michaux over State College. But not just that, Michaux is sophisticated — a conversationalist never shy of changing tempo and terrain, where other gravel locales might drone on with the same story.

We did an overnight bikepack through Michaux into Gettysburg and back. With PA’s perfect gravel weather I’m looking to find more fantastic grav. Maybe you are too.

I don’t have a michaux route on the website. Look at gravel map.com and ride with gps.

But find the website, link in bio, for the 5G route out of Gretna. It speaks for a good day on the bike. 30, 50, and 60 mile options.

01/22/2022

Gravel with a story, and a man who tells it best. Two years ago I biked through this land looking for adventure. Instead it found me...

Rhodo-Tunnels of the reservoir trail. I stood above my Cannondale gravel bike, one foot on the Stony Valley Rail Trail, the other still clipped in, with the same leg resting on the toptube. To my n…

10/12/2021

The Green Mountains of Vermont:

10/01/2021

We rode hard but sweated little, flirted with death, and turned on our lights for one of the first night rides of the season — a perfect fall evening.

09/27/2021

The loaded stallion! — VTXL —

When I bought this from I envisioned this thing loaded with gear and finding hidden gravel gems.

Tent, sleeping bag, mat, tylonol, cookies, you name it, it’s in there.

09/20/2021

I’ve been taking snack breaks with the cows on VTXL, a 300 mile gravel route down the spine of VT. Tomorrow I attempt to finish the last 90 miles. On day 1 I had a moment with these cows after we all got poured on for 30 minutes. I wonder if they would complain about that or if it was just another Saturday?

09/06/2021

Swim-a-bike?? Blue marsh lake singletrack on this weekends gravel adventure.

09/03/2021

I’ve just decided, these cows are my favorite cows within a 10 mile radius of Mt. Gretna. Oh and there’s a few gravel duders in front of them.

Obie Rd, Lebanon County.

08/29/2021

The nice young man checked us out in the Pine Grove Turkey Hill on a typical Saturday afternoon - not many cyclists roll through this rural part of PA. He gazed at our attire, and curiously asked, “You guys are doing that thing…uhh… I can’t think of the word… ummm, that… race”

“Oh the Tour de France” , Andrew chimed in.

“Yeah yeah that’s it!”

After the lady behind us joined in, we experienced a short lived moment of fame, where we were leading the Tour de France through the small mountain town of Pine Grove, Pennsylvania.

The lady drove off wishing us good luck out her window.

We left Pine Grove heading towards the Lebanon reservoir, where a short Rhododendron lined hike a bike leads you to the Stoney Valley Rail Trail.

07/06/2021

Saturday, 1:13am - searching for rest. 5 hrs later we woke up in a field just off of the Penn State campus in State College. We slept with just a pad and a sleeping bag - Abundance in simplicity - exemplifying the freedom offered via bicycle.

06/10/2021

Town of Franklin - The oil region of Western PA - Touring any new land through the lens of a bicycle offers an unfiltered, highly nuanced perspective. Life gets left behind and you think about, well - bushes.
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Pink Rhododendrons specifically- big and small, one for every house number and blooming with distinct exuberance. Oil is long gone in Franklin, but Im hoping the Rhodos stay for a bit.

06/03/2021

Type 2 fun: uncomfortable in the moment but fulfilling in retrospect. When contrasted with type 1 fun (enjoyable in the moment) cycling is often type 2.
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And when called late Saturday night with two flat tires on his car, I doubted any form of fun was possible. Sunday involved removing tires in the rain, jacking a car up with firewood and two piss-poor jacks, and one scrawny jack falling over mid tire change. If I had to label it, I’d say type 3 fun (no fun).
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Yet the next day the sun emerged and .harrington joined for climbing Reddish k**b, a 3000 ft climb sitting between West Virginia and Virginia.
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The winding narrows to the summit revealed the depth of experience from one unfortunate inconvenience, to the incredible time on bikes with great people, and how they morph into a single positive experience.