How do I register?
To register for any Road Scholar program, you will need to visit RoadScholar.org. To register for Biking the Great Allegheny Passage in the Laurel Highlands, click here.
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What if I need to cancel my registration?
Cancellations should be filed through Road Scholar. To learn more about cancelling your Road Scholar reservation, click here.
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How far will we ride each day?
Riders cover 100 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage over the course of three days. Day one begins in Frostburg, Md., and ends in Rockwood, Pa., totaling 28 miles. Day two continues in Rockwood and travels into Ohiopyle, Pa., for a total of 30 miles. Day three picks up in Ohiopyle and rides all the way to West Newton, Pa., for a total of 42 miles.
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How strenuous is the trail?
The Great Allegheny Passage runs on an old railroad route, meaning that the average grade is never more than 2% (a 2% grade means you ascend or descend 2 vertical feet over the course of 100 linear feet of riding). The trail is comprised of crushed limestone, a relatively fast surface.
Our initial ascent out of Frostburg is the most difficult stretch of riding, but once cyclists reach the Continental Divide outside of Deal, Pa., the trail is almost entirely a gentle downhill or flat grade.
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Do I need my own bike?
While it's preferred that you bring your own bike, bicycles are also available for rent (by prior arrangement only, please).
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What kind of bike/tires are recommended?
The Allegheny Trail Alliance recommends using either a mountain bike or hybrid bicycle (cross between moutain and road bicycle) to enjoy your ride on the fine crushed limestone surface. For experienced cyclists who prefer to use their road bikes, we suggest you use wider tires. Kevlar tires have proved to be useful in avoiding flat tires.
It's also important to find a seat that will be comfortable for longer periods of riding.
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What bicycle accessories do I need to bring?
We ask that you bring two spare innertubes that will fit your bicycle tires. While flat tires aren't commonplace on the trail, they do occur from time to time and we cannot provide spare innertubes to match the tire sizes of all our participants. It's also recommended that you travel with your own tire repair kit.
We will provide additional tools for seat adjustment, tire alignment, etc.
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How do I get to Laurelville?
Laurelville is located 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands. For GPS coordinates and driving directions, click here. We also arrange for transportation for guests who are arriving by plane ($50 each way to/from Pittsburgh International Airport) or train ($25 each way to/from Greensburg/Connellsville Amtrak stations). If you are planning to travel by plane or rail, please notify us at least one week in advance with your travel plans so we can arrange transportation for you.
Some Road Scholar participants seek to carpool with others traveling to Laurelville. While we cannot coordinate these efforts or give out contact information for other guests, we recommend you post your query on the event page on Facebook. Also, you can sign up to join the Road Scholar Connection, an online social network designed to connect Road Scholar participants.
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What are the lodging accommodations like?
Road Scholar participants generally stay in the Solarhouse or Guesthouse at Laurelville, depending on availability.
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