Great stuff, Steve. I'm 54 and just picked up my first bike since I was a kid. I'm just getting started on rail trails and looking to venture out. Your adventures are inspiring. I'm from the Pittsburgh area but have lived in Lancaster County for the last 27 years. I still get back that way fairly often to visit family, and it's great to see that Pittsburgh treated you well. Ride on!

Hot metal bridge to the water front is good times. You pass barges you can walk/camp on, the bald eagles nest...n then on to mckeesport. cant wait for spring!🍻

That would be such a cool place to bike

I always say passing on your left. Most people at least where I ride really appreciate it. Just don’t wait until you are right behind them.

The Smithfield Bridge is the oldest bridge across the main rivers of Pittsburgh. It blocks the Delta Queen from going upstream from Pittsburgh, the bridge is to low for the Delta Queen to fit under it. The main reason it has NOT been replaced is "Modern" river regulations (post WWI regulations) requires bridges to be taller so barges using the river can fit underneath it. As originally built it was only a two lane bridge. In the 1890s they added the downstream section as a streetcar only bridge. When they shifted the streetcars from the Smithfield Bridge in the 1980s, the state converted that section into a one lane into town road. The reason for that the original section had proper eight foot lanes (16 foot wide), but the streetcar section was only 11 foot wide, for the old streetcars were only 5 foot 6 inches wide and being on rail could pass each other with less then an inch clearance between any two streetcars passing each other. Given lanes must be eight foot wide for roads, the state could only make one lane out of that part of the Bridge.

Thanks much for this. I’ve wanted to do this ride for ten years. All my family started our American journey in Pittsburgh. I’ve been wondering how to navigate through this area. Driven through many times, but this is much better. Maybe do it this summer if I can find someone to ride along. Happy Trails!

Nice, Steve!

Can't wait to see the continuation. It may get steep and very difficult. Hope you enjoy!

It is the SOUTH 10th Street Bridge, NOT the 10th Street Bridge. The reason is 10th street is beside the Allegheny River in the Strip District. When the City of Pittsburgh annexed the old Borough of Birmingham (Now Southside), rather then renamed all of the numbered streets in that former Borough of Birmingham, the City just put the word "South" in front of the number. The numbered streets and the south numbered streets in Pittsburgh do not ever meet. The Hill District and Oakland separate the two sets of numbered streets.

Pittsburgh gal here and I've been wanting to do the GAP for a while now. Came across your vid and enjoying so far! You're a natural! Was nice to see you in my home city!

I have watched each of your episodes. Good job. I was particularly interested in your "In and out of Pittsburgh" as this is my plan for doing the GAP next Spring (2024). I intend to arrive by AMTRAK, yes about midnight. You did a super job of explaining what I can expect in taking my bike off the train and finding my way to lodging for the night. I could only hope to come across some buddies as you did to guide me over to the trail the next morning. I'm sure I will watch this episode again before I begin my journey. I wish they would let me give you another thumbs up.

You mention Southside, while passing the new Condominiums in Homestead, a old River suburb of Pittsburgh, then at 36.34 you enter a parking lot at the site of the "Battle of Homestead" . That conflict occurred during the Homestead strike of 1892. Pinkerton agents tried to force away from two river barges to drive away the strikers from the gates of the Homestead steel plant (The strikers had refused to enter the plant, but also stopped anyone else from entering the plant, please note through peaceful means till the Pinkertons showed up). In the subsequent "Battle" the Pinkertons either swim the river to get away from the strikers, or were taken prisoners by the strikers and then released). It was a very heated battle, but only a handful of deaths (which is surprising given the Strikers brought down a 20 pounder Bronze Civil War Cannon, kept as a Civil War Memorial, and the strikers tried to use it to sink the barges the Pinkertons had arrived in).

Sorry if I over reacted. I'm really enjoying the video. Hope to do it some day.

The graffiti is right across the river from the new Allegheny County Jail. The graffiti started as messages from the path to people in the jail over 20 years ago. It is more then that today.

I NEVER say "on your left" because 99.9% of the time they turn around and... you guessed it swerve left LOL great video, do DC to PGH and back a couple times a year, its so nice its hard to get motivated to road ride anymore. Really want to do the D&L but I just cant figure out the trail closures and if they have detours, attempted it last year but turned into a road ride 30 miles in. Jim Thorpe area looks amazing from what I see online!

Do you think you would have found your way all right without the trail angels? Some considering going from weirton West Virginia to Pittsburgh and over towards Cumberland then vearing south into West Virginia for a couple more days.

Hi, great video. We are going to do this soon. We rode the Ohio to Erie Trail. Have you done that? We have some videos on our channel of that ride. New subscribers to your channel

When you got off for the art work did you have to travel back to the GAP trail?

Just beginning to watch what I'm sure will be a great adventure. But the f word? And other language? Can I watch this with my grandchildren? Is this a reflection of your character? Are you gonna be throwing around the f word throughout?